Friday, April 11, 2008
11th April. Today's medical news mostly.
It has been my turn for a hospital appointment today.
I saw Dr Hillman, the endocrinologist - a very nice man.
The good news is that my potassium levels are within the realms of normal. Keep to the diet and keep taking the tablets.
I told him that I can tend to feel queasy in the mornings and he responded that it is reasonably common for people to feel this.
But there are deficiencies in other chemicals - vitamins and minerals mostly. I had to have yet another blood test.
It looks like I shall have to be on B12 injections, which can be done at the local surgery and will take Vitamin D supplements.
It was noted that I already take Vitamin C everyday.
Dr Hillman also had concerns about phosphate levels which are important in absorption of calcium - and levels of calcium are low.
The blood tests this morning also included magnesium.
And levels of blood sugar were low.
I am sure there were other things - I should have got him to print me off all the recent results!
Some of my problems stem from the surgery in the 1990s - especially with relation to dairy and wheat/gluten.
But my gut is doing as well as can be expected.
I am presuming that some of the deficiencies are now caused by the crazy diet I am on - not that I really feel I am missing out too much now.
For breakfast I had a one egg omelette (jumbo egg from the farm) with a little chopped smoked salmon and some tinned peaches. NO - the tinned peaches were not in the omelette! Sounds much more enticing than cornflakes eh?
I told Dr Hillman that having had the blood test on Monday I had relaxed enough to allow myself a few of the remaining chocolates in the Quality Street tin that Isobel gave us at Christmas time (thank you Isobel!) Dr Hillman's comment was "I should think so!"
He thinks it might be worth risking a jacket potato occasionally too.
He was just so helpful and supportive.
I commented that, despite the problems, I felt really lucky to be alive. he said it couldn't all be put down to luck, so I quickly acknowledged the skill of the doctors and nurses who have treated me. But he felt sure that my own strength to fight back and my positive spirit have been very important..... well, I will admit to that positive spirit not always reigning supreme.
Like during last night. Having had a bag problem during yesterday - after several weeks of no problems, would you believe it, there were 2 leaks during the night. One required a complete bed change and a shower.
Oh, I did feel down.
Perhaps I can forget it again now.
I go back to Dr Hillman in July - and in June there will be an appointment with the lovely Mr Swinn!
After the appointment we went to Horley and shopped in Lidls.
Then we had lunch at The Jack Fairman, a good Wetherspoons pub. We still have vouchers that Ashley left with us.
My chilli con carne with jasmine rice and corn crisps and just a dob of soured cream and Bill's fish and chips and our 2 drinks came to £6. Bargain!
We then popped into Waitrose - a fair bit more upmarket than Lidls, and much more expensive too. I wanted to see if they had any packets of Rice Works - the new rice based crisps. Hooray - they had some and it was buy one get one free.
I bought 6 large packs.
The weather has been very mixed - lots of blue skies with some very heavy showers of rain or hail. Whilst we were at the checkout in Lidls there was an almighty clap of thunder which made everybody gasp, wondering for a moment if there had been an explosion.
In case you think I have forgotten poor Bill's health - I can report that he has overdone things in the last few days and his knees and back are hurting. His blood pressure really has crept down to almost a good safe and normal level.
I talked with Ashley again today. He is disappointed with the weather forecast for tomorrow. He had planned to go out early on the bus to Llyn Ogwen and then walk back by a rural route to Bangor - it's wonderful mountainous countryside. The walk is about 10 miles, but if he found it a bit much he could stop in Bethesda and wait for a bus.
Jamie blogs everyday and we skype frequently.
He sent this picture this week - he is now a sought after contributor to a Phuket newspaper. They approached him to see if they could publish some of his blog.
This is not for money at this stage - but just to promote himself and who knows what it might lead to; certainly more articles for The Phuket Post.
We were there for Songkran 2 years ago.
Like Ashley we are not sure of the weather tomorrow - or Sunday. It looks like an "at home" weekend - but we'll get out to car boot sales if we can.
