No sign of Nurse Huffy!

Thank you for comments - Hazel, I hope you and your sister got good news.

My appointment with the diabetes nurse went very well actually, no ticking off and we had a very good discussion.  The subject of statins was raised again, obviously, and again I declined which she accepted without question.  By a useful coincidence, just a few days ago I read in the paper (The Daily Fail, which isn't usually right about most things) about a fairly new diabetes medication, dapagliflozin, which not only reduces blood glucose (by diverting it to the kidneys so you pee it out in quite large quantities), but also helps to reduce weight - when peeing out sugar you're also getting rid of calories.  And, as an added bonus, it has cardiovascular supporting properties.  So it seems to be a good thing - I didn't just take the Daily Fail's word for it, I looked it up on a couple of reputable websites.  One downside is a possible side effect - because of all that sugar you accumulate in your wee, it can give you thrush or a UTI.  Not everybody gets the side effects, of course.

Anyhow, I discussed it with the nurse and we are both in agreement that I will start taking this new med, alongside my standard Metformin, I'll take it for a 3 month trial initially and then have more blood tests and another review with her, to see how I've been getting on with it.  The only thing is I can't have that particular med, but she'll prescribe another one very similar - it's more or less the same thing, same drug group, just a different manufacturer.  She said they can't prescribe dapagliflozin, for 'various reasons' - I said 'cost I expect'!  She laughed and said 'well yes, can't pull the wool over your eyes can I?!'.  Although why one company can manufacture a drug cheaper than another company making the same drug, I don't know, but what do I know?  Nor do I care, as long as it's basically the same drug and works the same.  The nurse has advised me to drink more water whilst taking the new med, to reduce the risk of thrush or a UTI.  She also told me not to use soap when washing my lady bits down below, just plain water, as soap can wash away all the good and helpful bacteria!  Told you we have good discussions....haha.

Right, changing the subject - a few days ago, Jack Munroe of Cooking on a Bootstrap posted a recipe for a very quick and easy sort-of Christmas cake, which is only 4 ingredients (or 5, if you want to add a citrussy kick, which I will).  I'm giving it a try today - it's 200ml ginger ale or beer (I'm using Crabbies ginger beer, as I just happened to have a bottle in the larder), a whole jar of mincemeat, 2 eggs and 200g SR flour, plus 2 tbsp. marmalade for the citrus kick.  Mix, put in round baking tin, cover the top with foil to stop it burning, bake for 50 mins or so at 170 deg c.  Sounds pretty perfect to me - the mincemeat contains the fruit, sugar, spice and fat so that's 4 things you don't need to add, what could be simpler?  I'll do it as Jack says this time, husband can taste test it and give his verdict, then I might make it again with a couple of additions....bit more spice and some nuts or cranberries, maybe.

Cold and foggy this morning, fog gone now but very grey and dull as well as very cold.  Definitely an indoors day.