alexist

Phil is available next weekend after all. Good thing too, because I think our washing machine, TV, etc come into the category of "heavy items" which I am not supposed to lift!

Felt a very definite, sharp kick this afternoon :) Unmistakeable that time. It can be difficult to feel as my heart seems to be pumping quite loudly and if I lie down I really feel it so it muffles anything else!

For the unfamiliar, gefilte fish is poached fish balls, served cold. It's the item of Ashkenazi Jewish cookery most likely to baffle the goyim. (OK, I've watched a Chinese person happily tuck in and I'm told that Japanese people don't find it too strange as it resembles something they make.)

I can't have it for 2 reasons:

1) You can't buy pike in England. British Jews make gefilte fish from hake, and it's gross. Mind you, they also serve cold fried gefilte fish...
2) It's a lot of work just for me! (Especially since my grandmother swears blind that it can ONLY be made by hand, not in a food processor...) In my family it was strictly a holiday event because my mother hates the work and the smell (so my grandma would be the one to make it). We used to make it in job lots, 6 lbs at a time.

My preference (and deep, abiding love) is for pike and whitefish with a touch of carp. I add eggs (whites are whipped and added at the end), onions, matzo meal, salt, pepper and just a bit of sugar--2 Tb for 6 lbs. Poach with the bones, carrots, and onions. Yummy. I'm drooling as we speak. My appetite for gefilte fish is legendary. Most people eat 1-2 pieces as a 2nd course. I can eat 5.

Latest BP is 118/78. I am skeptical about this as that's the lowest reading I've had in at least 5 years if not longer. In the past 2 years, I've never had a systolic below 125 and I can't ever remember, in my entire adult life, a diastolic below 80. I'd be more than happy for a lower BP reading, but that seems improbably low. I used to have my BP checked regularly as they wouldn't refill my prescriptions without it, so I'm fairly confident about what's normal for me.

Meanwhile, my fingers have swollen somewhat--my rings are tight now so I've taken them off, and there's a nice indentation left. Feet are fine as far as I can tell--some of my shoes are a little tight around the toes, but I think that's spreading rather than swelling as it's been the case for a few weeks now.

The simple BP check ended up taking nearly 2 hours because I proved unable to provide a urine sample. I drank several cups of water, but no go. (This has been a recurring theme in the past week which has me slightly worried.... especially as I drank another 500ml of water on the train afterwards and still didn't need to go.) Finally, at 17:15, they let me out without the sample. I have to see the consultant on the 18th.

(I also have sample vials, so I can do them at home before and avoid the same problem in future!)

ETA: My kidneys and bladder appear to be working a bit better now... so I am at least flushing some of it rather than retaining it!