Tag Archives: hospitals

dodgy bits

07 Wednesday Jul 2021

Posted by in cancer, health & happiness, home, hospitals

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online appt

I got my CT scan results yesterday (for scan done June 21st) and it’s not a bad report. There are still some unexplained dodgy bits, but nothing has changed much since the last scan in September. At least there are no obvious signs of cancer, so that’s good. The areas of inflammation, and the spot where I was “leaking” before (ewww)  are still cause for concern but short of opening me up again and taking a proper look the best they can do is keep monitoring me with scans and x-rays.

This morning the hospital called and I have an appointment with the oncologist on Friday… on the phone! I’ve never done that before. But what the heck. It saves me a trip out there in 40º weather and perhaps it will actually be better as I won’t feel self-conscious about having my notes out in front of me. We shall see.

broken hearted

18 Friday Jun 2021

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broken hearted

I almost hesitate to write this as I know it’s really going to rile up Kate (aka Sledpress) but since my Medical Check List post I thought things were going rather well. Until this morning. After the blood test and ECG results came in my GP requested appointments for me to see a cardiologist and a dermatologist (for my going bald issue) and meanwhile oncology finally got in touch and I have another CT scan on Monday. Today I had the cardiologist at 9 AM, so I was up and out and in a taxi (in the rain) hoping to find something out. Alas… nope. They gave me another ECG when I got to the hospital and then I waited to see the doctor, who ended up remembering me from an appointment several years ago (I didn’t remember her, maybe that was my first mistake).

Anyhoodle, she acted very wary… saying I shouldn’t sit too close to her desk, telling me to turn my head away from her when she listened on the stethoscope. I mean, I get it. She is surrounded by possible sick people all day long, but she truly had no “bedside manner”. And worst of all was that she simply didn’t listen to me.

My reasons for being there were the following: I am short of breath almost always these days, I get that “tight skin” feeling in my arms when I stand up too quickly  (and sometimes also feel a bit dizzy), I also sometimes have tightness in my chest (never actually got to tell her that bit) and, yes, the tachycardia keeps happening. ASSUMPTION was that I was there once again about the tachycardia, but I wasn’t. This is something I’ve had since I was 25 and NO DOCTOR has ever been able to find out why. So I was there because it’s increasingly harder for me to breathe and I get a “tight” pain in my arms and fingers, there’s also a tightness across my lower ribs. Did she listen to me? Did she fuck.
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medical check list

28 Friday May 2021

Posted by in covid, health & happiness, hospitals

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medical check list

If you’re like a lot of people (and like me) you have probably put off getting a regular check up since the first Covid lockdown. Especially because health centres and hospitals were definitely NOT the healthiest places to be and were also overwhelmed by coping with Covid patients. I did manage to get a CT scan done last September, and a follow up blood test in October in preparation for my oncology revision. Which didn’t happen. Following the protocol, once the scan report is ready and blood test done, we are supposed to call oncology and leave a message asking for a revision appointment. Then I heard that the oncology department at my hospital was being used for Covid patients so I reckoned that I wouldn’t be getting an appointment any time soon. In any case, I’d already had a nuclear medicine doctor friend read the scan report and she told me everything was fine, so no rush. And then I forgot! Until maybe Jan-Feb, so I called to request my revision appointment and… nothing happened. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to try again, even though we’re told not to leave multiple request messages. FINALLY got a call back this week and got a thorough telling off by the oncology receptionist for leaving it so long. Whatever. I am now awaiting an appointment form for another CT scan (“the last one is useless by now!”), which I’m told will come in the mail. Fine.

Meanwhile, I got to thinking I should probably get a more recent blood test done too and got in touch with my GP. Then I got to thinking about all the niggling health issues I usually only remember at 3 in the morning and decided to make a list. So today I went through the list with my GP and next week I’ll not only get the blood test but also an ECG. I got my blood pressure checked (a bit high), blood oxygen level tested (good) and then the doc had a good listen to my lungs (nothing). I asked him about me GOING BALD and he said after the blood test comes back he’ll have a better idea of what sort of treatment to recommend. I also asked him about my next vaccine jab as there is a huge kerfuffle now about people who had AstraZeneca first now opting for Pfizer second time round, with mixed and confusing messages from the EU and Spanish medical reports. He said just to stick with AZ since it’s all pretty much experimental at this point, and I agree. After that I was given my little urine cup and sent home, feeling like I’d actually GOT SOMETHING DONE. It was a really good idea to take a list with me since I always forget things, and Dr A was very patient with going through each point with me. Now fingers crossed I get a reasonably clean bill of health and proper treatment for anything dodgy they find. I want my hair back!

la puerta de jerez

29 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by in health & happiness, home, hospitals

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So I had my CT scan today at 5 pm, which is a bit of an awkward hour because I always like to “treat” myself after a hospital ordeal, either going out for a tapita or a cold beer. But as I was in and out in fifteen minutes that meant that all the bars (or ones that I would want to go to) were closed.

So I walked home to get my steps in, taking photos along the way to send my friend Julie @woollygee, who was virtually walking home with me via Whatsapp. Anyhow, this photo op caught my eye because of the colourful flowers. I guess despite the pandemic city workers are still keeping Sevilla beautiful. Should have scan results late next week.

don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that sling

27 Monday Jul 2020

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sling
So after more than three weeks suffering with REALLY BAD shoulder and arm pain (lately lots of pins and needles in arm) I called my doctor, who said if it was serious pain I should go to emergency, in case they wanted to take an x-ray. So I did. And at emergency they kept asking why I hadn’t gone to see my doctor. Whatever.

I got seen to and after a perfunctory examination was told I had “omalgia” (no attempt to discover the source), was given a sling and a jab in my bum (anti-inflammatory) and sent on my way with prescriptions for paracetamol, ibuprofen, omeprazol and diazepam.

Well fuck that shit. If I just wanted to be given a whack of drugs I would’ve gone to my doctor three weeks ago. Seriously… painkillers, anti-inflammatories, fucking valium and oh, a stomach protector?? Because my shoulder hurts. A lot. And no attempt to find out WHY it’s hurting so much? Fuck.

This first happened to me about two and a half years ago and my lovely friend Kate @sledpress sent me THE CANE which I’ve been using but, unlike last time, it’s just not doing the trick. Have also been using SPIKE, which Kate sent as a part of a birthday package ten years ago. My gosh, that girl has been looking after me for quite some time now! I don’t know why what worked before isn’t working now.

On the plus side I got in 10,000 steps by walking home from the hospital (luckily today it was a balmy 36º, tomorrow it goes back up to 42º). I lasted with the fucking sling for about 20 minutes before ripping it off my neck. And now I am back at home looking for ways to get better on my own. Emergency doc also told me not to do any exercise. This sucks.