Plan A, Part 3

Had a phone call this morning from the hospital.

They have had a cancellation and can do me on January 8th.

Hope that doesn't mean some poor soul has died and made a space for me, but then that is the way of the world.

I have to go to a Pre-Op Clinic first thing tomorrow and tell them all the things that are already in the system. I hope I can remember them all again.

Plan A, Part 1 and Part 2

Plan A, Part 1 starts with this.

I have to drink about 4 litres of this stuff every day.

Why?

The tumour in my left kidney is eating into my kidney blood supply and this releases blood into my bladder. If the blood stays too long in one place it will coagulate and create clots. These clots block my urine output from the bladder causing no end of eye watering pain as well as infection. The tumour is also spreading into muscle tissue behind the kidney. The other kidney appears to be OK.

Another response to a blocked bladder is a catheter, they are just as painful and also make your bladder lazy. I've been there twice and I don't want to go there again.

The downside of Part 1 is regular visits to the toilet roughly 30 minutes apart. My best record is 40 minutes but that brought some pain back into the argument whereas with infection present it is about 3 minutes.

This makes travelling to a wargames event a bit difficult, Vapnartak in York in February is a 'no-no', my wargames hut is a 'maybe-yes'.

That is a 'bummer'.

Plan A, Part 2 goes like this.

I turn up at the Western General Hospital one day in the New Year. January is fully booked but since my cancer seems to be aggressive they will try to fit me in.

I get a nice comfy bed and a jag in my arm and oh so sleepy.

When I wake up I will have a few abdominal cuts, and maybe one bigger one, and another bloody catheter. Oh Joy. Probably 3 or 4 days in bed before being allowed home, more litres of water and quite a few tablets.

Maybe a couple of weeks after that I could maybe get out to the wargames hut and peruse what hasn't been happening. It might be another month after that before I'm allowed to drive.

What happens after that?

Dunno. Ask me later.

Boxing Day Breakthrough

Yesterday (Christmas Day) was just bearable but more painful towards the evening.

However, since then, particularly since lunchtime I have been passing blood clots followed by more pain.

The last one was a massive clot but has been followed by a painfree period and a couple of reasonably normal pees.

I might get my paintbrush out this evening.

I'm just about to go out and visit my 17 month old grandson before he goes to bed.

Whoop-ee-do.

Record Breaking

I'm not particularly fussy about records and that.

I was, however, proud that when I retired from work I was the longest serving member of the service, 41+ years.

And, when I stopped attending my local wargames club I was the longest continuous member, 40+ years so a bit proud again.

Todays record is nothing to be proud of.

I have been to hospital twice today, Christmas Day.

First time was just after midnight and the second around lunchtime. Both were painful, wet and bloody affairs. Two days until my consultant meeting now.

Almost Missed Christmas

I am literally just home from another stay in hospital(s) and only just managed to meet their discharge requirements at 7pm this evening.

Fortunately I had my Christmas obligations met before I went in last Sunday.

So another 8 day trip around Edinburgh hospitals, lots of blood, lots of pain, little urine, lots of tubes, numerous bags of fluid, more tablets, less tablets and did I mention even more pain.

However I am now only 2 days away from seeing the Consultant and hopefully get details of an action plan that includes more than just treating the symptoms.

Most annoying bit is I have not touched any of my toys this past week.

Now, can someone remind me when this Christmas lark actually starts.

 

Passing the time.

Not a great day today, too much blood being passed for comfort.

Still it's only 10 days to go before my appointment with a consultant.

Meanwhile someone else is having fun.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/more-26000-playmobil-figures-set-7602698

More at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrtd3iFsH1E

December Update

Well, that's the Carolingians and the Swedes finally off to their new homes in the Kingdom of Fife as well some more Gallic Celts to a chum across Edinburgh.

I have a continuing commission to produce some more Gallic Celts so am moving to finish off some skirmish bow and maybe another warband then maybe a commander or two like Vercingetorix or Eataweetabix.

Another first for me will be some BEF for a chum, some carriers, some 2 pounders and a few useless tanks.

Meanwhile my medical team tell me I have a massive tumour on my left kidney. Hope they don't interrupt my painting schedule too much. Last time I spoke to them they seemed awfully young.

Once they are done I hope to get my massive collection of Warhammer Epic Space Marines ready for sale. I hope to get to Vapnartak in February weather and surgeons permitting.

Carolingian - 25mm - Quandary

I have unearthed another part finished collection of figures which I hope to sell.

I understood them to be 25mm Minifigs Carolingians but I cannot find their codes in the online Minifigs catalogue.

28 Heavy Cavalry, Lance armed, includes 5 Standard bearers, based (mostly 3s, some 2s and 1s) and terrained on 40 x 20mm so cannot see the horse figure code.

I think I added the lance pennants.

10 Light Cavalry, Spear, based singly on 40 x 30mm.

These could fit into many Dark Age armies.