Goodnight.
I saw Dr Hillman, the endocrinologist - a very nice man.
The good news is that my potassium levels are within the realms of normal. Keep to the diet and keep taking the tablets.
I told him that I can tend to feel queasy in the mornings and he responded that it is reasonably common for people to feel this.
But there are deficiencies in other chemicals - vitamins and minerals mostly. I had to have yet another blood test.
It looks like I shall have to be on B12 injections, which can be done at the local surgery and will take Vitamin D supplements.
It was noted that I already take Vitamin C everyday.
Dr Hillman also had concerns about phosphate levels which are important in absorption of calcium - and levels of calcium are low.
The blood tests this morning also included magnesium.
And levels of blood sugar were low.
I am sure there were other things - I should have got him to print me off all the recent results!
Some of my problems stem from the surgery in the 1990s - especially with relation to dairy and wheat/gluten.
But my gut is doing as well as can be expected.
I am presuming that some of the deficiencies are now caused by the crazy diet I am on - not that I really feel I am missing out too much now.
For breakfast I had a one egg omelette (jumbo egg from the farm) with a little chopped smoked salmon and some tinned peaches. NO - the tinned peaches were not in the omelette! Sounds much more enticing than cornflakes eh?
I told Dr Hillman that having had the blood test on Monday I had relaxed enough to allow myself a few of the remaining chocolates in the Quality Street tin that Isobel gave us at Christmas time (thank you Isobel!) Dr Hillman's comment was "I should think so!"
He thinks it might be worth risking a jacket potato occasionally too.
He was just so helpful and supportive.
I commented that, despite the problems, I felt really lucky to be alive. he said it couldn't all be put down to luck, so I quickly acknowledged the skill of the doctors and nurses who have treated me. But he felt sure that my own strength to fight back and my positive spirit have been very important..... well, I will admit to that positive spirit not always reigning supreme.
Like during last night. Having had a bag problem during yesterday - after several weeks of no problems, would you believe it, there were 2 leaks during the night. One required a complete bed change and a shower.
Oh, I did feel down.
Perhaps I can forget it again now.
I go back to Dr Hillman in July - and in June there will be an appointment with the lovely Mr Swinn!
After the appointment we went to Horley and shopped in Lidls.
Then we had lunch at The Jack Fairman, a good Wetherspoons pub. We still have vouchers that Ashley left with us.
My chilli con carne with jasmine rice and corn crisps and just a dob of soured cream and Bill's fish and chips and our 2 drinks came to £6. Bargain!
We then popped into Waitrose - a fair bit more upmarket than Lidls, and much more expensive too. I wanted to see if they had any packets of Rice Works - the new rice based crisps. Hooray - they had some and it was buy one get one free.
I bought 6 large packs.
The weather has been very mixed - lots of blue skies with some very heavy showers of rain or hail. Whilst we were at the checkout in Lidls there was an almighty clap of thunder which made everybody gasp, wondering for a moment if there had been an explosion.
In case you think I have forgotten poor Bill's health - I can report that he has overdone things in the last few days and his knees and back are hurting. His blood pressure really has crept down to almost a good safe and normal level.
I talked with Ashley again today. He is disappointed with the weather forecast for tomorrow. He had planned to go out early on the bus to Llyn Ogwen and then walk back by a rural route to Bangor - it's wonderful mountainous countryside. The walk is about 10 miles, but if he found it a bit much he could stop in Bethesda and wait for a bus.
Jamie blogs everyday and we skype frequently.
He sent this picture this week - he is now a sought after contributor to a Phuket newspaper. They approached him to see if they could publish some of his blog.
This is not for money at this stage - but just to promote himself and who knows what it might lead to; certainly more articles for The Phuket Post.
We were there for Songkran 2 years ago.
Like Ashley we are not sure of the weather tomorrow - or Sunday. It looks like an "at home" weekend - but we'll get out to car boot sales if we can.
Goodnight.
