Tag Archives: health

and so it begins…

30 Tuesday Jun 2026

Posted by in sevilla, health, wegovy

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… my journey into Weight Loss Injection Land. In the end Peter popped back to the farmacia yesterday evening to pick up the first hideously expensive batch of Mounjaro – 4 injections for 210 euros. I decided to wait until this morning to get started but upon opening the box and seeing THESE INSTRUCTIONS (gee just 17 easy steps) I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least. And then I read the fateful words NEEDLES NOT INCLUDED and was like… what the FUCK. Also, why the fuck didn’t anyone ask Peter if he had needles or needed to buy some?

So it was back to the farmacia today and hey, they only had boxes of 100 NEEDLES that are compatible with Mounjaro, but whatever. Bought them. Then it was back home to do the deed. Luckily my friend Jane had sent me this very helpful video, which made more sense to me than a metre long fold out page of printed instructions. And then I did it! It’s a bit faffy because you have to work out the dosage each time and “prime” the thing (unlike the easy one-shot belly injections I had to do after all my cancer operations) but I am now INJECTED. And so now what?

Well apparently “Mounjaro (tirzepatide) starts working within hours of your first injection, though the timeline for visible results varies. Immediate Effects: Appetite suppression and reduced food cravings can begin within 24 to 72 hours.” (googled info)

Which got me thinking yet again… I don’t actually have a big appetite that needs suppressing. I don’t get food CRAVINGS (at least not the all caps variety – probably the only thing I ever actually crave is a nice glass of wine). And once I start eating (thanks to the adhesions) I am not able to overeat in any meaningful way. So do I really need an appetite suppressant drug that works by making people feel nauseous? I guess we shall see.

Meanwhile meanwhile… today I was going over the properties for Wegovy (my first choice before the GP talked me out of it) and dammit, I wish I’d stood my ground. Because Wegovy is a lot more than just a weight loss medicine…

Wegovy (semaglutide) reduces excess body weight (by an average of 15-19%), and lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Beyond appetite suppression and weight loss, Wegovy improves several interconnected health factors.

Cardiovascular Risk: It is the first weight-loss drug officially approved to specifically reduce the risk of serious heart and circulatory issues in overweight/obese adults.

Blood Sugar & Insulin: It helps the body release insulin when eating and stops the liver from producing excess sugar, lowering overall blood sugar levels.

Inflammation: Clinical studies show it reduces systemic inflammation markers and lowers blood pressure.

Liver Fat: For individuals with metabolic dysfunction, it reduces fat build up and scarring in the liver.

All of that sounds like it would benefit me more ALONG WITH losing weight. Also… cheaper! Well, just by 30 euros a month but still. And it comes with its own needles, plus is way simpler to use. So I am feeling like I made a mistake going with Mounjaro but I’m in now for at least this first month. Wish me luck!

wegovy vs mounjaro

29 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in sevilla, health, knees, knee saga

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Spoiler alert… Mounjaro has already “won”, at least for now, but mostly because I was put on the spot today and didn’t want to have to wait another two weeks to see my GP again. It’s like this. Wegovy (semaflutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are both GLP-1 drugs that slow digestions and suppresses appetite, but Moujaro has another hormone called GIP that has a stronger impact on blood sugar regulation and hunger reduction.

I had been leaning towards Wegovy as I had read that it is also approved not just for weight loss but cardiovascular health, helping to lower blood pressure and inflammation, as well as reducing the risk of “cardiac events” by as much as 20%. Sounded good to me. And I was hoping that today’s blood test results, combined with my heart issues, would mean that it could be prescribed for medical reasons (not just weight loss) so I wouldn’t have to pay.

Mounjaro is mostly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, with no obvious cardiac benefits. The Endo had made it sound like the only way I could get either of these covered by social security was to be diabetic, hence the new blood test. But it turns out that not only am I not diabetic, my GP informed me today that neither of these drugs are covered under SS so I would have to pay in any case.

So then I asked… how much? Wegovy is 180€ for the first month, Moujaro is 210€. Apparently the price will either remain the same or increase depending on whether I need stronger doses going forward. But GP insisted that Mounjaro is the preferred option these days but if I wanted to think it over… no no, no more delays. I went for it.

Effectiveness… Wegovy shows an average weight loss of 15-21% over 72 week, Moujaro 21-22.5% over the same time period.

Meanwhile, I dunno. Yes, I’m going to give it a go. Picking up the prescription this evening (they had to order it in) so will start tomorrow. But everything I read is about it suppressing appetite, even about losing “obsessive thoughts about food” (probably from feeling nauseous from the drug) and this just isn’t my problem. I mean, yes I do obsess about food, but more in the sense of photographing it and, yes, making it too, but not about wanting to eat all the time. Because you may recall, after four major abdominal ops, my belly is full of adhesions (look at your own risk) so if I do ever happen to over eat, which rarely happens anymore… PAIN PAIN OMG VOMIT VOMIT MORE PAIN. I mean, it’s like I have my own built-in Wegovy/Moujaro. Anyhow, we shall see I guess. Wish me luck.

Apparently I should be down to acceptable knee op weight by Oct/Nov and then I’ll have to get my GP to request another Traumatology appt (average waiting time: 6 months) and THEN they’ll put me on the waiting list for an operation (as long as I’ve kept the weight off). Honestly, if I despair at times, can you really blame me? Every day the pain gets worse, walking (hobbling) is becoming almost impossible and now I have a whole year ahead of me before I will even be able to see the slightest bit of light at the end of this awful awful pain-filled tunnel. Anyhoodle… out of words.

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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