2023 St Cross Stitchers Hospital

[Roland]

And Roland, here’s to hoping you have a muscle strain. Yeah, I never thought I’d be wishing that on someone.

[Serinde]

But always better to find out sooner than later that it's not a simple strain?

Richard, I feel your pain. Mr S and I have been coughing and hacking for several weeks. Mr S in fact developed a chest infection which (after dr appt yesterday) appears still to be crackling at the very bottom of his lungs... more antibiotics for HIM.

[Mabel Figworthy]

The viruses and colds that have been doing the rounds since Christmas are particularly sticky - although we are pretty much over our festive season viruses, we still have the occasional coughing fit. Hope the antibiotics do the trick for Mr S!

On the good news front, after a scan (because of weight loss) that showed suspicious bits in my stomach I needed a gastroscopy, and I just had the consultant's letter confirming that there was in fact nothing amiss in there, definitely no cancerous cells or other nasties

That leaves the question why I'm losing weight although I seem to be stabilising so perhaps it's just part of the long Covid thing.

[richardandtracy]

It's not often that people complain about loosing weight...!

At least it's not the worst option, now maybe need to look at other things. Has your food intake reduced because it doesn't taste quite as delicious as it used to (sometimes a symptom of long covid), or are you just bored with it (again a symptom of long covid attacking taste & smell)? Little things like that over time can cause weight loss.

I'm back at work today. Not productive, I must admit. To protect my colleagues, if I am still infectious (hopefully only mildly if at all), I'm wearing a mask and am well away from anyone else.

Regards,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

Roland: Definitely keeping and paws crossed that you are experiencing is a muscle strain and that the rest and medicine does the trick.

Mabel: Hope they discover what your weight loss is about. I think Richard's suggestion makes sense that Long Covid may be interfering with your senses of taste and smell. I'm glad that the test showed nothing wrong internally. Losing weight without trying to is not something I have ever been able to do. And though those of us who can gain weight by breathing in too much oxygen (joking of course) may think that isn't something to worry about, but it is. My son was having extreme weight losses and we were very worried. It turned out that he needed certain vitamins that he was very low on. Since he has been taking those the weight is starting to come back.

Richard: Glad to hear that you are well enough to go back to work, As my son tells me whenever I'm recovering from anything "Don't overdo it", which is a tendency I have. Once I feel better, it's hard for me to go slow getting back to my usual self. I'm told this makes me a difficult patient. Things I would probably be glad to have someone else do for me if I am feeling fine, (for eg, taking out the trash) are hard for me to let someone else do.

As far as me, this week I pretty much am doctor free, other than my annual eye exam. Next week I have appointments with the oncologist, the surgeon and the radiation oncologist. I think after that I'll have a much better sense of what my treatment regimen will be. It is what it is an so you do what you have to do because the alternative is not acceptable. To me.

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

Richard, glad you felt able to go back to work - that is, if you did and weren't just being very dutiful! Going in to work when you're not fully recovered sometimes just makes the whole thing last longer

Carole, quite a lot going on next week but hopefully it will give you a fuller picture and help you go forward!

Thank you for weight suggestions; we think it's probably long Covid though not from the usual reasons - I still love my food, and my cooking is of all things least affected by my lack of energy and initiative (there's a boeuf bourguignon in the oven as I type). My breakfast is a bit smallerthan it used to be - not so much appetite in the morning - but I more than make up for that throughout the day. And no, it didn't used to be like this (well, not since my teens and twenties), I definitely used to gain weight if I indulged too much. Still, as they've ruled out the serious causes I'm happy to "weight and see"

[Serinde]

I'm sure Mr S will be fine soon. At least he's past the debilitating fatigue.

Mabel, that's very good news indeed.

@Carole: everyone needs some oxygen, you know... So glad you can see the way ahead.

[richardandtracy]

Richard, glad you felt able to go back to work - that is, if you did and weren't just being very dutiful! Going in to work when you're not fully recovered sometimes just makes the whole thing last longer ...

It seems I may have gone back too early. By Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling worse than Tuesday morning and had to return to bed. Last night was the first medication free night's sleep I've had since it started.

Thursday morning (9 Feb), I tried to get a doctor's appointment as it felt my lungs were filling up a little at the bottom and I was slightly concerned about pneumonia, which I've had before. I tried to apply for the appointment electronically & was kicked out by the system. I tried phoning, and after an hour my call hadn't been picked up by a human, just the electronic queueing system that kicked me out after 25 minutes each time. After the hour I went back to bed and slept the rest of the morning. In the meantime Tracy applied electronically for me, and 27 hours after she applied, I got notification that a doctor's appointment had been made. Bearing in mind I'd first tried to apply on 9 Feb, the appointment is for 17 Feb. At a different surgery from the one I'm registered with, and I don't even know where it is at the moment. I will by Friday.

The colleague who gave me 'flu has tried to reach his GP, as has his wife. Neither succeeded, and ended up going to a walk-in centre.

As you can imagine, it has simply confirmed my opinion that no meaningful form of primary health care in North Kent exists at the moment. Before covid we had an average of 3310 patients per GP in this borough, and that was the worst ratio in the country, having 3x more patients per doctor than the best. And now.. Well, I don't think any NHS system has improved compared to when covid started.

