You Must Be Well To Be Ill

[PlaneMan]

Stevie, that’s gnarly.

Glad you made it through.

[Richard]

Between you two Bob and Steve some pretty nasty issues. Deal with Bob first, I can sympathise with your being stuck between a rock and a hard place getting medicos to understand the real issues. I have had a range of stomach problems which normally end up with ‘its not XXX so look at your diet or do more exercise’. When I point out that I generally walk upwards of three or four miles per day, eat at least half a dozen items of fruit plus a selection of vegetables and grains they have already lost interest; dreaming of their next round of golf perhaps?

The constipation issue can be bad for everyone with any sort of other ‘co-morbidity’, but for yours Bob it will be seriously debilitating.

As for Steve’s situation I can only wish you well, the recovery from the rebuild will not be the easiest period of your life, expect that to take time. You will be fragile for months, whatever you do, that is one time to follow the instructions to the letter and rush nothing.

(Thanks(?) Ed, that was not something I wanted to hear. I have just started a long series of ongoing sneezes, have felt pretty crap for the last few days, have a ‘trip out’ with Michele, back for a check up after her reconstruction surgery and today’s great nugget? A trip up to London for an oncology meeting on the 27th for my wife. This one can only really be done by putrid transport, I really, really hope the station car park is not packed out and that the trains really are ‘walking along nicely’ on that day.)

[Les.]

About a month ago, I called in on a pal, but he said he had flu, and he really was bunged up, so he sent me away. Connected or not, I started a cold two days later. In recent years, I have had three colds, one lasting 18hrs, one 24hrs and one about 36 hours. This went on for a week. Maybe purely coincidence.

However, I now find that the Pal’s flu had got worse, affected his stomach, then his lungs. Then he found he was constipated, going for a pee every couple of hours, but barely passing a teaspoonful. Feeling worse, he went to his doctor, she examined him, administered oxygen, whilst sending for an ambulance. Yes, Stevie, sepsis. This is the third of my group of contemporaries in the last 12 months who have had sepsis, two of whom were almost gone. One has very damaged kidneys now, another (my B in L) who now has a bag, hopefully temporary.

Not good. Until a couple of years ago, apart from knowing it was once called septicemia (sp?), I had barely heard of it.

Les.

[StevieP]

What was so frightening was the speed in which it happened. From walking the dog Saturday afternoon to having 2 hours to live in the early hours of Monday. My immune system was compromised at the time so that is probably why it advanced so quickly. However I cannot praise the medical staff highly enough even to the extent of the psychologist who helped me get my head around it all. Now hot chocolate before the nil by mouth kicks in.

[The Duke]

Youngest woke this morning and has all the signs of slapped cheek! Not the worst as by trh time you can see it, it’s no longer infections. Just hope she doesn’t get worse for next week!

As for bad colds going around. It seems to be worse than ever this year. I think we have had a cold and stomach bugs in the house since October. Just going round and round.

It doesn’t help having kids in school and college, so two nice sources, and one lad thst is a paharmasist (just finished his training), so he gets to meet sick people all day evey day, then cos of Thr wife were in the ozzy minimum of twice a week.

I’d like the temps to drop below zero for a week or two and kill off these bugs. I hate winter.

[Bob Williams]

Well I wound up in a 3-cornered ‘dispute’ between me,the cancer ward and suite, and the GP. Eventually the GP “lost” and I had a Surgery appointment this morning at 10:50. Turned out to be with a Nurse Practitioner and I was not best pleased, until she turned out to be the most useful, efficient and caring of all. She listened. Yes, listened, which is more than her so-called superiors did. She acted upon everything I told her and she examined me with care, then offered me a course of antibiotics, after checking that they did not conflict with what I am taking. She took my bloods and urine and took the urine to be analysed, taking the bloods for analysis and results later. Put my mind at rest by saying the urine was clear of blood or anything else: something I had worried about until this morning when it ran clear.

Stevie P I can relate to that: having CT & MRI scans for Prostate in January, to find there was nothing wrong except for an enlarged prostate, BUT there was cancer in Pancreas tail and Spleen was full of it. I can still recall that hollow feeling, something totally unexpected and scary: I had seen my dad, grandad, brother, 2 nephews, a great FIL, all die of cancer in various forms. A really awful operation removed the pancreas tail and the spleen, but further scans later showed that I had Lymphatic cancer. Six months of Chemo “fixed” that, then a couple of weeks later I was in the cancer ward again with an infection that earned me a one-person ward. I wish you all the best for a recovery Stevie.

Richard, I hope you soon recover from this latest episode, plenty of fluids and many boxes of tissues!

Steve I hope the family recover soon. As I recall, your youngest likes Unicorns. Here’s something to cheer her up: found in Morrisons. –

First one is a bit blurry, steadied my shaking hands to take the next. Looks like the love-child of “My Little Pony” and a unicorn!?

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

[Tippon]

Bloody hell Stevie, you’re not messing around are you!? Glad to hear that things are moving in the right direction for you 🙂

[Bob Williams]

I just had one of those “fill up” moments. I had told our lovely neighbour about ringing the bell in the cancer suite to announce my All Clear. Yesterday she lost the last of her two white Westie’s, a lovely old dog who was almost blind an deaf but always recognised my smell and submitted to being stroked. Later she came round with a small gift: a tiny golden bell to remind me. I was completely overcome. She burst into tears over the dog and I asked my Dianne to give her a big hug. I would not do it, as Nasty Neighbours over the road were watching and they are scandalising morons.

I have it over the PC on the NAS shelf:

And yes, I love American Muscle Cars! Always wanted a ’67 Pontiac GTO or a ’68 Fastback Mustang in Prairie Gold. That pic is a much-modded Chevy Camaro SS.

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

[Richard]

Michele has just had one of those Happy Christmas moments. On a long shot I drafted a letter to the GP relating to Michele’s recent visit to the rheumatologist, where she was recommended to obtain some additional medicines. I left it a week then set out my wife’s stall for the treatment hoping that there might, just might be a copy of the consultant’s report floating about somewhere. However, that was not to be but the GP has just rung to say that they are putting a prescription through and it should be dispensed by the pharmacy today. Maybe, just maybe the visit to the devil’s stew bowl (London) on the 27th December, just might become more viable, though getting there for 10:10 could be a real challenge

Anyway on that promising note may I wish everyone a comfortable and as Merry as possible Christmas and a rapidly improving New Year.

Bob, I read your messages above, I was trying to clear out some old letter copies a few moments ago that touched similar emotional subjects from nearly 30 years ago; time does not really heal, it only allows matters to be veneered over where they await re-activation. Take care, it is nice that you have at least some caring neighbours, not just the Nasty Neighbours!

[The Duke]

Thanks Bob, she is OK, when the rash appears, your amolst over it. Though she stayed off today, she has the sore throat, headache etc (cold symptoms) that come with it.

She only went in yesterday as it was the Xmas party and lunch, in Xmas jumpers. Today all they do is watch a video and play games. So when I woke her, I asked her if she wanted to go in, she said no. So I gave their soem paracetamol and she is still asleep now. 5h later.

Have family visits to do tomorrow, back home, so I’m hopeing she is OK, as I cba with a sick 10 year old girl in thd back of my car and by my side of about 12h tomorrow.

[Author]

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