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

First trip to the hospital done

This was the actual appointment for bloods, the three-monthly follow up thing, for the growth hormone, and oddly, it turned into a really useful visit; in a perverse way more useful than half of the actual clinic apps with consultants I've had.

First off, we got there early, and they were not busy, so I got straight into see the nurses.... who all immediately liked my dress (the leopard print one, and with the leopard print leggings on , of course.... and they complimented me on my perfume - and noticed stright away I'd lost weight ).

To the scales, which agreed with ours, I.E., I've lost 6 KG or more

Then the measurements hips and waist... dropped about an inch or so on the waist but oddly gained a bit on the hips... - I did point out I couldn't quite remember where the previous n nurse last time had measured my hips, so that could just be error in measurement accuracy though a bigger bottom woudl be kinda useful, I've never had any bottom

Then motorbike nurse took my bloods, which flowed nice and easily for once; I do have to concentrate now, though, with needles, as I too easily erotisise needles and injections. well, seeing as how I have so many, I just figured I oughta learn to enjoy them - Was the decent sticky tape too, on the injection after, so that was good fun to take off... there's something kind of satisfying and loverly about the feel of the tape ripping the skin and pulling all the hairs

mentioned to them about how the injections are going, and they seemed happy I'm doing it right, etc, then mentioned to them about the diuretic, and one of th enurses took me aside, to chat.... she went through all my records, scipts, etc, and saw where I was with meds, inc steroids, thyroid etc, quizzed me about how the not taking thyroxin was going, then examined my legs and feet, for oedema... MMM. damnit, I can't help it!; she was playing with my feet and legs really useful conversation with her; she was actually interested in what supplements I'm on, and agreed with me, I should be on the K2 K7, magnessium, calcium citrate, etc, D3 etc... they all seemed kind of flustered that I wasn't responding as expected to the diuretic; like today; I went to the loo for a pee, on waking, then came down, took the diuretic, moring suppliments, had breakfast, took prednisolone, drunk half a litre of coffee, two mugs of tea, then went to hospital; had two cups of water on arriving at hospital (so they could get the bloods), and hadn't therefore peed all morning; and I wasn't desperate to, either,- as it was, I did go, once as we were leaving hospital, but that is it, all day.... - the diuretic is ment to have more of an affect than that, I undersdtan...

then, as we were leaving, we happened to bump into my new consultant, so had a short, very useful consult, in the corridoor - basically I've eight days left on the diuretic, if I don't think its making any differnce, I'll stop it; then monitor any change in the oedema, and feedback end of April when I'm in clinic to see her; although, looking at her, I think its unlikely we'll see her in clinic next time; her maternity leave is going to be starting very soon

home briefly now, and off again in half an hour, to circuit training - had a tin of soup for lunch, dinner is planned out, and extra salad and veg purchased on our first trip back from hospital, earlier, spicey chicken pilaf tonight, with salad...

so, adding up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that is just under 1000 calories, and with the walking today, plus circuit training, that adds up to only about 400 or 500 net calories for the day - I assume I'll eat some mor elater though, there is a bannana that needs eating (and I need more potassium anyhow), and there might be some tiny supper tonight too, but oughta be well below 1500 calories anyhows now changed into joggers and tee shirt and trainers... feel so* underdressed

OMG! - I got a phonecall from the gym..... first session tomorrow, with my personal trainer. damnit. I don't think I've ever been/used a gym in my life... feet still weird, something odd with the heels on both, maybe the tendon there.... - not injured by any exercise, just walking up the falling to pieces pavements in the center of town/city here , they're so dangerous and uneven now so, gym tomorrow morning, 11.30.... If I don't make it back someone please feed the badgers for me... did I mention, the weigh in wednesday? - another KG down

My dermatologist told me: "You are so fat most of the medicine gets lost somewhere in your body instead of going where it is needed. I suggest we start giving it intravenously".

There goes her chance of joining the diplomatic corps

Like my endocrine nurse..... even at that point, a good half as big again as me; that was when I was 107 KG, err, about 16 stone 7 Lb, and she was half htat again... I.E., not small.... (and having her 'hug' me to put a tapemeasure about me... yes she is large... ) - telling me; you'll never fit back into the jeans you were wearing before diagnosis... gauntlet down... challange accepted

well, went to gym today...

OK, so I'm a bit unfit, and maybe not as young as I was when I was 17 years old, for real exercise bike then rowing machine.... had to get them to increase the 'pressure' on the exercise bike, as my legs were moving like the clappers... but after 15 - 20 minutes, I was pretty much soaked in sweat which is the point afterall, of cardio then onto the rowing machine, which was sadly not set 'hard' enough so I had to slow down, or the 'fly-wheel' wasn't there for me to pull on again, for the next stroke... twenty minutes on that.... and they told me that was enough to be my first session; doing one day a week, for a couple weeks, then two days a week (I'm still doing the circuit training thing, at the hospital though every wednesday )

got home, showered as I was really very wet especally my hair from sweat and as I'd not done it since Wednesday, weighed myself

another 1 Lb or so down..... 100.6 KG now, or 15 stone 11 Lb and about a half/three quters so, about 8 -12 Lb lost now, circa 6.5 going on 7 KG (our weights aon the scales here do add up the same as those at the hospital, but we tend to weigh naked here, so that is obviously a little bit lower than the weights taken at the hospital anyhow - we weigh naked here, before or just after the wednesday weigh in at hospital, and do clothed on the same day at home; to ensure our scales are calibrated with the hospital scales)

bleh... felt rubbish most of today, no sleep at all last night kind of rules out the prednisolone dosing time change we were trialing, so gone back to taking PM dose later in day as per useual woken up a bit now though at last... tried to nap twice during day too, but couldn't each time W was weighing himself today, so I got on too... after... dropped another half a pound only got to lose about 4 Lb more now, and I'll have lost over a stone I think

went to pub tonight, had three pints... but took longer route to walk there, and came home the same route, so got a 50 minute walk in too hoping the beer will help let me sleep tonight, no sleep last night, and was rubbish the two previous nights too

I believe there is a full moon right now. That frequently makes it difficult for me to sleep

I use the time wisely, though: I guard my house from the werewolves

I don't worry about the warewolves too much... its the moon mist that's the dangerous one... that and the marshies..... for when the moon mist settles in, rolling in off of the fens, then it snags at one's heel, envelops your legs, and soon its biting and nipping at our earlobes and noses.... and then.... the marshies creep up, under the moon mist.... dangers indeed even here in the streets of a city, sitting amongst the vapours of the fenlands...

I could live with oral encounters of that kind, maybe

but, fear the moomn mist.... the moon mist is so horrid and it can be so quick

finally got round shower today <blush. not sure why I was so late... then injected myself, in the leg, just for a change