The Jigsaw Starts to Fit Together!
Oxford University has today published findings, that show that cocktails of various vitamin B’s might actually help in the treatment of Alzeimher’s.
I’ve covered this sort of work before in Keeping the Brain Healthy.
I’m no medic, but the more you delve into this subject, the more it seems that the B vitamins are more and more important.
Now I’ve Got A Gammy Knee!
Over the last couple of days, I’ve had a minor difficulty getting up from a chair. I was just getting a bit of pain in my right knee. I had to see the GP yesterday and she looked at it. I had thought it might be something to do with the stroke, but it was just a touch of arthritis. As I was seeing the physio after the GP, she had something else to do and she gave it some therapy. It’s a lot better this morning.
The gastroenterologist I saw on Friday last week told me that I had some sort of bio-chemical problem and this was resulting in my poor nails. They took some blood to check what it was.
Now before I was diagnosed as a coeliac, I had lots of problems and pain in my left knee. These had started when I was about 25 and one doctor in those days, suggested I had an operation. When we moved to Suffolk in 1975, a new doctor, recommended some exercises and except for the odd stickiness when I got up from the floor, I never had any more problems.
All of these knee problems got a lot better with a gluten-free diet.
So now it’s the other knee!
Ever since I’ve had the stroke, I’ve worried that something is wrong with the bio-chemistry of my body. I’ll laugh like a drain if I’m low on vitamin B12!
But what do I know about medicine! Not a lot! But I do know my body!
In addition to the knee and nails, I’ve also got a certain amount of the runs and I am sleeping a lot and very well. The latter is probably due to the body needing time to recover.
A Pain Diary
This is a set of notes to see if I can find the best strategy for controlling the pain.
Tuesday, 31st August
10:00 – The pain in my jaw, face and arm is bad. I’ll give it 7/10.
11:00 – The doctor gives me some 15 mg. codiene tablets and says to take one or two, three times a day. He says it won’t hurt if I mix them with paracetamol.
12:00 – I take two codiene and one paracetamol tablets.
13:00 – Lunch is one of Waitrose tiffins, which I feel helps my mouth.
14:00 – Pain is down to about 5/10 and I sleep for perhaps an hour.
17:00 – I’ve done quite a bit of typing this afternoon, so the left hand isn’t too bad. Pain still 5/10.
19:00 – Pain now about 6/10, so I’ve taken another two codiene.
20:00 – Supper was a tuna steak, peas and sauce followed by raspberries and yoghurt. It was surprisingly easy to eat and the fruit and yoghurt was very soothing. I should say that I still eat peas with my right hand, using the fork as a spoon. Pain is now about 4/10.
Wednesday 1st Setember
06:00 – I have just got up after a good night’s sleep or at least a very reasonable one. I didn’t take one of the sleeping pills either. Pain is about 3/10.
07:00 – Just taken one codiene and one paracetamol.
12:00 – On the way to Lingfield, I took two codiene and one paracetamol to keep the pain level to about 4/10.
17:00 – Supper was pasta in Carlucciuo’s with a still lemonade. Pain still about 4/10.
19:00 – On the train home to Whittlesford, I actually slept for twenty minutes or so, so the pain level was probably a bit less. I didn’t end up in Cambridge either!
21:00 – Just cook one codiene and one paracetamol before bed. I’m trying to keep the number I take each day to below the maximum, as that gives me a margin for if the pain gets worth. Pain is probably at a 3/10 level.
Thursday 2nd September
07:00 Woke up after a good night’s sleep. Pain in the face after a cup of tea. Perhaps 4/10.
08:00 – Took one codiene and one paracetamol.
11:00 – I went to see a physiotherapist, who used some electrical therapy on my arm and also said that some of problems there were because I don’t sit straight up.
15:00 – I’ve peeled a few potatoes for a fish pie and the cold water and the movement seems to hsve eased the pain in my wrist. The pain level is about 3/10.
22:00 – As with yesterday, I have a codiene and a paracetamol before going to bed. The pain level is about 3/10.
Friday 3rd September
07:00 – Slept well with no problems.
09:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10.
18:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10. Pain mainly in a tooth. Did find that a slice of Marian’s chocolate cake had a beneficial effect.
Saturday 4th September
07:00 My arm wasn’t good in the morning and I had a bit of trouble putting a shirt on as I couldn’t find the left arm-hole.
22:00 – I didn’t have too much pain all day and had perhaps one paracetamol, when I got up and one in the evening. Pain level about 4/10.
Sunday 5th September
07:00 – I woke up much better this morning after a lot of sleep. I took a paracetamol. The pain level was 3/10.
21:00 – Not much pain at 3/10 and I’ll probably take a paracetamol before I retire.
Monday 6th September
07:00 – I slept well with little pain. Perhaps about 5/10.
I Can’t Sleep!
