Singulair

I think I'm getting the hang of this drug now.

The consultant said it should be taken about three hours before going out to a meal. I reckon between 12 and 24 hours is more like it.

Yesterday I went to a function and was surprised to find canapes - that's snacks - being served in generous proportions. I hadn't eaten and was hungry so I took what I could.

This included rice balls, fish of various kinds and chocolate eclairs. Also something with a little roll of beef in it. The fish had lots of lemon in it - and I try to avoid lemon. I took the pill afterwards and then searched for something edible at a railway station.

At Marks and Spencer I found a sandwich made of Wensleydale cheese, lettuce and caramelised carrot chutney. That seems innocent enough.

There were some fairly unpleasant effects in the hours immediately following this adventure and I had to spend some time in the bathroom. But today I have been fine - no itching and my skin in pretty good condition. I can only attribute it to the Singulair - impressive even if it takes a while. And the side-effects are much fewer than with anti-histamines. No deep sleeping, weird dreams or "hangover".

Jack Daniels

According to my list, whisky, gin and vodka are the only alcoholic drinks I can take.

I liked whisky but have been bothered for some time it doesn't seem to do me any good. I'm used to drinking Scotch whisky, preferably Glenmorangie or some such, and last Christmas everybody gave me bottles of it.

Recently I've been trying out American strains, mainly Jack Daniels. I don't know much about this but undoubtedly Scotch is richer and more flavoured than Jack Daniels and this is apparently because it's matured in oak caskets and distilled using peat - or something like that.

Now because only about one scientific study has ever been done of salicylate levels, the odds are it used American whisky. Maybe Scotch picks up salicylate from its caskets, peat and other natural processes.

So on Saturday I went to a party and drank Jack Daniels all evening, quite a lot I have to confess, roughly speaking as much as I'd normally drink in a month. I did take a Singulair earlier in the day and later wondered whether I should check more carefully whether it mixes with alcohol. Sunday - no symptoms, no hangover. So it looks like those bottles of Scotch will make good Christmas presents for other people this year.

Dinner party

We threw a dinner party at the weekend and one of our guests was Canadian.

We all shared the same main course, a chicken casserole. It was delicious, soft succulent meat in a creamy sauce. Our guests ate our crispy cabbage/leek vegetables as well as carrots and brocolli- which I could not eat.

My starter was different from the others, papaya rather than melon. But we all shared a chocolate pudding with dessert. The guests had wine, I drank whisky.

So we've now established it's possible to produce a highly edible chicken casserole, certainly for Canadians. I'll share the recipe when I can get it off my wife.