Christmas in Milton Keynes, Dates for your Diaries.

Christmas is fast approaching and as usual there is loads of festive fun to be had in the run up to the big day.

Here are a few dates for the bigger events but will be posting induvidual dates for local fayres and Christmas markets soon.

Midsummer place Christmas lights are being switched on by Santa at 4:45 pm on Saturday the 12th of November followed by a pyrotechnics and lazer show.

The Xscape hosts the world famous Coca Cola truck on the 15th Of December from 11am. Christmas music giveaways and festive fun to be had at the FREE event. Over 8000 people made the trip down to see the truck last year so be prepared for a busy afternoon.

140%Increase in Drug Driving….

In March 2015  new drug driving screening devices were introduced , Along with new driving limits for prescription drugs.

Now my prescriptions have changed over the years, with me having to give an extra signature for the controlled drug Tramadol and new guidelines with my liquid morphine and Diazepam too.

I didn’t really pay much attention to the warnings as I have been on them for so long now It wouldn’t make much of a difference.

When the laws hit the headlines I instantly thought of the illegal drugs but didn’t consider the prescribed variants that could result in a driving ban.

As it turns out I am prescribed 3 of the listed 9 drugs that could see you banned if you are pulled over by the Police. I do not drive very often, normally out of necessity when Hayley (wife) is to fatigued because of her MS and I have to take/collect the gremlins from school.

In case you are not aware here are the prescribed drugs that can see you banned:

• Temazepam
• Diazepam
• Amphetamine
• Clonazepam
• Flunitrazepam
• Lorazepam
• Methadone
• Morphine or Opiate based drugs
• Oxazepam

Over the counter drugs such as codeine could also see you get a ban so my suggestion to anyone taking medication is to read the guidelines thoroughly and if in doubt speak to your pharmacist .

 

 

Its been a spotty week…..

Chicken Pox for the tiddler, Probably the worst case I have seen on any child personally.  He had them on his eye lids and his eyes got infected. I do have to thank the NHS for their swift actions on getting him into the eye clinic just to make sure he will not have any long term affects.

He is full of beans and on the mend, So this spotty beast will be going back to school Monday.

2016, Onward and Upwards

Happy new year to all my readers

Apologies for the radio silence, My surgery before Christmas went well with no complications. Did it make a massive difference? No, unfortunately  it hasn’t.

Initial signs were good, the spasms had eased and It felt like there was an improvement.

But as time has progressed the old symptoms have slowly started to creep back, leg spasms and burning muscles are very regular.

It was worth a try, My doctor said that at best It could ease the pain by 60% or at worst it would make things worse. After 4 years of going through this pain I was willing to try anything.

I think anymore surgery is a no go, Its time to try and focus on weight management and building my core muscles, carrying this extra timber is just causing more back pain (thanks Christmas!!).

Now the boys are all at school full time my wife and I are trying to sit down and re-evaluate “life” . What do we do? Can we afford to do it?

So many things need sorting , We want a better life for our kids. But with my wife and her MS and me with degenerative disc disease we have a massive challenge ahead.

2016 needs to be the year of change….

Not Long Now…..

Christmas is my favourite time of year, It has been my favourite time for so many different reasons over my life. From the magic of waiting for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve when I was a nipper to being very drunk at Empire and walking home at 2am on Christmas morning.

This year is looking to be a one of a kind Christmas as I am booked in to have surgery on my lower back on the 18th of December. Its thrown our family plans well and truly up in the air.

I am hoping to try and fit in as many Christmas related activities as possible between now and the 18th so I am calling out to all the Milton Keynes for suggestions on festive activities .

Once again the centreMK is getting poor reviews for their display which saddens me. It used to be a yearly event to head to Middleton Hall and watch a celebrity turn on the lights to the display, now its just a money making attraction which seems to have been recycled from last years display.

I have heard good things about Santa at Frosts , but that’s booking up fast so if you are thinking of taking the kiddies there you better get your skates on.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you in advance to my wife as this year has been a real struggle and now with this added pressure of the operation she will be feeling the heat. Thank you for all you do.

I hope to post again before Christmas but expect the obligatory sexy green stocking snaps from my hospital bed. Call it an early Christmas treat!!

 

 

Half Term………..DONE!!

And Breathe….

Kids are back to school, I for one and a happy chap about that. struck down with a viral infection on the second day of the holidays so that was me done for the week. Luckily my wife was on hand to get the boys out and about for a few activities.

As the winter closes in the choice of activities you can do with the gremlins gets smaller and smaller. Those of you who know Milton Keynes will know that there is plenty of places to go and visit that are great for the kids and are outdoors. Unfortunately they involve a lot of walking which currently I am struggling to do.

