So, after last month’s GP visit I am still waiting to hear about my next traumatology appointment for The Shoulder, but today I got the results back from the stool test that confirmed the presence of “occult blood” and well fuck. I mean, you know, maybe it’s nothing serious or maybe IT’S CANCER (again) but I won’t know anything for a while. GP has sent the test results to the specialist who will decide whether I should see him/her before or after having a colonoscopy. So lots of fun coming up. But I wish I had known about these tests before (as in, I wish someone had told me!) because they are a very easy and efficient way of detecting intestinal bleeding. Apparently I should have been doing this every 1-2 years. Oh well, for now it’s fingers crossed… 🤞
Back to the GP today to check on my next Mounjaro prescription. Not the fill-in Fab GP I saw last month, I guess my usual Nice GP is back from holiday. And that’s fine, I think? Anyhow, talked about the prescription, which she has now renewed for 3 months at the initial “starter dose” of 2.5g. Like me she thought a weight loss of 6 kilos in 7 weeks was a reasonable rate and saw no need to change things. So we’ll see. I mean, there’s no guarantee I’ll keep losing weight at that rate, but for now I’m happy with that and would prefer not to up the dosage.
Then I asked her about an issue I had last week with possible blood in my stool (it was hard to tell) but before sending me off for another colonoscopy (last one was three years ago) she wanted to test for blood, so that’s what we are doing. With my cancer history they tend not to fool around with anything colon-related. She told me I’d be having a colonoscopy in any case, but if the sample tests show traces of blood then it’s a different protocol to follow. Okey-dokey.
Next up… since my shoulder jab about three weeks ago, well it was starting to feel a bit better, but now the pain has resurfaced but feels more concentrated in the front of my upper arm. I told Nice GP they had told me to come back if the first jab didn’t take and so now I also have a new shoulder traumatology appt request in the system. I don’t know if I’ll get the second jab but I’d like to get another opinion on it.
Meanwhile, probably the BEST news of the summer has been that since about ten days ago I have been getting around on just one crutch for the first time in two years. Yes, it still hurts (a lot), and I still walk at a snail’s pace, but it’s actual walking (as opposed to hobbling). Whatever… I’ll take it! How’s your summer going?
Yesterday was my 7th Mounjaro injection and the “official Monday morning weigh-in” showed that I have lost 5.5 kgs in six weeks. So that’s good. I mean, I was hoping to lose about 3-4 kilos a month so I am more or less “on schedule”, with a couple more weeks to go until the end of August. I know that with most weight-loss it’s normal to lose more quickly at the beginning and then to start to plateau a bit. I mostly want to get down to the required weight for my knee surgery, which is another 6 kilos. Of course, more would be better, but when I hit that target they will at least put me on the surgery waiting list.
I haven’t been dieting or calorie counting (god forbid) but I have been tweaking my daily eating routine a bit. And I’ve basically halved my wine intake, which makes a difference too. BUT… and this is very important, at least for me… there are no “forbidden foods”, I eat whatever I feel like, make sure I’m getting plenty of veg, still enjoy a glass or two or wine and then just eat either very little or nothing in the evenings. And I’ve been doing my cardio chair workouts every day. To be honest, I’m not sure how much of the weight loss is due to the effects of the drug or just me making more effort motivated by having to fork out 210€ every four weeks.
As a result… well, when you are as overweight as I am a six-kilo loss isn’t obvious to the casual observer but I can see some differences here and there. And between being a bit lighter and having built up a bit more muscle strength (those chair workouts are no joke!) today I was actually able to go out for a walk using just one crutch. Not a hobble, a WALK. It felt so fucking liberating. And yes, the knee still hurt quite a bit and I was exhausted when I got home, but it was doable. Which actually hasn’t been possible since August 2024. Plus the shoulder jab has helped relieve some of that pain. So, feeling cautiously optimistic about maybe getting my life back (please please please).
casa azahar 