May 19, 2009 at 5:20 pm (conversation, hospital, rant)
Tags: acne depression, acne medication, cne, glamorgan house, gp, heath hospital, isotretinoin, medication, ty morgannwg, uhw
It’s never a good thing when your hospital appointment confirmation letter comes with a map attached <– something I learned yesterday evening. After getting off the bus at the main entrance of the hospital, I was surprised to learn quite how much of a trek it is from there to Glamorgan House – the land of dermatology. I arrived at 17:00, for a 17:20 appointment, and was thrilled to be out by 17:45.
The consultant I saw seemed pretty good (though, I’ll tell you now, it’s never nice to hear a specialist to exclaim at how bad yout skin is), he prescribed isotretinoin, which is apparently the same thing my referring GP mentioned to him in her letter.
“You may have heard shocking headlines: Teen Acne Drug Suicide! Yes, this is the medication they were on, but only once in my 15 years of prescribing this have I had a patient develop severe depression… and that cleared right up as soon as they came off the medication. Nothing to worry about, I’d give this to my children if they ever need it.” says the consultant, knowledgeably.
“Oh.” I said.
“It’s really a very effective treatment.”
Well, yes, I probably wouldn’t mind my scarred face so much if I was a corpse…
I’m sure it will be fine. I’m fine most of the time. I’ve got to have blood tests before I get the prescription, which means another mission up to the hospital, so possibly I’ll go to see my GP beforehand for a chat about how much of a good idea taking this would be for me. I’d have to start on a low dose in any case, as it might affect the swelling of my wrist. Joyous.
In other news, Henry can say “love you” … but only in a really scary, zombie-esque voice. His daddy taught him.
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April 15, 2009 at 4:54 pm (Uncategorized)
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April 13, 2009 at 8:08 pm (PGP, SPD, hospital, rant)
Tags: analgesics, chronic pain, consultant, disability living allowance, dla, dsp, DSP treatment, hospital, hronic pain, meds, national health service, nhs, painkillers, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic pain relief, pelvic surgery, PGP, PGP injection, PGP treatment, rant, referal, SPD, SPD injection, SPD treatment, symphysis pubis dysfunction
The operation itself went well! I managed to get through my hospital stay without an allergic reaction (quite an achievement for me, I will admit here and now) and went home within the week. Largely this was due to my stubborn streak and hating to be apart from my family. Unfortunately I got a particularly nasty viral infection at home that made me quite ill – add this to the 12 hour release morphine tablets I was on for some time and my oh my, I don’t envy those lovely folk who were good enough to sit and commiserate with me when I couldn’t sit up for more than 15 minutes (an achievement and some force of will!) at a time.
The scar was healing nicely until approximately a fortnight ago when it went from a perfectly harmless looking reddish-pink smile to an angry red and slightly scabbed grin of terror! Upon heading to my GP I was informed that it was likely that 1 or 2 of my internal stitches had become infected. Antibiotics (terror of terrors! Happily I just felt incredibly ill and did not suffer anaphalactic shock) were prescribed and, as I have just run out and things look no better, I will be returning to the GP this week. Oh joy.
The crutches are gone now. My wrist/hand swelling and pain made it impossible to continue with their use. I cannot run. Walking is easier, but with the recent stitch infection it has been quite painful. Sitting cross-legged is still not recommended.
The wrist pain has kept me from updating. I now have a particularly terrifying wrist-splint in “subtle” beige (complete with metal bar to hold my wrist in place) which allows me to type if I am careful and fast. How romantic (!). I have had 2 steroid injections into my left (worse) wrist and 1 into my right wrist to date. Another into the left is scheduled for May. If it shows improvement I may have to subject myself to the considerable pain of this every month. I still have no movement in my left wrist, but at least the injection has taken the swelling down so I no longer look as if I have a strange hobby involving inserting golf-balls under my skin (my secret is safe, hurrah!).
The family are well and wonderful. Henry is teething (how?! he looks like he has a full set whenever he yawns!) and not impressed. He is such a little boy now, as opposed to our baby. He loves nothing better than leaving the confines of his buggy and running “free” with Michael clinging onto his reins.
The big news is our upcoming wedding! Roll on 2nd May!
I think my left hand may go on strike if I continue tonight!
Watch this space for regular updates/rants.
