Yes - this time last week I thought I had Bladder Cancer back and now I'm pretty sure that I don't have it. Life looks a lot different right now. Additionally I'm pretty certain that my blood glucose readings are in pretty good shape and that apart from a slight hit following cheat day, I'm in the realms of "normal". I've got to do some more tests of course and over a long period of time. My Blood Pressure is pretty good and at a constant of around 130 over 90 which is good for me but I will try and get that down once I can exercise which I reckon is about a week away.
I've now got a plan(s) to go forward and I may have a short term contract to work up in London for 3 months doing some illustration work with a friend of mine. It pays reasonable money and the hours mean that I won't be travelling in rush hour. I'm waiting to hear back on this whether I can start in early June mainly as I've got my mum down with us this week and I need a few days to work on other things then I can commit to a full time run at it.
Longer term, and I do hope I can look longer term, I've got the three or four business streams to have a go at. In many ways I think that it will take me awhile to build one of them and so I've now got to build my business plans and work out how I can achieve this. It's daunting and exciting at the same time.
I'm still a little tender especially when urinating - it certainly still gives a slight sting. I've noted that I've still got trace blood results from the wounds so perhaps the stinging is coming from that? There is also this strange feeling which I'm sure is just my insides putting themselves back into their normal position! I'd forgotten that it takes this long to recover. I had a good weekend but being out Friday night and all day Saturday sure knocked me about and I fell asleep in my chair overnight and woke at dawn as the sun was coming up - so then actually went to bed!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Big Meal - Low Impact
It was a big meal and also major temptation to fall of my diet but I try really hard to make certain that I try and keep as near as possible to the 4HB and Protein Power and Atkins type diet as possible. I had more than 2 glasses of Wine and as I say to the servers, there is only one size of wine glass and it isn't medium or small!!! :-)
The meal had some problems in it. I disposed of my roll and butter but had the French Onion Soup knowing it probably contained some sugar content and I gave away the french bread and cheese to a friend. So I just had the soup. The main course was a Pork Chop rubbed with mustard and (unfortunately) brown sugar. I didn't have any gravy and so sort of managed to live within limits On top of that I refused the potatoes and went for the carrots and green beans and had extra portions as there were plenty of them!
The sweet was a Trifle which I took and then passed on to my friend too. He's diabatic - go figure... So then there was Cheese and biscuits, celery and grapes. I just had some cheese and celery and then a coffee. Just over 2 hours later my Blood Glucose reading is 4.8 mmol/L which isn't bad at all considering this may have been slightly more than I would have expected to have.
I'm pleased that my readings appear to be normal but I hope after some exercise I might get these down to an even lower level. So far I don't see me being anything other than a pre-diabetic at worst but I'm sure the "professionals" will have their say on it.
Tomorrow is cheat day and I have two Lodge meetings and can drink what I like. I don't think that my Blood Glucose will be anything other than off the scale and I'm not at home anyway so I will probably just forget tomorrow and go on to Sunday to continue. Under the 4HB I get to blow my system up once a week and taking tests isn't going to help.
On a completely different tack. I was looking at a website and came across a company that I used to work with when I was in my early 20s. They were jewellry suppliers and I found they'd moved from London to locally. I remembered the friend I had - Lawrence - at the time. Tonight, I'm in the bar and I spied this chap and he had exactly the same eyes and look as the guy I'd known all those years ago. I went over and asked him and indeed it was him. We had a brief chat and it looks like he knows someone I know and so we will get together and catch up when we next meet. How weird is that?
The meal had some problems in it. I disposed of my roll and butter but had the French Onion Soup knowing it probably contained some sugar content and I gave away the french bread and cheese to a friend. So I just had the soup. The main course was a Pork Chop rubbed with mustard and (unfortunately) brown sugar. I didn't have any gravy and so sort of managed to live within limits On top of that I refused the potatoes and went for the carrots and green beans and had extra portions as there were plenty of them!
The sweet was a Trifle which I took and then passed on to my friend too. He's diabatic - go figure... So then there was Cheese and biscuits, celery and grapes. I just had some cheese and celery and then a coffee. Just over 2 hours later my Blood Glucose reading is 4.8 mmol/L which isn't bad at all considering this may have been slightly more than I would have expected to have.
I'm pleased that my readings appear to be normal but I hope after some exercise I might get these down to an even lower level. So far I don't see me being anything other than a pre-diabetic at worst but I'm sure the "professionals" will have their say on it.
Tomorrow is cheat day and I have two Lodge meetings and can drink what I like. I don't think that my Blood Glucose will be anything other than off the scale and I'm not at home anyway so I will probably just forget tomorrow and go on to Sunday to continue. Under the 4HB I get to blow my system up once a week and taking tests isn't going to help.
On a completely different tack. I was looking at a website and came across a company that I used to work with when I was in my early 20s. They were jewellry suppliers and I found they'd moved from London to locally. I remembered the friend I had - Lawrence - at the time. Tonight, I'm in the bar and I spied this chap and he had exactly the same eyes and look as the guy I'd known all those years ago. I went over and asked him and indeed it was him. We had a brief chat and it looks like he knows someone I know and so we will get together and catch up when we next meet. How weird is that?
New Health Blueprint
I'm pretty impressed with my blood glucose readings - they are all in limit of a 'normal person' and scrape around the bottom of the Type 2 area. I don't have any of the signs of Type 2 Diabetes in my day to day activities. The one thing that I don't do at the moment is to exercise regularly - I do it in uncontrolled fits and starts. Today for example I'll walk about 2 and a half miles to the Lodge meeting and I can do that in about 40 or 45 minutes - it will be good for me but I don't do that every day. I have my cross trainer which I used to do 8kM a day on at one time and I've got my vibration plate for my anaerobic exercises. I use that about once a week. I've read a lot now on Type 2 and it appears that I really should be putting in some time exercising and so once I've got past the yukky bit of the operation and left it a few days beyond I can get back to some exercising. This should, I hope, trigger off some more changes in my diet and bring my weight down and as a consequence it should help my blood pressure and blood glucose too.
Like all these things, you need to get organised and I'm just starting to look at doing that. My mum comes down to visit us in a week and then we have the Bank Holiday and so I think perhaps straight after that is the time to get organised and start to do something.
I'm really pleased with the progress on my diet and being below 16 stone is great and I'm hoping to keep going down and losing a lot more. I feel very good at the moment and apart from being a little sore and a little stinging still I think I'm recovering well from the mauling I took on Monday.
I'm almost settled on my food regime, still searching for various things to do with the Flax Seed Oil and Cottage Cheese mixture as it is OK with Tuna but somehow I really do miss having it with breakfast cereal and also with fruit and nuts. Nuts are probably OK but not in the sort of quantity to go with the FOCC mixture even though I'm making less of it. I found a few more sites that have recipes and I'll trawl my way through those. I like one idea of grinding flax seeds and adding them to a salad and if we ever get a summer and I have more salads I'll do that. At the moment it feels so cold outside you'd be forgiven for thinking it was January not May.
Like all these things, you need to get organised and I'm just starting to look at doing that. My mum comes down to visit us in a week and then we have the Bank Holiday and so I think perhaps straight after that is the time to get organised and start to do something.