Regards,

Richard

[Serinde]

That's a wretched data point, Richard. I do hope it's not pneumonia!! And that you are feeling a bit better day by day.

(I'll not bore you with the details about how relatively simple it was for Mr S to get an appointment, although he would have been seen a couple of days sooner if he hadn't wanted to be seen by "our" doctor. But we are a small village in a health board region that seems to work, if not perfectly all the time.)

[rcperryls]

I feel so bad for you Richard and hope that you are feeling better by Friday. I am sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble getting a doctor's appointment. I also hope that you don't have pneumonia, but staying home and resting and getting plenty of sleep and fluids will hopefully get your body started on repairing itself. This time round, make sure you don't go back to work before you are really healthy. I have found that never really works.

Carole

[Roland]

Richard, sorry it’s so difficult to get in to a doctor. Hopefully you’ll be better before getting in.

My hip X-ray showed mild osteo arthritis, but not bad enough to cause the pain I’m in. So, today I’m off to get an ultra sound done. The NSAIDs finally kicked in when I finished them. Today, not much pain, but I’m keeping the appointment anyway.

[richardandtracy]

Good luck with that Roland.
I do hope a cause is visible & treatable. Constant pain is utterly debilitating, and I can sympathize with you on it

I spent a number of years with a fair bit of knee joint pain after leaving my leg between the motorbike I was on and the car I crashed into - looked in the wrong place at a set of traffic lights in Vancouver; I was too conditioned to driving on the correct side (to UK eyes) of the road and automatically looked in the right place for the UK, and rode in front of a car I hadn't seen. Entirely my fault. Anyway the upshot was a lot of damage to my knee which was only sorted with a cartilage re-surfacing operation. Unfortunately NSAID's only helped for the first few months after the accident and the successful operation happened about 7 years later... It's mostly sorted now, but I have an excellent weather predictor joint, if it's going to be wet and cool in the next 8-10 hours, my knee aches! I can think of no causal effect, but circumstantial correlations seem to indicate it's close to 100% correct.

Regards,

Richard

[Garnet]

Ouch Roland, I hope you get the answers to your pain and something can be done relatively easily.

Richard, it's ridiculous the lengths you had to go to to get a Doctors appointment, it isn't pneumonia and is simply (!) a run of the mill chest infection. I hope you feel better soon. Oh and yes, please don't go back to work until you are ready, your body needs the rest.

[Mabel Figworthy]

This time round, make sure you don't go back to work before you are really healthy. I have found that never really works.

Hear hear! Listen to Carole, she's got it straight from Dr Tinycat.

[richardandtracy]

My eldest daughter has landed up with an ear infection on top of the flu. She got an appointment with the doctor. 13 March.

Need I say more?

Regards,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

Richard, I am so sorry to hear that you and your family continue to have such a hard time finding the medical care you need. Is this because you are in a more rural area? I know that here rural communities have a much more difficult time finding doctors than in urban/suburban locationsbecause there are fewer facilities and doctors available to them. You mentioned a co-worker who had to go to a walk in center to get medical attention. Is that available for your daughter? Letting an ear infection go for as long as several weeks or a month sounds like an awful alternative. I am assuming that a walk in center is similar to the types of places we have here where people can see a doctor on quick notice for non emergency issues, week-ends or odd hours when doctors' offices aren't open. Can a local pharmacist suggest something that will give your daughter some relief before she can see the doctor?

Carole

[rcperryls]

I have another update that I am very happy to share with y'all. I met with my oncologist yesterday. The last test of the tissue they removed showed that on a scale of 1 to 100 of the potential for recurrence, my score was 5. Could hardly ask for a better score. There is no need for chemotherapy which was a real relief to me. My sister had a really bad reaction to chemo and I was not looking forward to it. I will be getting radiation treatments and have already had the CAT scan that helps the radiologists map out a plan so the least amount of area gets radiation. It will probably start in about 2 weeks and there are 16 treatments in all. 5 days a week for 3 weeks + 1 day. Each one is only 5 minutes long and there are creams and lotions to deal with potential burns (like sunburn I'm told). Then I will have endocrine pills to take daily which is also a preventative action. The radiation treatment is only 5 minutes from my house also which is also a big plus.

Carole

[mags]

Oh good news and a great bonus that the treatment is not far from home - that will make things a lot easier for you.

[Garnet]

Oh that is great news Carole, it must be such a relief to not need chemotherapy
.

What a relief too that the radiation treatment can be carried out so locally.

the preventatives do their job with no side effects either.

Please be good to yourself and give yourself a lovely treat - you so deserve a treat after all you've been through and carrying the worry about chemo til today, oh yes, a treat is definitely in order.

Gentle or a great big wrap round hug if you are up to it.

[Steam.Jo]

That is another bit of positive news Carole

Leaving it another 2 weeks is good because it will mean the original surgery will be well on its way to healing before the radiation starts. Hopefully the Fatigue from it won't be too bad and you will feel well enough to do some cross stitch Maybe a bit of online retail therapy would help as well

Endocrine pills just means a type of hormone therapy to me. Most of us are on one type of hormone therapy or another so hopefully that will be just another pill to pop. As they say as we get older: Shake, rattle and roll

Jo