Health scares, getting older

oh crikey, just had a bit of a shock. I'm reeling from a trip to the doctor, so please be kind, but I need to get this off my chest and no-one I can talk to atm.

I've had some random and seemingly unrelated health issues that in retrospect have gone on for about 10 years. None of it on its own seemed important enough to go to the doctor about and I never connected it all, plus the lock downs made it difficult to see anyone for such a long time. In any case, I had put all the randomness down to part and parcel of getting older and overall I seemed in pretty good health compared to a lot of people of the same age, just symptoms that impact on quality of life now and again.

Wednesday, I went to the nurse for my annual asthma check and she picked up that my mood was low and when I agreed, she started quizzing me. Then the whole tangled tale came out. I bet she wished she hadn't asked. :) The outcome was that she said that she would speak to my doctor and ask him to call me. He called me yesterday afternoon and considered all together, the symptoms are indicative of an autoimmune disease; the urgency being that a complication is that I could potentially lose my eye sight without treatment. So he fitted me into his surgery this morning for an examination. Now I have to have more tests and I have an appointment at the hospital this afternoon.

Bloomin eck, I feel a bit sick. I really don't want to go into details, but if diagnosed, treatment means that I will be immuno compromised for the next 2 years. Not the highest priority, but I've just put a deposit on some travel, so that will knock that on the head. At the moment, all I can think is that I hope he is wrong and that he is just being thorough and ruling out the possibility.

A lot of people complain about the NHS, but it seems that they can act quickly if they need to. No way could I afford this myself and friends in the US tell me that health insurances usually go for the cheapest options not necessarily the best treatments or the least side effects. Whatever the outcome, I am so thankful to a vigilant nurse and my lovely doctor. He's one of the nicest doctors that I have ever been to and does such a great job.

Wow thats a lot to take in, in one go, I hope everything works out OK for you, its good to hear of the NHS working well.

I'm having a kidney scan on sunday, to see if I have kidney stones.

What time is the hospital appointment ?  Stay away from Google ! although your brain is more intelligent than some of us on here and you most likely don't need Google with your scientific background.   Plan your route for the appointment allowing time for traffic and parking, make sure you have money for parking - even if the machines take a card. Take a drink with you and a snack of some sort even a piece of fruit, take a book/magazine/newspaper.  Try and not over think this, you can do that after the appointment. But you could take a notepad and pen with you ? and remember you can ask for something to be repeated or explained again or differently. Can you manage to go for a walk in a park or somewhere before, and after, just to get some fresh air blowing in your face and listen to the birds - yes I know it's November but a walk in a park is really good for you - even if it's just 20 mins looking at the children in the playground, smiling at babies in prams, speaking to the dogs  and there is birdsong ! I know I am in Devon so it's much more peaceful  but I am sure you will have a park somewhere. 

Get well soon.

A shock for you, , hope all is not as bad as it sounds  it could be Indeed the joys of us getting older 

Sorry to hear about your problems. Indeed, the NHS is a superb organisation in times of an urgent crisis of one’s health. I can attest to that. It is, therefore, even more despicable, that there are people wanting to destroy the organisation from within. The Tories have always been inclined to demolish it, or at least split it into a dual system.

Hardly the appropriate thread for one of your political rants Samx.

I wish you well Minnie-the-Minx and I do seriously believe you are in the best hands with the NHS.

So sorry to hear about your health problems Minnie .     Don`t know what to say , apart that you are very lucky to live in a place where you are well known at the doctor`s  surgery .   that is a great help in the healing process,

Follow up doctor`s  instructions and you will soon be in a better  condition. sending you healing vibes. {{{HUGS}}} 

leogirl.

 

So sorry to hear about your health problems Minnie .     Don`t know what to say , apart that you are very lucky to live in a place where you are well known at the doctor`s  surgery .   that is a great help in the healing process,

Follow up doctor`s  instructions and you will soon be in a better  condition. sending you healing vibes. {{{HUGS}}} 

leogirl.

