After several failed attempts at getting back to some fitness *touching wood* this time I seemed to have cracked it.
On 12 March I weighed in at 112.7kgs, time to get cracking....
Low carb diet combined with a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise (but up to 2 hours) each day has seen me drop just over 9kgs.
Mostly just walking and running, but I also dug out Dad's old crowbar and have done some light weights sessions and a few gut workouts (crunchers and such)
I've only had 1 rest day and that was Good Friday - because...... Saturday I was off on a solo overnight pack walk from Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker - well Dex Creek actually.
On a whim I had purchased an Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy and was aching to try it out - now I'm just aching.
It has been over 15 years since I've ventured into the Gangerang Ranges - funny how time dulls the memory on the degree of difficulty of some things. I even packed a novel naively thinking I'd have time to read :)
Speaking of packing - I carried too much - I've grown conservative over the years and am nowhere near as brave (or silly) as I used to be. Things I wouldn't have looked at twice 15 years ago and deemed as unnecessary, were now thrown into my ever expanding pack with gay abandon - I mean, you never know when you might need it - right? Because I'm low carb, my food was also heavier than usual as most of it was fresh - I even had a small frying pan for when I fired up the barbie to cook my steak for dinner. In the end, with a full load of water I was toting 19kgs.
Some things I took I was very glad I did:
My old Garmin e-Trex pre-programed with waypoints from Mem-map functioned brilliantly (side note - in the old days with best battery technology available I could at best get a full day of navigation from a set of batteries - with lithiums I made both full days and the battery indicator was still on full). I also found my old Highgear altimeter watch and with a new battery it was as good as spankers - it also functioned perfectly and is a great tool for not getting fooled by false peaks on the climbs.
I had been planning on just wearing joggers - but digging through a cupboard to find something else, I re-discovered an old pair of walking boots I forgot I even had - boots meant I could also take my battered and extremely well worn gaiters - man, am I glad I did - I lost count of the times I praised those boots and gaiters. Note to self - never leave home without them when heading into the Kanangra-Boyd NP.
With new bivy I was going to go hard core - but the weather prediction had me packing my faithful hootchie (for the uninitiated - it's kind of a tarp thingee that the army issue the troops as a token gesture they care for their welfare) - with a Crux Torpedo waterproof sleeping bag, a bivy and hootchie - there was no way I was sleeping wet - good thing too - it rained all night long on Saturday night.
The Walk.
It was Hellgate Saturday, so I kept an eye out for runners as I drove by to no avail. Arrived at the Walls a bit after 9:00AM and was walking by 9:20. I was confident i'd be at Dex Creek by 3:00PM.
As I was walking down the stairs from the carpark I was passed by none other than Jan the Hermanator Hermans and his lovely wife Gabby out for a day walk to Mt Stormbreaker, what are the odds of that? Jan was one of the people who helped pioneer the Coast to Kosiuszko (248km) ultra marathon and has such scalps under his belt as the Death Valley ultra. He once also threw up in the back of my car after a Six Foot Track race :)
Anyhoo after pleasantries - they surged ahead.
The views of the Kanangra Gorge and the waterfalls as you walk along the tops is always sensational - it is big country and it is fantastic to feel the old rock under the feet. Gazing out at Thurat Spires, I conjured up memories of an epic walk I did with my best bushwalking buddy Simon, when we spectacularly failed to cross the spires and had to exit down the steepest slope I've ever descended, only to have to climb the steepest slope I've ever ascended up to the base of Crafts Wall - and then our walk started in earnest - those were the days! I happily spent the next couple of kilometers reminiscing about walks in these parts and further afield.
I had completely forgotten the little canyon/slot you have to down-climb to get off the tops and onto the Gangerang Range proper. I used to have an eidetic memory for such details - I still kind of do as I certainly remembered it when I saw it. With no climbing tape or rope there was no option to lower my pack (and with eggs packed I wasn't going to drop it). Getting down the crux requires a small leap of faith for the vertically challenged and bum first, I slid off the wet rock, lost my footing and collected my first owie - a graze on my left thigh - I felt all warm inside - I knew this walk was going to hurt and things were already going to plan :)
Morning tea at the cave just at the start of Crafts Wall and I just enjoyed the magnificence of the view on this crystal clear gorgeous day. Life doesn't get much better :)
Getting around Mt Berry proved a real chore - somehow I let myself get lured into dropping too far off the edge and ended up trackless and slipping and sliding my way on a contour that in a relative sense increasingly lost height from the ridge - a rookie mistake that I should never have made - eventually I bit the bullet and climbed the 3 peaks-esq slope back to the base of the cliffs - but it cost me time (that I only just had) and cost me a lot of energy (that I didn't have to spare). Catching up with Jan & Gabby on their return, they described a similar experience - there is some comfort that I wasn't alone in making this error - I pondered that it is funny how we take solace from others misfortune and I castigated myself for such thoughts.
Another thing time had dulled the memory on was just how bloody steep the drop off from Mt Berry was and how vertical the climb up to the final approach ridge to Mt High and Mighty is. My poor office bound toes were a mess by the time I hit the saddle - and my carb starved body was shot by the time I hit the top - that warm feeling inside expanded - things were now going even better than planned.
I had lunch and contemplated my horoscope for the immediate future - I had started off with 4.2L of water but with my level of unfitness and the heat I had churned through nearly 3L at an alarming rate, my toes were a mess and told me so on even the slightest descent and I was struggling on anything remotely uphill, my only hope of water resupply was making it to Dex Creek - I could do this, I just needed to care for myself in the process. Note to self - not a great idea to do a walk like this off only 4 weeks of exercise from couch-potato mode and still grossly overweight!
