h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

mari - you don't do things by halves - no wonder you are in such excruciating pain - they'll probably use your x-rays at med school for surgeons

It is good that you have met with the surgeon & that you now feel you can trust him - that is a little of the worry taken away.

It always amazes me about how they measure BP - I remember when my daughter had been born - I was sent an enormous bunch of flowers (father-in-law) - just when I received them my BP was taken &, of course, it was sky high!! What did they expect - I then had to go back to bed

Which hospital are you going into? Let us know what date you go in & we will all mind-link to send you best wishes

Do not be nervous, it is a waste of mental energy - hmm!


PS: Sounds like mum is doing better - hope to see her tomorrow - they are "mobilising" her (?) - heavy week ahead methinks

Mari, oh I agree with Shirps! Your hip problems sound incredibly painful! I'm so glad that your surgery will be happening soon!

I am supposed to start the Syn-Visc shots on April 5, so long as my insurance company gets their rear in gear! I have to call them today, as I still haven't heard anything from them.

Shirps, glad to hear that your mum is doing better. Yes, it is always one thing after another, but sometimes they come all at once!

s to both of you!

Great Western in Swindon.

back!

Okay, I've seriously had it with that (expletive expletive) insurance company!

I had to call them once again, and was told that my Syn-Visc procedure was being denied - because I wasn't getting cortisone steroid shots first! Seems that my doctor didn't even make a notation on my chart that he'd recommended the shots.

Maybe I'd just better accept the fact that I'm going to be a cripple.

Here's the topper: my crown is loose (in my mouth, not the imaginary one on top of my head!) And the dentist won't even look at it until Tuesday! Meanwhile, I'm on this stupid soft diet and am starving!

Of course, both bad things happened after I got called for a job interview. (Bank, not teaching.) Every time one good thing happens, 2 or 3 bad things follow.

I give up!

Ah - some of it explained! So, you get right down to the docs - demand the cortisone shots, then you are one step (excuse the pun) closer.

I suspect that the insurance co. is thinking that you should try the cortizone first as it works for some people (it has for me in the past) - before trying some 'more expensive' treatment.

Do not think the worst - keeping up the pressure with the meds & see what happens first.

That's happened to me quite alot - I had 6 crowns - a mix of gold & porcelain when I was 26, so some 24 years on you can see that most of them have detached themselves at one time or another Just eat on the opposite side of the mouth. Hint: I never eat meusli

Could you manage to give up looking for work just now until your knee is sorted? Or would that be impossible?

Keep your chin up

Sounds like you'll be on the phone a lot trying to get that mess all sorted out Madmum.

with the job.

My teeth have begun to misbehave too - just had a couple fillings and a root canal followed with a crown. I have a cracked tooth, but the dentist said to leave it for now.

mari & mm

I've had 2 root canals done - the very loose tooth at the back that will have to be extracted is one that had the RC only a few years back - hmmph - what a waste of money having that done, might as well have had it pulled in the first place

Well, I could appeal the insurance company's decision, but I think I'd better complain to my doctor first, as he's the one who didn't write the recommendation about the Syn-Visc shots in my chart.

I told Hubby that I'd try one cortisone shot, and if it didn't work, then maybe the insurance co. would okay the other shots.

I would've thought that the doc would recommended the cortisone first, if he thought it would do me any good.

The problem with the tooth is that the dentist can't even look at it until Tuesday; then I'll probably have to return for the fixing. That's cutting it awfully close to my trip to PA, and I'd like to be able to eat while I'm down there. Can't chew on the other side, as I had 2 teeth pulled over there last year.

I'm getting mighty sick of yogurt, pudding, soup, and Spaghetti-O's!

BTW, the interview went okay. Of course, now I'll have to play the waiting game in hopes of a 2nd interview. I hate that!

I finally have my date for my hip replacement. However, I lost my place and now have to wait another 6 weeks. I was found to have high blood pressure when I went in for my pre-surgical assessment, and that needed to be sorted out. Now it has been and i finally have my date.

*Mixes up a nice large for herself.*

I could use a good too, Mari! I also had a 'miss' yesterday, when I had to cancel my orthopaedic appt. because I didn't have the cash to pay for the appointment.

Ironically, hours after I cancelled, our tax return was deposited in our checking account.

Sigh! Just can't win, can we?

*Hands Madmum a .*

Chin chin, dear.

*Guzzling the while trying not to swallow the straw!*

Swizzle sticks are a menace, aren't they? You don't quite know what to do with them after you've stirred. If you leave them in your drink they go up your nose. If you take them out, there's no where to lay them down without making a puddle.

after reading about you two, I am just praying I don't get a "cancelled appointment" through the post - I see the rheumatologist tomorrow afternoon to, hopefully, discover what sort of arthritis I have.

