New Year

Well, Tess it`s my turn with Mum on Fri and like you wasn`t impressed with the old hospital after all the problems with her plaster! She is going to have her shoulder checked out following her fall last May. What is parking like, do I need to leave plenty of time before the app to find a space? App is at 4, thanks.

Lizzy, has Alan had any luck with his interviews? Hope your mood is getting better and you are coping ok with the thyroxine.

Well, must go as I have a very early start in the morning have to be at Mum`s for 8 as they are coming to convert her tv to digital, should be a fun day!! I`m sure she won`t have a clue how to watch tv afterwards, bless her.

Linda

If your appointment is at 4 shouldn't be too bad for parking. Most people will be coming away from visiting as it finishes at four. There is a multi store car park. You get ticket on way in and pay at ticket machine on way out of the hospital. It costs £2.00 i think for two and half hours.

No my away around the hospital well now. I hope your mum gets on ok.

Claire is a lot better and brighter today but still got a long way to go. She is now waiting for another test a white blood cell scan. She told us to have a few days away from hospital now she is feeling better. She has plenty of friends going in to visit. It is good as Stewart has two more nights yet at work. Going in again at the weekend unless she needs us before.

Will be good to cook a meal and not watch the clock all the while waiting to go to the hospital.

Lizzy hope you are ok today.

Tess

I hope you are both ok and not in too much pain.

Linda I hope all goes well with your mums hospital check up.

Tess I'm so sorry to hear about the treatment Clairs is getting its hard enough being ill without the added pressure of poor treatment.

I have taken Alan to the airport this morning he is flying to Glasgow for an interview. Had to be up at 5 am which is far too early for me. I really wish someone would give him a break.

My session with the counsellor this week was a very tough one and left me quite upset after we had finished. It looks like its going to be a long hard process. I can't believe I have been going for 5 months and that I am actually worse now than when I started.

Wishing you both a good day.

Lizy

I do hope your counselling session does work out ok for you in the end Lizzy. Maybe it will take time to talk over your problems and in time things will get easier for you. i do hope this time Alan gets his job. He must be getting really fed up with it all as must you.

That was an early start for you today you must be tired tonight.

Claire sent me a text today and said she had a really bad night of pain.

She is still in a lot of pain in her face since they forced the tube into her nose. The dr saw her and told her it is sinusitis and she had a drip with tramadol. She has never suffered from this before and I hope it is a temporary thing and they haven't damaged her sinuses.

Linda how did your mum get on at the hospital? I hope you found where you needed to go ok.

Got a letter from my gp surgery today asking me to make appointment and see my doctor. It is to sort my treatment out after my visit to the hospital in January.

I have been feeling a bit more tired lately and suppose it is due to the change in my thyroxine levels.

Tess

Hope Alan had a successful time in Glasgow and that your councelling sessions start to help you soon. Had my assessment for councelling on thurs and there`s now a 2month wait for an appointment!

Well, Tess I`m afraid I don`t rate the city hospital very high! As neither Mum or Ray could walk very far I had hope there would be disable spaces, well there were, only 10! Of course they were full. Dropping off was almost impossible and in the end left the car in the middle of the road, held up all the traffic while I got them both out of the car and inside! Bet I was popular.Lol the problem then was to find somewhere near enough for me to walk back from! The clinic was again too far for them to walk to in one go and there were no wheelchairs, not that I could have managed them both and no seats to rest in on the way. There was then a 50 min delay in appointment times so it was 5 instead of 4 that we were seen. Lets hope these are teathing problems, and those for claire too and they will be solved quickly!

I guess you will be more tired, both from the thyroxine and with the worry of claire and the visiting, I hope she is in less pain and on the mend soon.

Linda

After nearly 2 weeks of major depression I called my Doc for an appt. I was at the end of my endurance. Guess what hes away on holiday for the week. Could see anyone else but just couldn't face it so booked an appt. for monday Morning next week.

Anyway got up this morning and guess what I feel much better!!! So now I don't know what to do?. Apart from feeling so low that I would have done anything to knock myself out. I am now left with very painful muscles and joints, palpitations and terrible heart burn and waking in the night with big panic attacks and that dreadful endless mind chatter which won't switch off. Do you think its the thyroxine?

Alan has gone for another interview to day, he is still waiting to hear back from the Glasgow one.

Tess I do hope they haven't done any long term damage to Claires nose. Has chris heard back from Uni yet? Vicky got an offer from huddersfield and is over the moon.

Linda that hospital visit sounds dreadful, where I go its the other way round they have so many disabled parking slots a lot remain empty and yet no normal spaces. What sort of counselling will you have Linda?

