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

So once more, like the eternal cotton reel of time, we move fowrd and into November.

Gosh. November 2016. To be honest I'm still a little supprised to be here, err, I mean here as in alive, not on H2G2, I get the feeling I'll continue hanging on round here, like a bad smell, even once I've been removed of off of this plain of unreality.

And, November.... Which can only mean I've another one of those pesky birthday things happening soon. and, it must be coming up to two years since I discovered a lump under my armpit that was most likely a massive boil, but, which, unusually turned out not to be such

and, today being the 1st of November, I've actually done something today.

Was really tired last night, got into bed about 2 AM, fell asleep at about 4 AM, and woke at about 6 AM, feeling nausceous.

I don't do nausea... more to the point, I cna't do being sick; If I'm sick then I can't take steroids by mouth, and then I need the intramuscular injections (which I can't do myself), and, more to the point, I then need a trip to hospital to idenfy the source of the infection/vomitting, get hooked up to litres of saline and/or glucose liquid to rehydrate, and get my blood volume up and thereby prevent shock, coma and cardiac arrest. and most likely also have I.V or IM steroid too, over at least a 24 hour period.

So, I got up at 6.30.... drank some water.... decided I didn't feel really* like I was gona be sick, but... I was up then.

So took my levothyroxin early, at about 6.30, and just sat up, perusing twitter and fB as one does drinking water. W got up later, at about 9, then I and we had coffee, and at 10 I had some boiled eggs, so I could stomach the prednisolone without gettng the stomach burning effect of it in full force

Got read to leave the house, and left at 11.15, to go to the surgery, for blood letting.

These bloods are requested by the GP, investigating my cardiac palpiations, and the ECG I had done recently that now randomly shows an enlarged heart.

I had been refered to cardiology at the hospital, but they won't see me until I've had blood work done, hence these bloods, so I assume I can be then refered again back to cardiology.

Saw a differnt nurse I've not seen there before.

Explained to her about my rubbish blood vessels, the potential lymphodemia on the left arm, perhllipheral neuropathy in both, and how the right one works best, and shoed her the blood vessel that works.

So she went straight for my left arm, got a blood vessel (that bit I don't feel), and then I felt the blood vessel collapse in on itself. Supprisngly she got no blood out

So whe went back to the right arm, and again I pointed out the blood veseel on the top of my arm, which works and she ignored that, and went for one lower down, inside of my elbow.

ouch. ouch. ouch. I NEVER bruise up from needles/bloods.

I have this time. teh plaster on it, when I took it off was saturated in blood, and the enitre elbow is swollen up

I tried to tell her to use the other blood vessel, but she woudln't listen.

no one listens to me.

noticing how much more swollen both arms are today; oedema is still getting worse, left arm must be twice the diameter it was now, by the wrist.

so painful, as are my legs. And still no Dr will even examine the oedema.

This wasn't what I was going to write about today, but blood letting seemed to make sense, and I've always got the other idea, for later

So. back to sitting on the sofa, drinking tea, watching my body baloon up with oedema, and waiting for the back-pressure on the heart to reach critical mass and give me congestive heart failure.

Aching all over, joint pain, muscle pain, and weakness, cramps, and headache most of the time, plus light-headed and slightly dizzy. I do hope I can get somewhere with endocrinology on the 11th, or I think I'm just about out of options and strength to persue any other options really. I do hope the Dr on the 11th has some vague concept of her job, and some vague competence in it, I'm really bad at knowing what to say to people who just don't have a clue of what they're doing.

The restbite to the diarrhea caused by the change in levothyroxin brands, seems short lived although, of course having had that diarrhea dn other gastrointestinal problems for a year and a half now, I assume its possible they can leave dammage behind that itself might need treating, I've just about given up mentioning the gastrointestinal problems to teh Drs and nurses in endocrinology, I@m starting to sound like a stuck needle on a record. Was talking to another panhypo patient, last night, she seemed quite supprised by my Drs incompentance. She's had part of her intestine resectioned due to perforation caused by the steroids.

Oh well. back to sitting on the sofa and waiting to die.

thanks the arm is so bruised! its really come up big where she masacured it with the needle (the right arm), luckiloy the failed blood letting attempt on the left arm hasn't left such a masive bruise and at l least I can move the right arm again now
Actually almost woken up and feel OK now, as the meds of the day have worn off now its gone 1 AM