I headed up the moderate slope to Mt High & Mighty, passing Jan & Gabby on their return. After a short chat we headed our respective ways. Jan adhering to the bush walkers code and asking me if I was right for water. My stupid ego overrode my good sense and I said yes.
Passing over H & M I slogged my way through the saddle and up onto Mt Stormbreaker - some afternoon tea and I poured my last 600mls of water into my Camelbak.
What can I say? With my lack of fitness the four successive knolls of Rip, Rack, Roar, and Rumble are just bastards going North. The dragons-back style ridge makes for constant uneven and shifting footing. When you are unfit, each lung busting ascent is followed by a depressing drop - but the trend is up.
I had my dead-mans suck on the Camelbak halfway up the contour bypass of Roar (I think I have the order right). It had been a hot day in full sunshine, but as the old adage goes, better the water in your belly than in your bottle - and as I hadn't had a wee since I left the car I knew I wasn't drinking too much. I was still sweating freely, so push on 2P.
Getting over the last knoll and up the approach to Cloudmaker which really aren't that steep was a real struggle as I had to stop every 20 meters or so. Literally it was a case of Dex Creek or bust! Suffering is a state of mind that I generally don't ascribe to, but I certainly came close a couple of times.
By the time I hit Cloudmaker I was experiencing bouts of lightheadedness and my legs did not have the strength to counter-balance on the uneven rock so I had many a stumble, but luckily no complete falls. I still had sweat leaking out of me and as I had just over a kilometer of downhill to go to water my confidence started to rise - night time was fast approaching, and whilst I had a headlamp with me, my strong preference was to get to water while I could still see it.
With my concentration waning, I lost the footpad a couple of times and wasted precious minutes casting around for it again. Eventually, and I swear this is true, I could smell water, a few minutes later and I could hear it - oh frabjuous joy caloo calay.
There were two other groups of 3 already in situ at the creek - so I took the last remaining spot, filled my bottles and Camelbak, met the locals just as it was getting dark. It had taken me 8 hours and 10 minutes to cover 11kms!
I set up my hootchie & bivy in the gloom and then it was dark. With the night the fog rolled in and anything exposed soon became wet. In these conditions I cooked my porterhouse steak, sliced up some cucumber, tomato, and celery - garnished the steak with tabasco sauce and looked at it dumbly. As is so often the case with dehydration, I felt nauseous and I wasn't hungry at all. Knowing I had to get something down so I could recover for tomorrows labours, I started chewing oh so slowly and by degrees my appetite returned and I enjoyed what turned out to be a sumptuous meal. Finished off with 2 sweet Atkins Bars and a cup of green tea.
At 8:15PM the fog turned into rain and I wriggled into my bivy - very glad the hootchie was over the top of me as it rained lightly all night. I managed a few pages of my book that I lugged with me, threw down some nurofen and slept fitfully with aches and pains till midnight - I took another couple of nurofen and then slept soundly till 6:10AM. Awoke feeling much refreshed.
With daylight the rain abated, but I found myself in a world of white - the fog was a real pea-souper - it would be foggy pretty much all day with just a brief appearance of the sun around midday.
The normal chores of breakfasting, filling water containers and breaking camp all took forever, I guess I'm a bit rusty, I was also fairly stiff and sore. What would have taken about half an hour way back when, stretched out to 2 hours as I fluffed about. Eventually, at about 8:40AM, I was ready to rock and roll.
Mercifully the weather was much cooler than the day before and whilst I was slow, I never really struggled anywhere on the return trip.
In the damp I'd already had a couple of slips when coming over one of the knolls I had a real oh dear moment when I slipped on wet rock and fell, I bounced towards a 20m drop, I saw myself going over the edge in my mind - and then my hands found something solid to grab. I stopped about 1.5m from the edge - not really that close, but my pulse was ticking over a tad quicker than it had been.
I gave myself a good bollocking for being so bloody stupid, took a drink of water and tried to really tune in. It seemed to work because I stayed upright for the rest of the day.
As I said before, I was slow but I kept ticking off the landmarks marveling at how hard it had been the day before and how manageable it was today. Even climbing Mount Berry was not the big deal I thought it would be - and whilst I didn't make the same mistake I did the day before, I still wasted time dicking around a few times to find the trail. In the fog I almost headed off East as I rounded the cliff line, but a quick glance at the e-Trex soon set me right back on my way South - easy to see how people can get discombooblerated in conditions like these.
Convinced I was back at Crafts Wall I could not find the point where the track goes off to the right to contour under the walls. So certain was I, I back-tracked a 150m or so and tried again. No dice. In the end I elected to follow the base of the cliff and just push through on what seemed like a feint footpad. Before long I noticed the lie of the land was pushing me down till common sense kicked in to regain the high ground and I climbed the 50 vertical meters or so back to the ridge line. In the fog I had mistaken a rocky outcrop for the beginning of Crafts Wall which was still 200m or so away. Another rookie-style mistake that cost me about 45 minutes all up.
Back on track, I had no further nav problems and as I came off Crafts Wall it started to rain - not hard, but just enough to make all the bushes I was pushing through (the track is very over-grown through here) wet and the rock slippery underfoot. I was a bit anxious about the exit slot with wet rock, but I needn't have worried as I was up and over the crux in a jiffy. I was well in tune now and the old skills had made a welcome return.
