From the Drs to the Hospital to… erm what now? (by sarah)

Warning this post contains mention of poo and medical procedures!

Wednesday I went for my Drs appointment - the one I had to wait over a week for. I went in and told him all the symptoms I could remember and he stopped me and said he was concerned that I had been bleeding and how long had I had the squits? A set of questions about how much, what and how frequently plus the whole run down of the stuff from my second year and it was taking pulse and blood pressure and then prodding the stomach and then the internal.

I had been ill quiet badly just before we left for the Drs in fact we were almost late for it becuase of me and the proding and internal really really hurt.

Pulse high, blood pressure low and obvious dehydration even though I was sipping continously from a bottle of water I bought in with me.

He said he'd send me to the hospital for some tests and things but I was "erm... but I have my presintation this evening at college" and I get a look and he says that I can have a doctors note maybe not for the whole time period I've been sick for but definatly for the last two weeks and anytime in the hospital and you need a drip.

And so we headed off to the Gloucester Royal in the van - to my suprise he asked if Al could take me or if I needed an ambulence - this is so different from the treatment I had during the pregnancy back in Essex I couldn't believe it. (I went to cuasulty on the bus with a pulmniary anurism whilst mid-pregnancy plus pnumonia etc... not that I'm bitter).

So I get a letter all sealed saying AAU on it - accute accessment unit and instructions on how to find it (which I promptly forgot!) we get there and its time to try not to panic - I arrive and its ECG's and canular's put in and things like that. It was very close to what happened during the pregnancy and I feared being in hospital for weeks again, in pain etc...

They took a swab of my nasal cavities and the crease between my leg and groin to test for MRSA and we had a brief discussion about weather I had come into contact with it - yes a while ago i.e. mums infected wound from the lumpectomy.

If infected I would be moved to a side room.

I was moved to a side room with mutters of testing for swine flu etc... I had gone to the loo several times by this point and only then did they ask for a sample (this turned out to be part of an on going comedy).

Bloods taken - more proding and poking and internals and then more bloods and I spent the night in the AAU - I even got visited by a cute 'baby' Dr a.k.a the student who was just starting his on site training.

Again there was a vast improovement here above Harold Wood Hospital - they didn't just write - allergic to latex they gave me a nice bright red wrist band with LATEX written on it - an obvious and neat system if ever I saw one.

After all the proding and poking I felt very nuaseus and couldn't eat (when I arrived they said nil by mouth this got changed but no one told us and I didn't get any water till the evening). As the day wore on I slept alot - this was and is part of the problem I am just so tired.

However my body decided to embarrase me by deciding to stop what it had been doing and suddenly I was in hospital becuase I had bad diarreha and they wanted a sample and well... I erm... now had the opposite problem but produced something that night. (The assistant who came to get said she didnt think it was any good as it was mixed (ie I'd weeed too) and disappeared - it was still in the bathroom the next morning - I threw it away then the nurse came round demanding and I explained and she said it didn't matter that it was mixed for stools - sigh).

I then produced another for them about midday just as someone turned up to take me up to another ward - I told her that it was there in the bathroom (I hadn't had a chance to call anyone to collect it)

Anyway I was moved to ward 7a and put in another side room and about 1/2 hr later was asked for a stool sample to be sent for culture - if I hadn't been feeling so rough I would have laughed.

I had a fantastic view from this window and I was allowed to go walkies when Al turned up. Also the nurses actually realised I was scared and spoke to me about what was going on.

Obviously with the risk of cloting I shouldn't really be laying in bed all day and my back has been agony becuase of it but I'm just so tured at the moment.

I went for a potter to the shop and stuff and found the wall my art teatcher had made which was fantastic to be honest - it really is!

My blood pressure was low or normal the whole time - I did notice though that it was only normal if I saw them coming - I try not too but I panic when I see nurses wheel those trollies of instraments over to me :/

I actually ate the second day but my stomache just bloated and no stool sample. I had to have stronger pain killers that night to sleep and anti sickness drug - can't remeber what they were called.

I had the second book of the Wheel of Time series with me and Al had got me a note book the first day when I was in the AAU but I spent most of my time asleep.

Part of me did wonder if the diarrehia stopped because suddenly I wasn't trying to do things and was sleeping lots especially as the bloods they took were relatively normal (I hate it when they say things like that so are they normal or not?).

They still insisted that I have a sigmoidal arcoscopy (no idea how to spell it but it appeared to be a giant fibre optic camera on a flexi tube that they rammed into my lower cut). I had to have an enimia before hand - bizarly as soon as that was done I felt a lot better - I mean like a 100 times better but still had to have the camera.

