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Today I went to see a specialist about the spots on my head. The first thing was finding my way round Ilkeston Hospital. The specialist was thorough. I have Actinic Keratoses. It is not an uncommon condition and in most cases it is benign. However if you leave it alone it can cause skin problems including cancer. The good Doctor has prescribed some skin cream which I shall need to take twice a day for the next 4 weeks or so. Whilst this is happening my face may look a bit blotchy but it will all end well. I have to go back to see the Guy again in April. In the meantime the pills for an enlarged prostate seem to be working. There is no sign of the condition that started this blog rearing its ugly head. Finally a word of support for our friend Simon whose condition is poor.

Hello again

Firstly mny apologies for the long gap between posts.  There are various reasons for this but I had better start with health news.

Earlier this month I had my penultimate review with the Oncologist.  All was fine.  I had had to travel to the Island for that and Dr. Cave told me as from January she wouldn't be doing clinics there but instaed would be permanently Southampton based.  I shall therefore see her in August for the final check.  That will be my five years up and after that the NHS makes no guarantees. 

On other notes of health Ev persuaded me to see a Doctor about some spots on my head.  The GP told me that this was sun damage and though I didn't have skin cancer it would need treatment by a Dermatologist.  I am due to see someone about this on 30 January.  Without wanting to be a serial moaner I also mentioned that peeing could on occsions be difficult.  A few times I have wet my trousers due to spraying which is rather embarassing.  I had a blood test which showed up as cancer clear but I do have an enlarged prostate which is normal for someone of my age.  I have been given some tablets to take and need to go back to the GP in 6 months time.

Of bigger worry has been our move into our new home. We had an infestation of fleas(the previous owners had cats) and how shall I put it a lot of cleaning was required when we moved in.  Water started pouring through a light in the porch.  As a result we had to spend a lot more on moving in than we bargained for.

On top of all that we have had to put up with BT.  Honestly I have never come across such dreadful customer service.  Firstly we were left with neither a land line nor broadband for a month.  When we did get a service it was slow.  It's only really in the last week that I have been able to use the PC to access the Internet.  We are still fighting with them over an account from which payments were taken.  Obviously BT is too busy hoovering up sports contracts to provide its customers with a decent service.

Thus the gap between postings.  Plus for some reason the spell checker on this screen does not work so apologies for any errors.

Finally a mmerry christmas and a happy new year to all readers.

Hello yet again

Sorry about spellings but I can't seem to be able to use spell checker.

hello again

After such a long delay, I have finally worked out how to post an entrym here.  That might sound daft but I have had trouble persuading the cursor to work properly on this blog.

First of all I am delighted that my previous blog entries have been of help to those going through the same experience.  It's not very pleasant of course being given the news of cancer.  The best advice I can give is try to remain positive.  People do recover. 

All of which brings me to my own state of health.  I am pleased to report that there have been no acid attacks in recnet months.  Sure there have been times when I have woken up with heartburn but a swallow or two of Gavescon usually does the trick.

Ev and I have needed our strength to deal witrh housing issues.  As you may know, we are renting a house in Derbyshire.  We originally thought that we would be here for two years minimum so we unplacked everything. For various reasons this turned out not be the case and we searched extensively for something to buy.  After seeing some unbelievable messes we found somewhere at the end of May.  Next week(11 September) we finally  move in.  As ever we won't know how long it will take BT to hook us up to Broadband.  However of more immediate concern is downsizing and making sure we can fit our furniture into the space available.  We sincerely hope this is our last move(it's the 13th by the way).

The road to purchase has been slow due to procrastination by various parties(not us).  So dear reader wish us well.  Our house is up a hill, which is a strange coincidence because my favourite song of all time is Peggy Lee's recording of the Folks who live on the Hill.

Now that I have worked out how to use this page I'll blog once we are reconnected to the Internet. 

With such a lot going on in our lives it's not altogether suprising that I have not made an entry here for some weeks.

The news though is good.  Blood tests show everything in order as it should be.  I have actually lost about half a stone (7 pounds) in the last 6 months but then I was in danger of putting on too much weight.  Dr. Cave was delighted.  I would imagine a lot of her time she has to deliver bad news to patients.  Knowing her she would not hide behind a load of jargon. 