The rain stopped as I hit the plateaux that is the Tops but then an even thicker more chill fog rolled in completely obscuring everything - it was like being on the inside of a cloud - the only thing missing was the howl of a werewolf! The memories of trips gone by flooded in again and I put myself on auto-pilot - even though it has been 15 years or so, I reckon I could get myself across the Tops blindfolded. I was really in my happy place now. The joy of carrying everything I needed on my back, making my way with only my mind for company, overcoming the occasional navigation challenge and walking 22 of some of the less forgiving kilometers around, left me with a deep sense of satisfaction.
Sure - this isn't a tough walk for experienced and fit walkers, but I only meet half of that criteria at the moment. It was really only hard for me as I'm so unfit and heavy. But it certainly whetted an appetite that has only partially been sated by trail running over recent years. Bushwalking has always been my first love, but with family and work commitments, it had to take a back seat for a long time - I'm so glad I now find the opportunity arising again - I just need to continue to get fitter and lighter.
Happy days :)
Monday, April 09, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Another Go
YTD Foot Powered Total: 50k
Finally gave the Merrells a run - just 5k around the burbs - the Mix Masters have plenty of toe room but a bit tight across the forefoot - the exact opposite to my old (and much loved) Merrell Overdrives. The heels also pinched a bit - hopefully they will stretch a bit with use. The soles were also a but slippy on wet concrete, but again this could be a wearing in issue - jury is out, need another couple of runs.
Chest still a bit crappy - but definitely on the mend.
Finally gave the Merrells a run - just 5k around the burbs - the Mix Masters have plenty of toe room but a bit tight across the forefoot - the exact opposite to my old (and much loved) Merrell Overdrives. The heels also pinched a bit - hopefully they will stretch a bit with use. The soles were also a but slippy on wet concrete, but again this could be a wearing in issue - jury is out, need another couple of runs.
Chest still a bit crappy - but definitely on the mend.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tits up
That's the way the plan went!
Not only did the man-flu come back but the results of my chest x-ray last Monday showed that the middle lobe of my right lung had collapsed!
More antibiotics and physio - yada, yada....
It is time for the tide to turn!
I'm sick & tired of being sick & tired.
On the upside, my new Merrell Mix Masters feel great and I got a real boost reading Whippets GNW report
It is nearing 12 months since I got sick and frankly, that is enough!
Not only did the man-flu come back but the results of my chest x-ray last Monday showed that the middle lobe of my right lung had collapsed!
More antibiotics and physio - yada, yada....
It is time for the tide to turn!
I'm sick & tired of being sick & tired.
On the upside, my new Merrell Mix Masters feel great and I got a real boost reading Whippets GNW report
It is nearing 12 months since I got sick and frankly, that is enough!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Update
Tuesday 10/01 - 11k walk from Catherine Hill Bay back to Gwandalan through the bush.
Thursday 12/01 - 13k walk (with a few trots) through the bush out and back to the old YMCA camp.
Saturday 14/01 - 6k very ugly run/walk thingy around the lake - still a lot of crap on my lungs from man-flu but at least I've made a start!
All good :)
Thursday 12/01 - 13k walk (with a few trots) through the bush out and back to the old YMCA camp.
Saturday 14/01 - 6k very ugly run/walk thingy around the lake - still a lot of crap on my lungs from man-flu but at least I've made a start!
All good :)
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Oh What A Day
40 minute paddle
5k walk
Another 40 minute paddle with Carol on the lake today in the kayak - Bec tagged along on the surf ski.
Did a mile of handyman chores which really took it out of me - I'm so soft, my arms and hands are wasted from rehanging doors, sawing, screwing screws into hardwood and working above head height.
Finished it off with a hard 5k walk with Bec including an 800m uphill stretch.
Whole body is sore.
All good :)
5k walk
Another 40 minute paddle with Carol on the lake today in the kayak - Bec tagged along on the surf ski.
Did a mile of handyman chores which really took it out of me - I'm so soft, my arms and hands are wasted from rehanging doors, sawing, screwing screws into hardwood and working above head height.
Finished it off with a hard 5k walk with Bec including an 800m uphill stretch.
Whole body is sore.
All good :)
Saturday, January 07, 2012
And So It Begins
40 minute paddle
10k bushwalk
With a mini relapse of the arthritis between Christmas and New Year and then a humungus dose of man-flu, it wasn't quite the start to 2012 I had been planning or hoping for. On the bright side at least my decision to have a 3.5 week break from work was a good one.
Over the last couple of days I've started to feel human again, so when it was bright and clear this morning Carol and I went out for a 40 minute paddle on the lake - beautiful.
After some chores Bec and I took off for a 10k jaunt around the bush trails of Crangan Bay (Gwandalan). Feeling a bit tuckered out now, but satisfied.
Hopefully start running again over the next couple of weeks.
All good :)
10k bushwalk
With a mini relapse of the arthritis between Christmas and New Year and then a humungus dose of man-flu, it wasn't quite the start to 2012 I had been planning or hoping for. On the bright side at least my decision to have a 3.5 week break from work was a good one.
Over the last couple of days I've started to feel human again, so when it was bright and clear this morning Carol and I went out for a 40 minute paddle on the lake - beautiful.
After some chores Bec and I took off for a 10k jaunt around the bush trails of Crangan Bay (Gwandalan). Feeling a bit tuckered out now, but satisfied.
Hopefully start running again over the next couple of weeks.
All good :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
So Long 2011 - Hello Rest of My Life
2011 was my annus horriblis - I learned a hell of a lot though so whilst it hurt, it wasn't a waste - how's the old saying go.... The pain is mandatory, the suffering is optional.