The staff where very reassuring and chatty and I was asked if I had a normal labour - no - cesarian? - no - natural birth - erm yes - ah well you don't need sedation then! Mew 🙁

Well it wasn't that bad when they inflated me with air it just made me feel sick - there where some 'tight corners' which he had to tackel which hurt - he kept saying he would stop if the pain was too much but the pain of it going in was more that it shifting about once in. I had been on my side but he got me to lay on my back and that abatted both pelvic pain (my pelvis still clicks if I lay on my side on a hard surface) and the proceedural pain.

What I didn't like was the fact I could feel it moving about inside - it felt alien - not like being pregnant. I put my hand on my stomach and could feel it from the outside too - the nurse did the same.

I watched the video and it didn't look anything like the time in the second year when Becca took me - then it was just sort of a yellowy pink tube little hollows where things sat this time it was pale pink with a network of fine red lines spread across it. I assume these are for digestion etc... I watched the little three pronged claw come out and nip bits aways leaving little bloody marks - I didn't feel the biopsies being taken at all!

There was a strange nipple-esk thing near the beginning but he didn't seem to worry about it still I wish I had asked!

Obviously I was puffed up with air and they kept telling me I could let it out once they had finished but I couldn't and though my stomach was twice its normal size I just couldn't and I felt even better after they had done that.

So I went back to the ward and had breakfast and he sent some notes up with me - they took more bloods but on the plus side it looks like there is no evidence of colites or crohns so the biopsies should be clear.

Just after lunch the dr came to see me - I've had an infection which acted up my IBS (now the only reason I new I had a diagnosis of IBS was I saw it on the computer at the Dr surgery). This is why it's lasted for weeks instead of days. Blood was probably from a tear or possibly piles which got sore with all the going to the toliet.

More bloods were taken and I have to go back to the GP - GP wanted thyroid testing, glandular fever, gluten allergy and some other things I can't remember the name of done - the hospital where only testing some of these things. I also had to have x-rays done of both my lungs and my stomach - this was painful as the radiologist had to hold my legs in possition and reposition my stupid pelvic.

I was let out later that day (Friday) after being asked if I wanted to go home - this is a stupid question - I'm scared of hospitals I try not to look ill so they will send me home of course I wanted to go home!

I'm feeling abit stupid that it was just IBS but it is becoming stupid - I can't cope with doing things between my stomach, back adn pelvis and now I'm just getting skin infection and random rashes and just feeling ill all the time and I'm so tired all of the time and am having palpatations - heart feels like its in my throat fluttering.

Alaric thinks I have 'real' illnesses worse by becoming stressed and trying to do too much - I find I don't really care whats cuasing it I just want to stop it and get my life back. And on top of that I've screwed up my course again and I'd done the work for the presintation as well.

I suppose I'll just have to see what the Drs say now :/

Guinea Pigs! (by sarah)

Yes I'm still going on about our visit to Yorkshire!

Ulrike has four guinea pigs and they are so cute - they make little fepping noises that sound like an underwater bubble 🙂

Jean loves them as at her pre-school they have guinea pigs and rabbits!

I took and had taken lots of pics of the piggies! But somehow only managed to capture two of them! They have a fantastic cage set-up too that I ment to photo but somehow didn't :/

This one I rotated the wronge way!

I can only remember two of their names - Trillion and Milka! Ulrike did tell us lots of things about them such as they have bauld spots behind their ears and naming of types due to colouration but I unfortunatly can't remeber much of it.

When energy levels are better and we have the ducks - I think we might get some guinea pigs but not right now - I have enough trouble remembering to feed the puss-mogs!

Alaric got a bit annoyed at how long we took to leave becuase of the guinea pigs - I didn't know weather to be sympathetic or laugh when he got narky about it :/

Beltane Fun and a Little Sun! (by sarah)

Sunday saw us awaking at Ulrike's and Mikes in deepest darkest Yorkshire - we were upstairs in the 'computer workshop' a.k.a the spare room and another friend Rob was downstairs in the lounge on a pump up!

Ulrike like me loves dressing up for events and she had found a cool looking event to light a Beltane Fire in the three Henges at Thornborough.

I had bought along my new floaty skirt and fluffy big collored jumper from a charity shop and Alaric had his black velvet cloak (I had ummed and ahhed about weather to bring that on or the rugged out doors one he inherited from Lionel but as Helium had been sleeping on the other on I thought the velvet on best - plus its more dressy).