Since I had the stroke, I’ve always been able to sleep. But not tonight, as the pain in my face is too much and I reckon if I’ve had an hour of sleep, I’ve been lucky!
I’ve taken a couple of paracetamol tablets and they have made no difference.
It’s now three o’clock in the morning and I’ve got up to listen to the radio and play on the computer. At least my typing is fine!
So let’s hope the pain is a sign that my brain is getting to grips with my body again!
Using NHS Direct
Because of my pain, I felt like a pain killer might be an idea. So I searched the NHS Direct web site and I couldn’t find anything that might help.
Eventually I gave up searching and phoned them directly.
I was on the phone for perhaps ten minutes before I got through to a nurse, after answering a load of questions. The nurse reapeated some of these questions and then quizzed me extensively to check I wasn’t aving another stroke. She did say that if I thought I was having another I should phone 999 immediately.
When we got to talking pain killers, she said I wasn’t to take an aspirin as I was on Warfarin. But paracetamol was OK. So as I had some, possibly of a dubious age though as it had Victoria Regina stamped on the tin, I took one.
The system did work, but it was rather bureaucratic and over protective. Let’s hope the 111 system is better. A chat to a competent nurse or pharmacist is what I wanted and that is what I got. Will I still get that under 111?
After Stroke Pain
When I left hospital three months ago, I wasn’t in much pain. I suppose I’m not really now, but I do have an itchy scalp, pain in the left side of my face, in my left wrist and in my humerus, which was broken when I was about fourteen. Reading a piece on the National Stroke Association’s website, this pain may be caused by the brain misreading the sensations sent through the nerves and not nerve damage. It also says that conventional medicines aren’t very good at countering the pain.
The paper also says that you could end up misusing drugs. It’s a bit difficult when you don’t take them. But despite the advice I did take an aspirin.
I don’t know about it, but it is something that I must discuss with my doctor.
NHS Direct
When I had my first stroke in March, I called NHS Direct, as I woke up and couldn’t speak very well. After answering lots of questions and phoning me back a coiuple of hours later, they felt I needed a visit from an out-of-hours doctor. They called him and he arrived an hour later. He advised me to go to hospital, as he felt I had had a small stroke. I was then driven to Addenbrookes and they confirmed the diagnosis and said that I should go to A & E if it happened again.
NHS Direct actually delayed me doing, what I felt I should have done in the first place by their bureaucratic procedures and delays. Let’s hope that the proposed 111 service would either upgrade my call to 999, send a doctor immediately or tell me to go straight to A & E.
It would appear that the Royal College of Nursing is against replacing NHS Direct. Are they just protecting jobs or thinking what is best for the patients?
But whether we have NHS Direct bor 111, does it affect the real problem in the Emergency Service of those that turn up in A & E, with things that need a visit to their GP or a pharmacist in the morning.
Virgin’s First Class Toilets
Some coeliacs can be paranoid about toilets as many like me, have had so much diarrhoea, that it becomes a way of life. Now that I’m strictly gluten-free I rarely suffer that way, but I still sort out the best toilets. Certainly, one of the pleasures of travelling on Virgin is the quality of the First Class Lounge at Euston The free toilets were definitely up to the best standard expected.
On the subject of toliets,those at Portman Road are pretty good. It will be interesting to see how Gresty Road stacks up tonight.
Some Muslims Risking Their Lives During Ramadan
I couldn’t believe the headline of this article on the BBC’s web site.
Apparently, Barts and the Royal London Hospital has found that some patients are missing appointments and delaying treatments during the month of Ramadan at great risk to their health.
I’m not sure that any religion would put religious observance above health, but I’m certain if I had any religion, I would defy such a statute.
In fact the article does go on to say that local imans are urging patients to continue with their treatment, so progress is being made. Knowing the hospitals well, I’m saure they are trying as hard as is humanely possible to improve the situation.
Also in these times of austerity, surely we have a moral duty to our fellow citizens not to load extra costs on the NHS. And I would think we also have a moral duty to our friends and relatives to do the best for our health, as they are the ones, who could really suffer in the long term if we stop treatment.
It should be said that “No-shows” are a big cost to the NHS and that is why my hospital, Addenbrookes, has installed an SMS-based system to ensure attendance. Perhaps, those who are persistent non-attenders should go to the back of the queue.
Real Tennis as a Recovery Index
I played my first competitive game of real tennis since the last stroke yesterday. I didn’t do too well, but I think I was getting better as the hour progressed.
As real tennis has a computerised handicap system, it will be interesting if my handicap gets better or worse over the coming months.
SO if you’re recovering from a stroke or any other illness for that matter and you can play tennis, why not consider learning real tennis. It can be played at a gentle level if you wish, but as it depends very much on your thinking, as your physical prowess, you will at least know, if you are improving.
The Anonymous Widower 