Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hello, Elle!
My info matches yours regarding sunshins/Vitamin D, and skin colour, too.
I know ASDA sell the supplements and they are cheap enough.
8pm seems a bit early to start your fast, surely?
When I do my fasting test, I leave it until around 11pm.
If you have porridge it makes you feel fuller for longer, apparently.

Hi, Rusty!
Generally, about 12 hours is the fasting time for a lipid profile, so yes, you are right, I can eat up till 10 pm!
My calculation was at fault!
It is a good thing you mentioned that, as over fasting can be detrimental to the result!
( I'm not with it today!)
I actually have an appointment for the blood tests, instead of having to go to the Drop- in Phlebotomy Clinic and queue!
Another local GP surgery is now offering an appointment system available to patients from other practices, so i have decided to try that.
I have an appointment for 10.07 am!
(How 'specific' a time is that?!)
So I shall now go and find something additional to eat... and have another cup of coffee!

I found this about Vitamin D
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/

Hello, Elle!
I did not know you can overfast?
Is this new blood test at GP more convenient for you than going to Phlebotomy?
That's interesting about the Vitamin D.
The Track Cycling World Champs start tomorrow.
I will be very interested to see how this young lady gets on. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/47359093
Have a look at the video then read the article.
She has had encouraging messages from the great Kristina Vogel.
I think Victoria will be in the team sprint with Katy Marchant, not sure if she'll ride the individual sprint.
I'll be cheering her anyway!

Hi, Rusty!
If it goes according to plan, then yes, it will be far more convenient for me to pop along to another local GP surgery within easy walking distance, and have a specific appointment, than go by bus to the next village where the nearest hospital phlebotomy clinic is. ...and then have to queue for two or three hours.
The appointments at the GP surgery are scheduled for every seven minutes (!) - so hopefully no waiting time.
This is a relatively new thing , so I do not know of anyone who has been there!
I shall tell you all about it tomorrow!
I remember about Kristina Vogel's accident.......but not of Victoria Williamson's earlier mishap?
Victoria is very brave to return to competitive cycling ...
I am not sure I would do so in her shoes.....
"Once bitten, twice shy..." comes to mind....
She has a lot of courage.

Hello, Elle!
The new plan seems much better!
I am lucky in that my bloods etc are taken at the GP practice.
It's taken three years for Victoria to get over her injuries.
I hope she competes well, but there will be very fast racers there.
Fingers crossed for her though.
A brave girl!
Just wondering if Kristina may put in an appearance.
She has taken up wheelchair archery, I believe.

Good morning, Rusty!
I am finally home again!
I took the dog out for her walk as usual, then walked over to the other GP surgery to have my blood taken.
It was by far a much quicker and easier process than trailing all the way over to the local hospital, and then queuing up.
I was even "out" before I was "due in".....if you follow that!
Yes, I am all in favour of this new arrangement!
Time now for a coffee and the crossword….
What are you up to today?

Good day, Elle!
Another great day outside.
We are getting spoiled with sunny weather!
Glad to hear your new arrangement for blood samples is a great improvement.
Yep, I have had "out before due in" experiences at my surgery and local hospital...and they were much appreciated!
I am a big fan of the NHS!
I am going out for a walk soon, taking in ASDA, as I forgot to buy pears earlier!
Then the cycling is on TV about tea time.
Looking forward to seeing Trotty and the rest of the team in action!

Hi, Rusty!
The see-saw between chilly in the mornings, and warm enough without coats in the afternoons, is a tad confusing!
I go out for an early morning walk looking like a trip to Antartica...... and then in the afternoons as though I am going to sit sunbathing on Brighton beach....
Well perhaps not quite that .. ..but you get the idea?
I think I shall abandon today's crossword.....
I have been lulled into a false sense of security by the relative ease with which I have completed the previous few days' puzzles, but today I having great difficulty!
It is too hard for me!
Enjoy your walk.......
We too are going out soon!

I agree about the NHS. I was in and out of a hospital appointment (including a test) in 35 minutes yesterday.
My one bugbear is the time spent handwriting medication details. I always take a copy of my prescription and it is always ignored! I know it would be too much to ask for these details to be online but surely the time spent writing this information down would be better spent to increasie the number of appointments. It could make quite a difference.

Please don't all jump down my throat, but it depends where you are in the UK and what's wrong with you what kind of treatment you get on the NHS.

About 2 years ago my son damaged his knee (again!) After an agonizing X Ray (and you can't see soft tissue damage on an Xay) he was sent home and told he would get a fracture clinic appointment. In fact he never got any kind of appointment and was later told he wouldn't (in spite of hardly being able to walk, unable to drive etc and in considerable pain) because he probably had a cartiledge tear which might heal itself.

A private specialist had him CAT scanned (late on a Saturday evening), diagnosed and treated surgically in 4 weeks. Could have been less than that, but things were a bit hectic at home. He had a bucket handle tear of the cartiledge, which cannot heal itself (they flap about) and in any case cartiledge hardly ever heals except in the very young (teenagers). Walking round on a dodgy knee creates more problems down the line.