I am begining to feel a little more relaxed with my counsellor and she is teaching me some techniques which will hopefully help. Its more of a case of putting my childhood experiences to bed rather than trying to retrain the brain in the way it thinks. She says I got to learn how to let go and deal with experiences, rather than keeping them locked up inside.

Tess have you decided on any trips in the campervan yet?

I would love to book a family camping holiday? it would help to have something positive to look forward to.

Wishing you both a good day.

Lizyxx

How are you both doing today. Went to see dr on Thursday about my cancer medication. The dr got a letter from my consultant asking him not to change my medication. He was ok about it all. I also asked him for some different pain relief for the fibro and arthritis. He has given me gabapentin to try. I have to take one table for three days then increase to two tablets for three days, then increase to three tablets every day. Haven't started them yet as wanted to wait a while until things were not quite so hectic with Claire in hospital. Has anyone else tried these tablets.

Stewart went in to be with Claire today when her dr came round to see her for support. Her two scans came back clear so still don't what is causing her pain. She has still got a laparoscopy to have so see what that shows. The consultant again said that he wouldn't let he have the peg and when they asked him why he said was because of the mortality rate.

On all the information we have read never mentioned a high mortality rate. They did say that they could refer her to St. Marks in London who are a good hospital to deal with crohns and they could posssiby refer her as an in patient. Still going to fight for it in Peterborough though if we can.

Claire has a patient on her ward and she was talking to her parents. They told her that their daughter has had 3 pegs in ten years and has been ok. Although while in hospital they hadn't done something and it had closed up so she now needs another one. They were angry and were going to complain.

Claire has got a nutritional nurse from the hospital going to talk to her on Monday. She deals with the care of ng tubes and peg feeding. She has also asked to speak to the physcologist again. Her occupational doctor is going to ring her next friday while she is still in hospital to talk to her.

Lizzy Chris has got a conditonal offer at Brunel Uni in London. It didn't say whether he would be getting any funding for it. It he doesn't get a bursary and then probably won't be able to go. Going to ring the Uni on Monday to find out. Last year they had a bursary of £4,000 so he is hoping with all the cuts there will still be a bursary.

Going to have another day away from Hospital tomorrow as Stewart is on nights over the weekend. Going in again Sunday afternoon next.

Have a good weekend.

Tess

Lizzy, I know just what you mean about the depression and making appointments! I can never face seeing someone different if I`m really low, but like you once I`ve made appointment I seem to feel better. Had both my carers assessment and my councelling assessment and both advised me to see GP after I`d kept a diary for a few weeks of all my symptoms, problems, etc as they both feel I should be entitled to some extra help in my own right. Trouble is when I feel really bad I think that way too, but on good days I think it`s all in my head and there is nothing wrong with me! Have been keeping diary and see GP on Thursday, so must wait and see.

Tess, I wasn`t impressed with the new hospital either, I thought maybe it was because I tend to compare it to addenbrookes. But the clinic I took Mum to last week only had one person on reception and the queue just to check in was out in the corridor and absolutely packed when we finally got in!! I take Mum to have her other cataract done on Tuesday, so I`m hoping for a better experience, I shall definitely say something if they want to put her at the end of the surgeons list, because she will just get aggitated and not know what is going on.

Well, I hope you both stay strong and am sending hugs,

Linda

Well Poppy finally arrived today at 11 am. Steph waters broke at midnight last night and went to hosp. They sent her home and said could be a while being a first baby. She had bad pains coming 2 to 3 minutes at 4.30 this morning and went back to hospital and poppy came along at 11am. She is so cute and I had a lovely hold of her and she fell asleep in my arms. She was only four hours old at that time.

Had a really busy day. Went to Claire's house and cleaned it through in case they should suddenly discharge her. She is still in at the moment.

Then went to see Poppy Mae in the afternoon and went back in the evening to see Claire. Stewart and I swapped over. I saw poppy in the afternoon and he saw more of Claire. Then I saw Claire in evening and he went with Chris to see Ppppy and Steph. They wouldn't let Claire go see her because of cross infection from ward to ward. She did get a sneaky peep at her.

Hope all went well Linda for your mum on Tuesday. Off to my bed soon as got Molly all day tomorrow. Teachers have a training day.

Lizzy has your daughter got a car the one who passed her test? Hope she is getting on ok. Chris hasn't any bursary for his uni course but we are going to help him to pay for it. He might get a maintenance grant and some other help. He needs to find out.

Well time for my bed now lol.

Take care.

