Category Archives: health

urgencias! what a day

05 Thursday Sep 2024

Posted by in health, home, hospitals, sevilla

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urgencias

Since the abdominal pain was still quite severe and clearly not letting up I headed over to Urgencias with Peter just after noon. As we got through triage almost immediately I was hopeful that it wasn’t going to be a long wait to see a doctor. This was not to be. The waiting rooms were packed with next to no one wearing a mask, not even most of the staff. WTF.

Anyhow, eventually saw the doctor who ordered blood work and unfortunately got a nurse who couldn’t find any arm veins, so the third try was IN MY HAND which I hate, especially as this thing stayed in all afternoon (just in case). While waiting for the blood/urine results they sent me to get an IV of paracetamol for the pain, which ended up doing absolutely nothing. After that MORE waiting.

There was some confusion when I was called back in as there was a different doctor saying I had to redo the blood tests because blah blah blah and then suddenly the original doc came in and said not to worry, the blood was normal and they were going to do a CT scan. Wut. Anyhow, about half an hour later I was having yet another CT scan. Finally… six long hours after arriving, the doctor said I was fine. There was some inflammatory changes in the colon stump (where it had been sealed off during surgery) but no fluid or air in the peritoneal cavity. So that was it. NOT cancer. Phew.

I was sent home and told to take paracetamol for the pain, stay on a soft diet until pain subsides and stay hydrated. Well, not taking paracetamol, and I can barely eat anyhow (bonus! have lost 2 kilos), so I guess I just have to tough it out and hope the pain stops soon. Still hurts like fuck now though which is very draining. I keep having to go lie down which I guess is another “bonus” – I think I’ve slept more this week than I usually do in a month (in 2-3 hour snatches).

Now fingers crossed I didn’t pick up Covid! 

nurse morcilla

04 Wednesday Sep 2024

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nurse morcilla

So definitely NOT a 24-hour thing this time. And not Covid (though will test again on Friday). But the lower ab pain remains very intense so looks like I’ll be heading to Emergency. Meanwhile, lovely Nurse Morcilla has not left my side since I took to my bed. I’ve managed to get up for short periods but mostly I’ve been here. Anyhow I remember my oncologist telling me last December (when I got kicked out of the Cancer Club) that I should have my GP set up an oncology appointment if I was ever experiencing severe abdominal pain. But as that could take weeks I think the best bet is to go to the hospital. Wish me luck!

unwell

03 Tuesday Sep 2024

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unwell

Well damn… I’ve been having gastro “issues” off an on since, well always, but these past few months they’ve become more frequent, though usually it ends up being a 24-hour thing and then it’s gone. Anyhow, after getting home from last night’s lovely outdoor event I started feeling unwell and went immediately to bed, then spent the night with chills/fever, vomiting and diarrhea… not nice. Checking in with the friends who were with me, including Peter, everyone else is fine so it’s probably not food poisoning. At least the fever etc is gone but I’ve got some intense lower abdominal pain/cramping. Waiting to see how that evolves.

final pedi 2024

28 Wednesday Aug 2024

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last pedi 24

When I discovered the little nail place in my street earlier this year I decided to splash out on a pedicure as I hadn’t had one since 2018 (!) and boy did it show. I mean, not just the toe nails, but the state of my feet in general. This is now the third one I’ve had this summer and will be the last one this year. I’ve come to realise that they are not as much of a “luxury” as I once thought simply because I can’t manage the same kind of treatment on my own. I mean, I don’t try to cut my own hair either. Anyhow, this is the first summer I can remember that I didn’t end up with cracked and bleeding heels (though that might also be due in part to NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK) and for that alone it’s been worth it. Plus they are really nice!

I can’t walk

16 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by in health, health & happiness, knee saga, knees, sevilla, sevilla staycation

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cant walk

Seriously, I cannot walk anymore. I’ve been doing my best to get out and about each day, but this past week I just can’t. It just fucking hurts too much. Even with the cane, even if I walk slowly. The extreme shooting pain in my (front lower left) right knee makes even a short walk around the block an exercise in constant agony. And so I wonder if I should be even trying to walk on that leg if it hurts THAT bad. Because the pain ends up extending down the entire lower leg. The left knee is no picnic either, but compared to this… there’s no comparison.

I can still shuffle around the apartment, more or less. But each time I have to get up to go to the kitchen, the bathroom, whatever, I have to steel myself for the inevitable shooting pain. Even so, I’m still doing my daily chair workouts (yay! thank god for them!). But my next MRI is a whole month away (September 16th) and I honestly don’t know what to do between now and then.

Not only has this put a serious damper on my Staycation (it’s actually pretty depressing and has left me feeling all scatter-brained, unable to concentrate) I’m worried about next month. I have some tours booked in those first couple of weeks, but… a four hour walking tour? Srsly?? I mean, I know we’re not walking the whole time, but that’s an easy 8,000 steps. I could probably still do the wine tastings as it would mean ONLY hobbling down to Morales and back again. But the tours? How? Going to the supermarket almost has me in tears.

I’ve been icing the area, using different anti-inflammatory creams, keeping up with the chair exercises, but every day it’s getting worse. What I need is a proper diagnosis and then a plan of action… treatment? physio? surgery? I just need to know something. Not knowing what is happening is really dragging me down. Anyhow, just venting today because being stuck inside and the constant pain is really getting to me. xx

PS
for those asking… I can’t take anti-inflammatory meds like Ibuprofen due to my BP, and I won’t live on a steady diet of pain killers. I just won’t.