I'm not going to regurgitate the detail but the lowlights go like this: a dose of Reactive Arthritis landed me in hospital for 10 days, had me on a zimmer frame for 3 weeks, a walking stick for another 3 months and a long slow recovery that still isn't over; number 2 was my dear old Ma passing away on day 3 of my hospital stay; 3rd was an incredibly difficult work year - not your mucking about difficult work year, but your fair dinkum bastard of a work year.
Finishing off 2011 with a chest infection seems appropriate and I can see the humour in it. It's pretty funny really.
I feel I can take on anything now.
Just as well, because I'm officially fatter and less fit than I've ever been in my life.
I'm not going to make any bold claims about 2012. I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my break, recover and recharge and get ready to finish all the things I've started at work, shake off the last of the arthritis, give back to my family for the support they have given me this year, and get in some good training.
I've known since I was 19 what kind of old man I wanted to become, and at nearly 48 nothing has changed - I still want to be that old man. If I can use the lessons I've learned this last year, I have a chance to really set myself up for the rest of my life, to make a difference and to leave a legacy.
Roll on 2012, you are the beginning of the rest of my life :)
I'm not going to regurgitate the detail but the lowlights go like this: a dose of Reactive Arthritis landed me in hospital for 10 days, had me on a zimmer frame for 3 weeks, a walking stick for another 3 months and a long slow recovery that still isn't over; number 2 was my dear old Ma passing away on day 3 of my hospital stay; 3rd was an incredibly difficult work year - not your mucking about difficult work year, but your fair dinkum bastard of a work year.
Finishing off 2011 with a chest infection seems appropriate and I can see the humour in it. It's pretty funny really.
I feel I can take on anything now.
Just as well, because I'm officially fatter and less fit than I've ever been in my life.
I'm not going to make any bold claims about 2012. I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my break, recover and recharge and get ready to finish all the things I've started at work, shake off the last of the arthritis, give back to my family for the support they have given me this year, and get in some good training.
I've known since I was 19 what kind of old man I wanted to become, and at nearly 48 nothing has changed - I still want to be that old man. If I can use the lessons I've learned this last year, I have a chance to really set myself up for the rest of my life, to make a difference and to leave a legacy.
Roll on 2012, you are the beginning of the rest of my life :)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
10mg Pain Barrier Take III
And Action!
Yet again I'm trying to adjust to just 10mgs of Prednisone!
My week back at 15mgs was a comparatively blissful time. A week at 12.5mgs was telling. Now I'm back to 10mgs.
It hurts.
I'll stick with it for a couple of more days, but if my back, knees, ankles and feet don't start to adjust, I'm going back up - I can't see any point in reaching for the analgesics. My back hasn't really been a problem since I got out of hospital, so it is mildly annoying that it has resurfaced.
The good news is that whilst my hands are still sore, I have full range of movement back in my left hand and fingers and almost full range in my right, so I've been able to play guitar again. Not quite back to the standard I was at, but learning two Clapton songs, Layla and Tears in Heaven which are relatively difficult has brightened my spirits no end. I'm not completely useless :)
I look forward to the day I can take a long walk or maybe even a little run.
All good :)
Yet again I'm trying to adjust to just 10mgs of Prednisone!
My week back at 15mgs was a comparatively blissful time. A week at 12.5mgs was telling. Now I'm back to 10mgs.
It hurts.
I'll stick with it for a couple of more days, but if my back, knees, ankles and feet don't start to adjust, I'm going back up - I can't see any point in reaching for the analgesics. My back hasn't really been a problem since I got out of hospital, so it is mildly annoying that it has resurfaced.
The good news is that whilst my hands are still sore, I have full range of movement back in my left hand and fingers and almost full range in my right, so I've been able to play guitar again. Not quite back to the standard I was at, but learning two Clapton songs, Layla and Tears in Heaven which are relatively difficult has brightened my spirits no end. I'm not completely useless :)
I look forward to the day I can take a long walk or maybe even a little run.
All good :)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Good Professor
Had my first follow up appointment with my rheumotologist on Friday - a few days more than 4 weeks after my discharge from hospital.
Last week I described my ups and downs attempting to wean off the cortisone, well this week was the same. After my brief return to 15mgs for 3 days (I was on 20mgs when I left hospital) and subsequent reduction to 10mgs, every day became increasingly more painful than the day before. By Friday I was again getting close to the end of my tether, so a visit to the Good Professor was indeed timely.
Anecdote and mere feelings aside - the science (read blood tests) revealed that whilst I was improving, the improvement wasn't keeping pace with the weaning. I kind of already knew that but it is good to have corroboration - it ain't just in my head. For the record, the main inflammatory marker had dropped from 81 on the day I left hospital to 60. NB normal range is 0 to 10. 5 days before hospital I was 225 and I maxed out at 440 the morning after I went into hospital.
Anyhoo - the upshot of it all is, that the 15mgs has been restored for a full 7 days and then a gentler weaning using 2.5mg steps down instead of the previously bigger 5mg jumps. The Sulfasalazine dose has also been increased to 1.5gms morning and night.
As I've discovered, it takes a couple of days for both increases and decreases to have an effect, so it has only been today that the pain has settled to a manageable discomfort. Mostly it is more a recognition of impaired mobility than actual pain. Of course moving the wrong way, sitting in the one position for too long, or walking for too long still reminds me that the hurty bits are still hurty. But this is a whole lot better than most of the last 2-3 weeks and it is amazing how much lighter I feel mentally as a result.
