Shenanigans down South

I headed South today, across the scary QEII bridge into Kent (actually, it's not scary in my Landy; scary is when you cross it on a fully-laden Honda C70, with the wind alone deciding which lane you are going to use, as I did in the early 90's). The object of today's adventure was the 40-cache series Shorne Shenanigans, topped and tailed with a couple of early Church Micros.

Church Micro 71... Shorne

I cheated a little here; I was able to glean one set of numbers whilst still at home. That info, combined with the hint and a smidgeon of geocaching nous, allowed me to find the cache before I visited the Church. Having completed that mini-mission I set off on the trail proper.

Set out in a figure-of-eight, it's an uncomplicated caching series through a tame rural landscape. I like figures-of-eight, they allow for convenient re-supply half-way round so no need to lug the victuals all the way round.

The first loop is the longest, taking me 2hrs20 to complete, then it was back out of Shorne to complete the second half. Some good views down to the estuary along that section.

Estuary view, on the second loop - I know you can't see the water in
this little pic, but it is down there!

All the caches were found with ease. The listings mention there might be coord issues due to the tree cover, but I found them to be fine throughout. At a little over 4hrs, it's a decent stroll, with no livestock issues - just horses in adjacent fields - and an easy route to walk.

Mega-jams on the M25 on my return - how unusual - meant that TomTom diverted me off at the M11 to bring me back to the Midlands via the A14. The number of times I've driven that road in the last few years..

This was day four of the steroid regime, only 55mg. Side-effects have now faded; my heart-beat has returned to its usual dum-de-dum, and I am once more blessed with the sleep of the innocents.

Stamford on Steroids

Day two of my fourteen-day steroid treatment regime. Still on the max. dose of 60mg. That's twelve tablets to swallow, with breakfast. Luckily they are tiny; I don't do big tablets well, my gag reflex kicks in too quickly. Side effects so far: a heightened heart rate, insomnia. I don't think I'm experiencing any of the mental issues that can occur, but self-diagnosing mental issues is somewhat of a challenge!

A new series posted yesterday by izaakwilson, Stamford and Back. I didn't think I'd be able to get round it in the next few days given the wet forecast (I don't like caching in the rain). However when I arose - at the usual late hour, despite the insomnia - the forecast was offering a window of opportunity for the afternoon. Sorted out some admin then set off. The rain was still dribbling when I left the house so I plotted a few drive-by Church Micros before moving on to the main mission.

Intriguing Porch Angel at Church Micro 4334... Thorpe Malsor

 Timing was pretty good; I pitched up at Easton on the Hill just before 3pm, with the sun breaking through. It looked like it was going to turn into a nice afternoon, but unfortunately the skies darkened again and most of the walk was completed under a grey cloud blanket. Silver lining though, as I completed the trail just before the rains returned.

Stamford and Back is a series of 33 caches; walking it the 'wrong' way round (I usually choose to do this, as it provides better opportunities to bump into other cachers, without you then getting in each other's way), the route took me from Easton down through fields to the R. Welland and then on to Stamford, via a path under the A1.

Scurrying under the A1

From Stamford it was back under the A1, then track and field walking - past the still imposing, but now derelict - Wothorpe House before returning to Easton.

Wothorpe House, front and back

I had time for some more drive-by's before darkness fell, taking my day's total to 54 caches, with two DNFs.

No caching tomorrow; Landy is getting new brakes.

Anosmia

I lost my sense of smell over a year ago, following a cold. This means I've also lost much of my taste sense. Some of the little pleasures in life - early morning dew in Spring, chips at the seaside, roast beef just coming out of the oven - are sadly now much diminished for me.

My first appointment with the ENT consultant was a couple of months ago. He was a very straightforward, up-front kind of guy. After peering up both my nostrils with his head-torch (a lot more powerful than the one I carry for geocaching, I suspect) he told me he had good news, and bad news. The good news - he couldn't see anything. The bad news - he couldn't see anything. Often, how one has lost the sense of smell is never discovered.

In order to rule out anything nasty happening up at the top end of my nose, near the brain, the consultant organised a CT scan, which I underwent a month or more ago.

I had my follow-up appointment on Thursday (the wheels of the NHS still grind slowly). He showed me the pictures from the scan; it's really quite interesting seeing what the inside of your head looks like. Fortunately for me, I didn't have anything really nasty in there (well, nothing physical anyway!). It transpires that my sinuses are bunged up with polypoidal tissue. He has prescribed a 14-day steroid regime. This is what they call a reducing-dose regime; an initial dose (60mg) for 3 days, then you taper off by 5mg a day for the next 11 days until there are no more to take.

I'm not particularly looking forward to this steroid regime, having read up on the side effects. I've decided to start it after the weekend; that way if I do suffer any bad side-effect, I won't be pitching up at the hospital on a weekend day, when hospitals are usually under-staffed.

Alongside the tablets I am prescribed a nasal corticosteroid spray; this is designed to help maintain the work done by the steroid tablets blast - and I am to use this nasal spray for the rest of my life..

This treatment is unlikely to reverse my loss of smell; or if it does, such reversal would be transient, I am informed. However it will hopefully mean I can breathe more easily, without the feeling that I have a permanently blocked up nose which is what I currently experience.

Whilst looking up some material for this blog post I came across an NHS article on anosmia which mentions the NHS Smell and Taste Clinic. They carry out an operation to clear the sinuses, called BiCASS: Bilateral Computer Aided Sinus Surgery. The success rates are apparently quite good. I'm going to wait and see what - if anything - the steroids accomplish, then have another chat with my GP with a view to getting a referral to that clinic.