Cake International 2011
So today Moochy and I have been to Cake International at the NEC in Birmingham. It was dead good and we saw loads of amazing things. ‘The irony was, the biggest stall that we bought from was Windsor Cake Craft, which is my local shop anyway!!!!
Anyway, here are some pictures of some of the competition cakes that we saw. AKA Cake Porn!
9 weeks post op
Sugar Teddy
I realised this week that I am now 9 weeks post-op and that I am only 3 weeks away from being able to run again. The recommendations by my doctor and physio were that no heavy exercise for at least 3 months after my total abdominal hysterectomy. I am in my 3rd week back at work and what a 3 weeks it has been.
In my first week back, I had a “phased” return, which only saw me working 4 hours a day. In that week I re-started an evening class (cake decoration), I was sedated at the dentist and my Gran was taken into hospital, which meant that one day and I had to go straight from work (in Manchester) to the hospital (Whiston, Merseyside).
My second week back, I went back to full-time hours with a 6:30am alarm. In that week, I had a 2 day trip to London to watch Strictly Come Dancing and we had a slight family drama, which involved a late night and an early morning.
My third week back has been slightly calmer, but last night I think everything just caught up with me, as I fell asleep on the couch at around 19:00. I woke up at around 20:00 and just took myself to bed – I was shattered. I then slept almost unbroken until 06:00 and by the time my alarm went off at 6:30, I was wide awake and ready to get up.
The thing about having the hysterectomy that is unseen, is the toll it takes on your whole body. I don’t think I had any real concept of what “Major Surgery” meant. Of course, I understand English, so I know what the words meant, but I had no idea what it would mean for me. I remember questioning why on earth I would need 6-8 weeks off work and I couldn’t even imagine why anyone would need 3 months off sick!!! But now I realise that it’s a slow process of recovery and that you don’t just snap back into normal life, it all takes time.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel ill at all and the pain for me was relatively minimal. After the first week to 10 days at home after the op, I stopped taking pain killers altogether. It was bad at first, I’m not going to lie, but after that, it was no more than an ache, and only if I did too much in one day – certainly no worse that the period pains I had been experiencing beforehand 
The thing that has taken the longest to go for me (and as predicted by my consultant), is the tiredness. I guess my body is still healing itself which means that my energy levels are not back to what they were before the operation. I wonder if some of the sluggish feeling is because I am not allowed to run and things? Who knows, but what I do know is that being tired is a small price to pay for no more periods, no more period pains, no emotional roller coast and no more “feeling sad” a couple of times a month.
I think this whole thing will turn out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. xx
Up Early Doors
I am looking at myself in the mirror and it’s definitely me, but yet I don’t recognise the person who has been up VOLUNTARILY since 6:15, had a shower and walked Peggy dog and is now watching big brother before work??? Who knew?
Moochy pointed out this week that I have had a “funny” week. Not funny ha ha, but funny peculiar. Let’s not forget that this week I have returned to work after a 7 week sick leave, then on Wednesday I was sedated at the dentist and then yesterday my gran was taken into hospital by ambulance again and I spent 5 hours in Whiston with her. She’s fine I think, but it was a worry after having breast cancer in June.
ANYWAY today is Friday and I am going to Windsor Cake Craft after work to get some cake decorating supplies and then I am coming home to get my cake on… baking that is 
What a “funny” week….
Aces Day
The aim of today was to have a non-hysterectomy day, a day of doing things that didn’t involve worrying or thinking about having a hysterectomy (4 days to go by the way).
So…. we had a nice lie in this morning and then I went to the deli at the top of our road and got us Sausage on Toast for breakfast. Yum. Then I went to Tesco to get ingredients, whilst Moochy worked on some stuff on the computer. I came back and made a chocolate cake with the help of my stunning new kitchen aid mixer that Moochy got me for my birthday, like this one:
Yes, I know it is expensive, but I am a very very very lucky girl with a very very very generous Moochy. Plus I LOVE it and it makes buttercream in around 90 seconds!!! It also helped me make this:
I also made an asparagus toad in the hole, which was also great. This evening we took Peggy dog on the field for a walk in the sunshine and then we came back and watched The Hangover on DVD. I have avoided watching it for a while as I thought it would be very blokey and cheesy, but actually it was really funny and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As I blog, we are watching Penn & Teller, “Fool Us” and thinking about going to bed soon. Close to a perfect day. xxx
Pre-operation Appointment
When we arrived back from Anglesey there was a letter from the hospital waiting for me which contained my pre-op appointment. It’s on the 7th July, which is 11 days or so away and according to my letter, it will take about an hour. I have to take a sample of urine and I could be subject to blood tests, scans and x-rays. I suppose a hysterectomy IS a major operation, so they have to be thorough.
I know that I am fairly fit and healthy and the only thing that may hinder my recovery is my weight – I could be a stone (or two) lighter. But other than that, I reckon I should be fine.
The provisional date my consultant gave me for the op is the 13th July, which is less than a week after the pre-op, but I guess that will be confirmed should I get the green light on the 7th.
I am a bit nervous about the whole thing, but luckily I have got quite a lot going on in the week or so to keep me busy. First of all I am back to work tomorrow, but I have meetings for the two days I am in, so that should go quite quickly. Then on Wednesday it is my birthday, and whilst mostly this is a happy occasion, it
Cupcakes
isn’t quite the same as usual as we are taking my Gran to the hospital.
She is having a lumpectomy on the 30th to remove a cancerous lump in her breast, so she has to go to Whiston the day before to have an isotope injected into her so that her operation is easier for the surgeon the day after. So this means for me, mini birthday celebrations in the morning of the 29th, hospital with Gran in the afternoon, drop Gran off in the morning, pick her up when she’s had her op, then sleep on the settee overnight to make sure she’s ok.
