Tag Archives: health

the endo

28 Thursday May 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Last (also first) time I saw an endo was in July 2023. Heartless GP had set up the appointment for me and I thought it was going to be about, you know, my endocrine system and metabolism, etc. But it turned out she had made an appointment recommending bariatric surgery (!!!) which I would never have consented to and which I was too old for anyhow.

I was hoping for more this time round as Nice GP made today’s appointment asking for treatment re: weight loss for knee surgery suggesting THOSE injections. What the heck, worth a try? Anyhow, this endo was less dismissive than the first one but said she needed an up to date blood analysis (which should happen next week) and then she mentioned two drugs: Wegovy and Munjaro. And then came the clincher… they are only subsidised for treatment of type 2 diabetes, which presumably the new blood test will rule out. She said Wegovy was less expensive than Mounjaro (180€ vs 360€ per month) and my GP could prescribe one or the other for me after I get the blood test results. Then I go back to see her, the endo, in October.

So now what? I really don’t know. Obviously I can’t afford either of these drugs, but I’ll go get the blood work done and then take things from there.

here we go again…

06 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Back to see my GP today. I wanted to make sure everything was registered and understood re: the knee op and required weight loss, and the procedure we would follow. After my long-time friend, GP (and ex-student) Agustín retired just after lockdown it’s been a bit hit and miss with front line health care. At first I was assigned Heartless GP who didn’t listen to anything I said and clearly couldn’t wait for me to leave her consulting room asap. Then in June 2024 I had to see the GP again and was surprised to see a different woman at the desk. Pleasantly surprised as it turned out because, in spite of a somewhat serious demeanour, she was actually a Nice GP! She got stuff done. It’s thanks to her that I’m even seeing the proper specialists. In other words, she understands the job.

So today she looked over the last report from Traumatology, including the weight loss requirement, and her first response was to say that I should see an endocrinologist. Since the first step to a new knee is the weight loss, she said we needed to find ways to have that happen as quickly and efficiently as possible. And well, yes please! Then I remembered how back in 2023 Heartless GP had sent me to The Endo for bariatric surgery (!!!) when I thought that appointment was going to be about getting to grips with metabolism, post-chemo and menopause issues, trying to work out a way that would help me not have to take statins and other meds that had recently been prescribed. Anyhow, that appointment was a complete disaster (read at your own risk).

Today it felt different. Again, Nice GP is no-nonsense, I can’t joke with her, I can’t say anything actually personal, she’s just dealing with the facts. The facts today included making a new appointment with an endo (hopefully not the same one as before) and also putting in a new “preferential” request for my shoulder (that appointment seems to have gone missing) and then that was that. And for now that’s fine. Because for now, that’s all I’ve got.

whelmed

04 Monday May 2026

Posted by in health, health & happiness, home, hope, sevilla

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Can I tell you? April was a MONTH. I mean, it was a good month in many ways, especially the trip to Aracena, but that also took a lot out of me and left me frustrated that I wasn’t able to do more there because I COULDN’T WALK. So that’s a painfully ongoing situation and I’m a bit stuck in “lose weight limbo” after my last traumatology visit when they finally confirmed I needed a full knee replacement BUT that they wouldn’t put me on a surgery waiting list until I lose 10 kilos. Meanwhile, I can’t find my report from that last appointment (they are usually online) so on Wednesday I will be seeing my GP to make sure she knows what’s up, as she will be the one to confirm the weight loss (when it happens) and then inform traumatology. I just want to make sure this is all written down somewhere. Every day the pain gets worse and to say it’s taking me from my life is a serious understatement.

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here we go again…

11 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in health, hospitals, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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So after that disappointing attempt last week to get my GP to push for a new traumatology appt based on new x-rays (she wasn’t having it) I actually GOT A CALL TODAY from the hospital saying I had an appointment for my knee… tomorrow! And well damn, that wasn’t happening because I have two couples booked for a sherry tasting at the exact same time, so I asked if we could find another date. And so now it’s going to be on March 23rd, ten-ish days from now. Which is better than nuthin. I hope.

You may recall that back in August during my last traumatology appointment they did basically nothing but ask for more x-rays, give me a useless jab in the knee, tell me to take opioids (as well as the usual lose weight, ride a bike, go to the pool) and then said they’d see me again in three months. THREE MONTHS. So I am not expecting that when I show up next time they are going to suddenly say… a knee operation? Well why didn’t you just say so? How’s next Thursday?

They keep fucking me around. Like last time they said they needed the new x-rays to determine if my arthrosis had developed to the point that they could request a knee replacement. When I told them I was actually more interested in having the torn meniscus repaired – because that was actually causing all the serious pain and it’s a fairly minor op – they said they couldn’t okay that until they saw the extent of the arthrosis, even saying that an attempt to repair the meniscus before having that info could make things even worse. Fucking what?

You’re seeing the pattern, right? Here, get these x-rays or this MRI taken so we can make a decision on your treatment. But then by the time I get the follow-up appointment the test results are already too old to be useful and so… yep… need to retake those tests. And it goes round and round. Meanwhile, as long as they are “following protocol” and writing in their reports that they have told me to lose weight, go to the pool, ride a bike and take pain killers, and have requested new tests, then they are off the hook. Next!

Watch this space. I was hoping to get a friend to come with me as back up but the only person I can think of who might actually be able to help isn’t available. Well, I have ten-ish days to prepare. Wish me luck!

today’s bleak

06 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Yeah, it looked like this today, which was bleak enough. But it was also a bleak day because, yep, another let down re: the Knee Saga. Last month I had the bright idea to ask my GP to make a new appointment with the traumatologist based on the new xrays I had done in November as the ones taken in August hadn’t been done correctly. Due to this and that the GP appt was postponed until today and, although I knew it was a long shot, I’m still disappointed it didn’t work out. I was told, without a hint of irony, that the records show I have been up for a three-month revision since August and so she cannot ask for a new one even though a new test had been done since then because it was for the same thing. Aaargh. I’m so tired. And it hurts.