6.02.2026 Statins are okay!

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  Friday 6th 31F/-0.5C [7.45] Overcast with new snow lying. 60F/15.6C in the room. 41F/5C in the greenhouse. New snow is sliding down the greenhouse roof. I haven't been outside yet. As it is still half light. The hedges are covered in sticky snow. The drive smoothed out by new snowfall. It was all but clear yesterday morning.

 7.45 Up at 7am after a very busy night servicing the fire bucket. Weird dreams and repeated disturbance is no fun at all. Yesterday's dizziness has reduced but not completely gone. My vision at the computer is back to slightly fuzzy again. I am feeling more positive. Even cheerful. It wont last.

 The right nosepiece, of the only pair of prescription, reading glasses I've bought in 40 years, has gone. Lovely! £200 wasted on complete tat! The screws in the earpieces are constantly loosening too. I wonder if I can find a screw and nosepiece. From one of the many supermarket pairs of glasses in the drawer? They lasted forever but slowly became scratched over time. 

 Most cost between £5 and £8 equivalent. They did not correct my astigmatism but I never noticed. The prescription glasses constantly lose the left lens as well. It usually falls out in my jacket pocket while I am driving. Or even on the ground when I am walking. Lovely! 

 I am determined to hydrate properly from now on. I started the day with small glass of water. Drunk in gulps rather than straight own. It was icy from the tap. Which is typical for winter here. With kilometres of plastic pipe subject to deep ground frost. I measured my milk addition to the dry, porridge oats. It was only about 3/4 of the small glass, if that. A bit disappointing. Now I need to measure the volume of the glass for reference. [150ml] 

 The small glass is easy to drink from. Without my feeling overwhelmed by ice cold water. To which end I shall seek out a glass coffee jug. To have on the coffee table beside the computer desk. So I can sip a known quantity of water throughout the day. I would prefer a covered, bulk container. In case a fly gets in. A rare occurrence but not unknown.

 Some good new on statins. Which I take for my heart plumbing. After having four stents fitted in a hurry. Statins are supposed to reduce fatty build up in the arteries. A study has found that side effects are often purely psychological. There were just as many complaints from those on on a placebo. Often strongly so. The Nocebo effect. 

 The opposite of placebo, but worse. Where the expectation of side effects forces the patient to stop taking the tablets. They really do feel the side effects. Sometimes as if they were intolerable! While taking a pill with no medicinal content whatsoever. Bad publicity and even the required warning notes in the manufacturer's packaging, put people off. 

 There are a number YouTube channels hosted by [claimed] US cardiac surgeons. Warning strongly against statin use. The latest study of 120,000 shows the risks are actually very low indeed. Suggesting increased statin prescriptions all around. They say that many lives could be saved by statins. Heart attacks being the major cause of death. Particularly for the elderly. As a fully rubber stamped, old fart I certainly qualify for that group. [Currently 79¾, not out.] 

 My own, vocal negativity against statins. Resulted in my doctor halving my daily tablet to 20mg from 40mg. Now I wonder if I should follow his advice and take the 40mpg. Further discussion will follow. Next time I see him. Meanwhile I will continue with the 20mg.

 8.15 I had better light the stove. The ash pan badly needs emptying. I was excused boots yesterday. So there was a considerable build up. Now I shall don my ankle wellies and check snow depths. On my way to the compost heap. I am going outside. I may be some time. 

 8.30 It took me only a couple of minutes. To wade through the new snow to the northern boundary of Chez Hovel's rolling acres. It was averaging 3-4" of lying snow on the parking area. Let's call it 75-100mm. I didn't even notice the wind today. I may even have a walk.

 The stove's ash bed was still hot with many red blobs. Which made life more difficult in clearing the ash in the firebox itself. I needed my special oven "stove" glove to handle the grate and wood burning plate. Both far too hot to touch with the Mk1 [non-AI, non-robotic] hand. 

 I usually use two sticks of kindling as manipulators but lost control of the plates in the depths of the ash. Finally, a few bits of dry kindling. A sprinkle of paraffin based, non-smelly, firelighter block and off it went. Now I just need to build up to a serious log. Which means bringing in more logs from the greenhouse. Work is never done for the hard pressed pensioner! "Nobody knows the troubles I've had, tra-la."

 9.20 Logs in. Breathless again. Time for a walk! 

 9.55 64F/18C in the room. Back from a walk. The wind was intermittent. The undisturbed snow was about 4-6" deep on the drives. Which was quite hard work.  I became quite breathless until I reached the road. Which proved to have been scraped and probably salted. There remained a bed of hard pressed frozen slush in the traffic lanes. Which was quite slippery. The traffic was moving more slowly than usual. I crossed the road to avoid oncoming traffic. Then back to the usual side after they had passed. I didn't go far. Because I knew I had to manage the drives again. I stopped to chat briefly with my nice neighbour. Who was attending to his chickens, ponies and goats. 

 Once I was safely home again I used the squeegee on the long pole. To clear most of the snow off the greenhouse roof. To let more light in. The snow on the parking space proved too heavy. To be pushed aside with the gravel leveling rake. Pulling it wasn't much easier.  I have assorted snow shovels but that would be hard work too. The forecast is for slightly above freezing temperatures and even some rain or sleet. That might help.

 9.10 Time for morning coffee. Got to keep up the fluids. Another 200ml + 150ml glass of water. I found a glass coffee jug in the cupboard. My wife and I weren't really coffee drinkers. Usually just organic Arabic instant. The jug/pot will need to be washed and de-scaled before I can use it as my bulk water carrier. 

 13.00 Cup of tea with lunch. 200mls. Small amount of milk with a sliced banana. 

 17.00 64F/17.8C. Afternoon tea. 200mls. Glass of water 150mls. 

