Seven Links Blog Challenge

I've been bequeathed a blog challenge from A Daft Scots Lass , a lovely blogger I follow.

Go visit but be prepared for strong language.Reading A Daft Scots Lass and Not So Simply Single inspired me to set up the Irreverent Glebe.


1.My most beautiful post.
This has to be one from 2009 when I went Island Hopping on Scotland's west coast.
In the last week of June heading into July in 2009 I headed off to explore a few of our west coast jewels.
I had the only two weeks in the year that were rain free.
My blog posts during the trip were probably a bit of a hotch potch, but I later put a string of the pictures together accompanied by music by Moby and created an eight and a half minute video.
 Westward Bound -A Pictorial Tour Of Western Scotland

2.My most popular post.
Generally speaking my walks with the Wigtownshire Ramblers are always the most viewed as my fellow walkers like to remember where they've been.
However it seems my most popular blog has nothing to do with my brilliant photography or filming.
It's an account of an operation I had in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh in 2009.
My Depressive Lumbar Laminectomy 

3.My most controversial post.
I guess I don't do controversial so I'm not sure what I'll put in here.
I suppose I could have started a controversy with this post but no one took the bait.
It's doubtful whether many readers in other countries will have heard of this programme.
What it is, is a soap opera set in London revolving around a group of saddo's who frequent a pub known as the Queen Vic.
I've occasionally had to endure this being on the T.V .On these occasions I never saw a smile or heard a laugh.Surely the most dire thing ever on British TV, and the saddest of all is that it gets such high viewing figures.
East Enders

4.My most helpful post.
A lot of people and bloggers probably don't that there are various methods of viewing on Blogger.
Mosaic,Flipcard,Sidebar,Snapshot and Timeline.
If you're looking for a particular post, one or other of these methods could help you find it.
Blog Viewing Methods 

5. A post whose success surprised me.
I'm a fairly prolific poster of mainly photographs and video.
I haven't many followers which isn't a problem to me.Don't get me wrong I like to think that I'm entertaining some of you good people out there but to me my blog is also a diary and record.
I've been on blogs where the authors follow hundreds of other blogs.If I went along that path I'd be on this computer more than I am and that's already too much.That said my posts are usually in double figures rather than three.
On a vacation this post stood out on my viewing figures with hundreds more hits than other posts on the same trip.I had one comment on this post from 'anonymous' wishing to exchange links.I've a feeling he was stealing my pictures.  
 Tintern Abbey

6. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved.
It's a video clip featuring my eldest daughter and my two eldest grandkids.Go on ! Have a laugh 
Fun and Frolics on Druchtag Motehill

7. The post that I am most proud of.

I'm proud that of a number of my posts have been linked because their content has had historic reference such as Cairngarroch Bay. I'm also pleased to see some of my stuff linked to wildlife sites like the Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park.

The majority of my posts though are my walks with the Wigtownshire Ramblers and the post I'm most proud of is a Ramblers post.

It was the first walk I'd devised myself and one that ended up on the Newton Stewart Walking Festival  

Wigtownshire Ramblers - Newton Stewart

I think I'm now supposed to ask another seven bloggers to take up this challenge.

Well I'm not sure if the following good folk will have the time to take up the challenge.I wont blame them if they don't.Some are very busy people. 

Here's a very prolific thirty something.

Better oot than in

Alex and Bob, Scotland's unofficial tourist board

Blue Sky Scotland

From the heart of Montana comes Tammie,an amazing photographer

Spirit Helpers

Sandy's from my part of the world.He's also a tea drinking folk musician.

Witterings

Another near neighbor is Ruthie, an exceptional craftperson, artist, weaver of myths and all things magical. 

5preciousthings

The travel adventures of one cool cat

Sinbad and I on the loose

I doubt you'll get the challenge taken up by Colin Campbell who administers this site,but you'll see some of the most beautiful pictures you've ever seen in your life.