For Jeany I packed her Gizel Dress - Ulrike had lent us the film Enchanted where the princess makes her dresses from the curtains - Jean wanted to be Gizel so mum made her a dress from an old set of curtians :/

I was a bit worried that our outfits weren't that good as Al only had his cloak but then Ulrike rescued us by having a buetiful dress and headdress I could wear and a tunic for Alaric.

She herself had a fantastic flowey dress with a green braided belt that came down to a point and a fresh flower garland in her hair.

My dress was a bit long but made me look like an elfan princess I feel and maybe be replacing my wedding profile pic once reduce file size etc!

Alaric and Mike were in the tunics from Mike and Ulrike's wedding (this was the one that I still haven't put the photos from the phone up from but was one we catastrophically broke drown coming home from (well one of the weddings we catastrophically broke down on the way home from!)).

Alaric looks so good in his outfit too!

Rob on the other hand had bought a kilt - which was very complicated to put on! He had a lovely broach and a sporen too 🙂

Once we were ready we made our packed lunches and headed out

• got lost and then arrived (after asking people with brightly coloured guitars where we needed to go) just in time to see the fire lit!

It was very sparkly 🙂

It was actually a lovely sunny day in patches but also very windy resulting in Jean hiding underneith Daddy's cloths and us all huddled on the picnic blankets! Later we were huddled underneith the blankets!

I don't think that you can actually tell there that Jean isn't Ulrike's!

There was a play and things but unfortunatly we had arrived late and there was a big crowd and we couldn't see anything - also as a group I think we were a bit shy and so remained right on the edge for most of it. But there were some stalls we went around including a catering tent where they had made all the flap jack in the field that morning! Which was actually very very cool 🙂 They also used real mugs which I approve off from a waste point of view.

We found a cute knitted princess mouse for Jean and fiary hair braids for me - my friend Taz had these at university and I always wanted some but at the time they where far too expensive!

We joined the circle just in time to see the hand fastings (a wedding ceromony - there was a priest there who mentioned a goddess of the henges though I can't remember what he called her). They then closed the event by everyone holding hands in a large circle and facing the fore winds.

We were then cheeky and took a free calander with the wheel of seasons on it!

Ulrike looked so good in her woollen cap and picnic basket I just had to point out this photo seperatly!

I found it very interesting and me and Ulrike went around talking to the stall holders - by this point the boys had mutinied saying they were cold and gone and hunddled in the car!

We found an archeologist to talk to who has a side line in pottery including jewellery and I found a fairy door to put in Jean's fairy garden - it's quiet big and was £3 covered in purple glitter - the man said it was outside safe - we shall see!

There were some cool masks for sale and hair garlands.

There was also a tent were everybody was collecting with instriments which looked fun but alas and alack the boys decreed it was too cold and home time 🙁

To be fair Alaric was very sad as I had packed his nice indoor cloak and it blew up onto the barbed wire and now has a rip in it 🙁 I spent most of the time wearing it!

Also it started hailing just after we left! So maybe they were right.

The festival made me a bit home sick and I was sad that I didn't see any actual morris men (my dad will disown me for saying that as he thinks they are silly and always groans when I make him watch them) - Rainham Essex tends to have a Mayfair around the church in the middle of the road with stalls, and plays and music and hot dogs and morris men dancing and a man dressed as a sort of green stag and the church has hot drinks for everyone - the roads are closed and it really alot of fun! The last I went too was when I was pregnant and I bought some lavander knitted booties (I thought well if its a boy they haven't got any flowers on them and he'll be too young to notice!).

Apparently there are Morris men that visit the village but as we don't go to the pub we never get to see them :/

Still here are more pics of us looking all medievally and stuff!

I ment to get more pics of the boys but somehow didn't 🙁 I remember asking them to line up but assume something sistracted us!

When we got back I decided the fluffy jumper was going to be worn anyway 🙂 as I'd lugged it all the way from Gloucestershire!

The rip in Alarics cloak 🙁

The silver headdress was a suprize - I expected it to hurt but it didn't! And I wore it all day! I think this style of clothing suits me in a way nothing modern ever will - ho hum!

To Yorkshire and Beyond! (by sarah)

This weekend me, Alaric and Jean headed down to Yorkshire for a fun packed weekend - I was a bit worried we weren't going to make it due to my energy levels and stuff but we did and I;m so glad we did.

