For all the wildlife-lovers - Mrs Duckie and her babies!

[Horsewhisper]

Morning everyone, sorry about the picture quality, the bottom 2 pics were taken from inside the house through the window, hence a black splodge on the second one! The tiny, weeny ducklings are a day old! They are so well camouflaged and they zip about on the pond at high speed. There are about 10 of them altogether, it’s hard to count them all at once! You may have to tap and enlarge the pic to get a better view, enjoy! 🦆❣️🦆❣️🦆❣️

[DJK99]

Hello! Thanks so much for posting - beautiful. Hope you are doing OK? x

[Horsewhisper in reply to DJK99]

Thanks D - yes ok, but had a bit of a set back recently, massive flare (maybe out in the sunshine too much and generally over doing it?) and have also got fluid around the heart which is currently being investigated. I was tapering down the Pred steadily and had to go up to 30 from 25. Also started Methotrexate last Sunday night to get the inflammation under control, side-effects not too bad, bit of sea-sickness, a bit more fatigue and general zombie-ness but having a nice weekend now with pistachio ice cream making and whizzing up some home-made Nutella which has already been devoured! How are you getting on? I know it is hard being shielded; the relentlessness and not-knowing what is going to happen next. As much as it is nice to Zoom/FaceTime people and see them, nothing like a face-to-face in the flesh. I get excited when I go off the premises for a blood test! I’ll try and get some more birdie pics and post them, desperately trying to snap a woodpecker, but he is very elusive! Hope you are doing ok, lovely to hear from you 😘🤗🌺

[DJK99 in reply to Horsewhisper]

Hmm that's a lot to contend with. I'm sorry.

Yes, keep out of the sun - it really doesn't do nice things to us eh? I tried to go out the first week of this lovely sunshine and really regretted it... urg. I didn't find much of any side effects on the old metho... it was the Hydroxy that was awful - but we're all different of course. How high is your dose on the metho? I guess the higher you are the more you'll feel it. I had to reduce as neutrophils when down - they'll be keeping a good eye on that for you but I like to keep an eye on my results too as they often didn't note that I needed to reduce as they had gone below 1.5 and then 1.0.

Yes I feel very alone now... I'm so hoping things get sorted and we can go out again - but must behave!

Well I presume family are keeping you cared for and amused... that food all sounds right up my street, lovely!

Hope you start to feel a little better - you're obviously going through all sorts.

Sending virtual hugs xx

[Horsewhisper in reply to DJK99]

Thanks D - it is all a bit up-and-down at the moment - and a lot for us on here to contend with for sure, not just the uncertainty of Covid, but med regimes and ongoing symptoms and ailments etc. In between busying myself as a distraction, I try and take the time out to make sense of it all and what it means to me and the family as a whole. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming but mainly I see it that we can control what is within our control and to stay away from situations that we can’t. So although last nights news about the shielded can go outside from Monday, I am still not going anywhere until I feel it is right for me and the fam. So trying to stay positive and to take joy from nature - the wildlife is so blissfully unaware of what we are experiencing and they continue their everyday lives as usual, something quite re-assuring about that, I find. Anyway! Hark at me rambling on! Re: meds, I’m on 15 mg MTX and due to go up in dosage every 4 weeks I think, need to check the script.

Hopefully with some of the easing of lockdown for the shielded we’ll not feel too isolated and to be able to see people from a distance and have a brief change in scenery will help us feel a bit better. Big hugs back to you too D xxx

[svfarmer]

Oh how cute x

[CecilyParsley]

Gorgeous. Thank you for the smiles ❤️🦆🐥🐥🐥

[Buffy14]

They say the wildlife have been loving not having people around , goats running through towns etc x