I'm really pleased with the progress on my diet and being below 16 stone is great and I'm hoping to keep going down and losing a lot more. I feel very good at the moment and apart from being a little sore and a little stinging still I think I'm recovering well from the mauling I took on Monday.
I'm almost settled on my food regime, still searching for various things to do with the Flax Seed Oil and Cottage Cheese mixture as it is OK with Tuna but somehow I really do miss having it with breakfast cereal and also with fruit and nuts. Nuts are probably OK but not in the sort of quantity to go with the FOCC mixture even though I'm making less of it. I found a few more sites that have recipes and I'll trawl my way through those. I like one idea of grinding flax seeds and adding them to a salad and if we ever get a summer and I have more salads I'll do that. At the moment it feels so cold outside you'd be forgiven for thinking it was January not May.
It All Looks Different Now
I'm pretty certain that you would get the fact that this time last week I thought I had Cancer again and now I'm pretty certain that I don't. Suddenly the horizon isn't as near and I can think to plan further into the future.
My blood glucose levels are all within tolerance especially my fasting level. Additionally my Blood Pressure is OK (but not great) but it is in the right area. Urine tests also appear to be OK although I've still got some trace blood from the 4 wounds in my bladder. Of course every time you urinate the bladder which is a muscle collapses in on itself and so it must be quite difficult to heal. I think it will be sometime next week when you get to the yucky bit when you pass the scabs which fall off - at least they are easily passed :-) Mind you it can take you by surprise sometimes.
I'm just in a much better place and we will just have to see how things pan out. There's a local job going that I've asked for more details and I was offered a small contract on a self employed basis which is for 3 months so that's a possibility too.
I'm off out tonight and all day tomorrow! Busy but just need to remember not to "over do" it.
My blood glucose levels are all within tolerance especially my fasting level. Additionally my Blood Pressure is OK (but not great) but it is in the right area. Urine tests also appear to be OK although I've still got some trace blood from the 4 wounds in my bladder. Of course every time you urinate the bladder which is a muscle collapses in on itself and so it must be quite difficult to heal. I think it will be sometime next week when you get to the yucky bit when you pass the scabs which fall off - at least they are easily passed :-) Mind you it can take you by surprise sometimes.
I'm just in a much better place and we will just have to see how things pan out. There's a local job going that I've asked for more details and I was offered a small contract on a self employed basis which is for 3 months so that's a possibility too.
I'm off out tonight and all day tomorrow! Busy but just need to remember not to "over do" it.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Invisible Nasty Stuff In My Food
Sugar that is in all it's forms and hidden carbohydrates and grains and all sorts of nonsense in my food. I found Fructose in my Pickled Onions, Sugar in Pickled Dills, Sugar and Wheat Flour in Mustard, sugar in Worcestershire Sauce and the list goes on and on. Sugar is absolutely everywhere and in so many different forms. Fructose must be the criminal of them all, a naturally occurring sugar but my goodness what it does to your body....
Then all those carbohydrates that everyone tells you are so good for you too. It's been a bit of an epiphany in some ways and as I said some years ago, having cancer has a silver lining in that it made me begin to take a bit more control of my diet and my lifestyle.
My goodness though, I thought to myself this morning, I've been through the mill on this journey. I was feeling particularly beaten up and sorry for myself this morning as only a bruised wrist and sore bladder area and still the faint reminder of pissing razor blades can make you reflect on what you've just been through. Not once but now 11 times! Sure other people have worse things and far blacker prognoses than I (and that's good to remind you to give due proportion to your own situation) but it's me feeling like this and whilst I have general empathy for others it is me who is experiencing this.
When you start to dig into your lifestyle and the "advice" you are given and then scratch away a bit more you start to find out loads of things. Without going into too much detail it has been interesting to read that there were hardly any diabetics, cancers or heart problems a few centuries ago. Sure people died of some diseases and nasty things which we've now cured but in general it is only recently that diabetes and heart disease have been with us and it appears that since the "balanced diet" appeared in the 1960s there has been a rising number of cases of these diseases. There are plenty of books out there about the Paleo diet and Atkins and others like Protein Power and The Insulin Factor and works by Tim Ferriss and Gary Taubes are also worth looking up. The popular Mercola website also has lots of information on it - although it can be a bit "Daily Mail" in its delivery of the news.... Nearly all of them highlight the link between carbohydrates (in all their forms) or sugars if you like that screw with your body and cause insulin to work against you rather than for you.
If you get a moment when you look at a packet of food or jar or bottle have a look at the ingredients - it will surprise you what is in it. Mustard for example had sugar and wheat flour in it. I have now bought ground mustard powder and make my own as needed. A jar of pickles generally has for example Onions, Vinegar, Fructose, Salt and some other stuff. We try and make our own now as it is difficult to find any that don't have sugar / fructose in them. How on earth diabetics can keep track and control over this is beyond me.
Finally in this rant, the consensus is that the food pyramid has carbohydrates at the base and vegetables and fruit thereafter then diary and then meats and fish above that. Surely something is wrong here - carbohydrates are cheap and plentiful but will kick the daylights out of your body and make you fat (if you are so inclined that way) and then fruit which our ancestors only had limited supplies of and only in season and certainly they didn't have the highly modified fruits of today which are high in sugars and low in fibre. The whole thing is arse about face and this supply of cheap and plentiful carbs and fruit and processed food which hasn't been with us that long is leading to a major problem with the population including diabetes, heart disease and cancers. It's a bit of a "Go Figure" thing.
I know that since I've been on a low carbohydrate, low insulin (GI), high protein diet my weight has fallen away, and generally my health is better than it has been for some time. I feel quite fit and healthy and problems I used to have with sleep patterns and in many ways the ups and downs I used to get are things of the past. The fatigues I used to get don't happen and whilst I know I'm not as fit as I ought to be I'm still much much better than last year, no longer out of breath or getting panic attacks/claustrophobia so regularly and I fit my clothes and actually feel good about myself.
I hope that as I recover from these biopsies I'll do some more exercise as I know I should (much as it sucks) to increase and perhaps accelerate weight loss and also, if there is any residual tendency towards Type 2 Diabetes in my system, to completely reverse that. It would be good to go to my Doctor and show my Blood readings and shove those under his/her nose and question their letter to the Hospital and also ask why they didn't think to talk to me about it, advise me or get me tested (unless that is what the yearly blood test is actually about)? It wasn't a fasting one last time so I kind of doubt it as far as I recall they need to make sure they aren't injuring my Kidneys. Oh well - sure it will all come clear when I eventually get to see them.
Then all those carbohydrates that everyone tells you are so good for you too. It's been a bit of an epiphany in some ways and as I said some years ago, having cancer has a silver lining in that it made me begin to take a bit more control of my diet and my lifestyle.
My goodness though, I thought to myself this morning, I've been through the mill on this journey. I was feeling particularly beaten up and sorry for myself this morning as only a bruised wrist and sore bladder area and still the faint reminder of pissing razor blades can make you reflect on what you've just been through. Not once but now 11 times! Sure other people have worse things and far blacker prognoses than I (and that's good to remind you to give due proportion to your own situation) but it's me feeling like this and whilst I have general empathy for others it is me who is experiencing this.
