Oh Doctor I'm in Trouble..............

Oh goodness Gracious Me..............

Hello again one and all and welcome to Thursday 19th September.

it has been an interesting time since my last Journal on Monday, so I will start with the events of Tuesday.

Tuesday 17th September 2013

As most of you know I have scaled down on the frequency of my daily journals due to problems with my Vision using a 13" macbook pro. Although I can zoom in on the text it the constant staring at a small bright screen that has been giving me problems along with frequent head aches above the eye,s. If I do not spend extended time on the computer this problem does not arise, however I decided on Tuesday to Phone my GP in the Morning at 9.00 am, and spoke to Dr Lake who arranged an appointment with another GP Dr Eggin at 11.45 that Morning.

Speaking to Dr Lake

After I had spoken to Dr lake I spoke to Pauline on the phone and let her know and also had a chat with Gordon, before getting some cereal for breakfast and taking my morning dose of Laxido.

"Laxido" for all that is stubborn and refuses to move

after breakfast and doing the washing up I get a wash and shave and then get myself ready to go to the Eastney Health Centre to see Dr Eggin. Dr Eggin is the replacement Doctor for my long standing Family GP Dr Tyrrell, who retired last week, so I was a bit apprehensive about seeing Dr Eggin, but I should not have been, she turned out to be a very competent GP and had been fully versed on my Myositis by Dr Tyrrell and also by Dr,s Lake, Richbell and Proctor, in fact Dr Tyrrell had even passed the book on Myositis that I had brought for him 2 years ago.

The book I Brought for Dr Tyrrell

Anyway I got a Taxi down to the Eastney Health Centre at 11.30 and reported to Reception I was Number 11 so as number 10 was in with Dr Eggin, then I was next, I only had a short wait and was called in at 11.50. Dr Eggin listened to what I had to say about what was happening and then carried out a series of tests my blood Pressure sitting and standing was OK, My Blood sugar level was normal, My Blood tests from two weeks ago were all OK ( Or as Dr Tyrrell marked, "Normal for this Patient") She then checked my eyes and carried out several vision and balance tests and also checked my ears, and  came up with the diagnosis that she could see no major problem apart from the cataract that was probably causing problems with the vision ( which is what I suspected) but she also said that the headaches were probably a combination of the brightness of the screen on the laptop and the fact that the muscles in my neck were weakened and was not able to support my head properly while using the laptop in the recliner so she has prescribed 2 x co-codamol if I find my neck becoming painful ( which I had noticed over the last week or so.)

A Thorough examination

So that was a good and positive visit to the Doctors so back home in the taxi and the rest of the day was spent watching TV and having dinner and leaving the Computer alone. anyway look forward to November when I get my new computer and also a new office chair so that I can work from my desk, will start checking that out tomorrow.

Wednesday 18th September 2013

well a decent nights sleep last night and got up about 8.30, Pauline and Gordon will be down about 10.30 this morning and then it will be down to the city centre to get the shopping. Today is the anniversary of My Fathers Birthday and also my Uncle Fred ( Mums Brother) Dad was born on the 18th September 1914 so would have been 99 this year and Uncle fred was born on the 18th September 1918 and would have been 95 this year

well after texting and speaking to Pauline and Having Breakfast it was time to get myself ready for when Pauline and Gordon arrive. in fact they arrive about 10.20 and I am not quite ready but almost so that is not a problem anyway, one I am ready I get the Rollator ready and Phone citywide for a taxi to take Pauline and I down to Commercial road and then once we have left, Gordon can do the weekly clean on my flat.

Commercial road precinct.

 Once down town we go and do the shopping that we need to do and also have a coffee before doing the main grocery shopping in Tesco,s before getting a Taxi back home at 1.15. Once home we get the shopping put away and then have a coffee, a chat and a sandwich before Gordon and Pauline head home and I settle down to check out office chairs and maybe a new desk as well. Gordon had done a god job with the flat cleaning as usual so thank you Pauline and Gordon for all your Help.

Nice one Gordon

Thursday 19th September 2013

Another excellent night last night, well after listening to Dr Eggin on Tuesday I have not suffered any headaches or vision problems, I cannot wait until November to come around so that I can get my new Computer. Until then I will be spending less time on the Computer, although I have found a way to write these blogs and facebook posts by using the "Siri" facility on my iPad. this allows me to verbally dictate what I want to write I can then go into the blog on the computer and add the images and that is it,  It took a bit of getting used to the speed of dictating and I have to manually make a very few adjustments by hand but I am getting better at it and it means I am not staring at a screen for a long time.

So today I have also been looking at what Office chair to get and also looking at Desks to compliment the new iMac when I get it.
It looks like the desk and chair will be from Ikea. Just can't wait now.

