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Tinman Walt

You could kill two birds with one stone.

Guinness19.jpg
Was going to mention that. I was a Guinness drinker but haven't tried it since the ostomies. Oddly, I had a shitload of it the day/night before I was rushed to A&E.

Might be a plan.
 
Update - stardate . . . er, I don't know how to finish that comedy opening.

Anyway, 3 monthly appointment today and no trace of paraprotein - I'm still in remission, so today is the 1 year mark. Significant because prognosis wise, not relapsing in the first year is an indicator for longer overall survival. On average, of course. This cancer is very individual. The average relapse time is about 2 years.

Slept nearly all day yesterday, as well as virtually all night. Only up for a piss twice, which means I hadn't drunk enough.

Bloods also show kidneys in good fettle. This is good as they're particularly affected in myeloma. Had kidney damage in the beginning but luckily it was reversed with fluid intake. Drinking water is one of the things I find hard, never having been a water drinker. Never was a juice or soft drink drinker either, just coffee.

Nought to report claim-wise and won't be saying anything more on that front for the foreseeable. Advice taken.

Generally feeling on the shit side of neutral, probably the anaemia, which is going to be looked into. I think it's my diet. Got to eat more stuff with iron in it.

Think that's about it on the update express.

Ent ded yet.
Goid to see you are still Ent Ded yet how are you finding Slater Gordon’s???? They are persuing my RTA claim and almost 2 years down the line Iv still not reached the inform 3rd party insurers yet???
 
Goid to see you are still Ent Ded yet how are you finding Slater Gordon’s???? They are persuing my RTA claim and almost 2 years down the line Iv still not reached the inform 3rd party insurers yet???
Only had a phone convo as yet, so hard to say.
 
Update to diarise, just 'cos I'm awake and have posted this on a depression thread elsewhere in the ether.

Hi All,

A bit about the sort of depression I'm subject to, or the closest I come to it. I've just woken up and am about to start my third cup of coffee before I go to bed. First some background, I think.

I've been hovering on the verge of anaemia off and on for many years and as anaemia is a feature of multiple myeloma, an Hgb level of 7.5 triggered a blood transfusion and the diagnosis of the cancer in 2016.

In 2017 I had a period of a few months where it was around 12.5 but in the last 6 months has been in the mid 9s and for the last 3 months, it's gone down again to 8.5 ish.

This has triggered an investigation and the main route is a gastro one - cameras up and down. I've had them before and while doable, they're not pleasant and I usually ask for sedation. The most unpleasant bit is the bowel prep before hand.

Monday then, all I had to eat was mac cheese, eight Tuc biscuits and more mac cheese. As well as a litre of Moviprep. Vile stuff.

Previous use has not been too bad as I had a blockage and thus, two toilet visits was all that was needed. Not so when you've got a bag. Stoma bags are only so big and there's no control over output It can happen any time or all the time, so first thing, don't move far from the toilet. And be prepared for a blow out. Aptly named as they're explosive in nature. They cannot be predicted. One has to accept that sometimes, -hit happens. Luckily, all well on that score.

And so to my point - Monday and today, Tuesday, not having eaten, dehydrated, and feeling generally unwell, I felt like I wanted to curl up and be warm, and be snuggled and as time went on, considered cancelling the procedure.

So while not depressed as such and not pondering on the procedure at all, I've had low mood for the best part of 2 days.

The procedure - First an attempt to look at the large colon via my stoma. I'd had the sedation, after 3 attempts at canulisation, and was also on oxygen. In he went. Or tried to. Couldn't get further than a couple of cms due to stricture. Good thing I've kept my output on the liquid side. There was some inflammation, that I could also see on the little telly and I watched as several biopsies were taken.

And so that was it for the colonoscopy. No discomfort at all. So on to the gastroscopy, a camera via the mouth to the duodenum. First an anaelgesic spray to the throat which numbs it and some of the mouth, just like at the dentist.

This procedure was singularly unpleasant, with me trying to vomit for most of it and the nurse holding my head while applying suction to my mouth. Luckily this only lasted for a couple of minutes, biopsies were taken and immediately they withdrew the camera, I felt ok. No physical after effects apart from some minor bleeding and mentally, feeling fine due to the sedation. Not immediately sleepy.

Daughter brought me home almost as soon as I was dressed, where I immediately had a coffee and mac cheese. You're probably rightly thinking that mac cheese makes up a disproportionate part of my diet. But it's got to be Heinz. On white, Warburton toast.

Immediately afterwards, my daughter started explaing something really, really important and I fell asleep as she spoke. No idea what it was about.

Woke up after midnight with a mouth like an Arab's dap and started on the coffee. I think I'll have a fourth.

And I'm back, Nescafe's finest at my side. Mood is obviously still good, it must be true what they say; happiness is opiate flavoured. On them for life? That'll do me. And as I 'ent ded yet', life goes on.

Back at the hozzy tomorrow for a biphosphonate infusion - if they can find a vein.



'Night All

Taff
 
I've just remembered, which is odd - just as the nurse removed by bag, my stoma released an explosive fart, spattering her with the last remnants of my bowel.

Very stoic, these nurses.
 
I've just remembered, which is odd - just as the nurse removed by bag, my stoma released an explosive fart, spattering her with the last remnants of my bowel.

Very stoic, these nurses.
As our most of our patients.
We are in it together (the poo, that is..., obviously...)
Good to hear that you still ent dead, lovely.
Keep plodding (and pooping)
 
Just realised I must be away with the fairies.

It's only just occurred to me that the stricture recently found near my stoma will not only require further surgery but could also have severe consequences.

Until such time as I'm called in, after the endoscope's results have been seen by my team, I'm going to have to be careful about what I eat and make sure I get plenty of fluids, sufficient to keep my output on the liquid side.

The viscosity of my output has practical ( can't think of the word), as it affects how often and when I eat and empty/change bags, how many I need to have ready in reserve.

The effects of overly firm stool could have catastrophic results and I need to be aware and seek medical help at the earliest opportunity should there be any suspicion of a blockage.

Had a momentary feeling there of, 'Ooh, isn't this exciting?' I've certainly got a bit of strangely brain going on today.

Ent ded though, which is nice.
 
Just realised I must be away with the fairies.

It's only just occurred to me that the stricture recently found near my stoma will not only require further surgery but could also have severe consequences.

Until such time as I'm called in, after the endoscope's results have been seen by my team, I'm going to have to be careful about what I eat and make sure I get plenty of fluids, sufficient to keep my output on the liquid side.

The viscosity of my output has practical ( can't think of the word), as it affects how often and when I eat and empty/change bags, how many I need to have ready in reserve.

The effects of overly firm stool could have catastrophic results and I need to be aware and seek medical help at the earliest opportunity should there be any suspicion of a blockage.

Had a momentary feeling there of, 'Ooh, isn't this exciting?' I've certainly got a bit of strangely brain going on today.

Ent ded though, which is nice.
Implications
Might be the word?:)
 
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