I shouldn't have this!

Was this to be an ominous date? No, my bloods were absolutely fine and I felt really well. I explained to the consultant all that had gone on in Egypt and his only concern was that I was still not losing weight, which I wasn't. It's stayed steady, but my appetite is still not good. I promised to start eating better! Onwards and upwards for my next trip, Belgium in July for a long weekend!

We left the UK at the end of February, and without going through the whole story, three of us got E.Coli on the first day! The only one who escaped it was the GP! Because I had changed the itinerary to make it more of a holiday, my routine was completely different in that I had lunch with the others. This was fatal - nearly - as my friend and I fell victim after eating salad. We were in a top class hotel, so it really shouldn't have happened. As I was sharing a room with my son, he fell ill the following day. It only lasted about 24hrs but it left us three very weak. I was really glad that I had factored in four free days to chill out at the beginning of the trip, because it was all archaeology after that. In the end, I only had to cancel one site visit, as the journey would have killed us. A long way over bumpy roads is not the best thing after a bout of that!  I never really got over it whilst I was there. I lost my appetite and really had to force myself to eat. I mainly ...

January 12th 2018 was the day I returned to my consultant. Thank goodness my bloods were fine and my throat felt OK! I was asked the usual questions about how I was feeling and when I told him I felt absolutely fine, he was pleased. Plus, my throat looked considerably better. He told me what to look out for, night sweats, sudden weight loss and feeling generally awful and I had to promise again that I would contact the hospital if I experienced any of these things - if they had no explanation.  This is the deal you have to make with the consultant if they place you on Watch and Wait. It's up to the patient to be completely honest with themselves and admit it if there is something wrong. He was happy for me to go on my annual Egypt trip, which was a great relief for me. This was to be a very special trip, as I was taking with me two dear friends (the GP and his wife) and my adult son. He came with me on my very first trip to Egypt in 2006, when he was at university and I hadn...

This year was our 40th wedding anniversary, so we decided to visit our favourite places. In October we went down to Cornwall but we arrived on the south coast just as a very bad storm hit the coastal village where we were staying! Having said that, we had a very eventful weekend and it was lovely to see places we hadn't seen for some time.  From here we moved over to the north coast to stay there because we had been there since before we were married. On our way home we realised why we hadn't revisited it before now. The south coast just seems to have more of a pull for us, probably because it was where we had always taken our son and I have so many photos of him growing up there.  Healthwise it was uneventful for me, which was nice for a change!  In late November I started with a really bad virus which affected my throat. I got a little worried that I was having trouble swallowing again and I was snoring too - not a good sign. Due to my compromised immune system, I...

Again, bloods are fine. I asked him to check my neck, as I've been concerned about the swellings. I thought I was getting a double chin, but it's a swollen gland! He checked all my lymph areas and said they were fine, so I can book anything up to next appointment in four months. This will be around December 1st.  Generally I feel absolutely fine, but I do get tired easily and of course I worry about the slightest thing! I try to keep away from people who have obvious infections, but I still have to get things done, like shopping!  I have lots of committments outside the home and a number of hobbies and interests. I'm really having to think long and hard about what I must let go. I've been a school governor for over twenty years, so I think that some of my many roles there will have to go. I'm sixty one now, so ready to think about retirement completely in a year or two.  I rrecently read an article in the British Medical Journal about Turmeric+ helpin...

I've just returned from my trip to Austria and now I'm taking part in a clinical trial at the city hospital. It's run under the umbrella of Simon Rule's centre of excellence at Plymouth Hospital. He's one of the leading figures in the research into mantle cell lymphoma.  I decided that since I'm supposed to be so rare and that I'm not receiving any treatment yet, that I should do what I can to help with this research. So, I ended up at the city hospital, sitting in a lovely comfy chair, spitting into a glass and giving blood into lots of different phials! Apparently, most people take ages providing a sample of sputum. Not me! It must be because I'm always talking!!! I asked the lymphoma nurse in charge of the trial if she had any ideas about my allergic reactions, particularly to insect bites. She suggested I get my GP to contact a consultant she knows at the hospital who might be able to help.  As I was leaving the hospital, I felt for the first ...

Same again at this appointment, so nothing more to report. My consultant didn't want to see me again for another four months, but then he realised he wasn't here then. My next appointment made for the end of July. He explained that I shouldn't worry about my bloods, as long as I feel alright in myself.  Great, I can book my Austria trip now for July!