When you start to dig into your lifestyle and the "advice" you are given and then scratch away a bit more you start to find out loads of things. Without going into too much detail it has been interesting to read that there were hardly any diabetics, cancers or heart problems a few centuries ago. Sure people died of some diseases and nasty things which we've now cured but in general it is only recently that diabetes and heart disease have been with us and it appears that since the "balanced diet" appeared in the 1960s there has been a rising number of cases of these diseases. There are plenty of books out there about the Paleo diet and Atkins and others like Protein Power and The Insulin Factor and works by Tim Ferriss and Gary Taubes are also worth looking up. The popular Mercola website also has lots of information on it - although it can be a bit "Daily Mail" in its delivery of the news.... Nearly all of them highlight the link between carbohydrates (in all their forms) or sugars if you like that screw with your body and cause insulin to work against you rather than for you.
If you get a moment when you look at a packet of food or jar or bottle have a look at the ingredients - it will surprise you what is in it. Mustard for example had sugar and wheat flour in it. I have now bought ground mustard powder and make my own as needed. A jar of pickles generally has for example Onions, Vinegar, Fructose, Salt and some other stuff. We try and make our own now as it is difficult to find any that don't have sugar / fructose in them. How on earth diabetics can keep track and control over this is beyond me.
Finally in this rant, the consensus is that the food pyramid has carbohydrates at the base and vegetables and fruit thereafter then diary and then meats and fish above that. Surely something is wrong here - carbohydrates are cheap and plentiful but will kick the daylights out of your body and make you fat (if you are so inclined that way) and then fruit which our ancestors only had limited supplies of and only in season and certainly they didn't have the highly modified fruits of today which are high in sugars and low in fibre. The whole thing is arse about face and this supply of cheap and plentiful carbs and fruit and processed food which hasn't been with us that long is leading to a major problem with the population including diabetes, heart disease and cancers. It's a bit of a "Go Figure" thing.
I know that since I've been on a low carbohydrate, low insulin (GI), high protein diet my weight has fallen away, and generally my health is better than it has been for some time. I feel quite fit and healthy and problems I used to have with sleep patterns and in many ways the ups and downs I used to get are things of the past. The fatigues I used to get don't happen and whilst I know I'm not as fit as I ought to be I'm still much much better than last year, no longer out of breath or getting panic attacks/claustrophobia so regularly and I fit my clothes and actually feel good about myself.
I hope that as I recover from these biopsies I'll do some more exercise as I know I should (much as it sucks) to increase and perhaps accelerate weight loss and also, if there is any residual tendency towards Type 2 Diabetes in my system, to completely reverse that. It would be good to go to my Doctor and show my Blood readings and shove those under his/her nose and question their letter to the Hospital and also ask why they didn't think to talk to me about it, advise me or get me tested (unless that is what the yearly blood test is actually about)? It wasn't a fasting one last time so I kind of doubt it as far as I recall they need to make sure they aren't injuring my Kidneys. Oh well - sure it will all come clear when I eventually get to see them.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
What to make of it all?
I have to say that it is difficult to know quite what to think about what has just happened to me and then to reflect back on a similar thing that happened in 2010. Both resulted in me having to go into Hospital and have an Operation under a general anaesthetic and them finding nothing.
You can look at this in a number of ways I suppose. I could be predisposed to marking of the Bladder caused by the flexible cystoscope touching it as it enters the bladder. It is after all the simplest explanation and the Occam's Razor - "It states that among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected."
You see we could speculate that on both occasions that I had a recurrence and that somehow in the 4 or 5 weeks it took to have the operation that something I had done removed all trace of it? It's hardly likely is it? I'd say that perhaps I could have done something that affected the outcome but surely not to the point of a complete Houdini of a missing tumour. Much as I'd like to think that having a body with a high Alkali pH and thumping Flax Seed Oil and Cottage Cheese (FOCC), the Budwig Protocol into myself regularly might have done something I think that perhaps they would only have made a small difference in the time available.
However I do feel that I should continue to keep my body as Alkali as possible, to continue with the FOCC on a regular basis and to continue to monitor myself as far as possible. It's in my best interests to do this and it will keep me focussed on maintaining the lifestyle that I need to in order to minimise the chances of recurrence.
I'm back where I was about 6 or 8 weeks ago before the time when I thought I'd seen the onset of having Bladder Cancer - a small object flew out of my urine stream - there could be many explanations for this but it alerted me to the possibility that I had a recurrence and then to hear I had was disappointing but I felt that I knew even though I haven't felt as well as I am now for a long, long time.
It's a new lease of life and it means that the Plan B contingency stuff can be moved to one side and Plan A can once again see the light of day. It's complicated and I need to take a short while to readjust to being cancer free again. Of course, until my Consultant calls me in for the results of the biopsies and what we are going to do next, I can't be absolutely sure but let's bring Occam back into this and it's the most logical outcome if they couldn't see anything there.
For the moment the relief is really beginning to manifest itself and I'm a "little emotional" about it. I'm seeing my old school chums tomorrow night for a drink and so I'll celebrate with them and see where we go from there.
You can look at this in a number of ways I suppose. I could be predisposed to marking of the Bladder caused by the flexible cystoscope touching it as it enters the bladder. It is after all the simplest explanation and the Occam's Razor - "It states that among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected."
You see we could speculate that on both occasions that I had a recurrence and that somehow in the 4 or 5 weeks it took to have the operation that something I had done removed all trace of it? It's hardly likely is it? I'd say that perhaps I could have done something that affected the outcome but surely not to the point of a complete Houdini of a missing tumour. Much as I'd like to think that having a body with a high Alkali pH and thumping Flax Seed Oil and Cottage Cheese (FOCC), the Budwig Protocol into myself regularly might have done something I think that perhaps they would only have made a small difference in the time available.
However I do feel that I should continue to keep my body as Alkali as possible, to continue with the FOCC on a regular basis and to continue to monitor myself as far as possible. It's in my best interests to do this and it will keep me focussed on maintaining the lifestyle that I need to in order to minimise the chances of recurrence.
I'm back where I was about 6 or 8 weeks ago before the time when I thought I'd seen the onset of having Bladder Cancer - a small object flew out of my urine stream - there could be many explanations for this but it alerted me to the possibility that I had a recurrence and then to hear I had was disappointing but I felt that I knew even though I haven't felt as well as I am now for a long, long time.
It's a new lease of life and it means that the Plan B contingency stuff can be moved to one side and Plan A can once again see the light of day. It's complicated and I need to take a short while to readjust to being cancer free again. Of course, until my Consultant calls me in for the results of the biopsies and what we are going to do next, I can't be absolutely sure but let's bring Occam back into this and it's the most logical outcome if they couldn't see anything there.
For the moment the relief is really beginning to manifest itself and I'm a "little emotional" about it. I'm seeing my old school chums tomorrow night for a drink and so I'll celebrate with them and see where we go from there.
A Flying Start - Not
Well - I suppose it takes time to get used to taking your own blood readings :-) I'm using an SD Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor which comes with a meter, a lancet stabbing device and first fill of lancets and test strips and a few other goodies. I have a sharps bin to put all the nasty pointy things in and the used strips (with blood on them). I bought myself a set of refills of the lancets and test strips.
