Tag Archives: health

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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sinusitis vs covid

13 Wednesday Sep 2023

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sinus vs covid

Well dammit. It’s back! Or is it? A month ago I had a serious bout of what I assumed was rhinosinusitis as it mostly stayed in my head. And while I had symptoms I kept testing for Covid, just in case, since who knows what the symptoms are the new variants (not us, because we’re not being told). So I wasn’t too concerned when this started up again on Sunday as it was pretty much the same-old with runny nose, facial pain, dripping down my throat (ick), plus I have had sinus issues all my life. But then yesterday things took a turn.

A small “tickle” that had developed in my throat turned into full-on coughing my lungs out during the night, so bad that I could barely sleep. And yet I still tested negative for Covid this morning (I’ve been testing daily since Sunday). WTF? Using this venn as a guide, the only overlapping symptoms I have are cough and slight congestion, the rest is all sinusitis stuff. And sinusitis could be the result of either a bacterial infection or “just a cold”, both of which can spread to the lungs. Obviously a bacterial infection isn’t contagious, but “just a cold” is.

I mean, I don’t feel terrible or anything (other than my face still hurts, lots of pressure) and today the cough seems to have disappeared as quickly as it showed up.

MEANWHILE… a couple of weeks ago I booked tickets for one of the fabulous Catas Magistrales that are taking place during the Jerez Vendimia (grape harvest), this one being hosted on Friday evening by Bodegas Lustau in the splendid Alcázar gardens. I also booked train tickets and a hotel for overnight. And now I don’t know what to do.

So what to do? If I’m going to cancel then I have to do it first thing tomorrow morning so I don’t end up having to pay for the hotel (train and event tickets are non-refundable). Back in the day I would have thought nothing about travelling – or even going out somewhere – with “just a cold”. Those days are gone. But if I am no longer sneezing and coughing… oh I don’t know, maybe it’s just sinuses. Of course I’ll have my FFP2 mask on while travelling on public transport. And most of the things I’ll be doing in Jerez will take place outdoors. It’s quite a dilemma. What would you do? And yes, am looking at you Kate.

here we go again…

23 Wednesday Aug 2023

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colonoscopy again

Since the last botched procedure in April I’ve been waiting for an appointment for another colonoscopy and finally got the call today… it will be next Thursday (!!). So not much time to fret but just enough time to prep for the prep. This time I’m going to start the low-residual diet a day early (Sunday) and basically try to eat as little as possible next week. ALSO, this time I have the prep instructions from the hospital (last time I had to look them up online) and it’s a bit different from what I did, so maybe that was the reason I ended up “badly prepped”?

These instructions have three different options depending on the time of the appointment (the others only had morning and afternoon options and my appointment was at noon, same as next week). So I will follow the “midday instructions” and do the usual thing with the SOLUCIÓN EVACUANTE the evening before but also get up extra early and take more of the stuff, being sure to finish six hours before my appointment, at which point I’m not even allowed water. I sure hope it works this time, and also that they don’t find anything scary. 🤞

the endo

07 Monday Aug 2023

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the endo

I’m so fucking disappointed. Have been holding out on the statins until I could see the endocrinologist (appointment was on Friday) because I thought surely at least some of these things can be controlled by diet, and I am uneasy about taking statins. So I was hoping to get some guidance in that area as well as get her opinion on some other issues going on (with my pancreas, recurring abdominal pain, etc).

But no. First of all I was the only one wearing a mask in the health centre, including the doctors. I will still never understand this. But I arrived prepared with a printed sheet of my various health “incidents” and the treatments, as well as more recent issues, hoping at least she might be able to explain the whole “pancreas mystery” that’s been going on forever. Did she listen? Did she fuck.

No eye contact. She had an assistant there (junior doctor approx 14 years old) taking notes etc while she kept her eyes glued to her computer screen and typing away, seemingly eager to get the report finished at the same time she stopped talking to me. I tried to tell her about the cancer, the ops, the recurring abdominal pain, the post chemo weight gain, but was cut short with “TELL ME WHAT YOU ATE YESTERDAY”.

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