Arthritis?

[Ed P]

Obviously those with very high sodium levels may need to take medical advice first. As a matter of interest there are still many who think the jury is still out on dietary sodium and its impact on long-term health. link

The earlier link does not contain bicarb dosage, but if it assumed that it refers to an average US soda water, this is about a half teaspoon of bicarb in a glass of water (i.e about 2.5 grams of bicarb or 0.9 grms of Na+)

As an example of apparent anomalies, Miso is a very salty food, yet it actually has no discernable impact on blood pressure when consumed on a regular basis. It does however lower the heart rate. link

All that said Milk of Magnesia may have other benefits as Brits seem to be fairly deficient in magnesium, but I guess it depends whether the observed effects are due to pH or Na+.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks Ed, I’ll have a proper read tomorrow.

[PlaneMan]

Had my appointment with the Wellbeing lady today, very clever, knew her stuff and asked if I could come back in a couple of weeks so she could explore stuff better. I’m an awkward barsteward,  autism, chronic pain syndrome and arthritis for a start.

Didn’t hurt that she was very pretty. ?

[Bob Williams]

Know what you mean there Nolan: I had my Chemo Pre assessment on Wednesday and the lady who is going to be my dedicated Macmillan nurse is very attractive, but possibly more mature than the one you met. If I’m going to be going through all this programme, let the scenery be pleasing to the eye, is what I say! Makes you feel better.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

I saw the GP yesterday, my pain has been insane for the last 10 days or so. I can handle a lot of pain, I’m used to it, but this was ridiculous. All my joints were bad but my back, shoulders and wrists were agony, my hip was so bad I had to alter my driving position a bit to straighten my leg out a little.

The GP had previously asked me to take Gabapentin or Pregabalin but I refused as I hate drugs of any kind. I’m now on Gabapentin, raising the dose as I want too to 900mg a day in 3 doses. The GP knows how I feel about drugs so I’ll see her in a month unless anything goes wrong or I’m not happy and then I’ll have an emergency appointment with a GP, not necessarily my preferred one.

Here’s hoping it works as the pain is so bad it’s very close to stopping me doing things and I’m a stubborn git that hates giving in.

[Bob Williams]

Hope you get through your current pain issues Nolan, I know what severe, ongoing pain can be like. There is some pain that I can handle with meditation, but during my 2 weeks in hospital and the aftermath, I just could not concentrate as much. 18″ semi-circular wound across my stomach, several smaller wounds and several different bits hanging from various parts, some pumping in pain relief, some intravenous feeding, some who knows.

Good luck with managing it.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks Bob .

Hope you feel better soon.

[Richard]

Bob, I thought that you had started the chemo already but I see not yet. Take all the help and guidance that is offered to you and be prepared to follow any advice you get. Do not be shy about taking and relief treatments, e.g. pain killers and be ready to take them as soon as you notice the pains start. They might not but take their advice and be ready. My wife tried to ‘hero ride’ her first cycle. Now she slays he dragons as soon as they start to stir, so the second cycle went much better, now in the third cycle and she paid the price for being a bit slow with the pain management last night, so today started about 3:30 a.m. (Once woken the Husky went out and took root on the lawn for hours.) Try to ignore all the dire comments from those who are not you and do not know too much what they are talking about, there might be some challenges, but they can be met and conquered.

[JayCeeDee]

Did they tell you that the Gabapentin is to relieve nerve pain at all?? That’s what they prescribed for me when I had shingles earlier this year.

I was already taking co-codamol for the pain in my knees and thought it would also cover the shingles – it didn’t. Co-codamol ( codeine and paracetamol ) is for muscle/joint pain or toothache/headache pain. Where the shingles attacked the nerves it required a different approach. They gave me 100mg three times a day, but upped it to 300mg three times a day which allowed me to sleep lying down for the first time in a fortnight.

Good luck with the treatment.

[PlaneMan]

Yes JCD, the problem I have is no oral pain killers have worked at all for me for many years. As the Gabapentin is meant to modify the pain messages sent to the brain it ‘should’ work.