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November 16, 2008 at 11:23 am (PGP, SPD, birth, hospital, rant)
Tags: archaeology, arthritis, benefits, birth, bus pass, caerdydd, cardiff, cardiff university, chronic pain, depression, diastasis symphysis pubis, disability living allowance, dla, dsp, DSP injection, DSP treatment, free bus pass, hospital, hospital tagged analgesics, joint evil, joint pain, learning, medieval, medieval essay, medieval europe, meds, midwives, national health service, new medication, nhs, night class, orthopaedic, orthopaedic surgeon, painkillers, part-time, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic pain relief, pelvic surgery, PGP, PGP injection, PGP treatment, physio, physiotherapy, pnd, post natal depression, post traumatic stress disorder, postnatal depression, pregnancy, ptsd, rant, referal, sacroiliac pain, SPD, SPD injection, SPD treatment, symphysis pubis dysfunction, university, women's health
I write to you now from the stolen glories of my lovely manbeast’s computer. Shh, he is out buying me about 3 buckets of various fruits, so I am repaying him by updating my online world. It has come to this as my trusty laptop is suffering from a virus at the moment and Michael hasn’t successfully cured it yet.
MEDICAL NEWS
I am going to have the plating and pinning operation on November 28th, providing that when I telephone the hospital at 6am *gasp* there is a bed available for me (which there will be, unless a hell of a lot of emergencies happen the night before that somehow involve crushed pelvises). I shall be there for a couple of weeks, as I am a slow healer this could grow, but I really do hope that it doesn’t as it would mean the world to me to be out before Christmas so I can play a part in decorations. It may be that the part I play is largely a pointing and heckling part, but it’s a part all the same.
I am awaiting a Rheumatology consultant appointment for my randomly swelling and incredibly painful wrist and finger joints.
It’s not often that I’m thrilled to live in the day and age that I do, but it does strike me as quite lucky when I think about my medical history. Consider my chances of survival, if you will:
- My mum haemorrhaged after giving birth to my older brother, and then did so again with me
- I had a bilateral squint and had an operation to correct it when I was 4 years old
- I had my sinuses drained and quarterised at age 12
- I had viral meningitis following repeated attacks of tonsillitis and glandular fever when I was about 14
- I had my tonsils out at age 15
- My pregnancy and its health news are well documented here
- The birth of my wonderful Henry nearly killed us both. And no, that’s not me being dramatic, that’s a room of 20 odd specialists all with increasingly white faces in a room full of blood as my fully-dilated contractions went into their 14th hour and Henry’s heartbeat disappeared.
- I am allergic to: penicillin, augmentin, cephalasporins, septrin, trimethoprin, (and possibly another antibiotic that I cannot recall right now!) and COCONUT!!!
- To date I’ve had about 10 allergic reactions of varying strength (anaphalactic shock being the worst “side effect” I have experienced!)
Hurray for the National Health Service! I would be dead without you and so you have my unerring thanks and applause.
OTHER NEWS
I am taking the following classes, each of which lasts 10 weeks, at Cardiff University: Roman and Later Pottery from Cardiff and An Introduction to Medieval Europe: History at the moment; An Introduction to Medieval Europe: Archaeology from February next year and then Anglo-Saxon Poetry: An Historical Perspective from next April.
I think they are going well, and am quite sad that I shall have to miss a couple of lectures due to my operation – but I have almost finished planning out my essay for Medieval History and only need to look through my sources again to pin-point a couple more quotes before I start to tackle the actual writing of the thing! Oddly, I am quite excited by this. Hopefully the mere fact that I will have so long to devote my entire attention to the assignment while I convalesce will allow me to somehow turn out something wonderful!
Wish me luck for the operation, the healing process, and the essay writing equally as I’m not quite sure at this point which I am more daunted by!
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September 22, 2008 at 8:27 pm (PGP, SPD, hospital, rant)
Tags: benefits, bus pass, depression, disability living allowance, dla, dsp, DSP injection, DSP treatment, free bus pass, hospital, hospital tagged analgesics, hronic pain, meds, midwives, national health service, new medication, nhs, orthopaedic, orthopaedic surgeon, painkillers, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic pain relief, pelvic surgery, PGP, PGP injection, PGP treatment, physio, physiotherapy, pnd, post natal depression, post traumatic stress disorder, postnatal depression, ptsd, rant, referal, sacroiliac pain, SPD, SPD injection, SPD treatment, symphysis pubis dysfunction
Well, the appointment with Mr. Mohanty last Thursday went well, I think.
