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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