Salt Allergies and Polyps
12 August

I've not spoken very much about my breathing difficulties this summer.

Like most people who are affected by hayfever, this year has been a bad year one way and another. For me, from late April onwards, I have been particularly bunged up. And, for most of May and June, I was waking at least once a night with my mouth completely dry because I had been breathing with my mouth open so clogged were my sinuses.

I had been hoping that the cruise would help sort things out but not a bit of it. I remained as clogged throughout the voyage.

So, when we got back I went round to see Mr Short, our local pharmacist. He is often very good at making suggestions and this time was no exception. He told me about salt allergies. Apparently these are the reason why this part of the world is prone to the sort of nasal conditions which result in the famous scouse accent.

Because of the surrounding mountains, with North Wales, the Peak District and the Pennines, as warm air is driven from the south from the Atlantic, salt concentrates in the atmosphere here. This is an extremely rare climactic occurrence. Only San Francisco and Tokyo experience something similar.

The concentration of salt gives us our spectacular sunsets (the sunlight refracts off the sodium chloride), our accent and our snotty noses (more so if we have a reaction to the salt). Mr Short suggested that I try some homeopathic tablets to see if they would assist. And they did. Most of my snot dried up within a couple of days. Leaving behind it the niggling problem in my left nostril where it feels as though I have had a flap or flange of snot which opens and closes my nostril like a valve as I am breathing.

I consulted with Mr Short again. He was less happy with this and suggested that I get a doctor to take a look. Which I duly did. Dr Dye looked up my nose and told me that I had a small polyp. Nothing unusual. Worst case scenario might mean minor surgery and cauterisation. Best case some drops might get rid of the thing.

So, that's what we are doing as of Monday of this week and suddenly I can breathe again and can smell things. So, things are definitely improving.

Ross has spent quite a bit of time away from the happy homestead in the last ten days. Fristly he went off to see his parents and then he had a quick trip down to London with his work support carer, Sue, in order to attend a Madonna concert. During that time he has also been attending work meetings and running workshops. It's not so long ago that he would not have contemplated such a schedule.

I've been filling my time out with some friendly socialising. In past times this would have meant late nights and jollifications. Instead I've continued being in bed by 10 o'clock at the latest.

I seem to be back reading fiction again after quite a long lay off. This is all courtesy of our local Oxfam Charity Shop where you can buy books at bargain prices.

I picked up Trace, the latest in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. Mercifully, it wasn't the lurid potboiler that the novels had become. It was, once more, more about character than about cinematic shock. But it didn't really hang together and various plot devices (like the new Chief Medical Examiner's agoraphobia) ended up going nowhere. And the ending just peters out really without any sense of climax. Even though it was better than I expected, I couldn't give it more than two stars.

I've also finished off A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly. Much against my own judgement I found myself caught up in this story of growing up in a harsh and unforgiving environment. Set against the background of a real life murder, we find out how our heroine grew up towards the moment where her understanding of the girl's murder leads her to break free and go to New York. I just wonder how much real happiness she was going to find in the metropolis. But I read it through with ease. Just about three stars, I think.

Best of the bunch so far has been Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier - she also wrote The Lady and the Unicorn which I enjoyed a couple of years back. I liked the weaving of the two interconnected narratives - one contemporary; the other set in Reformation France. However, I really couldn't get to grips with the main contemporary character. I felt that I should be seeing her as courageous and following her heart. What I actually felt was that she was completely selfish and self-centred. However, it was well written and therefore merits three stars.

I have done some visiting with a trip out to see Colin. We had a meal and chatted about opera and the world. I've also spent time with my parents. They were delighted to see the holiday photographs. I've also had a pint and a chat with Roland.

I do feel lucky to have such a network around me.