Speaking of lighter - I dipped below 96kgs through last week. Probably my muscles atrophying but at least I'm not putting on weight during this period of forced inactivity.
All good :)
Last week I described my ups and downs attempting to wean off the cortisone, well this week was the same. After my brief return to 15mgs for 3 days (I was on 20mgs when I left hospital) and subsequent reduction to 10mgs, every day became increasingly more painful than the day before. By Friday I was again getting close to the end of my tether, so a visit to the Good Professor was indeed timely.
Anecdote and mere feelings aside - the science (read blood tests) revealed that whilst I was improving, the improvement wasn't keeping pace with the weaning. I kind of already knew that but it is good to have corroboration - it ain't just in my head. For the record, the main inflammatory marker had dropped from 81 on the day I left hospital to 60. NB normal range is 0 to 10. 5 days before hospital I was 225 and I maxed out at 440 the morning after I went into hospital.
Anyhoo - the upshot of it all is, that the 15mgs has been restored for a full 7 days and then a gentler weaning using 2.5mg steps down instead of the previously bigger 5mg jumps. The Sulfasalazine dose has also been increased to 1.5gms morning and night.
As I've discovered, it takes a couple of days for both increases and decreases to have an effect, so it has only been today that the pain has settled to a manageable discomfort. Mostly it is more a recognition of impaired mobility than actual pain. Of course moving the wrong way, sitting in the one position for too long, or walking for too long still reminds me that the hurty bits are still hurty. But this is a whole lot better than most of the last 2-3 weeks and it is amazing how much lighter I feel mentally as a result.
Speaking of lighter - I dipped below 96kgs through last week. Probably my muscles atrophying but at least I'm not putting on weight during this period of forced inactivity.
All good :)
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Roller Coaster
Well this week has been a bit tough.... Stepped down to 10mg of Prednisone last Thursday week which meant cutting out my evening dose - the pain gradually grew till I was starting to climb the walls by this Wednesday and I was starting to hammer the analgesics just to get by.
A trip to the GP on Wednesday arvo saw my evening dose of Prednisone reinstated for 3 days and the cut again. By yesterday the pain was back to just a general discomfort so it will be interesting to see how I go over the next few days.
Managed 4 hours each day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri at work last week with Wednesday off.
I'm due for more blood tests Wednesday and then I'm back to the Specialist on Friday - it will be interesting to see what level my inflammation markers are at.
A trip to the GP on Wednesday arvo saw my evening dose of Prednisone reinstated for 3 days and the cut again. By yesterday the pain was back to just a general discomfort so it will be interesting to see how I go over the next few days.
Managed 4 hours each day Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri at work last week with Wednesday off.
I'm due for more blood tests Wednesday and then I'm back to the Specialist on Friday - it will be interesting to see what level my inflammation markers are at.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Reactive Thoughts
Well it has been exactly a month since I was admitted to hospital for Reactive Arthritis... my left foot is particularly whingy tonight to celebrate the anniversary of the commencement of my treatment.
I went back to work last Tuesday - my GP offered me more time at home, but I was pretty keen to make a start back even if it was only for 4 or 5 hours each day. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but the condition, due to inflammation, has also sent me mildly aenemic. Anyhoo, so far so good with going back to work - though all the things you might expect, did happen. I found the drive a chore, particularly the home trip. Pain levels especially in my feet were up and I felt pretty much knackered by the time I got home - I'm glad it went as expected - I don't like surprises :)
The condition is improving, I know this because my Prednisone dose continues to reduce and my pain levels are generally manageable with low level doses of analgesics - that would not have been the case 2 weeks ago - ergo I must be improving. The condition is improving, I know this because.... The condition is improving.....
I've got to stop reading stuff on the net - the more I read, the more instances I find where this thing goes longer than the text books generally suggest. My specialist claims that 95% of people make a full recovery within 12 months and this is supported by many sources on the net with relapse figures for a 2nd helping at some point thereafter ranging between 20% to 50% of cases. These are odds that I can work with - they give hope!
Unfortunately a recently published longitudinal study by the US Defense Force of 251 patients between 1997 & 2009 showed that 38% of males were still receiving treatment for active symptoms after 2 years and in my age demographic this rose to a scary 59%. In another study of Canadian Police (in 1984, 432 Police suffered Gastro as a result of food poisoning - same antecedent as me - during a Papal visit, 27 ended up with Reactive Arthritis) 66% were still being treated for recurring symptomology 5 years later! The 2 studies are not inconsistent when you look at the gender & age. These odds offer less hope!
As someone who was an active athlete and part-time adventure sportsperson from the time I was 10 till I was 44 years old I'm no stranger to feeling sore and/or recovering from injury. The kinds of mobility restrictions and the levels of pain that I am currently experiencing, are really no different now to what I've lived with on & off throughout my life. The big difference is that I've never needed such massive doses of NSAIDs (still 1g per day - makes 25mg Voltaren Rapids look a bit lame), with Cortisone (down to 10mg Prednisone per day) & Sulphur (up to 2g per day of Sulfasalazine) and still needed to take the odd Panadeine Forte or Endone to cope. I'm also used to seeing rapid improvement and knowing with relative certainty that the discomfort is temporary. Though I know I am improving, it is much slower than recovery from an injury and the everydayness of it does get a little wearing.
I haven't been going for any walks since I started back at work due to tiredness - but I did get up to 1,200m in around 30 minutes the weekend before last and I'm hoping to reintroduce a walk by this weekend - just have to suck it and see.....