So the first blood draw wasn't entirely successful. I bent the first lancet when I removed its cover! So used another. I wasted 4 yes 4 test strips and had to do two holes in my fingers to make it all work. I think I've now worked out how to do this - as with everything its a matter of practice makes perfect. The lancet is easy enough and I managed to draw blood on both goes. What I didn't quite get right is getting the blood into the system. I got errors that not enough blood was taken up. I hadn't left the strip there long enough and hadn't got a drop big enough. On the 5th attempt I shook my fingers and then pushed out a drop of blood slightly larger and it all worked fine.
The reading was 5.8 mmol/L which is within the non diabetic limit and - just for the hell of it just within the Type 2 range too. The next one, 2 hours after my breakfast will start to build the picture.
I also started my blood pressure readings this morning and that was a satisfying 131 over 90 which is roughly where I want to be although lower would be nice. My Blood pressure in Hospital was up in the 190 over 105 sort of area but I do get stressed out about visiting hospital and who wouldn't?
I'm content that I'm now recording this sort of information as I want to go and have "a chat" with my GP and discuss the Type 2 letter I saw in my Hospital file and for my own benefit I want to see that the 4HB diet works in terms of keeping blood glucose low. This in turn keeps insulin low and should allow my body to burn off the stored fat. A quick step on the scales this morning shows that I've now dipped below 16 stone and I'm around 15 stone 12 pounds. I haven't used a tape measure to check various areas of my body - I'll wait until I've healed up a bit anyway. I've dropped a neck size in my shirts and around 4 inches around my waist and a good few around my chest but also my arms and legs have lost some of their bulk too (not muscle I hasten to add), my watch is very loose on my wrist and my rings fit easily on to my fingers. In fact I have to say I felt pretty good in the hospital, I actually didn't press anywhere on my gown which felt loose on me this time. I didn't feel too hot or claustrophobic and generally I feel really well.
I'm hoping to build up a picture of my health which then can assist me to take a bit more control of things.
So the first blood draw wasn't entirely successful. I bent the first lancet when I removed its cover! So used another. I wasted 4 yes 4 test strips and had to do two holes in my fingers to make it all work. I think I've now worked out how to do this - as with everything its a matter of practice makes perfect. The lancet is easy enough and I managed to draw blood on both goes. What I didn't quite get right is getting the blood into the system. I got errors that not enough blood was taken up. I hadn't left the strip there long enough and hadn't got a drop big enough. On the 5th attempt I shook my fingers and then pushed out a drop of blood slightly larger and it all worked fine.
The reading was 5.8 mmol/L which is within the non diabetic limit and - just for the hell of it just within the Type 2 range too. The next one, 2 hours after my breakfast will start to build the picture.
I also started my blood pressure readings this morning and that was a satisfying 131 over 90 which is roughly where I want to be although lower would be nice. My Blood pressure in Hospital was up in the 190 over 105 sort of area but I do get stressed out about visiting hospital and who wouldn't?
I'm content that I'm now recording this sort of information as I want to go and have "a chat" with my GP and discuss the Type 2 letter I saw in my Hospital file and for my own benefit I want to see that the 4HB diet works in terms of keeping blood glucose low. This in turn keeps insulin low and should allow my body to burn off the stored fat. A quick step on the scales this morning shows that I've now dipped below 16 stone and I'm around 15 stone 12 pounds. I haven't used a tape measure to check various areas of my body - I'll wait until I've healed up a bit anyway. I've dropped a neck size in my shirts and around 4 inches around my waist and a good few around my chest but also my arms and legs have lost some of their bulk too (not muscle I hasten to add), my watch is very loose on my wrist and my rings fit easily on to my fingers. In fact I have to say I felt pretty good in the hospital, I actually didn't press anywhere on my gown which felt loose on me this time. I didn't feel too hot or claustrophobic and generally I feel really well.
I'm hoping to build up a picture of my health which then can assist me to take a bit more control of things.
Late Again
I think I ought to give myself a break tomorrow - it's late again and I should be in bed resting, I can certainly feel my stomach and legs, my groin area and my urethra sorting themselves out and also my wrist from where the cannula was. So whilst urinating is getting a little easier with each trip (and there are many drinking the amount I am) I can certainly feel bruises working their way out and things trying to settle themselves back into place. The poor old urethra is straightened right out with a rigid cystoscopy and you can only begin to imagine all the pushing and shoving to get the instrument into your bladder and manipulated around. I have the shaved leg too where the contact patch goes so that they can ground the other part of the instrument so when they burn out the biopsies it courturises the wound area.
I have to say that I'm most relieved with the outcome and trying not to count my chickens etc but it is nice to know that it wasn't a little tumour in there after all. Whilst my Consultant sympathised with me about my "disappointment" of a recurrence after all this time, she did remind me that it was for exactly that reason that they had been keeping an eye on me. I wonder though how other patients would react to having a false positive? Me, well of course I wouldn't want to go through this again and it has been twice where I've had false positives. But think about it another way, what if there HAD been something there? At least this way we know for sure. I'm not angry about it but I wonder if some people might be? I'd say they would have every right to be upset that they'd had a procedure they didn't need but would they think of it the right way?
Your mind is very good at forgetting how rubbish the general anaesthetic makes you feel and all the build up and waiting and hanging around and the procedure itself - the stress has been massive this time I have to say. I think that this was different to the last time. Last time there was a red spot and they wanted to check that out. This time it was a recurrence and had to be taken out. It was to all intents and purposes being told you had cancer again which believe me is the last thing you want to hear. Nevertheless, I'm where I am and thats what I've been dealt and now I've got to get on with it.
I kind of hope that my Consultant will consider some sort of procedure for me in future that minimises this sort of thing happening. It has only happened when others have done my scope not her. I know you empty your bladder just before going in, perhaps they can let me leave it so that they don't hit the bladder wall and cause false positives.
Enough writing for tonight, off to bed and get some R&R :-)
I have to say that I'm most relieved with the outcome and trying not to count my chickens etc but it is nice to know that it wasn't a little tumour in there after all. Whilst my Consultant sympathised with me about my "disappointment" of a recurrence after all this time, she did remind me that it was for exactly that reason that they had been keeping an eye on me. I wonder though how other patients would react to having a false positive? Me, well of course I wouldn't want to go through this again and it has been twice where I've had false positives. But think about it another way, what if there HAD been something there? At least this way we know for sure. I'm not angry about it but I wonder if some people might be? I'd say they would have every right to be upset that they'd had a procedure they didn't need but would they think of it the right way?
Your mind is very good at forgetting how rubbish the general anaesthetic makes you feel and all the build up and waiting and hanging around and the procedure itself - the stress has been massive this time I have to say. I think that this was different to the last time. Last time there was a red spot and they wanted to check that out. This time it was a recurrence and had to be taken out. It was to all intents and purposes being told you had cancer again which believe me is the last thing you want to hear. Nevertheless, I'm where I am and thats what I've been dealt and now I've got to get on with it.
I kind of hope that my Consultant will consider some sort of procedure for me in future that minimises this sort of thing happening. It has only happened when others have done my scope not her. I know you empty your bladder just before going in, perhaps they can let me leave it so that they don't hit the bladder wall and cause false positives.