I’ve tried many pain killers, co-codamol was one of the many. They just don’t work, same story with lots of medication. The current consensus it a possible genetic issue, sometimes referred to as ‘awkward bastard’. ?

[JayCeeDee]

PlaneMan wrote:

YThe current consensus it a possible genetic issue, sometimes referred to as ‘awkward bastard’.

 

The wife is similar – awkward bastard as well!! – when she’s at the dentist it takes double the usual amount for her to stop feeling anything when they drill, plus when she had some injections in her spine, she was still awake and ended up telling the anesthetist that. He stopped the op and increased the dose ( again nearly double ) until she did fall asleep!!

[PlaneMan]

Many years ago I smashed my ankle. I was given a strong local anaesthetic, watching the operation. As soon as the first incision was made I informed the surgeon that it fecking hurt.

Epidural, some gas and I slept for about 16 hours

[Tippon]

Another member of the Awkward Bastard club here 😀

When I was in the coma, I was given high dose sedatives to keep me out while I recovered. If they gave me a vaguely normal dose I’d start fighting back, trying to push them away and pull tubes out (obviously not aware of anything, and not deliberately giving the staff a hard time).

Apparently Ellen was told that my dosage should have knocked out an elephant, but it made her smile to see me full of tubes and needles, but trying to stop them putting in eye drops of all things! ??

[Richard]

PlaneMan wrote:

Many years ago I smashed my ankle. I was given a strong local anaesthetic, watching the operation. As soon as the first incision was made I informed the surgeon that it fecking hurt. Epidural, some gas and I slept for about 16 hours

I broke my ankle in the office slipping on a polished floor while working in the Middle East. My foot hit the wall and a significant mess was the result. I had one operation that day to retrieve the foot from the back of the leg and pull it down roughly into place. That involved a full anaesthetic and I knew nothing about what was needed or done. A week later they started to bolt the bones back into place, the socket was in two parts, one part was well up the leg, a half time x-ray showed that the bones were not fully closed together so they went in again; some of the effects of the anaesthetic were wearing off. I could not feel anything, but I could hear the drilling and screwing going on as they tried to close the gap in the bones forming the socket. I was in hospital for a month, at first I thought the painkillers were not working, then they were reduced and I tasted the food… Recovery physio consisted of long walks on crutches round Washington DC two months after the accident. I had flown there for a conference. That turned out to be fun, it was the reunion season for many of the USA armed forces. Every time I went to a hotel as I was on crutches, everyone assumed I was there for one of the forces events and I had to struggle to get to the correct events.

[Richard]

Tippon wrote:

Another member of the Awkward Bastard club here ? When I was in the coma, I was given high dose sedatives to keep me out while I recovered. If they gave me a vaguely normal dose I’d start fighting back, trying to push them away and pull tubes out (obviously not aware of anything, and not deliberately giving the staff a hard time). Apparently Ellen was told that my dosage should have knocked out an elephant, but it made her smile to see me full of tubes and needles, but trying to stop them putting in eye drops of all things! ??

You may be one of those who abreacts to sedatives. Both my elder daughter and I have that issue, we tend to act as ‘uncontrolled inebriated person’ aka roaring drunks with the wrong treatment. We had to strap our daughter into her car seat and carry her out to the car; the Japanese hospital tried to give her an MRI but the sedative didn’t sedate her. We tried again later without sedation I simply stood by her side as she went into the machine and told her it was a fun machine with all of its flashing lights and noises. That was far better than sedation.

My party piece was swinging from a traction frame, the knee that had been operated on two hours earlier was crooked over the traction bar. It took six people to get me down and strap me into a huge metal splint to stop me abusing the damaged leg, I guess I was lucky not to have done real damage.

[Bob Williams]

Richard wrote:

Bob, I thought that you had started the chemo already but I see not yet.

