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

more stuff arrive din post today. 1 KG epsom salts, and half a litre of some fancy lavender bath foam, thing, plus a pack of new razor blades, calcium tablets and vitamin C tablets. exciting, eh?

went out for a walk after that turned up, quite a way, to buy the tea we buy bought another 160 tea bags, that oughta last a little while then came home, and didn't go into the pub on the way home.

Didn't have any lunch, cept a glass of grapefruit juice, having had a couple grilled sausages and toast for breakfast, first thing, to reduce the steroids eating my digestive tract away.

Rubbish sleep again last nihgt, so tried nap this afternoon, and was unable to nap back to averaging 2 - 3 hours sleep every 24 hours at the moment.

started counting calories again; this is how I lost weight origionally several years ago, going from 17 and a half stone, down to 11 stone 12 LB, just reaching that weight, not long before the chemotherapy started, and the steroid madness, that brings me to now be back up at 16 stone and a half. so ... some weight to lose

Problem is, as far as I can tell, the 1600 or 1700 calories a day, that should see me losing about a pound, to a pound a nd a half a week, is what I'm already on, whilst gaining at that intake level (yes I include beer)

Tomorrow is first of the wednesdays at the weight loss thing at hospital, every wednesday for twelve weeks, so hope they've some advice etc; plus will be getting a 45 minute workout at each session, and I may also join a local gym this week or next once we've gone for a look around it and checked them out

probably off out tonight for a curry, as we don't eat out often, and today seems like as good a day as any given its V-day.

having added that into my calories for the day (somwhat of an estimation for a restaraunt meal of course), I'm still looking to be under 1700 for the day (takin g into account the hours walking earlier), even adding on the calories for some beer after the meal later on - and going out to the pub is another half an hours walking of course

May bath tonight before going out, rather than shower as I've so many products in to use up ATM, plus I have to put another order in tonight, online,k as bodyshop sent me a voucher

May try book a GP app soon; as oncology and endocrinology are still playing pass the parcel with my fluid retenion/oedema, and now attempting to pass it on further, to cardiology, I thought I'd go see the GP, and try the face-to-face version of the letter that worked a while back we sent to endocrinology. I.E., treaten them with legal action due to their medical neglegence in not taking any action on treating it, in over 22 months of my having had it. failing which I will just hav eto restort to phsysical violence against my Drs, which is a pity, as I generally find violence aporent. but, I might just be a little annoyed with them now.

curiouser and curiouser. and curisouser...

OK, so we already had the letter from oncology, addressed to Endocrinology, we were CC-ed in, telling endocrinology to try me on a low dose diuretic.

now, today we got a clinic letter from the endocrine consultant, about my last app with her, at the startof this month.

hmm.

Something had made her change her mind, on two things;

She's now recomending I do get treated for the ostioporosis, to be discussed with me, at the next endo app, in April. - at my Feb app, she said I wasn't to be treated, as it wasn't 'severe' enough to warrent treatment. . . no idea why she's changed her mind; unless, of course, she read the government health guidelines, etc., on treatment, in which case, she's learnt something I, already knew, as in, I should be being actively treated now, before it worstens.

Secondaly; in the Feb app, she refused to prescribe a diuretic until I'd seen cardiology.... The new letter says I should* be put on to a diuretic; but doesnot say she will script it...

- another letter in post today - cardiology app in May canceled.

so, she switched position on both the diuretic and the treating of my ostioporosis.

No idea why cardiology is canceled, or if we can expect a new app through...

W and I took the oncology letter, and the endocrine letter, and walked to the GP surgary, and got the girl on the desk to write to our GP, to tell him/her to prescribe the diuretic; we'll go back to the surgery on friday fafternoon if we've not heard back from them.

Progress, in endocrinology, moves at a geological speed. but it is progress.

Calory tracking oging well, and got more walking in today already,off later this afternoon to the hospital, for the nutrition/diet thing, including a 45 minute workout as part of it.

interestingly; this is a class/clinic only for hospital staff.

so. I guess I've spent so much time at hospital I'm now just classed as an employee

I'll get to wear my new fancy trainers to the class today

Indian last night was great, and didn't over eat, so it wasn't expensive, and had just two pints afterwards (fitting in with both my calory aim for the dayk, and with my ostioporosis reduced alcohol intake) a little over an hours walking yesterday too, and already 25 minutes walking today, and so far today, just 285 calories, which is sufficient breakfast, to take me through to dinner toinight.

Think I'll play guitar a while after this cup of tea

Hmm. a mixed bag...

The main guy with the uninteligable accent, was running most of it, - he's fine on the physical exercise side of things, more or less, but on the talky bit beforehand.... he's not got a clue how to deliver a talk, present it, or himself, and the delivery was terrible, and not informative in the slightest.... - I think he's ultra nervous actually, talking like that, to a group, even though it was a small group..... - chance the level of the information may improve, as another person there, running it, she seems a lot more... with it, and at least has an accent I can understand...

The exercise bit was good though; 45 minutes circuit training, mainly cardio, and certainly got me sweating - I may just be a little out of condition

I'm also getting on with tracking my calories, and W and I had a gorgeous dinner tonight, with pretty low cal - grilled wild salmon fillets with rosemary and black pepper, with some boiled basmati rice, peas, and salad of lettuce and cucumber to go with it... - I'm stuffed now, but not really eaten mch, err, anything since breakfast, just cups of black tea, water etc.... as per normal

puts me on about 750 calories for the day, plus over the day have done 45 minutes walking, or more, just to surgery, then shops, then to bus and back, plus around the hospital campuss, and then of course the 45 minute workout.... - If I can't lose weight on under 1000 caloires a day, with ever increasing physical activity, then I'm gona have to rethink everything

Going to Email gym tomorrow, get to look round it, at the weekend, see what they ofer here; I get the idea I'll get a personal trainer thrown in for free at the gym, due to being blind/disabled, which will be a help; current plan is 3 of the nights I would hav ebeen at the pub, will be instead a trip to the gym; the saving in beer money will more than pay for the gym membership twice over I think <K

I can't give up choclate, milk, sweets, chrisps, cakes, and other snacks; I already gave them up about twenty years ago so beer is really the one and only one obvious non essential dietry intake, to cut down on.... - shall aim for no more than 3 nights a week at the pub, and reduce my intake on those nights by 1/2 or 1/4 - oughta help the ostioporosis a lot too (think alcochol interfers with calcium absorption...)

Still hoping the diuretics will give a huge initial boost, in letting me lose a massive amount of th eoedema, - I've heard of people with panhypopit, carrying 40 Lb water retention - heck even losing 5 or 10 Kg of water retention or more will be great; less so for the weight reduce, but just the 'shape' changes in me, and being able to have wrists and ankles again