MEDICAL MATTERS

[Stanley]

Thanks for the update Moh. I feel very helpless watching what you and Maz are going through, constant pain is so debilitating. Only good thing is that it makes me realise that my back pain is just a love-tap! (That's what my old primary teacher used to say when she caned my hand.... I was only just over 4 years old...)
I'm glad I can get free medical care and prescriptions China. Must be something to be said for the NHS?

[Moh]

The nurse phoned me later to see how I was and told me I can also take paracetamol which has made a big difference. I hope you don't think I am not bothered about Maz's problems, she and I are email pen pals so do not need to air our problems on here, just have a good moan together.

[Marilyn]

(We don't just moan, Moh... )

Yes, absolutely...Paracetamol and Iboprofen both enhance your stronger pain relief by making it last longer They explained this in hospital. I don't need any in the day, but I take both Paracetamol and Iboprofen with my evening pain relief. Please don't freak out about that people. I was instructed to do it in the hospital. The only change I have made to that is I have switched to regular Iboprofen, because they were giving me double strength Iboprofen ( and you need to take another medication with that to protect your stomach). I was discharged with a supply of the stomach medication, but made my own decision to switch to regular Iboprofen. The less pills the better!
Not everyone can take Iboprofen and I only use it sparingly.
Glad the Paracetamol has made a difference for you Moh.

I had a good night last night. Only got up once.

[Stanley]

I'm glad to say I haven't reached the pill stage yet with my back.....
I would never think anything bad about you Moh...... Good luck to both of you.

[Tizer]

Not everyone can take Iboprofen and I only use it sparingly.

My mother had to avoid ibuprofen, it gave her double vision.

[Marilyn]

I was thrilled to wake up this morning and realise I had slept all night and had not got up once! This hasn't happened for a month!
Then I moved and was in instant agony. It's been giving me curry this morning.
But at least I am well rested and grateful for the sleep.

[Stanley]

That's exactly the symptom I have, it bites me when I move to get out of bed after a good sleep! I still reckon I'm out in sympathy! But I'm glad you had a good sleep Maz, best doctor of the lot!

[Marilyn]

I appreciate you going out in sympathy, Stanley.
This morning was a similar run. Slept all night, then flipped into agony mode as I tried to get out of bed ( and yes...I am keeping my legs together as I do so Cazza. I can't report it is helping though). I can't remember the last time I got out of bed without making noises...

[Cathy]

Maybe doing a good rub of the leg(s) before getting out of bed might help to stop or reduce the cramps and spasms. Wish I could help more.

[Marilyn]

I'm just grateful for the night's sleep.

[Stanley]

Glad you are sleeping..... My back is the same and yes I find that keeping my legs together as I manoeuvre out of bed helps. Once I am up, with care, I can avoid pain and am taking nothing for it. I think it's most likely a side effect from the BCG. I go for my third irrigation today...... Old age isn't for cissies!

[Stanley]

No dramas at Airedale, all is going well and this week I didn't have to wait, we were in and out in half an hour. They trusted me to hold the infusion in for two hours and I was glad when 5PM came round! Feeling very comfortable about the whole thing, I think I have been very lucky.

[Tizer]

I thought my back was normal again but yesterday it returned to a painful state and I'm in sympathy with you both again.

[Stanley]

Backs are always up and down in my experience Tiz and a bad day often presages a better day to come. One step back and two forwards!

[Cathy]

When people ask me about my back problems, I tell them that they are 'ongoing'. It covers the fact that the ache is always there and some days it's much worse.

[Stanley]

That was my experience all my life Cathy. Periods of calm and then savage attacks. I eventually learned most of the defence tactics but it never subsided until I retired and started to get older. I suspect Arthur Morrison was right when he said that God would cure it eventually. Funny thing is that I am brilliant at touching my toes! I can almost put my hands flat on the ground while keeping my legs straight, very handy for tying boot laces and cutting my own toe nails!
Back is still biting me but I am convinced it is a side effect of the immunotherapy, some other little aches and pains surface especially where I once broke bones.... They never quite go away completely!
In the days when the air was cleaner it was common practice in summer to drive with the window open and your right arm resting on the window bottom. I remember an old driver one telling me not to get into the habit as in later life you almost always had trouble with your right elbow. I took notice because I think he was right.

[Marilyn]

Driving with your arm like that for years, results in compression of the Ulnar nerve...

I am still in a holding pattern with my back. Nothing has changed, except I notice slightly more weakness in my legs now and then. The pain is still rotten, but I'm having better nights with fairly decent sleep. I keep a painkiller on my bedside table and if I wake in pain about 5am, I take it. This helps with the much dreaded getting out of bed at about 6.30 am. It's not quite so painful with pain relief in the system.
4 weeks today, I see the Neuro-surgeon.

[Stanley]

Glad you're sleeping and I hope you get a good result from your visit to the surgeon.....

[Big Kev]

My knee 'went' again on Saturday, had a telephone triage this evening with Nuffield Health and have been initially referred to a physiotherapist in Barrowford. Hopefully it'll get sorted now

[Stanley]

Hard luck Kev, mine does that if I don't think about it and walk with care.
Today is the fourth treatment, with luck we'll get it over with quickly like last week. Remind me to stop drinking at 8AM! I have my sample bottle this week so only one catheter thank god..... Helen is very good and gentle but they are interesting!
The surgery agreed entirely about postponing the Diabetes Clinic appointment. I have to call them when I have recovered a bit from the last irrigation on Feb 26th.

[Wendyf]

Poor Col had to self catheter for a few months after his op. The consultant at Airedale told him that there was nothing more that could be done to help him pee normally so he asked for a second opinion and went to Burnley. There the consultant suggested widening the neck of his bladder as in a prostate op. Luckily it worked!

[Big Kev]

Poor Col had to self catheter for a few months after his op. The consultant at Airedale told him that there was nothing more that could be done to help him pee normally so he asked for a second opinion and went to Burnley. There the consultant suggested widening the neck of his bladder as in a prostate op. Luckily it worked!

Ouch and ouch...

[Stanley]

I must have crossed you Kev, lost a post for the second day on the trot!
Thankfully I have never had that problem, the more I hear, the more I am certain that I am being very lucky!

[Big Kev]

My knee 'went' again on Saturday, had a telephone triage this evening with Nuffield Health and have been initially referred to a physiotherapist in Barrowford. Hopefully it'll get sorted now

It took the physio 10 minutes to diagnose a medial cruciate ligament sprain, treatment starts tomorrow

[PanBiker]

Complicated joints are knees and the muscles and ligaments around them. Good luck with your treatment Kev.