On the upside, I'm finding I can play guitar for around 30 minutes without too much discomfort - though only melody lines and open chords. It hurts my left thumb too much to play barre chords or do bends, but at least I can noodle around - frustrating that I can't do a lot of what I could, but pleasing that I can caress timber and strings once more. I guess I just have to take it one day at a time - I mean Daniel Johns (Silverchair) and Mark St. John (Kiss) both made pretty good recoveries from RA, so I just need to keep channeling guitar playing recovery vibes :)
The condition is improving, I know this because........
I went back to work last Tuesday - my GP offered me more time at home, but I was pretty keen to make a start back even if it was only for 4 or 5 hours each day. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but the condition, due to inflammation, has also sent me mildly aenemic. Anyhoo, so far so good with going back to work - though all the things you might expect, did happen. I found the drive a chore, particularly the home trip. Pain levels especially in my feet were up and I felt pretty much knackered by the time I got home - I'm glad it went as expected - I don't like surprises :)
The condition is improving, I know this because my Prednisone dose continues to reduce and my pain levels are generally manageable with low level doses of analgesics - that would not have been the case 2 weeks ago - ergo I must be improving. The condition is improving, I know this because.... The condition is improving.....
I've got to stop reading stuff on the net - the more I read, the more instances I find where this thing goes longer than the text books generally suggest. My specialist claims that 95% of people make a full recovery within 12 months and this is supported by many sources on the net with relapse figures for a 2nd helping at some point thereafter ranging between 20% to 50% of cases. These are odds that I can work with - they give hope!
Unfortunately a recently published longitudinal study by the US Defense Force of 251 patients between 1997 & 2009 showed that 38% of males were still receiving treatment for active symptoms after 2 years and in my age demographic this rose to a scary 59%. In another study of Canadian Police (in 1984, 432 Police suffered Gastro as a result of food poisoning - same antecedent as me - during a Papal visit, 27 ended up with Reactive Arthritis) 66% were still being treated for recurring symptomology 5 years later! The 2 studies are not inconsistent when you look at the gender & age. These odds offer less hope!
As someone who was an active athlete and part-time adventure sportsperson from the time I was 10 till I was 44 years old I'm no stranger to feeling sore and/or recovering from injury. The kinds of mobility restrictions and the levels of pain that I am currently experiencing, are really no different now to what I've lived with on & off throughout my life. The big difference is that I've never needed such massive doses of NSAIDs (still 1g per day - makes 25mg Voltaren Rapids look a bit lame), with Cortisone (down to 10mg Prednisone per day) & Sulphur (up to 2g per day of Sulfasalazine) and still needed to take the odd Panadeine Forte or Endone to cope. I'm also used to seeing rapid improvement and knowing with relative certainty that the discomfort is temporary. Though I know I am improving, it is much slower than recovery from an injury and the everydayness of it does get a little wearing.
I haven't been going for any walks since I started back at work due to tiredness - but I did get up to 1,200m in around 30 minutes the weekend before last and I'm hoping to reintroduce a walk by this weekend - just have to suck it and see.....
On the upside, I'm finding I can play guitar for around 30 minutes without too much discomfort - though only melody lines and open chords. It hurts my left thumb too much to play barre chords or do bends, but at least I can noodle around - frustrating that I can't do a lot of what I could, but pleasing that I can caress timber and strings once more. I guess I just have to take it one day at a time - I mean Daniel Johns (Silverchair) and Mark St. John (Kiss) both made pretty good recoveries from RA, so I just need to keep channeling guitar playing recovery vibes :)
The condition is improving, I know this because........
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Better Than I Thought
Turns out I was short-changing myself - took Garmy with me and that 400m is actually 800m, so I'm going twice as far and twice as fast than I first thought!
Today's trip was 20.31 - a minute slower than yesterday, but a couple of minutes quicker than the day before. But hey, I'm out and about and mobile, so I'll take it.
Pretty much off the Oxycontin now - though I took 5mg around midday as I had another funeral to attend this afternoon - no one close, but since I'm off work anyway, it was no chore to go and provide some support to a dear family friend who lost their Mum earlier in the week.
The fun starts tomorrow as I begin to wean the Prednisone. At current levels the pain is manageable with a Panadeine Forte every now and then - I'm just hoping it will remain so as the Prednisone comes down - it is a pretty gentle plan with 3 weeks to run from now till I'm down to zero. During the same period the Sulfasalazine goes up ultimately to 1g morning and another 1g night and the 1g of Naproxyn stays constant - so if some of you will please cross your fingers for me (I still can't for myself) it should all be Jake!
Plan is still to return to work 21/3 for at least a few hours per day.
All good :)
Today's trip was 20.31 - a minute slower than yesterday, but a couple of minutes quicker than the day before. But hey, I'm out and about and mobile, so I'll take it.
Pretty much off the Oxycontin now - though I took 5mg around midday as I had another funeral to attend this afternoon - no one close, but since I'm off work anyway, it was no chore to go and provide some support to a dear family friend who lost their Mum earlier in the week.
The fun starts tomorrow as I begin to wean the Prednisone. At current levels the pain is manageable with a Panadeine Forte every now and then - I'm just hoping it will remain so as the Prednisone comes down - it is a pretty gentle plan with 3 weeks to run from now till I'm down to zero. During the same period the Sulfasalazine goes up ultimately to 1g morning and another 1g night and the 1g of Naproxyn stays constant - so if some of you will please cross your fingers for me (I still can't for myself) it should all be Jake!
