Part 0800.0005

[Sheilaz]

Just sending you love, hugs & Omlet vibes for tomorrow.

[Plum]

Good luck today, don't let them patronise you.

[Chicken Shirl]

Best of luck today Docsquid thinking of you. x

[Lavenders_Blue]

Hope everything goes well for you today

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thinking of you today, too .

[Lydia]

Sending positive thoughts for you today.

[TheGirlsMum]

Good luck for today

[ClaireG]

All the best for today.

[Egluntyne]

All the best from me too.

[The Dogmother]

Have a lovely time in Norfolk Sarah, whereabouts are you going? I spent most of my childhood there and loved messing around in boats and fishing.

 

We will be over there in early May.. can't wait either.

 

Enjoy your break.

[docsquid]

Thank you for your best wishes everybody.

 

It was a bit of an anti-climax. I ended up seeing a junior doctor rather than the Consultant (again!). Lung function is stable, though not good, so they didn't recommend IV antibiotics. All tests seemed to be normal apart from lung function.

 

Bad news is that the funding hasn't come through from South Staffs PCT for the new treatment yet. I've already waited since January, now another 3 months. They haven't refused, they just aren't replying to any letters or enquiries from the hospital. Apparently this is normal - they put it off for as long as possible. It would be good to get the new treatment and see if it helps, but I guess they are trying to save money, and the prospects don't look very good, with the election coming up and all parties determined to save money. I'm not holding my breath.

 

If they do refuse, I'll have to look into whether we can pay for it privately, but I'm not sure what the rules on top-up treatment are - I know you can do this for cancer, but whether you can do it for ther conditions, I'm unsure. I couldn't afford to pay privately for ALL my treatment - it would be a struggle for this new medication on its own. We'll see.

 

If I lived in Birmingham I'd have it funded without question

 

At least I'm OK until July, so I'll celebrate by replacing the Hemcore in the chicken run

 

Re Norfolk: I believe we are staying somewhere near Brundall. I did lots of boating holidays as a teenager, but not been to the Broads area for a while. We hope to visit Strumpshaw Fen, Ranworth Broad and possibly Snettisham reserve too. I'm looking forward to getting lots of great photographs.

[Olly]

Hope you're feeling better now that's out of the way, very glad to hear you haven't had to be admitted! That's very frustrating about the funding, especially to know that you could get it without question if you lived somewhere else.

 

I wish I could suggest some way of speeding it up - any mileage in a report in your local paper or something like that? I would suggest contacting your MP, but at the moment .... good wishes anyway, hope everything continues stable, and that you get good weather for your holiday.

[Chicken Shirl]

The good news is that you are not in hospital today, but out in the garden doing things with the chooks. I am glad for you Sarah. {Hugs} The funding will come I'm sure. Maddening though none the less.

[Happy chickens!]

Hope you are feeling better, at least the news from the hospital wasn't too bad, even if you didn't hear anything more positive about the medicine.

 

If you were a doctor listening to yourself as a patient, what would you tell yourself? Slow down, cherish yourself put yourself first?? Lots of good medicine on here, make sure you take it!

[docsquid]

Thank you everybody. I am working really hard on taking the pressure off myself. The amazing thing is I still seem to get stuff done, just trying not to worry about it while I'm doing it!

 

DH has been much better over the past few days in terms of finding things for me to do. I've also been picked up by getting fabulous positive feedback on two photography assignments I submitted last week as part of my photography course. This has really boosted me up and made me feel I'm on the right track. I'm really looking forward to the next three assignments now.

 

I think I will have to wait until after the Election for any approach re the funding for my medication. Indications are we might get a new MP, and although I'm sorry for the old one, who hasn't done anything wrong, it might be an opportunity to get the funding thing sorted out for the new medication.

 

Hopefully the Scout camp next weekend will also be good fun, and a bit of a break, even though we aren't going very far.

[Plum]

Good news about your photography and things stabilising for you medically. Could some of your lung function be due to the stress you've been under?

 

NHS used to decline treatment where people were funding some of the medication but I'm sure I read that had to change due to an incident. Anyway am sending positive omletty wishes so you get the funding from NHS. Yes there are a lot of cuts in public spending coming over the next 5 years but I can't see it being on life saving treatment.

 

Enjoy your hols xx

[chickencam]

You sound like a very positive character overall. I know someone, who like you has long term health problems and she is much the same she seems to always go that extra mile to overcome her difficulties. Just remember to take care of yourself and let other people take the strain from time to time.

 

It is easy for other people to take you for granted without meaning to, just make sure that your voice is heard and that you get some down time just to relax. Take care and have a great holiday

[docsquid]

Just a quick update - I have worked hard at not getting stressed for the last week or so. This has been quite successful, even though we've been very busy. It has helped that we have our holiday break to look forward to, and we had a nice anniversary dinner out a couple of nights ago.

 

DH does seem to be taking notice some of the time when I say I've had enough and need to rest although other times he thinks it is OK to "just do a bit more" which might take 1/2 hour or so. He's been very stressed and busy, so I'm impressed he's been so good as he has been.

 

The bad news is that he has filled up our holiday break with a schedule of visits to his family and old school friends, so it doesn't look like we'll get to any nature reserves at all. I just wanted to go, relax, have no schedule and just pootle about looking at the scenery, landscape and wildlife.

 

At least we won't be at home, and I won't have to cook, and we might fit in a treatment in the spa at the hotel which will be very nice.

[Olly]

Glad to hear that things are a bit better. Er - I'm going to say you should put your foot down, it's YOUR holiday too y'know! Do you have to go with him when he visits all these people - could you suggest that he visits HIS old school friends and drops you at the bird reserve on the way, or leaves you in the hotel being pampered? I hope you have a lovely time, anyway.