Cancervive diary
The Big C08 june 2010
appointment for gp
Made another appointment today to see the GP next week. Amazing how quickly they book up. I filled in a form so I could have online booking but it's never worked so I asked for a new PIN and details be sent to me.
Luckily Mum was in the GP's so I booked mine at the same time. It helps we all visit the hospitals/doctors so much as it makes it easier to book sometimes.
11 june 2010
more bad news for me....will it ever end I wonder...?
Well as we're back at the GP's (not for me this time though yippee!) I had't heard about the results of the x-ray. They don't call you anymore you have to ask them. The GP's Reception Staff don't appear to have much to do now. We can book online, we self service ourseleves booking in on a PC, we ring for results. I wonder what they do, the phone is left to ring and no one answers it and the staff car park is always full, typical!
Anyway enough whinging it doesn't get you anywhere, they have an answer for everything. I asked if the results had come in from my x-ray and she checked the PC and then told me.......
Fanfare of trumpets....
I have osteoarthritis in my spine (as well as my knee which I already knew). Great huh! It's very very painful at times, but as I'm not allowed NSAID's because it will kill what's left of my kidneys, then I'm not sure what I can have.
Good job I made that appointment to see the GP next week. I don't think there is much they can give me though, as John has RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and I see the amount of drugs he takes (all prescription of course!) and it doesn't help his pain much and mine is not as bad as his I think. He has it in every joint in his body and mine is just in the spine and knee at the moment.
I know people who say they have RA the same as John, but they can still lead a normal life, lifting things, driving, doing the garden, decorating, etc. but poor John can't do any of that. It has restricted his life a lot and he's had it since he was 21.
So all in all more bad health news, I'm too young to fall apart like this! Help!
12 june 2010
A sad day but with some me time to enjoy!
It's a bit of a sad day today as it should've been Lyn's birthday. As you all know she lost her fight with Malignant Melanoma in January 2009 and was my best friend for over 20 years. I miss her a lot and think of her often. Sometimes I wonder why I'm still here and others aren't, specially with all the problems I now have post cancer treatment but hey ho, I AM still here, so make the best of all the time we have. Enjoy each day, even if it's a bad one, tomorrow will be better, ever the eternal optimist that's me.
As you all know I love crafty things and have been making cards for years. I'm now making loads for cancer charities and the hospice where Lyn was before she died. I enjoy it and it helps others which is a good thing. I've had loads of things donated to me, specially by my good friend, Diane. She's an angel on earth!
So we decided that we should meet up and where best? A craft course of course LOL! Well we could enjoy the course, chat a lot, drink coffee and have fun. What more could you ask for??? LOL!
As we live quite a way apart we found somewhere in the middle which ran courses and luckily enough there was one coming up on using the Cuttlebug. Now I don't have many craft machines (unless you count the odd punch or a ripple maker Mum got for me on a shopping outing with Auntie Rita which cost £2 but is SO useful!).
I saw it on one of the Shopping Channels, I'd never bought from them before, but it was such a special offer, and I had the money from Lyn and it would mean I could make even better cards! Well I hope so.
I'm in the process of updaitng the card section on the website and "Watch This Space" as I'm working on another idea I'll let you all know about soon.
Whilst there when demonstrating one of the techniques they managed to damage a plate in my machine, but said they would replace it. Typical though, they had none in the shop when I left so I'll have to go back again. Now that's difficult isn't it...me having to return to a craft shop....I'll suffer but manage to do it I guess! LOL!!!!
I can do the crafting in bits and bobs timewise and pain allowing and even when I get cramp in the middle of it, I can just get up and move around. I had to do this on the course and explained it wasn't a problem but it happens and just to ignore me!
13 june 2010
oh dear, poor lyn's mum
I had a phone call from Lyn's Dad saying that Lyn's Mum was in hospital. She'd had a life threatening operation but was doing OK. She was a bit hazy but that's no surprise with what she's gone through.
We're planning on visiting her in a couple of days to give her time to get over the anaesthetic.
Get Well Soon!!!! We send you our love and best wishes.
17 june 2010
doc's appointment at gp surgery
A few check up's this time, nothing serious! Well unless they tell me otherwise as they have done before. Fingers crossed not this time.
So far so good. BP is OK, higher end of normal, but still normal. Cholesterol checked and brilliant at 4.1 - mind you the Doc said that is the only normal thing about you with a smile on her face. She's a good GP, our normal one is so popular you can hardly get to see him, but as I'd seen this one before she asked me to make a follow up with her.
I asked about painkillers for the back and the osteoarthritis but as I'm not allowed anything to do with NSAID's there's not a lot to offer. I would've thought the morphine would help but it doesn't much, although I do know if I forget to take it as soon as I get up, then I soon know about the extra pain!!!!!
I know that John's drugs don't help his RA much at times, so I doubt there was much they could give me, but it was worth asking anyway. You never know!!!
I'm going to try more natural things and am going to try the TENS machine on it when I'm at home and get a flare up next time. I put a pain patch (normally used on my leg for pain) and it helped a bit, but as I only get one box at a time I have to ration them out for my leg let alone adding in the back problem as well. So it's the TENS machine next time it raises it's ugly head with me.