Plan is still to return to work 21/3 for at least a few hours per day.
All good :)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Out and About
Took the walking frame for a spin around the block today - about 400m all up. It went ok albeit slow and I was pretty glad to get home. There is a bit of indignity associated with using the frame but I was really keen to get outside for a while and get moving. Now that I'm out of hospital there are thankfully no more Heparin x 2 injections per day so going for a walk is my best defense against clots forming.
I also started weaning off the narcs and have only had one Panadeine Forte today (of course I'm still using the Oxycontin). I'd be lying if I said I couldn't notice any difference, but the truth is bits I haven't felt for days feel sore again, but it is all manageable and my head is a little clearer as a consequence. Just have to see how I go tonight.
In other news, Mrs 2P was rushed off to hospital yesterday morning - believe that? She is home now and the medicos suspect kidney stones - she is on Maxalon for the vomiting and nausea and we are officially now a "Double Endone" family as that's what she is on for the pain. She has rested quietly most of today and anyone who knows Mrs 2P would understand just how sick she must be, because the last time I saw her lie down during the day was after a major surgery about 10 years ago!
It's been a funny old few weeks that's for sure.
All good :)
I also started weaning off the narcs and have only had one Panadeine Forte today (of course I'm still using the Oxycontin). I'd be lying if I said I couldn't notice any difference, but the truth is bits I haven't felt for days feel sore again, but it is all manageable and my head is a little clearer as a consequence. Just have to see how I go tonight.
In other news, Mrs 2P was rushed off to hospital yesterday morning - believe that? She is home now and the medicos suspect kidney stones - she is on Maxalon for the vomiting and nausea and we are officially now a "Double Endone" family as that's what she is on for the pain. She has rested quietly most of today and anyone who knows Mrs 2P would understand just how sick she must be, because the last time I saw her lie down during the day was after a major surgery about 10 years ago!
It's been a funny old few weeks that's for sure.
All good :)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Home James
Well I arrived home from hospital yesterday after 10 days of one the most interesting periods of my life. Made it to 47 without ever being admitted to a hospital and it will be just fine with me if it takes another 47 for the next one!
I have some thoughts on the whole experience and I may post them - I've already shared them with a few close friends but this thing ain't over yet so I might hold on to them in case they should come back and bite me.
So where am I up to.....
Not a lot has changed since my last update - other than things got a bit worse before they started to get better again which resulted in some final tinkering of the cocktail of drugs I'm on (10 in total) to manage this thing. The drugs fall into 3 categories: 1. Things that reduce the inflammation; 2. Things that reduce the pain; 3. Things that deal with the side effects of 1 & 2.
The prognosis is that full recovery is looking like about a 9 to 12 month process. Functionally each day is better and I'm planning to return to work (at least part time) on 21March which whilst the doctors suggest is mildly optimistic it is not unrealistic. The main hurdle is to wean off the cortisone and the narcotic painkillers and be able to cope with the symptoms that will be with me for a long time yet.
In terms of keeping a record - dosages of the main drugs immediately prior to discharge were:
Prednisone 15mg morning, 5mg night (plan to decrease)
Naproxyn 1gram night (plan to decrease)
Sulfasalazine 500gms night (plan to increase)
Oxycontin 15mg morning, 15mg night (plan to decrease)
Panadeine Forte 4 x 2 daily (plan to decrease)
Endone up to 20mg per day taken as required
Temazapem 10mg night taken as required
I've already knocked 5mg per morning & night off the Oxycontin and have increased Sulfasalazine to 500mg morning & night. For the record I haven't taken any Endone since discharge.
In terms of pain, on a 1 to 10 scale the above cocktail results in a 2 to 3 lying perfectly still in a comfortable position. 3 to 5 moving carefully around and spikes to 7/8 if I do dumb shit. With luck I can maintain that as I wean - if I can't it will mean longer off work as I can't function properly in my job or indeed drive till I'm off the narcotic painkillers.
I've have had to abandon any thoughts of doing Hellgate in April, but hopefully I can still turn up in a support role. The other real bugger is it will be sometime before I can play guitar again which has left an enormous hole in my life.
It might not be all good, but it is better :)
I have some thoughts on the whole experience and I may post them - I've already shared them with a few close friends but this thing ain't over yet so I might hold on to them in case they should come back and bite me.
So where am I up to.....
Not a lot has changed since my last update - other than things got a bit worse before they started to get better again which resulted in some final tinkering of the cocktail of drugs I'm on (10 in total) to manage this thing. The drugs fall into 3 categories: 1. Things that reduce the inflammation; 2. Things that reduce the pain; 3. Things that deal with the side effects of 1 & 2.
The prognosis is that full recovery is looking like about a 9 to 12 month process. Functionally each day is better and I'm planning to return to work (at least part time) on 21March which whilst the doctors suggest is mildly optimistic it is not unrealistic. The main hurdle is to wean off the cortisone and the narcotic painkillers and be able to cope with the symptoms that will be with me for a long time yet.
In terms of keeping a record - dosages of the main drugs immediately prior to discharge were:
Prednisone 15mg morning, 5mg night (plan to decrease)
Naproxyn 1gram night (plan to decrease)
Sulfasalazine 500gms night (plan to increase)
Oxycontin 15mg morning, 15mg night (plan to decrease)
Panadeine Forte 4 x 2 daily (plan to decrease)
Endone up to 20mg per day taken as required
Temazapem 10mg night taken as required
I've already knocked 5mg per morning & night off the Oxycontin and have increased Sulfasalazine to 500mg morning & night. For the record I haven't taken any Endone since discharge.