We started out late (as always), things had gotten pushed back to Saturday for leaving instead of Friday night due to Al's work commitments and then he was late and I hadn't finished packing and I had to take photos of family friend and Barbara who was visiting and on and on.... and then we were off!

And then we were back again much to Barbara and Maggi's amusement - Al had put Jean in the car without her shoes on - he assumed I'd packed them. Just as well we had to return though as I'd left Jean's bed bear and rainbow blanket behind not to mention her coat!

And we were off again, with me navigating, Al driving and Jean chatting away.

We stopped at a services for lunch and a big stretch - there where some cool cars in the parking lot, sort of collectors items - low old and new sports/racing type cars. Jean announced they were squashed cars and we upset Daddy by going to see them and photograph them! They were driving out as we were leaving and waved to Jean 🙂

Jean also had a fun time on the toys at the services and it was odd but it really was fun and part of the holiday!

Though Bed Bear a.k.a Yellow Bear decided that as Jean was not playing with him and she'd dragged him out of the van anyway he would drink her juice!

We arrived at about 6 o'clock at Mike and Ulrike's house which is lovely with gnomes in the garden, fairies and dragons in the house and a lovely easter wreath on the door!

We went shopping for food - including stuff for packed lunches the next day and Alaric cooked us a fantastic pasta bake - with the table all laid out nicely - with candles and flowers too!

Over the weekend there was a lot of larking about including a pillow fight between Ulrike and Jean 🙂

Me shoeing Alaric out with a broom which he then ended up rolling on the floor with!

Lots of film watching resulting in sleepy Mikes trying to crawl behind Ulrike's and sleeping!

Mike and Ulrike got out their musical instruments and had a little practice with them - Ulrike spent alot of time on Saturday looking for a tutor for her drum but no luck so far :/

Ulrike also had Jean wanting to stay with her - this might have something to do with the fact she cuts the fruit all up in exciting mannars for Jeany.

Or that she gave JEan a pink plush armchair jewellery box and a fairy ridding a horse (more on that later!). Or just becuase she's fun - Jean was very annoyed with us for leaving and wanted to stay there forever - I think the presance of Guenea Pigs probably helped with that one! (more on them later too!).

Ulrike also gave me DVD and two (well actually three but two are together) Pocket dragons which Jean has labeled Mummy, Jean Bean and Daddy - Daddy's the one with the sword!

Saturday we went to a May/Beltine celebration - but more on that later!

Alaric got upset with me delaying our departure today by stopping to photo the piggies but it had to be done! Unfortunatly a) we had woken up late - probably something to do with the fact we'd stayed up late chating and then had a Jeany climbing on us all through the night and b) the traffic was horrible on the way home which sucked but it did mean that I spotted a Local Traffic Only sign which I thought was funny!

Alaric recons we have them around here too but I've never seen one!

The 'holiday' continued for the journey home especially when Jean had her lunch of yogurt with oats, raisins and honey at the services - they never have little spoons and she was very sad she wouldn't be able to get all the yogurt out so I showed her she could us the other end of the spoon - unfortunatly being three she decided that she should alternate which end of the spoon she used!

And Dead People! (by sarah)

A conversation we had with Jean concerning eating meat:

Jean "look cows daddy - I like cows!'

Alaric "I like cows too Jean, but you like them in a slightly different way to me."

Jean enquiring look

Alaric "You eat them as well"

Jean "No I don't"

Alaric "Yes you do Jean"

Jean "I don't! Do I mummy?"

Sarah "Yes you do Jeany, thats what burgers are - remember its like the cats? When those cows die they are made into burgers"

Jean "No their not silly mummy!"

Alaric "Yes they are"

Sarah "Its like the vegitables in the garden Jean - we water and feed them and then when they are big enough we dig them up and chop them into cassaroles and stuff. Well thats what happens with the animals and thats what burgers and suasages are."

Jean "I eat cows!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And Piggies?!"

US "Yes Jean"

Jean "And sheeps?!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And chick chicks?!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And dead people?!"

Us "No Jean!" LAUGHTER

Sarah "Not in our society anyway"

Jean "Why?"

Alaric "Well for several reasons - firstly there is disease - what ever the person dies of might be passed onto you if you eat them, secondly all the freinds and relatives of the person might get a bit upset as they wouldn't like the idea of their friend being eaten."

Sarah "Thirdly it would be against some peoples beliefs"

Jean "Oh ok"

Alaric "Well thats the sort of comment they are bound to come out with whilst talking to a teatcher or social working and perants go - argggKKK!"

All I can say is Soylent Green anybody?