We came back from the coast yesterday - I have had a not very good time - let's work downwards: pain in the base of my head, neck aching, shoulders really jabbing, upper arm muscles just not wanting to hold anything, last year's thumb op aching like hell, other thumb beginning to hurt (they did warn me that was on it's way out) wrists swollen & ... my right knee is playing up rather painfully!!

Ah well, my feet are quiet at present

I managed to sleep last night by leaving the electric blanket on low, taking max painkillers & 3 glasses of white wine

So when is the date Mari? No wonder your BP is high - have they put you on tablets for that or do you think it was a one off?

MM - over here they would call that "Murphy's Law" or " S*ds Law" - however you feel at the time How long will you have to wait for another appointment?

Shirps,sorry to hear that you're in such pain. Here's a that won't make you hurt even more!

I intend to wait until the end of May before making another appointment; that way, the Hubby's "slow season" at work won't mess up my ability to pay! (It will also give me some time to cool off, as I'm pretty upset with my doctor right now!)

*Writes down the recipe for a good night's sleep... *

Shirps, when they figure out your flavor of arthritis, they should be able to recommend a course of treatment, advise you on excercise and diet. Hope it all helps you.

Madmum, you're off to PA for a bit of R&R? Do I have that right? If so, enjoy!

My date for my op is the 15th of May.

Writes down "mari's hipop" on the calendar

Well, that was the fastest hospital appointment I've ever had - from my front door & back to my front door in just under an hour We got there & I was seen immediately!!

Flavour: "seropositive inflammatory disease", but he said if it's easier say "rheumatoid" - they do treat you as if you won't understand anything! I will receive a phone call to make an appointment, sometime in the next 3 weeks, to see the rheuma clinic nurse who will then explain all about a drug they are going to put me on: Sulfasalazine. It will take 3 to 6 months for this drug to take effect - basically it will make the condition stable thereby stopping inflammation & any further damage - that's the theory anyway! http://www.arc.org.uk/about_arth/infosheets/6252/6252.htm this is the leaflet they gave me about it.

I told him about the main pains in my right thumb & knee & asked who I should see if it got worse, but he wouldn't answer - I think he hopes the drug will ease it all, but 3-6 months time the thumb will be at the point that I want to chop it off (it was like that with the other thumb). He basically said he wasn't ortho, but rheuma, so ... I do have an open referral back to ortho for a year from last year's op. Therefore if things get worse I'll aim to get back to them before the "year" lapses.

My left shoulder is getting bad again too - that was diagnosed as tendonitis in the rotator cuff & treated with cortizone about 5 years ago, but the treatment must have worn off - ortho again if too bad.

Do you ever think "why me?" - I did last night This morning I'm OK again "ish". I see the diabetic specialist in 2 weeks time & will discuss with him about my blood sugar rising whenever I get pain - see if he has any ideas (the rheuma guy hadn't a clue).

I think the main trouble is that no one person knows everything, so it is difficult to look at the whole & make sense of it, hence going to different specialists for specific things, although they are all tied up in some way. If you see what I mean

Anyway, going to mum's now to take delivery of a commode - she's still in hospital - 3 weeks on - with no word of when she is coming out - I have to ring ICT, who are supposed to be assessing her & organising care.

This weekend though there will be a bright spell - my 3 month old g-daughter will be visiting, with her ma & pa of course

counting down to the 15th - stay calm - lots of camomile tea

You know, I remember a Twilight Zone episode where old people can buy new young bodies - if only!

Hopefully, my trip to PA will be restful. We'll be staying with my best friend, so there shouldn't be any stress from staying with the family members. (She and I have already scheduled a "drinking & crying" night!)

I hope that everyone manages to keep their bodies together while I'm gone!

Shirps Madmum

Shirps, it sounds like very serious medicine they are putting you on. Hope it does the trick for you. I'm sorry that you have to wait so long for a result, though. You're right, there should be holistic doctors in the NHS. It's good you have a diagnosis. Now you can fight it.

Have a good Easter, everyone.. in case I don't get back on the computer. We're having a busy weekend painting the studio and that's where the computer lives.

My apptmt for the rheumatoid clinic has come through for next week (this afternoon I have my annual visit to the diabetes specialist) - it all comes at once doesn't it

The diclofenac doesn't seem to have touched the pain in my knee, neck/head, shoulders nor arms, but ... I was speaking to someone locally & she has resorted to diclofenac + one nurofen to be taken at least 6 hours apart - she found it worked. So I have begun my trial - touch wood, it is working, so I have actually been sleeping at night - aaaah!


Don't try this unless you check with a doctor first though