Tag Archives: health

change ahead

21 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in diet & nutrition, health & happiness, home, hope, sevilla, work

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Change-Ahead
Nothing like spending most of a week stuck in bed and feeling like crap to focus on… other things. And as 2013 is still young, it’s also a good time to think about change and goals for the year to come. My main goal, of course, is to stay cancer-free, though there’s little or (I think) nothing I can do about that. Next PET scan will be in March. Will she get another 6-month reprieve? Stay tuned folks.

In other news, I may have to move! Not because I want to but because I don’t think I can afford to stay where I am. When I first took this place with Peter two years ago the understanding was that he’d be paying half the rent and bills, but unfortunately this isn’t happening. And no, I’m not going to try sharing with a total stranger (been there, too old for that now) so finding a smaller place I can afford on my own might be necessary. It would mean “downsizing” considerably, getting rid of furniture and probably my books – at least two rooms full of “stuff” – but at this point I’m ready to do whatever I have to. My food tours are really taking off but, you know, I don’t want to work my butt off and then still end up going into debt just so Peter can have a roof over his head. And the truth is that I don’t use the upstairs room or terrace much, since I spend most of the day working in the “livingroom office”. Anyhow, I’m just getting myself psyched up for this in case I have to move. There will be no rash decisions. So again, stay tuned.

On the bright side, I discovered this morning that I lost 2.5 kilos this past week! Which more than takes care of the “Christmas excess”, and kinda inspires me to keep on with the light eating thing. I’m still not quite ready to get back to the gym but, considering I lost this weight while mostly being curled up in the foetal position, I’m beginning to think there’s something to the theory that exercise, while good for maintaining general health and fitness, really isn’t such a big factor when it comes to weight loss.

So it looks like another day mostly at home, although it’s very blue and shiny out there and I’d love to get out. But I now have The Cough (which apparently happens around Day 6) and my chest feels like a fat dwarf – or Loki – is sitting on it. And without warning I start hacking away, which I do my best to stop, and have been pleased to discover that by careful breathing I’m actually able to stop it a lot of the time. But sometimes not and it feels like I’m going to turn myself inside out. A friend told me he coughed so bad during the Coughing Stage that he pulled a muscle in his armpit! Anyhow, I have two meetings tomorrow morning and am giving a friend a blog class in the evening, so I reckon another day at home is prudent.

What’s new with you guys? Have you got any plans happening?

the lost week ends

19 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in cats, friends, health & happiness, home, sevilla

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mark and joFinally this hellish week has ended. And rather nicely, as it turns out. Yesterday the awful cold-flu that kept me in bed most of the week was suddenly more cold than flu, which included the apprearance of a brand new scratchy throat and cough. But at least I could stay vertical for more than a couple of hours and, basically, didn’t feel so bloody crap. Even so, when my friends Mark and Jo (that’s them on the left) said they were going to be in Sevilla today and wanted to invite me for lunch to celebrate their 100th trip to Spain, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to make it because I also had a tapas tour booked for tonight. I mean, I thought I might manage one or the other, but not both. And although Peter was happy to step in and help out I really don’t like “changing the guide” on my clients last minute. But then I heard from Sharon (one of tonight’s group of three) saying they’d be in town late this afternoon and were looking forward to meeting either me or Peter at 8.00. Huh?

I had forgotten that they’d made their booking when I was planning a trip to Barcelona and I’d told them at the time that because of this I couldn’t say if they’d be with me or Peter. And that was okey-dokey with them! What a relief. So I wrote back and explained that while my trip to Barcelona had been postponed I was just getting over a very bad flu and they would be going out with Peter after all. And then I decided to go and meet Mark and Jo for lunch! Though that almost didn’t happen because I started to “crash” again around noon and even the thought of getting dressed felt overwhelming. But M & J were already on their way to Sevilla by then and incommunicado so I was resigned to go, especially because I had asked them to change their original choice of tapas bar to one closer to my home.