Ikea Hemnes Desk with add on Unit

Ikea Malkolm swivel chair

Well that is about all my eyes will take today as far as the computer is concerned.
After my appointment with Dr Gibb my Neurologist on the 5th of this month and my Pulmonary Function test last Friday, I today received a letter from Dr Gibb,s Secretary to say that my next appointment is on the 5th March 2014 that is 6 months time the same as the last one so I would presume that my PFT was OK.
So until the next blog which I hope to write on Saturday " Myositis Awareness Day" I will say...................

The Days are going by far to quickly.

So here we are again and it is Monday already,  I wish someone could explain to me where the days are going, Because I have not got a clue.

It is almost a week since I last wrote my "Daily Journal", Not so much a daily journal now I am afraid though, although it will change back to being written and posted daily once I have got the new computer .

When Frank gets his new computer

Wednesday 11th September 2013

Not a great deal happened last week it was really much like any other week, on Wednesday Pauline and Gordon came down and while gordon spent a couple of hours cleaning the flat, Pauline took me down to Morrisons to get the shopping.

Morrisons Portsmouth City Centre.

Once we had got the shopping done we got a taxi back home, and after getting the shopping put away we had a coffee and a chat before Pauline and Gordon made their way back home, as usual gordon had done a good job on the flat cleaning as usual.

Got that one wrong Gordon

 Thursday 12th September 2013

Thursday was a normal day as far as normal goes for me spent most of the day as usual listening to the radio or watching TV in between cooking and washing up and then an early night on Thursday ready for my trip to the Queen Alexandra Hospital for my Pulmonary Function Test on Friday.

Friday 13th September 2013

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.

The appointment for my Pulmonary function test went pretty well. there was a young trainee along with a physiotherapist that did the tests and the results will be sent to Dr Gibb my consultant. then what he said at our meeting on the 5th, is that when he gets the results of the PFT we will then look at the treatment going forward,

so that was about it for Friday except once I had got home it was time for the ............................. Methotrexate. because Fridays is know by me as Freaky Friday.

Anyway I leave it until after Dinner before I take the Methotrexate so that about the time the Methotrexate kicks in I am off to bed that way I sleep through most of the affects, as it always makes me feel yucky for a day or so.

Saturday 14th September 2013

Saturday started as usual with me having a lie in and then going through the usual daily routine, and I was looking forward to Saturday evening as I am going with Gordon and Pauline up to my Nephew Arron,s House in Fareham to a house warming get together, Arron and Sarah have been married for two years and have just moved into their second house as they are expecting their first Baby in October, so we are all looking forward to that.

One baby on the way 

Gervase and leanne unfortunately can not make it as they have a prior arrangement and I heard on Friday that my Brother Pat and his family cannot make it as Pat and also his daughter Melanie both have glandular fever but there was still a good turnout and we all had a good time.

A good evening at Arron and Sarah,s house warming

One thing I did do was although it was not my day for Prednisolone I did take 10 mg on Friday as well just to make sure that I was able to go . anyway it was a great evening and did not get back home until 11.00 pm so to bed at midnight and a lie in sunday morning.

Sunday 15th September 2013

Sunday was a day of resting and recovering from saturday evening. Gervase came and took me to Asda at fratton to get the shopping, it was nice to see him and he and Leanne had a good night last night.

Gervase has a busy week ahead with work as he is in London on Monday, Leeds on Tuesday, Edinburgh on Wednesday and back to leeds on Thursday and Friday so he has a lot of sorting out to do at home so once we are back home after shopping we have a chat and then he heads back home.

Monday 16th September 2013

And so to today another restful day of TV listening to the radio, Pauline and Gordon were down in Southsea today so came in for a coffee with Misty the Labrador, it was nice to see them all, we had a nice chat and a coffee and then headed back home. I have just caught up with the journal but will now get it posted on my blog as my vision is telling me it has had enough, just to say that there is now only 5 days to Myositis Awareness Day on Saturday the 21st

So until my next Journal I will say...............

Its another Freaky Friday.

So here we are on another Freaky Friday. It seems strange not settling down to write my journal on a daily basis but hopefully it will not be to long before I get the new computer and then we can get back to writing it daily again, as I do miss not writing it every day.

Writing a daily Journal

well yesterday was an interesting day as I had my Appointment with my Neurologist Dr Gibb up at the Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) at Cosham. my appointment was for 11.30 so I booked a taxi for 11.00 as it is about a 20 minute journey from here in Southsea up to the QA. I was meeting Pauline there, as she was getting a bus from Waterlooville which is where she and Gordon have moved to, so she is nearer to the QA than I am.
Anyway I am meeting Pauline at the North Entrance at the QA as that is the easiest entrance to the Outpatients department.

North Entrance to the Queen Alexandra Hospital Cosham.