Enough writing for tonight, off to bed and get some R&R :-)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
FOCC - Mystery Solved?
You may recall I was having a bit of difficulty eating the FOCC mixture and so I decided to open a new bottle of Flax Seed Oil and try mixing that with Cottage Cheese - result? It tasted fine and worked well with my Tuna salad - a little "wet" for my liking - so I just added a bit more tuna and voila it seemed to work out just fine with a taste and texture very similar to tuna mayonnaise and so I reckon that the other Flax Seed Oil must have started to turn rancid.
I've poured the old one away and will use the new bottle from here on in.
My urine tests were amazing this morning as the 4 biopsies are bleeding a little and the blood indicator was the top it could possibly be! At least my test strips are working. My Alkali pH level was around 7.5 and that's not bad - I've had some bicarbonate of soda today and intend to keep doing this although I will try some checks on pH with and without it in the future.
I'm planning a whole series of things for my health starting in a week or two when I'm recovered. This involves making my diet work together with reading my blood glucose levels, blood pressure and urine and bringing this all together. I've now lost enough weight that I fit most of my suits and shirts but I need to move on to the next level and plan bringing more exercise into my daily life. I think that in my mind I've settled on a plan (or plans) what to do from this point onwards but of course the recent hiccough in this through thinking I had cancer again has knocked planning to one side. I need to spend some time with Mrs. F. so we can balance out the risk and reward stuff and also to agree on what I can and cannot do and the sort of investment I need to build a new business (or businesses).
I am looking at one other permanent position which is interesting but the travelling is the killer with it and it would need to be rewarding enough to allow me to finance a flat or apartment near the office as I really can't be doing with travelling for 4 to 6 hours a day which it can easily be even though it isn't a long way away it is still a difficult journey by rail or road.
I've poured the old one away and will use the new bottle from here on in.
My urine tests were amazing this morning as the 4 biopsies are bleeding a little and the blood indicator was the top it could possibly be! At least my test strips are working. My Alkali pH level was around 7.5 and that's not bad - I've had some bicarbonate of soda today and intend to keep doing this although I will try some checks on pH with and without it in the future.
I'm planning a whole series of things for my health starting in a week or two when I'm recovered. This involves making my diet work together with reading my blood glucose levels, blood pressure and urine and bringing this all together. I've now lost enough weight that I fit most of my suits and shirts but I need to move on to the next level and plan bringing more exercise into my daily life. I think that in my mind I've settled on a plan (or plans) what to do from this point onwards but of course the recent hiccough in this through thinking I had cancer again has knocked planning to one side. I need to spend some time with Mrs. F. so we can balance out the risk and reward stuff and also to agree on what I can and cannot do and the sort of investment I need to build a new business (or businesses).
I am looking at one other permanent position which is interesting but the travelling is the killer with it and it would need to be rewarding enough to allow me to finance a flat or apartment near the office as I really can't be doing with travelling for 4 to 6 hours a day which it can easily be even though it isn't a long way away it is still a difficult journey by rail or road.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Scar War XI
Scar Wars XI
In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
The Hunt Is On For The Evil Red Spot
Appearing Every Few Years It Brings Fear And Anxiety To All Those Diagnosed With It
Our Hero, Dave SkyNando, Confronts His Fears Head On.
I was hoping to use my Jedi mind skills with the nurse when confronted with the Type 2 Diabetes question. "Are you a Diabetic?" I waved my arm "These aren't the Droids you're looking for!" No, that didn't work. I did however explain that his notes said I was a Type 2 Diabetic (controlled by diet) and yet I had no knowledge of this fact and as I'd never been told by my Doctor :-) We then spoke around what my glucose sugar levels were/are. Now call me an old cynic but if I didn't know that I was a Diabetic and my Doctor hasn't bothered to test me for this or indeed talk to me about it then what could I say? He suggested that he might take my blood glucose to which I asked what would he compare it with exactly. we decided, whether by Jedi mind trick or me being bloody minded not to bother.
Once before have I been in at the crack of sparrows to the Hospital and very much like today should really have been given the later appointment. There are two reporting in times 07:45 and 11:45. I didn't go down to theatre until 15:00 and by my reckoning that's way over 7 hours without water and 16 hours without food. There were a couple of us in this situation and we played last man standing (well woman in her case and she followed me).
Inevitably as these things are and I should have known better - I turned up at the Planned Investigation Unit only to be told that I was in the wrong place and I should be in Surgical Admissions. Well of course I should be, that's where I always used to go until last time and the time before that..... As you might realise all parts of this blog are to be read with a heavy sarcastic bent. It was well packed but not uncomfortably so. In fact it was all going rather well as within 25 minutes I had been reviewed, spoke to the anaesthetist and been consented and spoken to my consultant who I trust. I told her how "disappointed" I was with the recurrence and she did say that they kept their eye on us for just such an eventuality and that it wasn't unusual for this to happen. From the diagram she had and the description she felt that she may just be able to nip it out and she would review what was there and what to do about it after grading and we chatted about Mitomycin as a potential one off installation and had I had it before, which I had not. SHe then said it was a little too early to discuss that yet but she'd get me sorted out no problem and I could go home straight afterwards if it was all straight forward. I said I'd like that - she knows I don't like to hang around.
The day dragged on and my first MP3 player ran out of batteries at 11:20 and so I pulled out MP3 player 2 which ran through until I was called on to get changed and have my "chat" with the nurse :-) The Theatre was very much as I was used to although they made a meal of getting the cannula in the back of my wrist. My Blood Pressure readings were all very high and are something I must address - I'm very surprised at how high they are especially given my diet - they should be much lower. I went out very quickly and came too feeling an urgent need to urinate - this is par for the course - the sting from the scope does this. So they gave me a bottle. It was then that my Consultant popped her head around the curtain and told me the good news. There was nothing in the bladder, no signs of a recurrence and nothing else in the bladder either. Previously (in 2010) she just let it go, this time she felt that she ought to take biopsies which she did (4 of them I believe). She then said once I'd urinated twice I could go home. That was good and I was moved to stage 2 recovery and given some water and coffee. Now I'm an old hand at this and so I threw down the first jug of water and also had 2 coffees. The second jug of water took a little longer to drink and they ordered some food for me - I had to keep that down apparently :-) and hour and a quarter later I managed to give a very full urine bottle to the nurse. So pleased was he with it that he said that the one would be fine and I could go home. Great - I was disconnected from the plasma and all the bleep, bleep, bleep machines and the Blood Pressure Monitor and allowed to get dressed. My "I'm Not Dead Yet!" Monty Python Tee Shirt always brings a smile to people's faces and it was nice to then get a sandwich and orange juice and yoghurt (all of which are potential poison to me on a Protein Diet) and I ate and drank those with gusto as I hadn't eaten for about 18 or more hours by then.
