… probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do this morning, with an optician’s appointment to pay for.
As I haven’t been out much recently, my wallet was sitting on my desk, from my last bout of buying stuff online.
Tag: health
[Note: thankfully this issue has now been resolved]
After it got dark, I was able to do the final test, and the answer is a minor *sigh*.
I really don’t know what it is about equipment manufacturers and backlit keys and displays, especially for machines meant for the bedroom. Am I the only one who thinks the bedroom should be relatively dark?
I realise that I have been posting a lot about my CPAP lately – obviously, it has been on my mind at lot. If all goes well, this will be my last such post for a while.
The nonsense with Papworth Hospital unfortunately continues, emphasising to me that you can think an organisation is really great (I’ve had no complaints in 10 years), but it only takes one major foulup and a total lack of will to fix it to completely change your mind.
I have now been stuck with a CPAP that doesn’t work well for me for 4 weeks. During that time, I have been fobbed off by the technical people for a few days, had my notes placed with “my” consultant’s office for two weeks, ignoring the fact he is on annual leave, and for the past week the issue has been with another consultant, who I haven’t managed to speak with once, only repeated phone calls to his secretary. This is despite my stressing several times that I am not getting quality sleep, that it has affected my social life (a week’s holiday wasted, haven’t had the energy to go out once in the last 3 weeks) and work (tired all the time, to the point that I have taken time off). All they can see is that I have been giving a “new” (it’s not), “improved” (it’s not) machine.
I just looked at my last post, and corrected a load of typos, which were probably indicative of my state of mind. Spent most of the weekend on the sofa, with my nose alternately in a book or a hankerchief.
Friday and Saturday nights, I ended up bringing my duvet downstairs and slept in my recliner chair, with the footrest out, but only slightly reclined. This was because every time I lay down in bed, I was wracked with coughing fits.
An update on how things are going. The last week, I haven’t been getting on with the machine at all, to the point that for two nights I unplugged the thing and slept without CPAP at all.
In the meantime while I have been waiting for a response from Papworth to my calls, I have been googling, and have discovered a UK company who can supply machines, masks and other accessories.
A few days ago, I commented on livejournal that I had been feeling sleepy lately, and wondered if my CPAP needed adjusting.
Today I had an appointment at Papworth hospital respiratory sleep centre. It was my annual appointment, where they check me out, and my machine, but I thought I could raise my issues and get them addressed.
I am about to head off for a few days in Brighton, where I used to live before moving here; followed by Sussex University’s 50 anniversary celebration, held over next weekend.
So, naturally, just in time for my holiday break, the cellullitus that resulted from my hurting my leg in San Francisco (in March!) has reappeared for the third time.
Some of you may remember that I had a bout of cellulitus in my leg in April, following a minor injury while in the States. It took three weeks worth of anti-biotics to get rid of it, which knocked me for six at the time. But it did seem to go, and after another week or so, the swollen legs went back to normal again.
Two months later: late Tuesday night, I was watching TV, when I felt a burning sensation in my leg. I rolled up my trousers to look at it, and a piece of skin the size of a 10p piece came away with it – it was just like a blister that had popped, but I had noticed no such blister, or any prior feeling of something amiss. Yesterday morning, it was looking inflamed, and I finally got to see a GP today. The cellulitus is back, and I am back on anti-biotics.
I had a routine health checkup yesterday; more blood drawn to followup some previous tests, and general checking of blood pressure/weight and chat about diet.
The nurse asked me if anyone at the surgery had ever measured my height. I have been going there 10 years, but thought about it, and answered “no”. The nurse tutted, and muttered words to the effect of “of course, they find it easier just to ask you, don’t they”.
Had another doctor’s appointment today, and after 3 weeks of antibiotics, he has given my leg a provisional all-clear. The infection appear to have gone, but I am still suffering from a badly swollen ankle, which we are both puzzled about. He suggested it might be simply the heat, but I pointed out that I have never had swollen ankles before (and, indeed, only one is swollen) and that it was a lot hotter in L.A. than here. He conceeded the point.
I had a full range of blood tests 2 weeks ago, and have a further set scheduled for the start of May. So we will see if that sheds any light on the matter.
I had cause to use the 111 NHS non-emergency service yesterday, when whatever is wrong with me seemed to get worse, with periodic pins and needles and numbness in my hands and feet. My GP had said to come back to him immediately if anything changed. As I am in Lincolnshire, I am in the new 111 service trial area; in fact, the 111 service is now my GP’s Practice out of hours number, replacing the traditional “on call” doctor at evenings and weekends.
The person I spoke to – who admitted to having no medical training – was not interested in listening to a (brief) history of my condition, but only wanted to know my immediate symptoms.