Well I get to the QA at about 11.20 ish and Pauline,s bus arrives about the same time. The taxi drops me off at the North Entrance but Pauline has to get off at the South Entrance and walk up the hill to the north entrance, anyway we meet up and go in to report to reception to let them know I have arrived.

Outpatient Department  Reception

When we report to reception I am informed that Dr Gibb is running about 30 minutes late in actual fact My appointment was for 11.30 and Dr Gibb calls me in at about 12.50 so he is actually running an hour and twenty minutes late still never mind, gives us time to read some out of date waiting room magazines, ( really should have brought a Newspaper or the iPad with Me.)

Waiting For Doctor Gibb

Once I was in with Dr Gibb we had a chat and all my Blood works have been coming back OK, over the last 6 months and all my downloads to the cardiology department from my Reveal Heart monitor have shown no repeat of the erratic heart beat over the last 16 months. I told him about the fatigue I have had since tapering down to the 10 mg of prednisolone on alternate days but he is reluctant to increase it and I am going to start on a daily multi-vitamin and see if that makes any difference.

 we discussed my Digestive/constipation issues in regard to my inability to digest some foods properly ie (beans, cabbage, cereal etc) due to my "Cup and Spill" stomach which was diagnosed after an endoscopy in 2010 and has been put into the background after being overshadowed by the onset and diagnosis of Dermatomyositis, so I am going to be taking a sachet of Fybogel every Morning to add more fibre to my diet so that  (along with the increased dose of Lactulose) in the evening should help with the constipation.

  
The Methotrexate is remaining at 15 mg on a Friday and the Folic acid is staying at 5 mg on a Monday. also the Lansoprazole is staying at a daily dose of  15 mg before breakfast and 15 mg before dinner . and the Prednisolone is staying at 10 mg on alternate days.
I said about the Ventolin Inhaler from the GP Dr Tyrrell that he prescribed to help with my breathing in this humid weather.

Ventolin Inhaler and the Aerochamber. 

I have  my yearly Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) scheduled for next Friday. and Dr gibb said that once he has the results of that  he will contact me with regard to on going treatment. hopefully the result of the PFT will not have changed over the past 12 months as the one last year and also in october 2011 was around the 80% to 85% which was acceptable.

Q: Did I pass the Pulmonary Function Test ?

well I must say that apart from the long wait in a very stuffy waiting room it was a very positive appointment, so now just the PFT on next Friday to get over and done with and then we will see where we go from there but feeling very positive as I said to Dr Gibb if it was not for the difficulty with the walking and the mobility of my arms I would be as fit as a fiddle, I wake up in the morning and feel like an 18 year old, get out of bed and feel like a 60 year old which on reflection is not to bad as I am 70 in 7 weeks time.

A positive appointment yesterday

Once we had finished with Dr Gibb me and Pauline headed down to the cafeteria on A level which is at the other end of the hospital where we had a cheese and ham toasted sandwich and a coffee each before going outside the South Entrance

Queen Alexandra Hospital Main entrance (South Entrance)

where I phoned for a taxi to take me home and Pauline waited for her bus back to Waterlooville. Pauline,s bus arrived before my Taxi so saw her safely on the bus.

Pauline,s bus arrives before my Taxi

Well there we are then, slept pretty well last night and had a decent day today, I am glad the weather is getting cooler as that does help, although it is still very humid, we had some rain during the night and also this morning but the sun returned this afternoon.
 It looks like the weather is certainly on the change for the week ahead but it could be worse I suppose/

so today has been a very quiet day of rest and TV for me, it is now almost 5.00 pm so I will get this journal finished and posted before watching Pointless on BBC 1 and then I will be having "Fish and chips for dinner before taking my Methotrexate

Yummy, Yummy Fish and Chips.

So until the next journal which will probably be On Monday I will say.....................

Miracles Do Happen.

So here we are on Saturday the 9th of March and it is 54 years since "Mattel" introduced "The Barbie Doll" to the world at the International Toy Fair in New York.

That Yucky Methotrexate Feeling 

Last night was another good nights sleep although  did wake during the night to use the Bathroom, I actually slept through until 8.30 before making a coffee and lazing in bed until 9.30 when I eventually got dressed and went into the lounge to text Pauline and let her know that I was up and about and then got some cereal for breakfast, The Methotrexate is having a party with my body today so will not be up to much today.

well I have breakfast and Pauline phones to say her and Gordon are Ok and to take it easy today, which I will do, I will just walk round and get my Paper but apart from that, today will be a "No Go Day" for me I am afraid, so apart from listening to the radio and playing around on the computer I will not be doing anything else so it will be a very short and uninteresting journal today.