 Dinner was an organic fry up of sausages, brown mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and tweggs. 

 Followed by a small mug of coffee 150mls. Not good enough! 

 

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5.02.2026 In the absence of hydration.

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  Thursday 5th 28F/-2C [9.15]  Overcast but slightly less windy. 58F/14C in the room. Snow expected after lunch.

 Up at 8.10 after a typically disturbed night. Feeling dizzy and slightly nauseous. Struggling to see the computer screen clearly. My vision is really fuzzy. I am having to be careful while moving about.

 10.00 60F/ 15.6C. Stove lit. Just sitting with my eyes closed and hoping my breakfast stays down. 

 12.00 62F/16.7C. I dozed for an hour in an armchair. Which was uncomfortable. Then for another hour in bed. Until I had a strange dream. About receiving a phone call from an elderly builder in Danish. Who kept repeating hulmur! Which means "cavity walls." I don't have any. In order to reply I had to get up to put my hearing aids in. It was only then that I realised I had been dreaming. 

 I have a slightly upset stomach but haven't been sick. No idea what might have caused it. I am always so careful about hygiene and thoroughly cooking everything. Probably overcooking meat if truth be told.  It was lucky that I managed to light the stove with beech flakes and fire lighters. So I could relax and add logs as needed.

 16.30 62F/16.7C. I have spent the day sitting and watching YT videos. Still dizzy. I've had nothing to eat or drink until now. I am going to have a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit. A lack of fluids is considered poor behavior.

 It has ben snowing for some time. Very fine, like frozen rain. It is blowing off the shed roofs and traveling horizontally. I doubt there is more than a centimeter or two lying on the ground so far. The DMI shows the snow clouds at my location are clearing northwards. While reforming on the rear skirts. A wide, yet stable band of sleet lies over the most southern parts of Denmark. With more snow over Germany to the south. While TV2 shows our area as lying well within the range of a snowstorm. Due to the snowfall and high winds. The latter are expected to reduce overnight.

 Some trains, buses and public transport has been cancelled. In anticipation of heavy snowfall and icy roads. Some schools are closed too. Pictures of the frozen sea are appearing in the media. Including within Copenhagen. The ice on many lakes and ponds is now considered safe for public access. Thanks to increased thickness from continuous sub zero temperatures.  

 The large whale, which stranded and died on the cost of Denmark, at Albæk. Died due to a fishing net stuck in its throat. The poor thing had slowly starved to death! TV2 showed a specialist vet who carried out the autopsy. With his arms literally full of the 12kg of net. The video audio is in Danish.

https://tv2.dk/reel/2026-02-05-kaskelothval-doede-af-sult---fiskenet-blokerede-spiseroer-6388807084112  

The link simplified in English: TV2. The kaskelot [sperm] whale died of hunger. A discarded fishing net had blocked its throat.

 20.00 63F/17C It is still snowing. I had another cup of tea. Still no appetite. I think I'll  have a coffee with added milk. Riveting stuff, eh? 

 22.00 63F/17.2C. Gurgle suggests 15 cups of fluids per day to maintain normal hydration. 15 x ~150 = 2250mls. That's about one cup per hour! Eek!

 Today's unpleasant symptoms exactly match one online description of dehydration on all listed points. Another Eek!

 My daily intake of tea and coffee amounts to 6 x 200 ml mugs spread throughout the day = 1200mls. It really doesn't vary. I am a creature of habit. That's almost half the recommended daily total of fluids!  

 It was suggested by my doctor that I drink at least 1.5 liters of water in addition to my daily beverages. I don't like drinking water. It is freezing cold at this time of year due to frost penetration of the rural ground. 

 I do drink milk on my morning porridge oats. Though I have never measured the volume. Perhaps I should? I have a drop of milk in two cups of coffee per day but that doesn't alter the total liquid volume. I don't have milk in my tea and haven't since childhood. I don't drink juices or sugar bombs. Nor take sugar in any of my drinks. 

 I ought to have a covered jug or container to refill a glass near the computer. This will ensure the chill is taken off and [hopefully] become more palatable. It will also measure the volume of water I consume. Leaving no doubt. Nor room for cheating! That should increase my daily exercise running back and forth to the bathroom.  A win-win situation.

 22.45 I may not sleep but I still feel unwell. So I am going to bed anyway.  

  

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4.02.2026 Stocking up for the snowstorm!

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  Wednesday 4th 28F/-2C [9.00] Heavily overcast after a clear night with a high moon. A grey, windy day with possible snow showers this afternoon. Blowing to 18m/s from the east. [~40mph] Snow is expected over the next three days. 59F/15C i the room. The stove wouldn't light from the warm bed of ash. The kindling glowed but no flames.

 Up at 7.50 after an odd night. Got up four times until 3am in bright moonlight and then slept for hours. I had better light the stove properly. 

 I need to shop in case I get snowed in.

 10.00 63F/17C in the room. Back from a 20 minute walk along the road. The wind was roaring and cutting my face into icy rashers. The hedge slasher had been along. Perfect timing, to ensure a lot of twigs are blown out onto the asphalt. On both sides of the road! The usual, wind blocking hedge was worthless today. The wind completely ignored it. I was being buffeted as I walked in both directions. No, not simultaneously. There are limits to my legendary abilities. 

 12.00 64F/17.8C in the room. Back from the village supermarket. Three bulging carrier bags full as I stocked up for the coming snowstorm. Up to 30cm could accumulate over several days. We were south of the threatened snowstorm but are now well within it. 

20.00 63F/17C. Still no new snow. Yet another day spent on YouTube and feeding the stove. Dinner was a salmon pasty, with organic peas, Fettuccine pasta and tinned organic tomatoes. I should have used a whole tin of tomatoes. Strained to reduce the water content. I washed up while it cooked. I have more to do.

 

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