No Richard  I started my first cycle 30 May, had the 3rd and last of that cycle on 13 June. Had a week off, start again next Wednesday 27th. I am also taking Capacetabine tablets: 3x tablets, twice a day, for the 21 days of each cycle. So I start those again from the 27th also. These have been diagnosed to teach my immune system and white cells, to recognise cancer cells and attack them. I actually feel much better, having lost 2 stone plus * I keep getting told by friends and neighbours that I look very well. That doesn’t always match the way I feel of course, but yesterday I went to my son’s 50th birthday bash and had a great time. No alcohol of course, but we had made it a surprise for him at his local pub. Many of his old mates from Nottinghamshire came, lots of his current Lincolnshire friends from his village and the Stationary Engine clubs in the County. I met lads I had not seen for almost 20 years, who now had adult kids of their own. They all reminded us that we used to feed them by the dozen when they came to see our son, and some said we were second mum and dad, which was a bit of a boost.

Today my Gert and I went to Cleethorpes and spent the whole day in beautiful sunshine. We parked the car under the shade of trees and a huge motor home, walked a mile to the Pier for an excellent lunch.Then walked until we could walk no farther, and took the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway back to a sunny spot near the car. CCLR:

http://tinyurl.com/yahgmgdl

All in all, feeling much better, but my Gert spotted a pattern during Chemo weeks. Bloods Monday, chemo dosage on the Wednesday dependent upon results of that, feeling OK during the following 2 days, but becoming rather crook over weekends. She is rather observant when it comes to me and my health moods, is my Gert!

We shall just have to see how things shape up from here. Having another week of after next Cycle, then holiday for that week.

*Having to buy new trousers, dropped 2 waist sizes and (due to spinal problem resurfacing) 2 inside leg sizes. The Incredible Shrinking Bob.? Another High Waist Trouser Shop for you, Richard:

http://tinyurl.com/y7ayfm8k

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Have to edit that last Richard: I realised that I had already given you White Rose in another Thread. I have another good source, which has very good quality clothing and footwear:

https://www.clifford-james.co.uk/

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

Thank you Bob, my wife has also reached her third cycle but having a range of issues it is is not such smooth sailing. Her other underlying conditions have erupted while her other treatments are suspended and the large doses of steroids intended to suppress reactions are impacting things. Like you Monday is check day and Wednesday is action day and a fairly full on one it is since it takes over 5 hours end to end. Reaction suppression is important, another patient reacted last week but was rapidly stabilised without reach full on anaphylaxis

I does sound as though you are doing well, for which I am pleased for you and Gert, though the cycle of ups and downs is familiar, the downs and demands are getting very clearly marked out as the cycles progress. This passed weekend has been less of an up than most and I am trying to limit contact and avoid any discussions.

Thank you for the reminder about trousers, the hot weather means my interest in clothes is ‘degraded’ (so am I) for the moment, (me for perhaps longer).

[Bob Williams]

I have seen my Macmillan Charge Nurse today for a report on my progress and it is all good news. My previous bloods are fine, apart from a slight downturn in protein, which should be OK after I gave more samples this morning. I have been eating for England in the last couple of weeks, always hungry, which is my body demanding protein and carbs, so I am listening and taking it onboard. My old Gert and I had to go for my bloods at 11:00, however the CN appointment was not until 2:20. We had to hang around the hospital until that time, as we have a 44 mile round trip back home. Had an absolutely horrible “Healthy Eating” chicken & bacon sandwich, which was dryer than the cardboard it came in. I start Cycle 2 on Wednesday: looking forward to it actually, as I am one of those people who cannot resist talking to anyone who will listen about anything other than what is happening to each of us at the time. I have made several friends that way and learned to avoid the one moaner who thinks she is the only one there who is ill.

Richard I hope you and your wife have better news soon, you have a big battle on your hands, all my best wishes for better health.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Over 8 weeks after my Autism diagnosis and nothing from the mental health team, no letter to the GP, no letter explaining what’s going on. So I went down to see them. I was very hot (I hate this heat, I’m Welsh!) and in the mood for getting stuff done.

Within 20 minutes I saw the psychiatrist that I previously saw and had assurances that the GP would have a fax (in this age!!) and a follow up phone call to make sure it had been received. I’ll be in touch with the surgery tomorrow to check.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is the actual diagnosis. Apparently that’s the new way to describe autism conditions.

[Author]

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