I managed to phone Mrs. F. and she could collect me on her way home from work. After having my cannula removed I I was transferred to the discharge lounge by wheelchair and was collected and "signed for" by Mrs. F. I had to make a couple of stops to the toilet just before and after this as the urgency to urinate is immediate. The pain was pretty bad and so getting home and having some Ibuprofen and Paracetamol really eased that. I see some blood from the biopsies and have had Mrs. F. place some old towels in bed as I'm leaking a little bit :-(
It's interesting that this is the second time I have been in to remove or investigate (I suppose) what looked like a recurrence and it turned out to be clear. In some ways it is a bit worrying that this has happened and in others it is better (as my mate Flocky Bicep said) "Better to have an Op that you didn't need than to not have one that you did" and of course that is right. If it had of been a cancerous tumour it needed to come out and it is better to know I suppose. But it throws up all sorts of questions and there aren't any easy answers to them.
An example is how come I saw something in my urine that I perceived to be a bit from a tumour? How come the doctor suggested that the cytology had come back positive (although it could be me reading an inference)? Did he and the previous doctor just bash the wall of the bladder with their scope and there was nothing really there at all or was there really something there that disappeared (without trace) on both occasions? The doctor actually drew the anemone shaped tumour and it's location on my medical notes. Why did I see blood traces in my urine samples (although not recently)? Did going back to FOCC and bringing my body to a high pH (alkali) level get rid of what was in there (if it was)? The trouble is that all of this data doesn't make any sense as it stands.
I'm certainly going to have a hard think about how I move on from here. Everything is different again (without jumping to too much of a conclusion about the biopsies). I've got my life back and I haven't got cancer which I thought I did have. That's the thing above all that is great but did I have it in the last 4 weeks since the flexible cystoscopy? Has something happened in between and the answer is???? Given the evidence, we will never know. Did the Akali environment banish the little blighter from my bladder? If so how come it left no trace? It's all very peculiar and it has happened twice to me now. Perhaps my bladder bruises easily? My consultant explained that perhaps it had something to do with the way the bladder squeezes itself to eject the urine but whatever it has reignited my desire to do something about remaining cancer free. I certainly have the tools and the inclination to do that. More on that in later posts, for now the main thing is that it looks as if I am cancer free still. Long may that continue.
May The Force Be With You!
Something to Ponder
I'll write a bit more but:
- No sign of tiny recurrence / tumour
- No sign of anything untoward in bladder
- Biopsies taken to check anyway
This is like Scar Wars X - then they saw a red mark / spot and did a TURBT only to find nothing.
What makes this different for me is:
- I thought I was some tissue fly out while urinating a few weeks before the flexible cystoscopy
- It is difficult to interpret but some of my urine strips appear to show trace blood
- I thought the Locum suggested that my Cytology had results that supported his observations
- It is the second time this has happened to me - are there more false positives
I can't even begin to tell you what a relief this is for me.
A Couple Of Hours To Go
I've eaten a late (very) late meal of scrambled eggs. They suggest that it is worth doing and I'm still drinking water. It is just gone 1am and I'm winding down for the night. I'm going to get up at 6 and have a shower and then get ready to go - I have to leave at 7:15 to be there at 7:45. I hate the fact that I have to sit in Planned Investigations - I've seen people sitting there at 9 in the morning and I don't find that a great place - it is ridiculously hot too and so I'll sit near the door and get some breeze as that opens and closes. I'll also just wear a light tee shirt too.
I have enough music on two MP3 players and my Phone so that if I am in overnight I can entertain myself. I really don't speak to anyone as I'm really not that interested in discovering what people have or not and the quality of patient small talk isn't ever great I've found.
Some good wishes emails have arrived which were thoughtful and thankfully received. Nice to know people are thinking about you. This time tomorrow it will all be over and I guess I'll know something of what has happened and also what the next steps are likely to be. I then need to get my arse into gear and sort out my future. However the week is also full of meetings - Thursday Night - postponed drink with the lads (from Tuesday). Friday Night a Lodge meeting then I have two meetings on Saturday one with lunch and one with dinner (thank goodness it is cheat day).
I just hope they haven't beaten me about too much in the meantime. Best get off to bed now - it's going to be a busy morning as three of us will be getting ready and having showers - hence I need to be up first - even more so that I can have a final drink at 06:30....
More when I get back.
I have enough music on two MP3 players and my Phone so that if I am in overnight I can entertain myself. I really don't speak to anyone as I'm really not that interested in discovering what people have or not and the quality of patient small talk isn't ever great I've found.
Some good wishes emails have arrived which were thoughtful and thankfully received. Nice to know people are thinking about you. This time tomorrow it will all be over and I guess I'll know something of what has happened and also what the next steps are likely to be. I then need to get my arse into gear and sort out my future. However the week is also full of meetings - Thursday Night - postponed drink with the lads (from Tuesday). Friday Night a Lodge meeting then I have two meetings on Saturday one with lunch and one with dinner (thank goodness it is cheat day).
I just hope they haven't beaten me about too much in the meantime. Best get off to bed now - it's going to be a busy morning as three of us will be getting ready and having showers - hence I need to be up first - even more so that I can have a final drink at 06:30....
More when I get back.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
One Day To Go
It will most probably all be over by this time tomorrow - although the only other time I've been in early and didn't get seen until the late afternoon and was terribly dehydrated was probably the first or second time. I can remember just waiting for ever and ever and eventually they took pity on me and let me rinse my mouth. It didn't help we were waiting in a room with a water cooler! Great :-)
I'm OK this morning - no jitters or nerves at the moment. Had a good breakfast and continuing drinking water and I'm going to take it easy today. I'll be reading up some more about Type 2 Diabetes but the more I read the remoter it is from how I am and how I feel but the proof will be when I do some blood work. I haven't got a sharps bin yet so I will wait until I get that and after a day or so after I return from Hospital. It will be interesting to get some readings and to record meals, weight, glucose and perhaps urine tests and my blood pressure over a period of time and then "have a conversation" with my GP. I've just ordered my BP drugs online so let's see if that works again this time. They haven't called me in for a review even though one is due and when I called they said to wait until there was an attachment on the prescription form.
I've got my music and books (Kindle) ready to go in and my bag needs a final pack and that will be that. I need to reread my notes from Wednesday's Pre-Assessment and make sure I eat and drink "up to the wire" ready for tomorrow. They suggested, for the first time ever, not to take my Aspirin in the morning which is fine by me. It's not as if I miss out on these - I think I have only ever missed one or two in all the time I've taken them and normally it would be a Statin on a late night back or falling asleep before taking it.
There's a Grand Prix on a little later so I will sit and watch that and study my books and see if I can make any sense at all of the Type 2 stuff. The one thing I do know is that it is possible to reverse Type 2 and as I'm currently eating a low glycemic index, low insulin diet, albeit without the full exercise regime to go with it (I need to sort this out), I can't imagine I'm a Type 2 but there you go. The tale of the tape - or blood monitor will tell and once I've got data to work with, then we can do something about it. I certainly don't want to be in and out of the Hospital having loads of blood tests - I've enough to worry about with the "Tiny Recurrence"
Let's hope that it is just that, tiny, insignificant and that I won't require treatment. If I need to, then I need to but, let's see what happens. With any luck my Alkali treatment will have kept things in check too.
