Hello everyone!
Wow, it's been a long time since I was on here last! I've been meaning to write an update for some time now but things have been unbelievably stressful & busy, & I just haven't had time. Alot has happened in the last few months, & I have had alot on my plate. Many things haven't gone as planned & there have been alot of unexpected things that have needed to be dealt with. So this is going to be a bit of a long one today as I update you on what has been happening!
Firstly, a health update. Things haven't been great health-wise, & I've been finding that I'm struggling more as time goes on. I'm finding that most of the time I'm exhausted by simple tasks, & pain will often stop me from doing things. For a while I've been trying to fight off a rather nasty kidney & urinary infection, & have had several courses of strong antibiotics, which haven't helped. My new GP has made the decision to refer me to a urologist, as he feels that this needs to be looked into. One of his concerns is that this could be endometriosis related. Due to the fact that I have already got endo on the outside of my bladder, he is worried that the endo could well have penetrated inside my bladder, & also possibly be spreading to my kidneys & urethral tubes.
I've got an appointment with the urologist in March (it was originally scheduled for this month but it clashed with another appointment). Hopefully this will lead to some answers. Secondly I've been given a referral to pain management. The purpose of this is mainly to discuss other ways that may help me to cope with the pain, such as nerve blocks, acupuncture & therapies. From a medication point of view, my GP & myself are happy that I am managing my medications fine, as even though I am on alot of very strong painkillers, that I know what works for me.
I've also been put back under the care of the bowel team, for further investigations & possible treatment. During the colonoscopy I had a few months ago, it was found that the endo had penetrated into my bowel. More tests are needed to see if there are any other problems lurking, & decisions need to be made on the best course of action.
In myself, as I said before, things seem to be taking it's toll. I've noticed my stomach hurts more, & this urinary/kidney infection has been taking its toll. Simple tasks tire me out & I often need to sleep for long periods of time.
As for a general life update, things have been pretty hectic. Sadly, for several reasons, me & my man had the hard decision of postponing the wedding. Because neither of us are very well, it was too much strain to deal with at the moment & we both decided to wait until things have calmed down. However we're still very happy together & I still feel very lucky to have him in my life.
Christmas was a very busy & stressful time. Over the actual Christmas period, we had a lovely week up North with my family, & visited all of our family members as well as making lots of memories. Christmas day was particularly important this year, as it was probably the last Christmas I would get to spend with my Granddad.
The big stressful part came after that week- we had to go & spend 2 weeks with my mans family, which neither of us enjoyed. I won't say much about it but needless to say there are certain things that really wound us both up, & some people need to realise that they are not the only ones with lives to lead! Much of the visit was tainted by nastiness, backstabbing, arguments & uncalled for behaviour, & getting home was a huge releif!
Now we are in 2015, most people have made their New Years Resolutions (& probably broken them). It sounds strange but this year I didn't make a New Years Resolution. This wasn't through fear of breaking it or not being able to carry it out, but because none of us can forsee what life has in store for us. I just want to be able to take things as they happen. I have plans for things I want to do, obviously, & with a bit of luck they will happen. But as 2014 proved to be unpredictable, I want to be able to just take things as they happen.
So there we have it! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas & here's to a happy new year!!!
Jes xxx
Showing posts with label Doctors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doctors. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Sunday, 28 September 2014
A health update- rather poorly at the moment :(
Hello lovelies,
This post is going to be a health update. This last week I have not been very well. And by not very well I mean being in so much pain & feeling so rotten that some days I haven't been able to do much of anything. Aside from the usual pain from my endometriosis (which has been particularly uncomfortable this week), I've been getting alot of back, joint & muscle pain, been being (WARNING- TMI!) Sick alot, bad diarrhoea, headaches, breathing trouble, & just generally very tired & unwell.
On a slightly different note, I have some updates in regards to getting some of my problems sorted. I saw a hand specialist a couple of weeks ago. Basically, because of the nature of the problems in my arm & the fact that I am generally unwell, they have to be very careful about surgery. He asked me if I would be willing to try another 2 months of hand therapy as
an absolute last-ditch attempt to see if it would work again. Then at my next review if it hasn't worked then they will discuss surgery. I agreed to this, as I appreciate that they don't want to put me at un-necessary risk. They also offered me a cortisone injection on they day, but they weren't surprised that I turned it down. Last time I had one it hurt more than it helped.