Tess x x

How are you both? How did your app go with GP about your depression, Lizzy? I came completely off my anti-depressants last month because of the side effects. I`m on that thin line at the moment between climbing the walls and barely coping.

Tess, how is Claire and your new grand daughter? I`m suffering really badly at the moment with chronic fatigue, not really getting the essentials done each day, so that in turn is making the depression worse and then leads to more pain. Saw GP last week and he thought it might be time to try for DLA, but that seems a bit final, as if I`m giving in and not fighting anymore. If that makes sense! Anyway will see how things go.

How is Alan, Lizzy, any news on the job front? If anyone needs a break you do. When we have so many things to bear is there any wonder we don`t get better ourselves!

well felling tired again so will have a rest before attempting dinner.

Take care, Linda

Sounds like life has been hetic for you both.

Linda I do hope you are looking after yourself. Please don't let yourself get too low. Are you still suffering withdrawal symptoms? I think you should go for DLA and see it as a bonus and not as giving in.

At last I have told my doc what I should have told him 2 years ago. I am now on 2 different types of anti-depressants, not feeling too good as the 2nd one I have only been taking for about 8 days so its not in my system yet and I am also having all the bad side effects.

Tess how is Claire doing? How is the new baby?

Alan still hasn't got a job he had quite a few interviews a couple of weeks ago and was very dissappointed not to be offered any job at all. It must be really hard to keep trying when you are turned down so often.

Linda do you do phone texting? if so I will pm you my phone number.

Wishing you both a good weekend.

Lizzy

Yes, Lizzy I do have a mobile that I can use for texting. I`m glad you were able to talk to your GP, that`s part of my problem I find it hard to say what I`m really feeling.

Hope you are taking care of yourself, Tess and enjoying the latest addition to the family!

Linda

Linda I will send you my phone number by pm as at times I find it easier to text.

Linda it was one of the hardest things I have ever done telling my gp. I feel dreadful at the moment I think its all the drugs I am on and it always takes a few weeks for my body to settle down when I take a new anti depressant. I feel a bit embarrassed about going back to see my gp!!!

Tess I hope all is well with you?

Lizy

Linda I've sent you a private message with my phone number.

Thanks for your concern over claire and new addition to the family. Claire came out of hospital last Monday and is doing ok. To has put some weight back on and is on some new tablets. They are the same ones my gp has just given me for pain. They are called gabapentin. I started mine a few days ago but haven't noticed much difference yet. I am on two at the moment but can start to increase to three tonight. I can take three at night and go back to see my gp in a couple of weeks.

It is good things have now settled down slightly. Claire went to pain clinic today and they said her pain was neuropathic pain caused by long term crohns. She is also going tomorrow for the camera test at Addenbrookes at 8am. She has to swellow a camera. I just hope she hasn't got a narrowing as if it gets stuck she will need an operation. Fingers crossed for her. She should have had this test the day after she was admitted to hospital. The hospital said they would ring addenbrookes to cancel it for her. Claire rang today and found out the hospital hadn't cancelled it and they thought she had just not bothered to turn up. You can't trust them to do anything. They also told Claire they had made her another appointment for the test and hadn't. If she hadn't rung today and asked when it might be she wouldn't have known. They had a cancellation for tomorrow at 8am so asked it she would like to go.

Lizzy I do hope you start to feel a lot better soon. Also you Linda what are we all like. Good job we have each other to talk to as well.

I will pm you Linda also with my mobile number if you want to do the same with yours for me.

Well take care and catch up again soon.

Tess

[color=orange:ee044c710a][b:ee044c710a]EMIS Moderators have removed Hospital names from this posting as this is the policy of Patient UK not publish these on the forum. Please feel free to communicate with other registered users via Private Messaging (PM).[/b:ee044c710a][/color:ee044c710a]

Will put your mobile numbers in my phone and send mine to you. Oh dear Tess, how naughty of you, consider yourself well and truly told off!! Glad the new baby is doing well and I do hope Claire gets sorted out soon. Ann had an endoscopy a couple of years ago and she chose to be sedated for it.

Lizzy how are the new anti depressants going? The side effects were what made me come off mine and I realise now they were not really working anyway! They must now be out of my system and the side effects have all gone and the depression is no worse! Don`t quite know what to do now, wonder if a different one would be worth trying or not?

My cousins wife died two weeks ago and I have to take Mum to the Buddist funeral on Weds. She was a Thai girl and that was her religion, she leaves a 17yr old daughter. I`m told the cremation will last an hour! hope Mum doesn`t get restless. lol We are having such a busy time lately Its wearing me out, would just like a few days without appointments so I could see the wood for the trees so to speak!!!

Well will chat later, Linda