Well it is a lot better weather wise today and at the moment the sun is shining so it is a pleasant walk round to the News Agents, but I am soon back home again and get a nice coffee, I have turned the heating off at the moment and have the window open to let in some nice fresh air so that is nice apart from the noise of the traffic as with Football at Fratton Park today there is a lot more traffic around looking for parking spaces , which is not easy in these residential streets.

Reading The Daily Paper

I have spent most of the morning reading the paper and doing the crosswords so as it is 1.00 I will have a couple of slices of toast and a Banana for lunch and then at 1.30 I go for a lie down for an hour before going back in the lounge at 2.30 with a coffee and get ready to listen to the Soccer on the radio, and while I am doing that I design a picture to remember Mum on Mothering Sunday Tomorrow.

Mothering Sunday on Sunday 10th March 2013

I cant believe that it is almost 8 years since we lost mum at the age of 92. This year would have been her 100th Birthday.

Miracles Do Happen

While I was getting the above Picture done I was Listening to the Soccer on the Radio, Portsmouth are playing at Home at Fratton Park today against Bury, and wonders of Wonders we "''''''''WON"'''''''''. that is two wins in a row and we are off the bottom of the league table. Whooo Hooo Play up Pompey.

Pompey win 2-0 at Fratton park today
(Photo Copyright the Portsmouth News.)

 well as I said earlier this is a very short Journal today as the Methotrexate is taking its toll on me this week, so I will need to get this Journal Posted and then get Dinner sorted as it is now 5.45 so until tomorrow I will say Bye Bye.
 

Sunshine and showers today.

Well here we are at the start of another day. again it is starting off with Rain but the weather forecast for today does say that the rain will clear later on, just hope that they are correct.

Another wet and windy day at Portsmouth.

Dab Radio

It was a decent sleep again last night, and I woke at 7.30 made a coffee and listened to the radio in bed for 30 minutes until 8.00 am when I made another coffee and went into te lounge to watch the morning Breakfast news on the TV and to check my emails and facebook while waiting for the carer.

one of the emails I had in my inbox this morning was from My cousin Maureen,s Husband Ken fro Canada. he sent me a Photograph of an Otter Aircraft that Ken and his "Buddy" look after. The Photograph was taken last year on the Great Slave lake NTW. Ken,s Old Boss has a camp in Yellowknife and Ken and his buddy change it over to wheels in Yellowknife and fly it South for the Winter. and is Kept in Edmonton. The aircraft was built in Toronto in 1954 and originally had a Piston Engine, but they changed it to a turbine about 6 years ago. I thought that was an interesting little story to share with you.

Breakfast Time.

Anyway that was a nice surprise from Ken and Maureen and nice to hear about what they geyt up to over in Canada. Anyway the Carer arrives at 8.45 and gets me sorted and groomed ready for the day ahead and then once she has made her way to the next client I text Pauline and then get some Breakfast.

The Flu jab last month

Pauline phones at about 9.30 to say she will be round at about 10.15 to take me for my doctors appointment, I seem to have a bit of a chesty cough and a tight chest, along with sniffles and a sore throat, I thought the sore throat was due to my teeth extractions last week but with the other symptoms I am just going to get the GP to give me a once over. anyway apparently gordon is not feeling well at the moment and also my carer has a bit of a cold so I am surrounded by Cold germs at the moment, At least I have had my Flu Jab this week and also had my pneumonia jab last year and that one lasts for about 4 years.

anyway I go and have a shave and get dressed and then watch a bit of TV until Pauline arrives at about 10.10. Anyway I am all ready so off we go to see Dr Tyrell down at the Eastney Health Centre. Doctor Tyrell has been my family doctor since the mid 1970,s so we always have a good old chat when we see him.

Eastney Health Centre.

The Antibiotics

My appointment is for 10.30 and we eventually get in to see Dr Tyrell at 11.05.anyway he checks my latest blood results that are Ok, checks my breathing etc and is satisfied that there in nothing going on with my lungs or chest and does not think that I have picked up a bug, however he prescribes some antibiotics that he wants me keep at home and if any of the symptoms get worse to start the course of antibiotics and Phone the Surgery Triage and he will see me straight away. so that is Ok, feel a lot easier now so we go to the Chemist to get the antibiotics and then home.

Once we are back home I make a coffee for me and Pauline and we have a chat and then Pauline makes her way home to Gordon and I go for a lie down until 12.30 when I get up and get some chicken soup for lunch. I then settle down in front of the TV and watch some old Sitcoms until 3.00 when I go and get the vegetable prepared ready for dinner tonight and then have a tidy up of the kitchen, get the rubbish bin sorted ready to go out tomorrow and then at 4.00 I start to get to work on todays Journal

Well it is nearly time for dinner it is 6.30 and everything is cooking it is a roast chicken breast tonight with Potato, cauliflower, sprouts and Gravy so I will say Bon appetite until tomorrow.