 

So sorry to hear about your health problems Minnie .     Don`t know what to say , apart that you are very lucky to live in a place where you are well known at the doctor`s  surgery .   that is a great help in the healing process,

Follow up doctor`s  instructions and you will soon be in a better  condition. sending you healing vibes. {{{HUGS}}} 

leogirl.

 

You are in the best of hands atm. Never mind about the travel - take care of you. Love and hugsxx

I sympathise with you Minnie but once they sort you out you’ll be able to manage it with your intelligent brain.
One thing you have to remember is our health service is second to none even if it is a bit pushed at the moment, they will sort you!
All the best!





Andy Mac

Thank you for kind comments.  I was a bit shocked yesterday and my friend was on holiday, so I couldn't talk to her to get some perspective on it.  She's back today, so maybe we can have a good natter later.   I'm trying to find out as much information as possible atm and also trying not to worry until I get the results, as I don't have a firm diagnosis.  Nonetheless, the not knowing is a bit nerve wracking.  Although I feel a bit more calm now that I have started to find out more about it and how it can be managed if the worse happens.  Part of me thinks it might be a relief if there turns out to be an explanation for why I have felt so crappy on and off for such a long time.

I'm sure a good batter will help. It's time like these when we need a good friend to confide in. Best wishes Minnie.

Sorry to read this Minnie, I hope you have been given the worst scenario and all will be less to cope with when you have some results, giving you some relief from your worries.Your health comes first, then you will be able to go ahead and enjoy your travelling  

I'm sure a good batter will help. It's time like these when we need a good friend to confide in. Best wishes Minnie.

A good batter might take her mind off any other problems but it will be frowned upon.

I noticed that too, Zack, and it made me laugh.  The update is that my blood tests didn't show anything untoward, or confirm a diagnosis, but my doctor is adamant and has referred me to a rheumatologist.  Goodness knows when that will happen.  Oddly enough, I have been feeling quite a bit better for the last few days than I have done for ages, perhaps because I am being taken seriously about how I have been feeling, at last.  I did have some other good news today,  I was told that I was pre-diabetic in March.  I lost 2 stone and now my bloods are back in the normal range and I am no longer pre-diabetic and at much lower risk of getting diabetes in the long term.  That's a big relief anyway.  I just need to keep plodding along for now.

Best wishes yo you Minnie. Growing older certainly brings more to worry about. I did write "older" as we are not old yet :)

Hope you continue to improve , any more news on an appointment ?

Still waiting to see a specialist, Mumsie.  I've been told what to look for if my eye sight is affected and I will be seen directly.  It's a less common complication.  It's the pain and stiffness that I get that is most troublesome and it is so random, but at least I know what causes it now.  I made a decision that I wouldn't go onto the steroids unless I get the eye sight thing.

Sometimes the time it takes to get answers can add to our worries...hope the few answers you've had are helping in some way. Was it the aches and pains kept you awake, looking at the time of your post.

Hi Minnie. I have only just seen this post. I wish you well and hope all goes well for you. The NHS does a wonderful job, I was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 and had a mole which turned out to be Melanoma but thanks to the doctor and the local hospital it was removed. I can't thank the NHS enough.

Terry, I've done a lot of reading since that initial appointment with the doctor and I have got a lot better understanding of what is going on and what to expect, so I feel a bit better about it all, even if the symptoms didn't go away. I think I zoned out a bit when I was with the doctor and got a bit confused with what he was telling me. I was told that a high dose of steroids was the only solution but I have since found that it doesn't give a cure and that there are alternative ways to manage it. Now that I know that there really is something not right and that I was believed at last has made a lot of difference to how I feel about it.
It does affect my sleep when it flares up, but last few days haven't been bad. I was up last night because I fell asleep at 7.00 and then woke up at silly o'clock. I still got 12 lovely hours of sleep in total though and felt a lot better for it today. The best night's sleep I have for months.

Hope these days later you are managing all this that is happening to you , sounds like you have a decent GP, who was explaining all to you on health and possible steroid treatment .If you can manage to get some good stretches of sleep , that will help you cope better in the days Messes your life up when ill health interferes .

Sending kind thoughts and wishes to you