Tag Archives: health

boosted! (again)

02 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, health, sevilla

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boosted 23

Got my Covid and Flu boosters this afternoon. Pfizer. Was hoping for Novavax but was told this was the only one they had. Was also supposed to have a blood test tomorrow morning (booked before vax appt) but put it off until next week, mostly in case I have a reaction overnight. But hopefully, like all the other times, I will just have sore arms.

I had also arranged for a telephone appt with my GP this morning but instead got some other doctor who didn’t know anything about me (apparently my GP is on holiday). I was hoping for some info re: the MRI and what the next steps would be. Turns out there are no next steps until I am in such pain that I can’t walk at all. And no treatment other than to down paracetamol when it hurts too much. No mention of physiotherapy, other than the suggestion to ride a stationary bike to build up muscle strength. I mentioned having to give up the recumbent bike about 8 years ago because KNEES but he insisted that if I took things poco á poco I would see improvement. 🙄

Starting to see how the whole pain-killer abuse thing happened… doctors not giving a shit. Also, I was the only one in the health centre today wearing a mask, other than one nurse wearing a baggy surgical mask UNDER HER NOSE.

my body hates me!

17 Tuesday Oct 2023

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees

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back again

I mean, it was gaaaahh and aaarrghh and loads of swear words too. Yesterday morning I bent over to look at something on the floor and suddenly lightning bolts of pain shot through my lower back. I mean, seriously? AGAIN?? My back just fucked me over last May and I don’t usually get a serious back incident like this more than maybe once a year. But of course it’s like how my right knee is now hurting more than the recently MRI’d left knee… all that shit is connected. And even though I’m being careful with my posture while walking, and using my new bastón for support, it seems the various fucked up parts of my body are getting even more out of whack by compensating for each other on a daily basis. And so… now what?

Well I guess I have to go back to my GP and have her refer me to an orthopaedic doctor to see what the next step is after the MRI. Will I need surgery? Injections? Physiotherapy? I don’t know. But it feels like everything is falling apart and there’s just pain all over the place now. I have a blood test on Friday morning so I will also see about making a GP appointment then and – I hope – also book my Covid and Flu booster jabs for next week. Phew!

la muletilla

05 Thursday Oct 2023

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees

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muletilla

Since the most recent knee saga I’ve been using my trusty crutch when out and about, but you know, it’s kind of clunky and not always needed. I mean, I don’t need it at home and, after going out on a couple of tapas tours, I realised that I mostly need “extra support” on inclines and street curbs (don’t even talk to me about stairs) so as to not put extra pressure on the dodgy knee. So I went to look for a more “every day” kind of walking cane and found this at the (very handy) orthopaedic store down the street from me.

This muletilla (little crutch) is lightweight and adjustable as well as being foldable (good for travelling) with an ergonomic handle, which I discovered is actually very comfortable as opposed to the straight handle on my big crutch. AND… it has a wrist strap so when I want to stop in the street and take a photo of something the muletilla can just dangle.

And so it looks like I have officially become AN OLD WOMAN WITH A CANE. Which, for the moment, keeps me from being an old woman who walks like a penguin (it’s actually been tempting to do this because, well, it’s kind of easier, but no). Meanwhile my MRI’d knee seems do be doing okay. Whatever. One day at a time.

f*kn knees man

03 Tuesday Oct 2023

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

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traumatologia

And it goes on and on. This is the traumatology hospital at Virgen del Rocío, part of their massive university hospital complex (the one that saved my life back in 2008). I didn’t really expect to end up here today (last visit was – I think – when Peter almost put his eye out on Christmas Day). BUT the right knee that had been giving me problems since a few days before the MRI on the left knee last week suddenly went GAAAAH and the pain was just awful. Scary awful. And checking possible reasons on google was not helping.

So a couple of hours and two taxi rides later I was back home again after a jab of anti-inflammatory, a bandage around my knee and a prescription for paracetamol and metamizole. Treatment – stay off my leg and put ice on it. Cause of pain – I overburdened my knee (by being fat). Almost a waste of time (I’m not taking either of the drugs prescribed or wearing that shitty bandage) other than Dr Grumpy said I don’t have any fluid build up around the knee so if there is a Baker’s Cyst there it’s very small, plus he ruled out a DVT.

I also found out that I have osteoarthritis in both knees, not just the left one that had been MRI’d. When I expressed surprise/concern Dr Grumpy snapped (while looking at my xray taken in July) “Well of course you do, if you have it in one you have it in both, but the left one is worse”. Yet it’s my right knee that hurts like fuckity. Apparently because I’m “overloading” it. So fine. I am at home with an ice pack and without the shitty bandage that bunches up and cuts off my circulation. How was your day?

my first mri!

27 Wednesday Sep 2023

Posted by in health, hospitals, knee saga, knees

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mri

Remember back in June when my left knee totally gave out, excruciating pain, etc… then I got an x-ray done in July and an MRI was recommended? Well I finally had the MRI done today but since Sunday my right knee has been so painful I can barely walk, so I was wondering if they would do a twofer while I was there. No dice. I was told they were only authorized to do the left knee. I thought it would be like the x-ray, with both knees done at the same time, but they used this exact machine (see pic – same brand and everything) which, as you can see, is for one knee only. So fine. I was still thinking this was going to be easy peasy until the technician finally got my leg locked into position and then said… “it’s very important that you do not move AT ALL”. Again, not too worried thinking it would be like an x-ray, hey no problem. But it turned out I was not allowed to move AT ALL for 25 minutes. Gaaahhh…
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