I'm OK this morning - no jitters or nerves at the moment. Had a good breakfast and continuing drinking water and I'm going to take it easy today. I'll be reading up some more about Type 2 Diabetes but the more I read the remoter it is from how I am and how I feel but the proof will be when I do some blood work. I haven't got a sharps bin yet so I will wait until I get that and after a day or so after I return from Hospital. It will be interesting to get some readings and to record meals, weight, glucose and perhaps urine tests and my blood pressure over a period of time and then "have a conversation" with my GP. I've just ordered my BP drugs online so let's see if that works again this time. They haven't called me in for a review even though one is due and when I called they said to wait until there was an attachment on the prescription form.
I've got my music and books (Kindle) ready to go in and my bag needs a final pack and that will be that. I need to reread my notes from Wednesday's Pre-Assessment and make sure I eat and drink "up to the wire" ready for tomorrow. They suggested, for the first time ever, not to take my Aspirin in the morning which is fine by me. It's not as if I miss out on these - I think I have only ever missed one or two in all the time I've taken them and normally it would be a Statin on a late night back or falling asleep before taking it.
There's a Grand Prix on a little later so I will sit and watch that and study my books and see if I can make any sense at all of the Type 2 stuff. The one thing I do know is that it is possible to reverse Type 2 and as I'm currently eating a low glycemic index, low insulin diet, albeit without the full exercise regime to go with it (I need to sort this out), I can't imagine I'm a Type 2 but there you go. The tale of the tape - or blood monitor will tell and once I've got data to work with, then we can do something about it. I certainly don't want to be in and out of the Hospital having loads of blood tests - I've enough to worry about with the "Tiny Recurrence"
Let's hope that it is just that, tiny, insignificant and that I won't require treatment. If I need to, then I need to but, let's see what happens. With any luck my Alkali treatment will have kept things in check too.
Cheat Day - A Sort Of Non-Event
As if I hadn't had enough cheat days this week - but there you go. I hardly did anything other than spike my system with some bread and beer. Other than that - not much to report.
I am getting a bit of the jitters ahead of Monday but it looks like it will be a dry yet cold day and I'll probably walk to the Hospital. I have my wife's number so I can call her at work (very rarely am I allowed to use that). I have no idea how long I'll be there but I reckon that there won't be the pressure to get out I normally put on myself and so with a whole afternoon to leap through the hoops of things to be done to go home, it might be that I can come home as she comes home from work - that would be nice.
Feeling a tiny bit sorry for myself this evening but I suppose that I'm allowed to do that. Getting a recurrence really is a nuisance and it throws up some long term concerns for me (us) too. I was hoping to talk about some of those with Mrs. F. today but she was otherwise busy - maybe tomorrow :-)
I am getting a bit of the jitters ahead of Monday but it looks like it will be a dry yet cold day and I'll probably walk to the Hospital. I have my wife's number so I can call her at work (very rarely am I allowed to use that). I have no idea how long I'll be there but I reckon that there won't be the pressure to get out I normally put on myself and so with a whole afternoon to leap through the hoops of things to be done to go home, it might be that I can come home as she comes home from work - that would be nice.
Feeling a tiny bit sorry for myself this evening but I suppose that I'm allowed to do that. Getting a recurrence really is a nuisance and it throws up some long term concerns for me (us) too. I was hoping to talk about some of those with Mrs. F. today but she was otherwise busy - maybe tomorrow :-)
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Good News
An ex-colleague has been given the all clear after 5 years of treatment. Good for her!
I went out last night to my friend's party and it was worth it. It was one of those interesting evenings - I did well for most of it sticking to red wine when some wag decided to bring something called a Jägerbomb so I had two of those rather reluctantly I hasten to add. The "hit" if I can call it that was in the Red Bull I guess and so having destroyed my best efforts to stick to diet we then went to a Turkish restaurant and ended up having a small beer and some great food which was also way off diet. Got home OK and then sat in front of the TV watching a concert (Rush).
Feeling sort of OK this morning but a little stressed - it's difficult to explain. It's a sort of anxiety which you can feel right inside your stomach and throughout your core. It's manageable and that's the main thing. I've started to get things ready and my Blood glucose monitor has arrived together with the spare lancets and test strips. I don't have the sharps box yet (to dispose of the lancets) and whilst I've set it up I may just do a practice shot and then wait until after the hospital and operation to set up and do this regularly.
I went out last night to my friend's party and it was worth it. It was one of those interesting evenings - I did well for most of it sticking to red wine when some wag decided to bring something called a Jägerbomb so I had two of those rather reluctantly I hasten to add. The "hit" if I can call it that was in the Red Bull I guess and so having destroyed my best efforts to stick to diet we then went to a Turkish restaurant and ended up having a small beer and some great food which was also way off diet. Got home OK and then sat in front of the TV watching a concert (Rush).
Feeling sort of OK this morning but a little stressed - it's difficult to explain. It's a sort of anxiety which you can feel right inside your stomach and throughout your core. It's manageable and that's the main thing. I've started to get things ready and my Blood glucose monitor has arrived together with the spare lancets and test strips. I don't have the sharps box yet (to dispose of the lancets) and whilst I've set it up I may just do a practice shot and then wait until after the hospital and operation to set up and do this regularly.
Friday, May 10, 2013
To Go Or Not To Go
I was umming and arring what to do and finally after Flocky gave me a call I decided I ought to go up to London to meet my mate - it is his 60th Birthday and in many ways whilst I don't feel that great, perhaps this will take my mind off things. I certainly knew I'd feel a bit rough by now and so it proves - my whole core feels ill but perhaps this change of scenery and my friends will cheer me up?
I got good news this morning from another Masonic Order I am in - I've got an active office for next year and a pretty senior one at that - it is totally unexpected but nevertheless appreciated and it is a great honour.
Right off to get ready and head off to London for the party.
I got good news this morning from another Masonic Order I am in - I've got an active office for next year and a pretty senior one at that - it is totally unexpected but nevertheless appreciated and it is a great honour.
Right off to get ready and head off to London for the party.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Great Evening (and Afternoon for that matter)
I arrived at the station too early and found my travelling companion already there and so we jumped the early train and headed off to London - there was an almighty shower of rain as we got near but when we arrived it was quite pleasant and so we walked to Drury Lane and then popped into a pub and we had a couple of drinks prior to the meeting. The meeting was really good as was the reception and meal afterwards - I do like Champagne and there was plenty of that to start with. A number of us travelled home together and that was nice - we had quite a laugh on the train and I managed to get a laugh out of some of the travellers as I explained how my travelling companion had to change in another room to us but came in. I suggested that we "give the old chap a few pence for a tea and send him on his way" :-)
Anyway, it was a very pleasant day and that's the great thing - finally we've gotten around to the fact that we are in this to enjoy it. Some people don't get that. It was nice to meet up with a number of the Masters and Secretaries - we all go to each other's meetings as honoured guests - affectionately known as the Mafia or the Red Apron Mafia. I may even get to go out more next year as the chap taking over from me really isn't a travelling sort and so I may get to represent him during his year - who knows?
Chatting to a friend about the "diabetic" issue he was surprised that I'd not shown any symptoms considering the "masonic meals" I eat and also the drink and everything else. I'm surprised too I have to say - I don't recollect having any Hypos but of course there is the day after cheat day when I do often feel rough and I would probably have eaten stuff that would spike my insulin - mind you this doesn't happen until the next day and so it's all a bit of a mystery. At least all my stuff I notice has been dispatched and so I'll do some checking of my own on this.