I have two more sessions with the Oncologist until the 5 years are up.  Dr. Cave said she would be perfectly happy to continue seeing me for these if I was okay about travelling to the Island.  Given that she has seen me through all of this I thought it a good idea. I am due back in December.  My one caveat would be what to do should anything crop up requiring treatment.  Dr. Cave said she would write to the head of Oncology at Derby to let him know of my existance.

True to her word I got an appointment with a member of the Oncology team in Derby this past week.  It turned out to be a short but productive meeting.  Derby are quite happy for me to see Dr. Cave but have given me an open appointment with them.  What this means is that if I have any concerns or worries about my health and think these could be connected to cancer I can call them and fix up an appointment without having to go through visits to GPs and being stuck on a waiting list.  From all this you gather that it is possible for NHS staff to communicate with each other.

I am just back from nearly three weeks in Florida.  We spent the first and last weeks in Delray Beach(about 40 miles from Miami) and the middle week touring Naples, the Everglades and Key West.  With temperatures hitting the 80s it proved a welcome break from the dreariness of the Winter.

Two things put a bit of a damper on proceedings.  We left behind some of Ev's best jewellry in  one of the Hotels.  That place has checked and found nothing which is deeply sad.

The other was a particularly nasty acid attack.  At least I think it was acid but it was a feeling I had not experienced before.  As always the problem was self inflicted.  We had Dinner in a very nice restaurant.  I had ordered a chicken dish and was three quarters through it when I realised I had been eating skin as well as meat.  It turned out to be very greasy.  The result was I woke up at about one in the morning.  Apart from the soreness of throat I found I was sweating and struggling to breathe.  What normally happens with these acid problems is that after about an hour I can go back to bed and sleep.  Sadly this time it was not possible.

The consequence of this outbreak was that I started coughing presumably from the acid.  I also acquired a wheezy chest.  Fortunately a Dentist had given me some anti biotics following treatment before we left for the USA.  Even more fortunately Ev remembered to take them with our luggage.  Thus I took the suggested dose for a week and the cough cleared up. 

The other problem was that I lost all appetite.  For a days I ate not a lot.  It does not help of course that Americans always serve up mammoth portions in restaurants.  It feels like I have lost some weight but that is understandable in the circumstances.

I am due to see the Oncologist on the Island on May 13(a week on Monday).  I shall report the results as soon as possible afterwards.

Well I am sorry for the length of time since my last post.  I have taken a while to break through the security checks but here goes.

The move  wasn't too traumatic.  It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate when you have lived in a place for a number of years.  In the weeks up to the move we had been getting rid of things but even so our effects took over half of the space available on an 18 ton truck.  Houses come in all shapes and sizes.  In terms of overall size our old and new properties are roughly the same.  Bigger here are the Lounge and Kitchen but the Dining Room, Conservatory and Bathroom are smaller.  In the old place we had a large loft space but no garage.  Here in Derbyshire the reverse is true.  The garden where we are now is much bigger.

The town of Duffield where we live now is very pleasant .  I guess you would call it a dormitory town for Derby and Nottingham.  There is much excellent countryside round and about.  It's also very quiet which after Ryde is most welcome.  Transport wise it has a train station, good Bus Service into Derby plus the M1 is less than 20 miles away. 

Now to healthy matters.  Since moving I have had no acid attacks which is most welcome.  I have discovered that it takes for ever to transfer medical records from one surgery to another.  In brief after 4 plus weeks since  registering with a practice in Duffield our records have still not made it.  Enquiries of our old surgery reveal the papers were sent to Winchester(that's where the Strategic Health Authority for the Island is located) on 12 March. Records are then sent to the relevant authority for this neck of the woods and then on to the new place.  Some of you might think in this day and age of communications that is absurd. I couldn't possibly comment.

The upshot of all this is that I shall go to see Dr, Cave as scheduled on the Island in May and then to seek transfer of Hospital Records to Derby.  As to how long this will take your guess is as good as mine.

In the meantime I decided to apply to nearby Burton Hospital Radio for work as a volunteer broadcaster.  They are very good and professional and I knew I would have to undergo a Criminal Records check.  However I was confronted with a three page Health Questionnaire plus questions about immunisations I have had.  I have filled it in giving details of my illness and apparently it's up to the Occupational Health Department whether I can broadcast or not.

Life is never dull.