Catching up with Tuesday

[ailbhe]

On Tuesday I was supposed to go to get a blood test done (the alphafetoprotein test, which I keep hearing as alpha-theta-protein) but I was too tired and miserable. In the afternoon I went to London and met Jen, and we went looking at patterns and fabrics and ideas for her wedding outfit. While I was waiting for her I was able to buy a little present for my friend Ciar, whose birthdya is on 22 November. Which reminds me - I must get something for Ellie, and I think she's told me what she wants, but I've forgotten. Gah.

I also made Jen take me into Selfridges, because I'd never darkened its hallowed portals before and it's possibly her favourite shop. We had a look in the household bit, where we discovered that it is still possible to get Lismore Waterford crystal (which is the stuff my mother had, and IIRC Jen's parents too). Someday I'll own a set; unfortunately, I seem to need all my sets in batched of 12, since I never invite as few as two couples to a nice dinner ever. And I looked at some Wedgewood; I feel inclined to get my mother some nice Wedgewood for her breakfast tray, but haven't really decided yet.

Oh, and we discovered that hairbands are back in, for adults this time - Jen found a very fetching feathered one that almost made me have apoplexy. I wouldn't mind a narrow suede or leather one, though.

We met Rob at Momo's in Selfridges and had another emergency-tea-and-stopping break; I need more of them now than I ever used to. Then Rob and I headed off to meet Preetika for dinner; that was why I was in London in the first place. I like Preetika. She's in the process of doing up her flat, possibly over the course of several years. We ate in a little Burmese place and talked about, well, stuff. I had a great time. She often has weekends free now so maybe we'll be able to see more of her.

Comments

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I wonder if you could remember the gift suggestion under hypnosis.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Hairbands/headbands I can deal with.

[clanwilliam.livejournal.com]

Stopping off for tea/coffee frequently is great fun. And makes shopping far more palatable. And yes, we will go back and drink champagne there when you are able to - or we'll go to Claridges or something.

[ailbhe]

ISTR that Selfridges was actually designed as a place where women could go to shop and meet friends and take tea without needing an escort to maintain the illusion of propriety.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I never had the AFP test done - at the time, the false positive rate was so high that the results were virtually meaningless, and there was no way I was having an abortion anyway, so there didn't seem to be any point. Maybe the accuracy has improved since then, but I wouldn't stress about missing it, unless you're really worried about Down's and want the AFP as a bureaucratic step towards getting an amnio.

[ailbhe]

I was told its main purpose was to check on the current developmental stage of the feotus, so that anything that could cause a problem *during* pregnancy could be picked up on and I could be treated accordingly. Abortion was not mentioned in the context of the AFP test; it was mentioned when she explained the reasons for an amnio, which I have already refused, since it won't pick up on anything that would affect how the pregnancy will be treated unless I accepted that "abortion" is a possible treatment, which I don't.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

Ah - sounds like they've found new uses for AFP since I had R. Then, it was only used to screen for Down's.