Scotland in the Gloaming

My Depressive Lumber Laminectomy at the Western General

The blog is on a go slow at the moment.
This blog author is convalescing from a recent visit to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
I've had a back problem for many a year,and every visit to my doctor or an orthopaedic consultant was always with the same stock answer.'General wear and tear and ageing.
Late in 2008 my consultant sent me to Dumfries for an MRI scan.
This is a rough picture of the result.

After my MRI scan,the radiologist seemed somewhat surprised,that given my back problem history i'd never had a myelogram on my spine.

Late in 2008 i attended an appointment at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh to see Mr Biodun Ogungbo,a neurosurgeon.
Mr Ogungbo was very clear in his explanation of my problem,and of an operation to rectify the depressed neural cord.I agreed to have the operation,and was told it could be March or April 2009.

It was a bit of a surprise when the call came early.So i headed off on the bus to Glenrothes in Fife.My very kind aunt was to take me in on the 12th of February 2009.
Thursday morning came and after ringing the hospital to ensure a bed was available,we set off.
My other more elderly aunt accompanied us.It was snowing heavy as we headed across the Forth Road bridge.


It's 10'oclock and i'm in the day room of ward 32,awaiting my bed.
I'm still in the day room at 2 o'clock,i'm well into the book i've started and my bed's still not free.At about half past i'm called for.I'm escorted to ward 31 there's a bed going to be available there,but i've to wait in this wards day room till it's ready.
I continue reading until 5 pm when my bed is ready.

Luckily i haven't missed meal times,and generally the hospitals food is very good.
I've had some contact with some of my fellow patients in the day room,and a right mixed bunch they are too.

Without going into detail of the conversations and antics of my bedfellows,i've learned lots about hard drugs,most of Britains prisons,and how easy it is to remove a catheter if you want to mess the bed.I thought i'd stumbled into a victorian asylum.But i'm being a bit harsh,they weren't all like that.

Time i think to mention the staff.All the nursing staff were brilliant,and it's possible that one of the staff nurses is a distant relative of mine.Considering the antics of some of the patients,they really are angels.They must have the patience of Job.
Later that first evening i was visited by the beautiful Dr Brown,the first of my two anaesthetists.She had a standard number of questions to ensure all was well for the following morning.

Night time came.The day shift were long gone home,and Yvonne the night staff nurse had taken charge.I now had to fast until after my operation.I was allowed to drink water though.
My room mates were still discussing Wormwood Scrubs as i went to sleep.

It's Friday the 13th of February 2009.Breakfast arrives in the ward just after 8 am.None for me of course.
At 8.40 i'm put onto a hospital trolley,a hospital porter and a nurse wheel me to the Pre Op room...

...where my team await me.

I'm a top priority patient,hence the first in the theatre today.
The beautiful Dr Brown's here,and i meet my other equally beautiful anaethesist Dr Irons.Surely this is a hollywood movie set,not an Edinburgh hospital.
Tricia and Laurie are also present,although i'm not entirely sure of their roles,but everyone's so young.

Now the lovely Doctors Brown and Irons are giving me their full attention as i ask them the time to record it for this blog.It's 8.50 am.
As tubes were inserted into the cannula on the back of my left hand,Doctor Irons asked whether i was ready to go to sleep now.
Wide awake,i replied in the affirmative...


...Next thing i remember is waking up back on the ward,feeling pretty rough...

...but I soon picked up once the lovely nursing staff attended me.
I'm in a different room on the ward now.Just opposite the nurses station so i get to observe all the comings and goings.
I was on oxygen,painkillers and an anti bacterial drip for the rest of the day.
As well as the excellent nursing staff,i was once again visited by the lovely Doctor Brown,and late in the day by my surgeon Mr Ogungbo.
He was really pleased at how well my operation had gone and gave the go-ahead for my release the next day.
A fairly quiet night followed by a few interesting going ons the following day,saw my aunt collecting me about 3 pm.
After a quiet couple of days in Glenrothes,i'm convalescing back in Galloway.

This negative shows my healing scar.