General Election 2017

How will the results pan out?  A few suggestions:

1.  The UKIP vote will collapse

2.  The Conservatives will win an overall majority of between 80 - 100 seats.

3.  Labour will lose seats.

4. The Liberal Democrats will win a few seats.

5. The SNP will lose some seats.

Update:  3 out of 5  :)

Two casual vacancies

Rusthall Parish Council has nine members.  However two have resigned creating casual vacancies to be filled by the remaining councillors choosing from people who apply rather than have the expense of a by-election. Will there by a mad rush of applicants?  I have my doubts.

Pacemaker Diary 2

Coming to the end of my course of antibacterial pills - 4 of one type and 3 of another per day.  Hopefully they have worked.  The dressing over my incision comes off tomorrow.  It itches, but no pain.

What is a pain is not being permitted to drive for a month. Dressing, undressing and combing my hair is difficult as I must not raise my left arm above shoulder height.

Pacemaker diary

I had a pacemaker fitted on 2nd. May 2017.  The device is called an ICD as it has a defibrillator function as well as the usual pacemaker function.  Fitting the device was at the end of a long road that commenced in November 2015 when I visited my GP with symptoms of breathlessness and very rapid weight gain caused by water retention.

I have received excellent service from the NHS: from my GP, the heart failure nurse and staff at Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone hospitals.

Now for the next steps.  I must not raise my left arm above shoulder height for 6 weeks and I am not permitted to drive for a month.  In June a further visit to Maidstone hospital has been arranged to enable the settings on my device to be changed should It be deemed appropriate so to do.

Early days.  I walked to and from the polling station today to vote in the county council elections.  No adverse effects, indeed I felt far more comfortable than I have for some time when walking a similar distance.

My diet has not changed.  I am limited to 2 grammes of salt per day and two pints of fluid and I have to continue taking the pills.

Election literature

Two clear days before Kent County Council elections. So far only the Labour candidate's election address has been posted through my letterbox.  Come on Greens, Lib Dims and Tories: where is your literature?

UPDATE:  Conservative leaflet received.  Have seen better, much better election literature from the Tories.