Safari MK is my go to place when the weathers naff and the kids are at loose ends.

£7.95 for the kiddies and £1.50 for the adults gets you in , the kids go go run and play in a safe  and secure environment whilst you relax with a coffee from the excellent cafe.

The staff are friendly and are always on hand to help if there are any bumps or knocks.

I was really disappointed when kids play closed a few years ago but this new soft play park is just as good.

I would recommend bringing some wet wipes as my kids always turn into sweaty beasts from all the running around, and on busy days some ear defenders as it gets really noisy.

If anyone has any recommendations for places to go in and around Milton Keynes on a rainy day please let me know

http://www.safarimk.co.uk/

Competition overload……

Some of you may have noticed that I like a competition or two. My wife Hayley is to blame for this addiction!!

Hayley started almost two years ago and prizes were coming in on a regular basis and I thought “I will try my luck”. Not being able to work gives me lots of free time and living off benefits means we have had to tighten the purse strings so no more treats . Its been a very useful resource , helping us to get items that because of our current situation was just not possible.

Its a great hobby, not only do you win great things but I have found it to be a very sociable activity and the “comping community” are a friendly bunch who share a lot of competitions between each other.

So I apoligise in advance for these next few months, the run up to Christmas means a massive influx of competitions and I will be trying my best to enter as many as possible.

If you want to join in here are a few sites i would recommend to check out:

https://www.competitiondatabase.co.uk/

http://www.theprizefinder.com/

http://superlucky.me/

Drop me a message if anyone wins, or if you have won in the past

Autumn Is In Full Swing

So here we are again, Autumn is here and the tree’s are shedding their leaves and the mornings are foggy and nippy.

Its been a long while since my last post and a lot has been happening.  The gremlins are all back at school , 2 out of 3 are settled and doing well. The tiddler is having a tough time but will go into more detail on my next post.

In the last four years I have had 3 disectomies on my lower spine and I am waiting for a 4th. This 4th operation is taking a long time to get sorted , I think the English national health is great but it does seem to be under a massive strain and getting any operation sorted does take its time. This could be normal for Oxford, I was looked after 3 times at Milton Keynes general but with no success. I was hoping a fresh pair of eyes would spot an issue my previous doctor missed.

My sciatic nerve is scarred so I get severe leg spasms when the area surrounding the nerve becomes inflamed and is very painful.

Like most people who live with these kind of conditions I have good and bad days, the weather tends to play a big part on how much I suffer. Rain , cold and damp days play havoc.

I am hoping the surgery will make a significant improvement to my condition so I can get back into work and be “normal” again

Bad Week

The summer holidays are in full swing but I can honestly say I feel for my kiddies this year. My back is gradually getting worse and I have been unable to drive for the past week.

We managed a trip to see the minions Movie last friday (thanks Groupon) but that has been the only activity we have managed to fit in.  As lavish as the new Odeon at MK1 is the seats are still blimin uncomfortable, add that to lower back pain and painful shooting pains down the leg. The end result is an hour and a half of shuffling, fidgeting and constant tapping of the foot , my only saving grace is that the movie was only 90 mins rather than an Avatar bum numbing 180.

The date for my pre-op assessment moves ever closer and I have never been more excited to be cut open in my life. the prospect of being pain free and being able to live a relatively normal life is very exciting.

I miss being able to push my kids on a swing, walking round the supermarket and doing normal every day things.

Scourge of the Summer Holidays

Its been a while since my last post, and a lot has happened here at Evans HQ. The Summer holidays are in full swing , and as yet we have done bugger all. Thanks to a nasty virus that is doing the rounds the 2 tiddlers have been coughing, spluttering and quite frankly been gross for nearly two weeks.

Luckily my eldest managed to escape for the worst of it, hitching a ride with his Auntie and Uncle to Cornwall to do a bit of surfing. To say I was jealous was an understatement!!

On the subject of my back….. I finally have a pre-operation date woohoo . I have to wait until the end of September for that. The Cortisone injection I had on the nerve earlier in the year has well and truly worn off and am now left with the constant pins and needles again . The concoction of Morphine, Tramadol , Diazepam and Naproxen helps to a degree but at its worst I may as well not bother. Early mornings are on the gender once again, having to get up because i cant lay comfortably in bed at night means the sofa is my new best friend. Thank you DFS for making good quality furniture!!

Being up before the mob does have its advantages, its so quiet and I get to catch up on shows that I cant watch through the day. Really enjoying I-Zombie at the moment which is a nice break from Dora and Blues Clues that seem to be on repeat.

Hopefully the boys will be OK so we can actually get them out and about next week. Milton Keynes has so much outdoor space and the local councils always arrange great activities to do which are free to attend and are great fun.