On the Friday, hopefully my mum will come and relieve me and then Moochy and I can go and pick up my birthday cakes from the cupcake lady in Liverpool. (YAY!!!) Then on Saturday we are going for lunch to Abode in Chester (which is one of Michael Caines’ restaurants*) to celebrate my birthday and then of course the week after that, pre-op.
Phew.
*Just in case you read that wrong, I mean Michael Caines the Michelin starred Chef, not Michael Caine the actor!!!
Discombobulated
Oo, I feel a bit out of sorts this morning. Not poorly or anything, just having a reaction to the 6:15 alarm call this morning. Having had a lovely 13 days off work, it is a complete shock to the system to resume dawn starts, hour long commutes and a full day in the office. But I guess it pays the bills….
In fact, I was SO sleepy this morning, that I left poor Peggy dog outside in the drizzly rain and went to work. Moochy had to come downstairs after his shower and let her in and dry her off. Poor dog… and to make matters worse, she had had a poorly belly whilst she had been outside so must have been feeling a bit rotten. 
This weekend is going to be a busyish one as on Saturday I have to take the lovey Moochy for his ears syringed, followed by a trip for a birthday present for his mum and then a trip the sorting office for his mum’s other present. Back home for a quick 40 winks and then off out for 18:30 to a restaurant in Tarporley for the birthday meal.Then Sunday sees me going out for the day to Huyton on a special 1 day Wedding cake decorating course and as much I am loving the cake decorating, I would LOVE a rest…. Why is that after 13 days off… am I just lazy beyond belief… ermmm yes.. sometimes I am.
Annual Leave Rocks
I have to say, being off work is MUCH better than getting up early and travelling 22 slow miles down the M62. Today we had another lie in and then took Peggy dog to the vets for Anna to look at her ears. We had a slight comedy moment when Peggy had ear cleaner put in her ears which she then promptly shook all over Moochy and I… we got covered.
Then we came back and decided to go out to a shop that had been recommended to us called Windsor Cake Craft in Warrington. I have to say it was well worth the trip as I needed some bits and bobs for the wedding cake 1 day course I am going on on the 8th May. I have to say it’s a great little shop and had everything you could possibly want for cake decorating and even somethings that you didn’t know you needed. Bonza.
When we got home, my Graze box had been delivered:
Graze.com was something I found after seeing an advert in the Weight Watchers Magazine. The idea is that you have a couple of boxes per week delivered with a huge range of things that can be in the box. As you can see from the picture there are 4 options/tubs per box (well there were 4, but I ate one!) and whilst you don’t get to chose specifically what is in each box, you DO get to choose the types of things you like from a very long list on their website. You get to rate different options with either Bin, Try, Like or Love and from these selections Graze then send you 4 things.
I have to say I was impressed with my 1st box, so I will just have to see how it goes.
We are just chillling this afternoon and then tonight we are going to see Lenny Henry in Southport. Love it – time off Rocks.
Sugar Roses on Bank Holidays
Wow, loving being off work. Today is day 4 of 13 off and I/we are just loving it. We went out for tea last night to Moochy’s mums and I made Simnel Cakes which were lush!!!
Today, I also felt inspired to do a little baking, so currently cooling in the kitchen is a giant cupcake, made using this Wilton pan…
and I also made some lilac sugar flowers….
and would you believe that this is the VERY FIRST TIME I HAVE MADE THESE!!! It’s all thanks to the wonderful techniques of Mitch Turner from The Little Venice Cake Company. She is a legend and this is how I did it:
Daisies and Daffodils
So last night was week 4 of my cake decorating class and I am still loving it. Last night we made Daisies and Daffodils as part of a 3 week project which will see us making a spring sugar plaque.
Last night my class was real tonic as earlier in the day I had an horrendous IBS experience and crippling period pains. It took from about 8:00 till about 12:30 for my painkillers to eventually kick in and I was zombie like until they did.
Anyway, I am going into hospital this weekend for the day so the docs can maybe take a look at exactly why I am getting so much pain. It’s just a day case, so I shouldn’t even need time off work. For some odd reason though, I feel the need to clean the house before I go in. How odd. x
Life Continues apace
I don’t know how it has happened, but my life currently seems chock-a-block with “things to do”. None of them are work related, so for someone who is very fond of the couch and TV, my hectic schedule seems almost unnatural. Take these past and next few weeks:
March
- Week 1 : Started Cake Decorating, Sarah Millican Show, Hair Straightened, 10 mile walk.
- Week 2: Cake Decorating, Hospital Appointment, Bridesmaid Fitting, Hen Do
- Week 3: Cake Decorating, Make and decorate Gran’s 89th birthday cakes, Hospital Appointment, Tea at the in-laws, Lakes Weekend Away
- Week 4: Cake Decorating, Hospital Stay
- Week 5: Cake Decorating, Day off for pre-wedding things, Wedding, Mother’s Day.
Now I am quite sure for some people this seems like almost nothing, but to me its LOADS!!! Every weekend lately has had some event or other in it, so I am looking forward to April when my diary clears up a bit.
In other news, I am thoroughly enjoying cake decorating and this week finished off my baby in a crib:
For saying I am only in week 3, I am pretty impressed with myself. Other than that, I am just running along with myself, trying to keep up and whilst I haven’t been doing as much Shine Training as I would like, I have re-started this week, with a 5 miler yesterday.
Right then, I had better stop blogging and start doing stuff… xxx