18 june 2010
car in for service
Not very exciting for you to read about this, but as we weren't going anywhere else, yes amazingly enough, no hospital visits for us for a change!!!! Yippeee!!!
I said we could go to the Craft place where I went on the course, as when they showed me something, they damaged one of the plates in my machine. They said they would replace it but didn't have any at the time.
So it was worth going as we had a courtesy car with 1/2 a tank of fuel in it!!! So off we went and it was strange in this courtesy car I can tell you! Not what we're used to as we have major mobility problems and took a long time getting our car as we all have different problems with getting in/out of a car. The courtesy car doesn't take that into account although we did tell them we were Registered Disabled and had mobility problems so they said they would help as much as they could with regards to the car, but most of them are small, low engined cars. They did give us a good one so we were pleased to get in/out without too many problems. It was a lot lower than ours and John said that he thought his backside was on the floor when driving along! It didn't have as much ooomph as ours but it got us to the craft place with no problems, it's suspension was a bit poor compared to ours though! LOL!
Anyway after getting to the Craft place it turned out they still had no plates so I couldn't get mine replaced. Argghhh!!!! I did manage to get a couple of things I needed though, basics, but still required. Oh and I got an embossing folder which was in the sale....I do love a bargain - don't you.
26 june 2010
a whole year has gone by....
Since Bertie went to Rainbow Bridge. I miss the little man like crazy every day and still think he's going to come in the door and meow all the way up the stairs calling my name.
Here's a lovely poem I found and it's for you Bertie.
THE LAST FAREWELL
Come with me my gentle love
and let me hold you near.
I'll soothe you with my softest words
and never mind the tears.
I'll whisper words of love to you
so you will always know...
how much my heart is breaking now
as I gently let you go.
We've traveled years and miles, we two,
you've been my constant friend.
And now the kindest gift I give
brings us to this end.
Your legs grew weak, your eyes grew tired;
I watched time take its toll.
In my heart you're still the kitten
I held so long ago.
I cannot watch you suffer now,
my love is much too deep.
So close your eyes my little love,
I'll hold you as you sleep.
I'll stroke your soft, soft, silken fur
and gently ease the pain.
And pray to all the gods I know
that we will meet again.
I knew this day would come my love
I knew it from the start.
I did not know the price would be
a large piece of my heart.
I'll grieve for you because I must
I'll shed hot, heavy tears.
But the sorrow of this day won't dim
the love we shared for years.
Untill we meet again at Rainbow Bridge, sleep well my little man. Miss you so much.
29 june 2010
aaargggghhhhh - root canal starts.....
I had a phone call saying the dentist had a baby and wouldn't be coming in. Sounds OK yes? Sure. However he's a man not a woman, so I said "Oh has he contacted the papers yet?" and after getting no response I said "Well a man having a baby is pretty impressive don't you think?". Hmmmm.
OK, so now is the day, and would you believe it...?!?!?! I've had no pain or lumps and bumps for over two weeks in my mouth now. Do you think it's gone away? Do I still go and pay £500 for something I don't really need now?
Last time I had a root canal it was so painful it made me go to the Dentist when I hadn't been for quite a few years...I won't say how many! Having a bad dental experience as a child made me like it! I just didn't go when it was my choice whether to or not.
Anyway I decided to go and ask them if it could be checked and luckily John Pierre (the Orthodontist they get in specially for root canals) said he does that anyway, and root canals never go away on their own, they just hide, but he would check it first.
He spent about 15-20 minutes checking it and said there was a big hole in my gum caused through the infection and I could see it if I wanted.
Of course, I said yes, I couldn't feel a hole there so was curious - you know me by now huh! I wanted to see what was going on in there.
So he got a mirror and showed me, his pointed spiky instrument (not sure what it's called!) went along the gum fine, then it disappeared into a big hole!!! Yikes.....that's not right!
He said I could just leave it, but it would come back, or go ahead and get it done. So I decided to go ahead and get it done. I might be a bit daft sometimes, but I'm not stupid!!!!!!!!!!
I could see the £££££ flying out of the window. It'd cost me £100 before he agreed to come out. It was going to be expensive, but hopefully it'll be worth it. He has a 85%-90% success rate, hell, I wanted 100% for that amount of money but he can't guarantee it. Amazing huh, you pay £500, endure pain and injections by the bucket load and you have to pay for the privilege of it all. LOL!!!! NOT!!!!
All I could do was lay back in the dentists chair and just let him get on with it. I just hope I don't get cramp, how bad would that be. If my leg is in one position for a while, it twinges and off it goes! Sometimes I get twinges as a warning, ususally not it just happens. Fingers crossed.
At one point, he said "The infection has totally colonized your gum" and the Nurse leaned over and I saw her in my peripheral vision pulling a face and saying "Ohhh" so that's not so good is it.
Finally he said he would close it up for now after putting chemicals on it to stop the infection, scary but has to be done. I had six injections as he put in some and then the inside was still feeling normal so he put in some more for me. Nice.
I've got to wait another week now and then more treatment. Oh lucky me.