I also had an appointment with my GP this week to get referred to a different bowel specialist. She agreed that I definitely needed to see someone else as the first specialist was absolutely no help, so I have been referred to bowel clinic at my local hospital (the previous hospital was about an hour away but was the quickest place I could be seen). She is concerned about the fact that I am getting so many bowel problems, particularly because I am bleeding when I go to the loo. She has also referred me to pain management, who will sort out my medication. I am having bloods done this week to check several things too.
So although I am feeling grotty & horrible this week, I am glad that things are progressing & it's a step in the right direction.
Thankyou for reading & I hope you all have a lovely week :) xxx
This post is going to be a health update. This last week I have not been very well. And by not very well I mean being in so much pain & feeling so rotten that some days I haven't been able to do much of anything. Aside from the usual pain from my endometriosis (which has been particularly uncomfortable this week), I've been getting alot of back, joint & muscle pain, been being (WARNING- TMI!) Sick alot, bad diarrhoea, headaches, breathing trouble, & just generally very tired & unwell.
On a slightly different note, I have some updates in regards to getting some of my problems sorted. I saw a hand specialist a couple of weeks ago. Basically, because of the nature of the problems in my arm & the fact that I am generally unwell, they have to be very careful about surgery. He asked me if I would be willing to try another 2 months of hand therapy as
an absolute last-ditch attempt to see if it would work again. Then at my next review if it hasn't worked then they will discuss surgery. I agreed to this, as I appreciate that they don't want to put me at un-necessary risk. They also offered me a cortisone injection on they day, but they weren't surprised that I turned it down. Last time I had one it hurt more than it helped.
I also had an appointment with my GP this week to get referred to a different bowel specialist. She agreed that I definitely needed to see someone else as the first specialist was absolutely no help, so I have been referred to bowel clinic at my local hospital (the previous hospital was about an hour away but was the quickest place I could be seen). She is concerned about the fact that I am getting so many bowel problems, particularly because I am bleeding when I go to the loo. She has also referred me to pain management, who will sort out my medication. I am having bloods done this week to check several things too.
So although I am feeling grotty & horrible this week, I am glad that things are progressing & it's a step in the right direction.
Thankyou for reading & I hope you all have a lovely week :) xxx
Friday, 5 September 2014
Endometriosis- an update
Hello everyone,
So as some of you may have seen in previous posts, I had a meeting with the bowel & endo specialist on Wednesday (The same one who during our last meeting was totally unhelpful & was the cause of that very depressing post I wrote after). I did not hold out much hope for this second meeting- & it turns out I was right not to. The only reason I was seeing him was because my GP had written a strongly worded letter telling him that I needed to be treated properly.
I am not a medical professional but I know when I am being fobbed off. He obviously hadn't read the report from my surgery as he commented "Well it can't be the endometriosis causing the problem as we did remove some of it & it obviously hasn't helped". No, they removed a tiny amount for biopsy as it was TOO DANGEROUS to remove more (due to bleeding, my oxygen levels dropping ect). He avoided discussing my questions (such as what treatment is there?) & told me he was just going to refer me back to my GP who could decide my treatment. What a nice, helpful doctor!
So meantime I am stuck with no end of problems, I am not ovulating so I don't even know if I can have kids, I am in constant pain & now have the stress of waiting. I know my GP will not be happy with the way I have been treated by this particular doctor (again!). She has been fantastic through all of this, & I know she will do everything possible to get me the treatment I need. But in the meantime I am still suffering & it isn't fair.
On a more cheerful note at least now I can say that hopefully I will be referred to somewhere that I can actually get treated, & until then I will keep my chin up. I am still pretty poorly from my chest infection, but it is very slowly getting better (finally!) & am just taking each day as it comes.
On a slightly different note I want to say thankyou to someone. I am a member of the Health Unlocked Endometriosis UK support forum. Its basically a page where women who suffer from endometriosis can go to get advice, share experiences & generally support each other. I won't mention names but there is one particular person who I have been chatting to for a while now, & consider her a friend. Every day I always get a message asking how I am & how I am feeling, & its just nice to be able to chat, talk through the ups & downs, & to help eachother out. So thankyou :)
Hope you all have a good week. I'm doing a few new posts this week so watch this space! Thanks for reading! Xxx
So as some of you may have seen in previous posts, I had a meeting with the bowel & endo specialist on Wednesday (The same one who during our last meeting was totally unhelpful & was the cause of that very depressing post I wrote after). I did not hold out much hope for this second meeting- & it turns out I was right not to. The only reason I was seeing him was because my GP had written a strongly worded letter telling him that I needed to be treated properly.
