medical check list

17 Monday Mar 2025

Posted by in health, hospitals, sevilla, spain

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I was ready today! Had blood tests done a while back so it was time to check in with Nice GP again. Peter also needed some things checked out so we made back-to-back appointments (he needs a translator and it’s easier than coming at separate times). Aside from what I might hear re: the blood tests I also had a check list of a few things that had been causing me concern.

Peter went first. He needs to get more blood work done along with some other tests, and also has to see a kidney specialist, meanwhile he’ll continue on blood pressure meds, the vitamin D mega pills and will also start on statins. Phew.

Then it was my turn. Going through the blood test results it turns out that my good/bad cholesterol levels are kind of cancelling each other out, my sugar levels are “borderline” and everything else is pretty normal. So no extra meds for me (yet), just continuing with the blood pressure ones.

[WARNING: this is totally boring, continue reading at your own risk]

And then I took out my list. First off was the neuropathy in my feet that I’ve had since chemo (2009) but has been getting noticeably more painful. I was concerned it could be diabetes related but my blood test results cancelled that out. Doc recommended a new multi-vitamin that is meant to specifically help with neuropathy. Okay.

Next up… my old nemesis tachycardia has been really been knocking me sideways over the past few months. I’ve had this since I was about 25 and to date nobody has ever actually diagnosed me, after countless ECGs and Holters and cardiologist visits… nothing ever happens THEN but then a day later at home my heart goes crazy. Anyhow, another cardiology appointment has been requested and this time I want answers. Because I’m pretty sure it’s POTS but I don’t know why recently symptoms are happening when I’m just sitting at my desk (like now) or even when I’m in bed (which is actually scary). That’s new. And worrying.

But I wasn’t finished. My seemingly random SHOULDER PAIN came back a couple of months ago. And I mean, on top of knee pain and not being able to walk it’s almost too much so I decided to ask yet again if anything could be done about this (nobody else has said anything other than “take these pills”). But Nice GP said it sounded like a nerve problem because of the pins-and-needles and she has requested an MRI.

By the time I got around to mentioning my KNEE and that I was still waiting after 5 months to see the surgeon I could tell I’d kind of worn out my welcome. I mean, I get it. When Agustín was my GP he told me they were allowed 4 minutes per patient and between me and Peter we’d already taken up close to half an hour. She said the only thing I could do about that was put in an official complaint with the hospital and, well, that’s already done.

Then it was back downstairs to book appointments. It’s curious because some appointments are made automatically when the doctor orders them (then you wait for the call), but others need to be done at the reception desk. WHATEVER. Did all that. And an hour and a half after getting to the health centre we were released. 

A footnote: Peter and I were the ONLY ones wearing masks other than one woman who was clearly keeping her distance. Also, I am so grateful for Nice GP (who replaced Heartless GP back in June 2024). She actually listens and gets things done.

 

five years of covid

14 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, health, hope

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It’s still so vivid for me. I’d just come home from a Decanter research trip to the Axarquía visiting Bodegas Dimobe, Viñedos Verticales and Bentomiz (where I spent the night) and the next day after lunch I went to Capuchinas Viejas. After which Susana drove me to the Santa Ana train station just outside Antequera and I got home about 9 pm on March 12th, 2020.

Of course I’d already been hearing “rumours” about the schools closing here because of what had been happening in Italy, then shops and restaurants were also mentioned, so the next day I popped over to Casa Morales to ask my family what was going on. And they had no idea. This was Friday. And then on Saturday March 14th everything shut down. Bang. Just like that. And life changed forever.

It started off being a bit surreal and we somehow had the notion that this would all be over in a few weeks, so people hunkered down and stayed home. Now in Spain we had a more rigid lockdown than most other countries. We were only allowed out of our homes (one person at a time) to go either to the supermarket or the pharmacy. And if you had a dog you were allowed 20 minutes but had to stay close to home. Otherwise we stayed home. For close to two months. During that time a few more shops and services were deemed “essential” and we all started wearing masks.

This was also when some bars and restaurants (I think my friends at La Azotea were the first) began offering take-away and delivery options.

I took to doing daily walks on my rooftop, with my music plugged in, going round and round like a hamster in a wheel, just to get a bit of fresh air, sunshine and exercise. I was lucky because it was just me and my downstairs neighbour Encarni (Peter was living elsewhere at the time, thank god) so it was allowed. It was prohibited to socialise on rooftops if you lived in a multi-dwelling building.

Then we were allowed to go out for walks, but without straying more than one kilometer from our homes. And you had to wear a mask. Walking times were assigned by age. By now it was May and already getting hot so elderly people were given the early morning cooler times, then other age groups at different times. Shortly after that bars and restaurants were allowed to open but only at 30% capacity. Memory is a bit fuzzy about this, but I think by mid-June most bars and restaurants were operating almost normally, especially if they had a terraza. Though vaccines were still many months away and it would be a year before everyone had their two required shots.

Of course much has changed since then, but sometimes I am almost nostalgic for those lockdown days. Obviously not for the death, fear and uncertainty because those were terrible dark times for many of us. But for a while it was almost like we all cared about each other and there was a glimmer of hope that we would come out of this crisis stronger and with a renewed sense of community and social responsibility. Instead… well, you can see for yourselves what’s happening. But dammit we were so close, or so I like to think. We missed our moment to shine. Fuck.

Oh, and COVID is not over. But you already knew that, right?

erica

13 Thursday Mar 2025

Posted by in friends, internet, sevilla, sherry, social media

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Another virtual encounter. A while back Erica got in touch saying she was a friend of Rogene & Phil, that she was going to be in town in early March, and that she’d love to meet up and invite me out to dinner. So that’s what we did last Sunday and had a delicious time out at Barra Baja. And as I knew she’d be in town until Friday I invited to her join today’s Sherry & Tapas Tasting. There was another couple with us and, as usual, it was a great afternoon. I’m loving these tastings so much, not only because of much-needed income right now, but also because I really feel in my element being a Sherry Educator.

Erica and Rogene (aka Maribel’s Guides) are both contributors on a food & travel forum called Hungry Onion. I only know about it because Rogene has been singing my praises there for years and recommending my tours, for which I am very grateful. And now Erica is talking me up there too. I still find it quite wonderful how things like forums and social media bring us together. I mean, there’s also someone I cherish and who is for me one of those you-can-count-them-on-one-hand trusted friends, and we’ve never met in person (you know who you are, K). Isn’t it fabulous?