This Week I….

Well guys. It’s been another week in which lots happened but it was ultimately very boring.

Today I am very achey, so I am doing some lounging, but whilst I do the lounging I thought I’d check in!

This week I…..

Went to the Pub

Because if I had to look at the inside of my house any more I would go insane. So I took a crutch on loan from my Mum and went to the pub that is a whole quarter of a mile from my house and ate chips.

It was great.

Got an old lady Walker

My awesome friend and fellow bad back sufferer bought me the next step up from a crutch on loan which was a proper old lady wheeled Walker.

I used it to walk the dogs around the block for the first time in a month and then sat on it in the park and cried because it was nice.

Had many phone calls from the hospital

Like, srsly, if you just all got together you could combine all these.

I had a phone call from haematology to tell me they weren’t booking me an appointment because they wanted to do a PET/CT scan. Then a phone call from the Haematology consultant to also tell me he wanted to the scan and refuse to tell me anything else over the phone. Then a phone call from the orthopaedic consultant to tell me he could do surgery on Monday. Erk!

Then I got a phone call to book me an appointment at clinic for Thursday morning, then another one to book me a pre-op appointment on Thursday afternoon, then ANOTHER call to book me an x-ray with 2 hours notice prompting a very hot and stressed rush to the hospital and Mr LLL missing his Doctors appointment.

Then I got another phone call from the orthopaedic consultant to tell me the haematologist wanted him to wait for all my results before they did any surgery. Then while I was at the hospital I got another appointment to book me in for that PET/CT scan on Friday morning.

So I started the week with no hospital appointments and I ended it with 5 if you include the COVID test I didn’t go to because the surgery was actually cancelled.

Phew!

Went to France

Not really, but I did make a French 75 cocktail, onion soup and a cassoulet which we ate in the garden whilst listening to a French playlist on Spotify so that totally counts.

Had a very long chat with a consultant

The Thursday morning appointment was with a different consultant who had spent some time working in a specialist hospital in Birmingham.

We spoke for about an hour, which I really appreciated. Turns out some of the many people who are discussing me think they should not do surgery and see if the bone reforms on its own. Some of them think they should do a simple pin, and 1 of them wants to chop out loads of my spine and replace it with fake spine.

I’m really hoping when more result come back they reach more of a consensus as I’d like to crack on with my life k’thnx.

This consultant also told me that Roller Derby and heavy lifts were probably not going to be part of my life in future and running would depend on if it aggravated my back.

So it’s probably time to buy a bike and learn to swim properly.

Had high blood pressure

On Thursday at my pre-op appointment apparently my blood pressure and pulse were really high.

No shit. It was boiling hot, I’d been sat in a hospital for hours and had no idea what was going to happen next.

My GP has reviewed my meds and put them up slightly, and my Depo is due next week and my BP and stress levels always go up a bit this week anyway. Le sigh.

Was radioactive

On Friday I had the PET/CT scan. It involves being injected with a radioactive isotope. Sitting around for 50 minutes till it permeates round your body, the sitting in a scanner for 20 minutes.

I definitely nodded off in the scanner as I’m sure I caught myself snoring at least twice.

At one point I opened my eyes and found myself staring into a square black hole with a label next to it that said “laser aperture. Don’t look directly into it” or some such, so I shut them again.

Then I was radioactive for 6-8 hours so I avoided sitting with the Pugs and was also very disappointed at my lack of super powers.

Had a little stress cry

On Saturday morning I decided to sit in the garden in my oodie and drink my coffee and have peanut butter toast. It was lovely, but then I burst into tears. I think I just needed a little stress cry (see above Depo injection due!)

It’s not odd that I’m a little stressed right now. I’m trying to work and keep my life going and I keep getting dragged into the hospital at short notice and I don’t fully know what’s actually going on.

It will pass.

Went to the Pub. Again.

Because I wanted to see my friends, so we went to the same very close pub for lunch. Then we came home and sat in the garden. it was a really, really lovely day and I failed to take many photos, which goes to show how lovely it was.

The consultant on Thursday advised me to slowly try upping my activity. So I’d gone from about 1,500-2000 steps a day to just over 3000 and tried sitting upright for a little longer. By Sunday my back was starting to ache and I was getting some more pain in my hips and coocyx. Hence today’s intense rest. Still, at least it’s more information for the decision making……

And that was another very long and very hot week in my life.

How was your week?