I am not a medical professional but I know when I am being fobbed off. He obviously hadn't read the report from my surgery as he commented "Well it can't be the endometriosis causing the problem as we did remove some of it & it obviously hasn't helped". No, they removed a tiny amount for biopsy as it was TOO DANGEROUS to remove more (due to bleeding, my oxygen levels dropping ect). He avoided discussing my questions (such as what treatment is there?) & told me he was just going to refer me back to my GP who could decide my treatment. What a nice, helpful doctor!
So meantime I am stuck with no end of problems, I am not ovulating so I don't even know if I can have kids, I am in constant pain & now have the stress of waiting. I know my GP will not be happy with the way I have been treated by this particular doctor (again!). She has been fantastic through all of this, & I know she will do everything possible to get me the treatment I need. But in the meantime I am still suffering & it isn't fair.
On a more cheerful note at least now I can say that hopefully I will be referred to somewhere that I can actually get treated, & until then I will keep my chin up. I am still pretty poorly from my chest infection, but it is very slowly getting better (finally!) & am just taking each day as it comes.
On a slightly different note I want to say thankyou to someone. I am a member of the Health Unlocked Endometriosis UK support forum. Its basically a page where women who suffer from endometriosis can go to get advice, share experiences & generally support each other. I won't mention names but there is one particular person who I have been chatting to for a while now, & consider her a friend. Every day I always get a message asking how I am & how I am feeling, & its just nice to be able to chat, talk through the ups & downs, & to help eachother out. So thankyou :)
Hope you all have a good week. I'm doing a few new posts this week so watch this space! Thanks for reading! Xxx
Sunday, 31 August 2014
An update- not very well :(
Hello everyone,
In one of my last posts I mentioned that I had what the doctors suspected might be a very severe chest infection/pluerisy (inflamation in the membranes of the lungs) type thing. This has gone on for several weeks now- bad chest pain, coughing, trouble breathing, bringing up blood, high temperature & very high pulse.
Twice I have been to the doctors- the first time I was given a weeks antibiotics & told to come in for a review when the course was finished (I know they don't usually give antibiotics but they have to take special precautions with me due to my other problems). The next week I went back, feeling worse. It was noted that my obs were still sky high & my right lung was particularly "crackly" sounding. The GP was debating sending me to hospital but I didn't want to go unless I really had to. He instead put me on some more very strong antibiotics & a short course of high-dose steroids to help strengthen my lungs & to try & ease my breathing. The same instructions as before were given; review in a week, come back if things don't improve or get worse, & the possibility that I may need a chest Xray.
Now I am still no better a week on. I am having bad headaches & alot of trouble breathing as well as chest pains & generally very poorly. This is a particularly bad time for me to be ill as I am due to see the bowel specialist this week to discuss treatment for my endometriosis, as well as having my final session of hand therapy (sad to say that it hasn't made a difference :(...).
Tomorrow I am due to go for a full blood check as the GP last week also had some concerns to do with my thyroid. I am going to book myself in to see the doctor tomorrow morning & hope that they can find out what is wrong with me.
Hope everyone is having a better week. Enjoy the last days of the summer :)
Xxxx
In one of my last posts I mentioned that I had what the doctors suspected might be a very severe chest infection/pluerisy (inflamation in the membranes of the lungs) type thing. This has gone on for several weeks now- bad chest pain, coughing, trouble breathing, bringing up blood, high temperature & very high pulse.
Twice I have been to the doctors- the first time I was given a weeks antibiotics & told to come in for a review when the course was finished (I know they don't usually give antibiotics but they have to take special precautions with me due to my other problems). The next week I went back, feeling worse. It was noted that my obs were still sky high & my right lung was particularly "crackly" sounding. The GP was debating sending me to hospital but I didn't want to go unless I really had to. He instead put me on some more very strong antibiotics & a short course of high-dose steroids to help strengthen my lungs & to try & ease my breathing. The same instructions as before were given; review in a week, come back if things don't improve or get worse, & the possibility that I may need a chest Xray.
Now I am still no better a week on. I am having bad headaches & alot of trouble breathing as well as chest pains & generally very poorly. This is a particularly bad time for me to be ill as I am due to see the bowel specialist this week to discuss treatment for my endometriosis, as well as having my final session of hand therapy (sad to say that it hasn't made a difference :(...).
Tomorrow I am due to go for a full blood check as the GP last week also had some concerns to do with my thyroid. I am going to book myself in to see the doctor tomorrow morning & hope that they can find out what is wrong with me.
Hope everyone is having a better week. Enjoy the last days of the summer :)
Xxxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)