Tuesday 4 November 2014

Day 5 - Whoooaaahhhh Hold on there....!!!

Do you ever get those light bulb moments?  I do, had one this morning, making me almost sit bolt upright.  Well I would have done but can never sit when I first wake up.

Anyway my light bulb moment was this - In November last year I visited the GP with the problem of something causing me problems when I eat/swallow.  They did blood tests, and also referred me to the Leicester Royal Infirmary to a Mr Udin.  I won't say it was an enjoyable appointment, not unless you enjoy having a camera shoved up your nose and down your throat, wiggled about and then whipped out again.  If you do have to have this, don't eat before hand unless you have a very strong stomach, or your Consultant might need a change of clothing!  Mine couldn't see anything, but he decided to get an X-Ray done with a Barium contrast swallow.  This one is not nice - the Barium stuff is disgusting!  The X-Ray is then done taken from the mouth, then down the body to the stomach and then into the bowel.  It's a bit like being on a Roller Coaster at Disneyland or Alton Towers, some are taken with you standing up, some your laying down, sometimes it feels like upside down.  Perhaps not eating before this is also a good idea for those with a weak stomach.

I didn't get the results of this test until March 2014, the test had taken place in December.  I saw another Dr who gave me the result of this test.  He said that it had shown up a bone growth, called an Osteophyte caused by my Osteoarthritis.  When I asked if anything could be done about it, I was told not normally.  Basically I had to live with it!  I did mention this problem to my GP again and she wrote to the Consultant, as Chris had found a report about a man in USA, that had the same thing, and it had been removed, he was an elderly gentleman, and I believe he still is alive.  We waited what seemed like ages for a reply and when it came back, the Consultant had told the GP to prescribe Gaviscon.  I laughed when she told me this, I couldn't help, it just popped out.  Gaviscon was/is the last thing I needed, my stomach valve problem is already controlled by 2 different medications, and adding another won't help with my problem eating/swallowing.  

My consumption of any food has seriously reduced with the onset of this problem, not that I ate a great deal before anyway.  My GP's have been on at me for years to eat more, but I find it physically impossible to consume large or even moderate amounts of food, there is always food left on my plate.  I just ignore people who tell me I'm fat, they have no idea of my medical conditions, and probably are looking at photo's of me that are at least a year out of date.  I know this as I received some nasty such abuse via the Sainsbury's page on Facebook.  Honest some people really need to get a life, for the life of me I can't understand why they do it, it's worse than kids in playgrounds.  Anyway, I get the idea, that this disease is gonna need the extra weight, or I could disappear down the bath plug.

Well I didn't get any calls, I bet if I was paying or a Politician they would have seen me by now.  Oh well this is what life is like when you have to rely on a Service over burdened by Health Tourists - that I can't see changing soon.

Very tired again today, so I'm off to bed once I have posted this.

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