At 3 o’clock we met at the fabulous Taberna El Paduro, which was heaving, but after a short wait we got a comfy spot at the end of the bar. And we had a great time. I realised that I hadn’t been out of the house in over four days and hadn’t actually walked further than from room to room, so it was nice to stretch my legs. But talking was VERY difficult because it kept setting off massive hacking coughing jags, which made it clear that I could never have done the tapas tour, since I obviously need to be able to talk. A lot. So it all turned out for the best. The tour booking arrangements, missing M & J so I couldn’t cancel lunch, getting out of the house, and then coming home again. Now I’ve got the heat blasting and am all cosy here with the cats while Peter is out doing the tour. Still with the coughing jags – so bad at times it feels like I’m going to hack up a lung – but I’m hoping that will ease off by tomorrow. And after that… a fresh new week!

flu…

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in health & happiness, home

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Influenza_virusIn bed with flu.

It’s been a long time since I was sick enough with anything that I had to take to my bed.

Hope I’ll be feeling better in the morning as I have a Market & Tapas tour planned. Also, I think it would do me good to walk around a bit. Staying in bed does my back in. And I’m no longer contageous at this point, right?

*achy achy achy*

girdling my loins

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in health & happiness, hospitals

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4200 playtexSo remember my hernia? Well, I finally got to see the surgeon this morning and, after a bit of poking and prodding, I was told that after so many surgeries it wasn’t unusual for me to have a hernia and, all things considered, it wasn’t a very big one. As such, the doctor said he wouldn’t recommend that I have any more surgery at this point.

To alleviate the chronic discomfort I was told that I should “lose a little weight” and use a “faja” (girdle or corset). Meh.

I still have the faja I was given at the hospital after my last operation (and to be honest I didn’t wear it as much as I should have during recovery), which is basically a length of spongy stretchy material with a strip of velcro on one end to hold it closed after wrapping it tightly around my belly. But it’s very bulky and tends to ride up. When I mentioned this to the doctor he said it would be just as useful to go to a lingerie shop and find something there…

Well imagine my surprise when I popped into one on the way home and found all manner of elasticated shape-shifting undergarments on offer. Most seemed to be made for already thin women wanting to look thinner, promising that slipping into a lycra-laced item would help them look two sizes smaller! Others promised to lift and show off their butts. I was at a loss. So I finally asked a salesclerk for assistance, explaining that I had a hernia and had to wear something for support. She very helpfully showed me half a dozen options and sent me off to try them. Holy crap! I honestly thought I wouldn’t get any of them on, but after a major heave-ho managed to pull them up and… yes! There was definite support going on. I finally opted for this simple Playtex model – which was also the cheapest at 20€ (some of them went up to 85€!). I would have preferred it in black, but this awful liverish colour was all they had in stock. Well, who the hell is going to see it anyhow?

So I reckon I’ll wear the wrap-around hospital faja at home and try out this one for when I’m out and about. The doctor promised me I’d feel much more comfortable after doing this for a couple of weeks. I hope he’s right. I was all set to hear the worst – that I’d need yet another operation. But it turns out I’ll only have to girdle my loins… oh, and “lose a little weight”.

another hernia?

25 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in cancer, health & happiness

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Or the same one I had before? Or is it maybe a new one that’s popped up (and popped out) since my last emergency op just over a year ago? What I do know is that there’s a lot of discomfort – I wouldn’t exactly call it pain – in the area to the right of my belly button. I’m not sure if this is something that started a few months ago, or if it’s always been there. Well, “always” since the first ops. I think I’ve become so used to a certain level of pain or discomfort along the scar lines criss-crossing my abdomen that unless it becomes PAIN I don’t do anything about it. Except that yesterday I happened to glance in the mirror before getting into the shower (something I usually try to avoid) and saw that my belly button was doing a serious “outy”. I gingerly pressed on the bulge and it felt all squidgy, as if there was liquid inside, which immediately made me think of the liquid build-up around Azar’s tumour that eventually burst, so I was suddenly very nervous.

Luckily I had an English class with my student/friend/neighbour/GP Agustín last night. Our classes don’t usually start with me hiking up my shirt, but I have to admit it was a relief not to have to rush to the hospital. Agustín thinks it’s a hernia, and said the only real solution would be surgery. Last time (three years ago) they just sliced open the area and drained the surrounding liquid, which is why I’m wondering if this is the same hernia. In any case, Agustín is going to refer me to a surgeon to get an opinion on what I should do. Since this has been going on for ages, and the last PET scan was clear, this doesn’t seem to be cancer-related. But it would sure be a bugger to have to have yet another operation. Stay tuned…