Lots of people were wishing me well tonight and some who had heard were a bit distressed but others once I told them wished me well and I'm still pretty positive about all of this - it will be what it will be (of course) but the words used are "tiny recurrence" this is on the left wall of my bladder beyond the ureteric orifice. I'm on the urgent list and so it obviously can't be left for too long but let's see what happens.
I'm certainly OK tonight about it - I feel fit and crazily I feel pretty healthy - losing the weight helped a lot of course and I hope that helps in recovery too.
Anyway, it was a very pleasant day and that's the great thing - finally we've gotten around to the fact that we are in this to enjoy it. Some people don't get that. It was nice to meet up with a number of the Masters and Secretaries - we all go to each other's meetings as honoured guests - affectionately known as the Mafia or the Red Apron Mafia. I may even get to go out more next year as the chap taking over from me really isn't a travelling sort and so I may get to represent him during his year - who knows?
Chatting to a friend about the "diabetic" issue he was surprised that I'd not shown any symptoms considering the "masonic meals" I eat and also the drink and everything else. I'm surprised too I have to say - I don't recollect having any Hypos but of course there is the day after cheat day when I do often feel rough and I would probably have eaten stuff that would spike my insulin - mind you this doesn't happen until the next day and so it's all a bit of a mystery. At least all my stuff I notice has been dispatched and so I'll do some checking of my own on this.
Lots of people were wishing me well tonight and some who had heard were a bit distressed but others once I told them wished me well and I'm still pretty positive about all of this - it will be what it will be (of course) but the words used are "tiny recurrence" this is on the left wall of my bladder beyond the ureteric orifice. I'm on the urgent list and so it obviously can't be left for too long but let's see what happens.
I'm certainly OK tonight about it - I feel fit and crazily I feel pretty healthy - losing the weight helped a lot of course and I hope that helps in recovery too.
Another Day In London
I think I will make this the last thing I do before Monday - I need to go into my shell for a few days. At least I'll be seen on Monday morning not have to wait until the afternoon. They've told me to prepare for an overnight stay - not that I particularly want to do that but at least I have all afternoon to recover and see if I can get off home, whatever the terms and conditions are this time. I've learnt not to pre guess them - they continue to change.
Today I'm meeting someone and we are off early so I need to start to get ready this morning! I have to leave just after I've had lunch we will be there in plenty of time so perhaps can have a leisurely drink.
At least I shouldn't be home too late. I'm still annoyed about this type 2 diabetes thing but I'll sort that out after I've been in and recovered.
Today I'm meeting someone and we are off early so I need to start to get ready this morning! I have to leave just after I've had lunch we will be there in plenty of time so perhaps can have a leisurely drink.
At least I shouldn't be home too late. I'm still annoyed about this type 2 diabetes thing but I'll sort that out after I've been in and recovered.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
All ordered
Glucose monitor, strips, lancets and sharps box, software downloaded and I will hopefully get all the stuff next week and can do some checking on blood glucose levels and see where it is all heading. The software looks cool and you can do all sorts of averages and trend monitoring.
It will give me some ammunition and give me enough data to discuss what needs to be done, if anything. I'd be very surprised if I have any problems but there you go forearmed is forewarned etc. It will also be interesting to see how the diet I am on is affecting my blood.
On the FOCC experiment - today I tried 3 cottage cheese to one Flax Seed Oil and then added some tomato puree to make it into a marie rose type sauce and whilst the tomato made a bit of difference it didn't make it much nicer. I shall try various options until I get something that is palatable. My pH remains at 7.5 and above although early this morning it was as acid as I've ever seen it but then again I had been out eating and drinking the day before. Although I tried to keep to diet it was almost impossible. I enjoyed the food and the company and the drink too and this Thursday is also another difficult day too. Anyway the main thing is that I know enough to keep to diet or as near as possible the major thing is to have or continue to have low insulin and low glycemic index foods. Well now I can check myself and that's the main thing - at least I will be able to determine what is going on with this body of mine.
It will give me some ammunition and give me enough data to discuss what needs to be done, if anything. I'd be very surprised if I have any problems but there you go forearmed is forewarned etc. It will also be interesting to see how the diet I am on is affecting my blood.
On the FOCC experiment - today I tried 3 cottage cheese to one Flax Seed Oil and then added some tomato puree to make it into a marie rose type sauce and whilst the tomato made a bit of difference it didn't make it much nicer. I shall try various options until I get something that is palatable. My pH remains at 7.5 and above although early this morning it was as acid as I've ever seen it but then again I had been out eating and drinking the day before. Although I tried to keep to diet it was almost impossible. I enjoyed the food and the company and the drink too and this Thursday is also another difficult day too. Anyway the main thing is that I know enough to keep to diet or as near as possible the major thing is to have or continue to have low insulin and low glycemic index foods. Well now I can check myself and that's the main thing - at least I will be able to determine what is going on with this body of mine.
Thanks GP
Interesting pre-assessment - now done at the Out Patients area and by one of the senior staff on the Urology Ward who I've seen before. It was very quick and of course my Blood Pressure was through the roof. Sky High - it came down of course and once we'd had "the chat" well things got on fine until she queried my questionnaire form.
She said I read that you were a diabetic and I said no I definitely wasn't a diabetic but that years ago I got a bollocking from my doctor for eating too much fruit and since then I'd changed my diet. She then dug out a letter from my GP saying that I was a Type 2 Diabetic controlled by diet. Well - hold on a minute, when were they going to tell me this news - rather important I'd have said? Anyway, I shall bring this up the next time I have a review which must be due soon. Maybe I'll do a few tests and get a handle on whether I do have a problem. Certainly the urine tests aren't throwing up anything noticeable and I suppose I ought to get some glucose tests done but I hate blood work but perhaps in this instance it will be worth doing.
Anyway the upshot is she has me down as a diabetic type 2 controlled by diet. Of course I'm on a low glycemic index diet anyway so I'm doing the right thing but frankly, it would have been nice of them to tell me FFS.
I didn't need the ECG this time - I'm not that old and everything else was tickety boo so that's great. In on Monday and let's see what they come up with.
She said I read that you were a diabetic and I said no I definitely wasn't a diabetic but that years ago I got a bollocking from my doctor for eating too much fruit and since then I'd changed my diet. She then dug out a letter from my GP saying that I was a Type 2 Diabetic controlled by diet. Well - hold on a minute, when were they going to tell me this news - rather important I'd have said? Anyway, I shall bring this up the next time I have a review which must be due soon. Maybe I'll do a few tests and get a handle on whether I do have a problem. Certainly the urine tests aren't throwing up anything noticeable and I suppose I ought to get some glucose tests done but I hate blood work but perhaps in this instance it will be worth doing.
Anyway the upshot is she has me down as a diabetic type 2 controlled by diet. Of course I'm on a low glycemic index diet anyway so I'm doing the right thing but frankly, it would have been nice of them to tell me FFS.
I didn't need the ECG this time - I'm not that old and everything else was tickety boo so that's great. In on Monday and let's see what they come up with.
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