9 Bodyguard unit, based and terrained on 18 x 20mm.

15 Staff Slingers, based and terrained on 20 x 30mm.

30 Cloaked Spearmen, based but not terrained, easily rebased.

Spearmen are code CM2, musician and standard bearer are CM5 and CM8.

22 Heavy Spearmen, based but not terrained, codes CM1 and CM6.

28 Heavy Archers, not based, code CM3.

It might be that these are Minifig castings but were remodelled and given new codes at some point.

Can anyone help with that?

Napoleonic Swedes - 25mm - Restoration

Remember the unit with broken standard.

I decided to repair it before selling them.

Here is the 'stump' of the problem.

I carefully cut away the standard from the broken pole.

I superglued a short piece of plastic tube in its place and I drilled out the internal hole to match the diameter of the pole.

I glued the pole into the plastic tube and glued the whole assembly to the 'stump' on the figure.

A touch of paint and varnish matches the whole thing in.

Ready for service again.

Now I just have to work out how to finish the part-painted unit. They seem to be a grenadier unit but I no longer have the notes I initially used so will have to do a little research.

Napoleonic Swedes - 25 mm

A recent blog post by an old friend reminded me that I had some 25mm Napoleonic Swedish infantry stashed away somewhere. In fact they had been left in a cupboard behind the TV in an open topped box  for at least twenty years. Some of the close up images will show the authentic layers of dust that they have acquired on this greatly un-military service.

Kongl. Skaraborgs Regemente, Kingdom of Sweden 1807

Complete (or should I say incomplete) with hand painted standard and broken flagstaff. A repair will be in the offing.

Note the authentic dust around the helmets and the painting style which is a mixture of drybrushing, block painting and black lining. Have a close look at the crest on the helmet, it is tiny yet I seemed to have painted a tiny blue cross approximately 1mm in diameter.

Kongl. Westgotha Regemente, Kingdom of Sweden 1807

The standards were all painted by hand using sketches made by a wargaming chum. Accurate information was very scarce when I painted these figures (80's?).

Note the white brassard on the left arm. A mark of respect I understand after a death in the royal family.

Kongl. Uplands Regemente, Kingdom of Sweden 1807

Love these figures. Probably Minifigs 'S' Range, and I think you can still get them.

Kongl. Wermland Falt-Jagare Regemente, Kingdom of Sweden 1807

I must have used fairly coarse sand for the bases.

1st Battery, Finska Regemente, Kingdom of Sweden 1807

Determined faces on these gunners.

Some spare artillery pieces.

I have 8 pieces altogether, 6 look like 12 pounders and 2 a bit lighter, possibly 6 or 8 pounders.

A couple of unnamed officers. It was our style in those days to have Brigadiers of Infantry to be modelled on foot beside their mount. Since I have no cavalry the mounted officer must be a full General.

The enemy Sir are that-a-way.

I have an unfinished unit, probably a Life Guard or something like that still on painting sticks. Shouldn't take too much effort to finish them off.

I wonder what to do with them?

Warhammer Epic 40K - Imperial Fists Army

OK, I admit it, I used to play Warhammer Epic.

I was younger then and maybe naïve (cough) but everyone was doing it so it happened.

Something shinier came along and I never finished the troops.

They have to go now.

Most of the vehicles and figures are either table ready, almost ready or barely started. Unless I get a serious purchase offer soon I would expect to bring them all up to table ready, then I would have to charge more.

I would prefer to handover at a UK show to avoid any postage problems. Cash, cheque or a PayPal invoice would suffice.

Enquiries encouraged.

I include the various books but would accept any separate offers for them.

Any advice on pricing these items would be useful.

Imperial Fists.

6 plastic Land Raider transports, painted and varnished.

3 metal Predator tanks, painted and varnished.

12 plastic Whirlwind artillery, painted and varnished.

18 plastic Rhino transports, painted and varnished.

3 plastic Land Raider transports, almost painted.

3 plastic Land Raider transports, barely started.

2 metal HQ Land Raider transports, barely started.

3 metal Thunderhawk gunships, need repaired, barely started.

6 plastic Rhino transports, barely started.

6 metal Vindicator Close Support tanks, barely started.

4 metal Land Speeders, barely started.

6 metal Vindicator Close Support tanks, still in blister packs.

4 plastic Space Marine Command stands, painted, not varnished.

4 plastic Librarian stands, painted, not varnished.

4 plastic Terminator stands, painted and varnished.

4 plastic Scout stands, painted and varnished.

8 plastic Assault stands, painted and varnished.

7 plastic Space Marine stands, painted, not varnished.

7 plastic Tactical stands, painted, not varnished.

10 plastic Devastator stands, painted and varnished.

4 metal Dreadnoughts, almost complete, not varnished.

5 plastic Attack Bikes, barely started, not varnished.

6 plastic Bike stands, barely started, not varnished.

The Rule Book. All from a smoke free home.

The Armies Book.

The Battle Book.