It's been an interesting week...
Monday at 2.30 p.m. I reported to the BRI for my gastroscopy (via Primark to pick up some more trousers as I've lost enough weight that the old ones kept sliding down my hips). Lots of chat beforehand, warning about possible dangers, nothing new or worrying. Should take about 5 - 10 minutes, they said. Might be a little longer, depending on what we find. Some discomfort, but nothing too bad: the anaesthetic spray will prevent most of it...
So into the operating room, sit on the trolley and get the back of my throat sprayed with the most disgusting tasting stuff ever. Made me retch (but since I hadn't eaten anything in 15 hours, as advised, that's all). Lay down on the trolley, oxygen-spraying sponge up one nostril, green mouthguard holding my mouth open, and they (all female, which was appreciated) start feeding in the tube...
Anaesthetic spray somehow managed to miss the side of my throat where the tube rested, which HURT but given I wanted this over asap I wasn't going to start fussing. Tube goes down oesophagus and into my stomach. "Hm." the doctor says. "Better take some biopsies... We're going to pump in oxygen now to inflate your stomach so we can see what's going on."
Stomach bloats. Little stings come from inside my stomach where they're taking 'multiple biopsies', as the patient copy of the report says. Then the gas starts coming back up in huge noisy belches...
[sigh] Well, it was expected, and I didn't intend moving until after they'd finished. Which they did after what felt like an hour but was probably 20 mins.
Sat back up - the anaesthetic had worn off completely by now and throat felt raw - and said, "That hurt like hell. I'd rather not have to go through it again." Doctor grimaces and says - "I'm afraid you're going to have to..."
Turns out I have oesophageal scarring (from long term intermittent acid reflux), a '5 cm hiatus hernia with a prominent prolapsing gastric fold' (5 cms of my stomach is protruding through my diaphragm - no wonder it hurts if I try to swallow anything too big!), widespread gastritis, numerous (non-malignant, they think) gastric polyps and three (THREE!) stomach ulcers, the biggest 3 cms long. They are (reading from report) 'linear, clean based' and not caused by bacteria, which is a good thing: I guess it's just the stress of the last six years...
Oh joy.
SO - 2 x 20mg omeprazole tablets twice a day (high dose of one of the meds Kai was on while undergoing treatment, to protect his stomach) for 6 weeks, which should heal the ulcers and solve the gastritis. The hernia is, apparently, nothing that unusual, lots of people have them. Unless it gets worse, in which case you can have surgery; for now it'll just be a matter of taking smaller bites and chewing more thoroughly. I need to make an appointment in 6 - 8 weeks for another gastroscopy, although this one will be to take a quick look to see how things have improved. Now I know what to expect I'll probably opt for the spray again, instead of a sedative - I can cope. Though in the meantime I've been advised not to eat anything too spicy or hot until the course has finished. That's sackcloth and ashes to me! (Ken did point out it's Lent...)
So that was fun (not).
On Tuesday morning Kai used the battery charger to get Derpy going, enough for me to drive her down the road to Renatec for her service. We had to have a new (heavy duty) battery (the old one died the death, alas), new wiper blades, and the brake fluid replaced: came to over £300 total [wince] but she's now good to go and the battery should last at least five years. Heh. We'll see.
Kim and I were supposed to go swimming Tues p.m., but her dr's just doubled her levothyroxine dose and it upset her stomach, so we went to Almondsbury Garden Centre instead. Picked up a couple of ceanothus - Californian lilac, one that'll grow to 8 - 10 foot to go in the corner at the front to stop the bloody Peeping Tom next door from peering in, and a smaller one to go... somewhere in the garden! They also had one only Leptospermum (Tea tree, and the source of manuka honey apparently) which I just had to have (I justified it by reminding myself I didn't buy the £10 sequinned narwhal plushie that tempted me so at the BRI shop yesterday). Called in to the Riverside Garden Centre on the way back, and finally found cat mint seeds! Tyjer won't know himself in a couple of months. (I plant them in a big pot and keep it in the greenhouse overnight so intruder cats aren't tempted.) Phone call when I got back to say Derpy's service was finished so drove her back. Planning to drive to Sains tomorrow - heavy shop.
Wed was stupidly busy clearing up all sorts of little bits and pieces. Five different microgreens now on the go, and mung beans in their sprouter in the kitchen cupboard to grow in the dark; marrows, a pumpkin and a pot of parsley on the go in the greenhouse.
So, today. Thought I'd get online things done. Found the details to BACS my outstanding NI payment to HMGov. Answered oustanding emails, then thought I'd sort out my Mtickets. Firstbus currently charge £4 for a Dayrider Mticket, while it's £5 if you pay cash. Bloody ripoff but that's how things go these days.
Found the correct page, downloaded the app to my phone, then went to follow the instructions to set up my account. Easy, yes?
Of course not. Is anything ever straightforward in this family?
Set up the a/c, bought one ticket to add to my wallet - not risking any more than that in the first instance - then tried to login.
System didn't recognise my ID and/or password. Tried again. System gave me one of those FUGELY irritating verification screens (how many bikes/traffic lights/buses/crosswalks - you know the sort of thing), which I completed - and was then told the system didn't recognise my ID/password. Tried again - five verification screen this time, same end result. And again - eight screens, same end result.
Rang customer service. Explained problem: she reset my password and told me to try again. Tried again... twenty verification screens this time and SAME bloody end result. She went to confer with a more experienced techie, who had never heard of such a thing happening (yeah right) and advised me to uninstall the app, reinstall it and try again. (She could see my ticket was safely in my wallet, so that hadn't been lost.) Did as advised, and YAY, it let me in, and there was my ticket waiting for when I need to use it.
Asked how I changed the password back to my chosen one... She didn't know, and there's nothing anywhere Kai and I can find that allows you to do so. Plus when I tried to login again I GOT THE SAME BLOODY RESULT!!!
Uninstalled/reinstalled again - got my ticket back. Tried again, system wouldn't recognise me. Uninstalled/resinstalled again - back on. Tried again, system wouldn't recognise me. Uninstalled/resinstalled again - back on. I eventually ended up just saving the link to the ticket on the top level on my phone, but it's only a temporary fix. Will see what happens next time I want to buy a ticket...
I am NOT impressed.
On to more fun things. Films watched recently... The Meg - OK, but essentially Jaws for the Jurassic Park generation. Downsizing, which is extraordinary. A very good, intriguing film. The Commuter, fairly standard Liam Neeson actioner but fun all the same. And we're carrying on with Designated Survivor, which just gets better and better. Surprisingly realistic and sympathetic characters.
That's about it for now, I think. I have the dentist tomorrow morning - just a check up, but I shall ask her to grind down the sharp edge (that cuts my tongue if I talk too much) of a lower back molar where the enamel broke off from the filling. And of course it's Kai's birthday on Saturday!
Must see if I can find a suitably daft cake while shopping...
Labels: Almondsbury Garden Centre, car, friends, gardening, medical matters, nothing's ever easy 'round here...
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 3:52 pm
1 Comments:
Lor! I'm not sure what to say to all that. Sorry you've had to suffer that discomfort (pain!) but at least it seems all treatable. Unbelievable, the trouble with that app. I shall stick to my plastic top-up ticket, I think.
Saw the first episode of Designated Survivor this week and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the rest of the series.