I am now on Mr. M’s waiting list to have the pelvic surgery as he thinks that with my level of instability it would be best if I get the area as stable as possible as soon as possible so that no further damage is done. The fact that I have this wrist problem and rheumatoid arthritis in my family (my mum suffers badly with it and I have inherited most of her medical history – apart from high blood pressure, hurrah!) he doesn’t think it would be good to wait and let me deteriorate further.
So now I wait for the pre-op letter where I get to go over my allergies with someone and give them time to test worst-case scenario antibiotics on me if needs be! Then it’s 3 days minimum in hospital, and 6-8 weeks of resting at home. I’m erring on the side of caution wit those figures, though, as I am pretty reliable in the fact that I am not quick to heal. If I am not well enough to leave hospital after 3 days, I won’t. If I need my mum to come and help out with things when I do get home then I am lucky enough that she will do that.
Oh, I had 2 apologetic looking girl medical students in as well, as I was (say it with me now) “an interesting case” for them to look at. I don’t mind that, but I did kind of mind how I was described as “having made the odd decision to have a child younger than most women” to the medical students. Gee, thanks, Mr. Mohanty!!
In other medical news I have received a Rheumatology letter telling me that I am on the waiting list at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital (not Llandough or the Heath where I normally find myself, as their waiting lists for rheumatology are so long that I would probably have evolved into a being that doesn’t need joints anymore when I finally got an appointment).
Thursday brings me and Occupational Therapy assessment from a lady called Liz who sounded very confused by my condition on the phone, but hoped that there would be some kind of home improvement that she could find to help me in daily life. Oh joy of joys, daily life is, after all, one of my favourite kinds of life.
My symptoms enjoy keeping my guessing as much as ever. My scalp is currently, and rather randomly I might add, covered in scabs. I am lucky (though it doesn’t feel so lucky in summer) enough to have very thick hair so to the casual observer I don’t appear to be suffering from bubonic plague or anything as socially offensive as that. My elbows, knees, finger joints (all) and wrists keep turning hot, red, itchy and occasionally have raised, rash-like lumps. I know, I know, I am so sexy. Rawr.
With that, I bid you adieu for now.
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September 14, 2008 at 3:28 pm (PGP, SPD, rant)
Tags: benefits, bus pass, depression, disability living allowance, dla, dsp, DSP injection, DSP treatment, free bus pass, hospital, hospital tagged analgesics, hronic pain, meds, midwives, national health service, new medication, nhs, orthopaedic, orthopaedic surgeon, painkillers, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic pain relief, pelvic surgery, PGP, PGP injection, PGP treatment, physio, physiotherapy, pnd, post natal depression, post traumatic stress disorder, postnatal depression, ptsd, rant, referal, sacroiliac pain, SPD, SPD injection, SPD treatment, symphysis pubis dysfunction
Unfortunately, I haven’t been away relishing in the majesty of a miracle cure to all my pains. Alas, I am still technically a disabled person and every day it seems a little more real, what with the sleepless nights and days of excruciating pain. Yeah, they’ll remind you of your disabled status like little else will.
Anyway…
I had steroid injections in my pelvis a few months back and they did absolutely nothing for me. No pain relief, no joyful celebrating, no magical answers… nothing. Sad news, eh? This means that I’m off to see my consultant on the 18th to discuss my options and whether he thinks I’d be a good candidate for the plating surgery or somesuch. I saw my consultant’s underling minion second-in-command about 5 weeks ago and he said that he thinks surgery is the next option for me as I am so unstable at the front – the 5 weeks has been my thinking/discussing/making long lists time!
We have a lot of questions that we hope Mr. M (consultant) will be able to answer… we also are kind of relying on these answers not being so terrifying that I have to tear out my own eyelashes to give my shell-shocked mind another topic for thought.
I have not heard any more from Occupational Therapy about when my assessment will be, so I assume that I am still on their waiting list. Next time I hobble in to see a GP I will bring this up and make sure that the letter didn’t wing its way to my old hellhole address.
Remember my complete and brain-numbing muscle ache that happened back in June? It seems to have settled in my wrists. Yes, that’s right, I now have it in my power to add to my list of random symptoms unexplainable wrist ache, redness and swelling. Two separate sets of blood tests have ruled that I do not have the rheumatoid factor that would jump up and shout “This woman has rheumatoid arthritis!” but my results have shown such a high inflammation count that tongues are wagging. As the rheumatologist waiting lists are apparently very long at the hospital I normally attend, there’s talk of a specialist from a slightly further away hospital wanting to have a look at me as I am an “interesting case”. Oh the joy?
So now I find myself playing the waiting game and hoping that next week will bring that miracle cure I would love… or at least some hopeful answers to my many questions. It might, eh?
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September 10, 2008 at 1:06 pm (conversation, rant)
Tags: back, doctor, internet, return
I feel like I should spend some time dusting away the cobwebs hanging around here as fully as I am able!
Grr. Such a lot has happened in my life during the time I have not been able to get online. The main change being that we have finally been able to change our living situation so that we live in a ground floor flat now as opposed to a third floor one!
Hurrah, I may well hear you cheer, and I do truly thank you for the sentiment, but it has not been an easy ride. We officially moved into this place on the 18th of August, had to have a phoneline reconnected on September 2nd and FINALLY today the internet is magically back for us! Before we moved, we had such trouble with our internet company by letting them know of our intended move that they took our internet connection away the day we phoned, and didn’t give it back until now! Withdrawal symptoms may have become a larger problem had we been bereft for much longer.
Henry is an entire year old now – photos to follow when I hook my phone up to the laptop.
I have many, many fascinating health nuggets of information to impart also. I will do so later on today; not now, as I have an appointment with the doctor at 14:30 and I don’t want to be late.
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June 30, 2008 at 4:09 pm (PGP, SPD, rant)
Tags: benefits, bus pass, depression, disability living allowance, dla, dsp, DSP injection, DSP treatment, free bus pass, hospital, hospital tagged analgesics, hronic pain, meds, midwives, national health service, new medication, nhs, orthopaedic, orthopaedic surgeon, painkillers, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic pain relief, pelvic surgery, PGP, PGP injection, PGP treatment, physio, physiotherapy, pnd, post natal depression, post traumatic stress disorder, postnatal depression, ptsd, rant, referal, sacroiliac pain, SPD, SPD injection, SPD treatment, symphysis pubis dysfunction
Finally, some good news! Actually, not just good, but live-alteringly wonderful! I have fulfilled the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) criteria and will be awarded higher care and higher mobility awards! It’ll be paid every 4 weeks and will be backdated to the 8th May! This means a big lump sum at the beginning! It also means I’m eligible for a free bus travel pass from the lovely Welsh Assembley Government and I have telephoned asking for a form to that end.
I’m just blown away. I didn’t know I’d qualify for higher rates of both care and mobility, but I really feel that my condition has been validated by the fact that I’ll be receiving those. Does that sound stupid? I really expected to have to fight more as most people have no idea about the traumas of having a painful Symphysis Pubis and the strain that it brings to your daily life and relationships. Now, when old people verbally abuse me on buses for sitting on the “save for disabled people and those with children” seats (yes, even though I have Michael, Henry and the pushchair with me) I will be able to whip out my bus pass and explain that I am disabled! Instead of having to weakly explain about my pains and subsequent painkillers.
In other news, new painkillers are making me sleep more hours of the day than I am awake – it might sound like a life to be in awe of but believe me when I tell you that simply is not the case. I hate every moment of Henry’s life that I miss, I hate my time without Michael and I HATE that Michael has to do EVERYTHING. I’m surprised he hasn’t collapsed into a heap and refused to move ever again.
Or worse, walked away.
In fact, he’s finally managing to get some sleep as the good news has buoyed my excitement levels to a level above “blah” and I don’t think I’ll accidentally fall asleep and wake up in agony to find Henry jumping on my pelvis. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely ruling it out as an option of things to come, I’m merely hoping that it won’t happen today. Or in the next hour, at least!
Off to the GP I go when I get my bus form, and also then I will ask for a letter to be sent to my consultant as I’ve still not had an appointment letter through since my MRI scan and injections nearly 6 weeks ago in May!
I’m on the Occupational Therapy waiting list, awaiting a letter to see how many months wait I am likely to have; the lovely woman I spoke to said the current list is 5 months, but it’s based on how much you need the help to a certain extent so she might be able to slot me in sooner as I’m struggling so much.
Henry is a menace to sofas from here to Babylon as he can now climb up them. There truly is no stopping our little intrepid explorer; I think I must have been much like him at the same age. In most ways, it’s wonderful to see him so full of life and movement, but in others I just want to cry for all that he reminds me of myself and how I wish I still was. Only with ever so slightly less drool. And more hair. And less of a delight with plugs and sockets….
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