In terms of pain, on a 1 to 10 scale the above cocktail results in a 2 to 3 lying perfectly still in a comfortable position. 3 to 5 moving carefully around and spikes to 7/8 if I do dumb shit. With luck I can maintain that as I wean - if I can't it will mean longer off work as I can't function properly in my job or indeed drive till I'm off the narcotic painkillers.
I've have had to abandon any thoughts of doing Hellgate in April, but hopefully I can still turn up in a support role. The other real bugger is it will be sometime before I can play guitar again which has left an enormous hole in my life.
It might not be all good, but it is better :)
Monday, March 07, 2011
A Tribute To Mum
They gave me a "gate pass" from hospital today so I could attend Mum's funeral. I delivered the following eulogy.
On behalf of Lynne & Grahame, I would like to start by thanking you all for coming today, so that collectively we can celebrate the life of this remarkable woman, our Mum.
Lynne, Grahame and I would also like to thank some people for their help towards the last years of Mums life - Robyn & Graham - Mums Neighbours who were always willing to help out, Rex and Val provided much support before and particularly since Dad's death, and Barry, Sandra & Adam who cared so lovingly for Mum in their own home when it became clear she could no longer live alone.
You may not know this, but Mum was actually born a city slicker! Life started out for Mum in around the Kensington & Canterbury areas - before moving with her Mum & Dad at age 5 to Heath Road at Leppington - an area vastly different then to the Leppington you see today - but a Leppington that would shape the very fundamental core of what and who Mum would become.
Part of this shaping was the life-long relationships that she formed. From her precious "Leppington Girls" from Raby Public School to all the others she met along the way. The circle just grew and grew and when she met Dad that brought in the Cobbity and Camden crowd as well.
It was also an environment without running water, electricity, shopping malls, or for that matter even a corner shop - where needing to go with your Mum & Sister to the clinic in Liverpool meant hooking up the horse and sulky. This environment prepared Mum for dealing with life in a way that many of us here today could never hope to understand.
In short, it was a world where you just had to get on with things.
One example of how Mum herself learned to get on with things, was that from the time she was 12, she rode her push bike three and a half kilometers to the bus stop. From there she got on the bus and took a 45 minute trip to the nearest train station. She then caught an old red-rattler for 40 minutes and then after a walk, she would finally arrive at her destination, the nearest high school to where she lived, Homebush Girls High School. In the depths of winter it would have been dark when she left in the morning and it would have been dark when she got home. Remember this was from when she was just 12!
If that wasn't tough enough, she then had to do an even longer trip, when she landed her dream job at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music near the Sydney Botanical Gardens, as secretary to Sir Eugene Goosens. It was during this time that Mum formed her lifelong passion for music - stories of the Con were very much a part of growing up around Mum and I well remember her proudly showing me one of her most treasured possessions - a telegram of congratulations from Sir Eugene on the birth of her new daughter Lynne.
The Con wasn't Mum's only job with people who went on to become household names - indeed Mums very first job after leaving school was to work directly for Albert Teagle, the founder of Teagles Turkeys.
Many of you here today heard me speak some four and a half years ago about Mum & Dads life together - about their various moves to Aberdeen to run a farm, to Camden to run a dairy, and to then take a real punt and along with Mums brother Barry, start up their own transport business.
Through all of these moves and changes in direction, Mum just got on with things. In the business, Mums main job was as Bookkeeper - it might have been at home, but she was still very much a working Mum. The only way to fit it all in was to start at 4:00AM and using a manual adding machine and a clunky old Corona typewriter she would do the accounts and invoicing on the kitchen table. While other kids were planning to buy their Mums some perfume or flowers for Mothers Day - we conspired to get our Mum a new-fangled (but far more importantly - silent) Sharp Elsi Mate electronic calculator - so at last, we at least, could finally get a sleep in!
Mum loved it - as indeed she loved it whenever any piece of new technology came along - from cassette players to CD's, from VHS to DVD's, to microwave ovens, computers, the Internet and email - you see to Mum, they were all tools to be embraced that enabled her to get on with things.
When Dad died in 2006, we all wondered how Mum would cope - after all - they had been soul mates for well over half a century. Everyone here knows just how special their relationship was. How did Mum cope? Well she got on with things - from 75 years of age plus, she drove the old manual gear shift Ford Telstar that was also without power steering and joined not one, but two Senior Citizens clubs, she drove herself out to Austral to play Bingo every week. Took herself out to the shops and went on whatever trips through the Senior Citz clubs were available. She also embraced computer games and email on the laptop she bought.
Of course she was desperately lonely and missing Dad, but she just made the most out of what was now her new reality.
In January last year Mum had a small stroke and it became clear that she would no longer be able to drive and her capacity to look after herself at home was also diminished. As her kids, we again wondered how she was going to cope? Without complaint, she got on with things and she started to get linked into community transport and the other aged care support available to her and carried on with as much of her old life as she could, gracefully surrendering the things she had to let go.
Due to another hospitalization last September, Mum could no longer live at home alone and her only way to get on with things now was to move in with Barry, Sandra & Adam until another option could be arranged - the need for supplemented oxygen at least 18 hours a day was no problem, Mum just got on with it by purchasing the latest portable machine, which meant she wouldn't be reliant on bottled oxygen and could retain some of her mobility and independence.
In December Mum had a catastrophic incident whilst in Liverpool Hospital where she literally died - the wonderful medical staff there brought her back and we were all blessed to get her for yet another few months. When Mum came out of the hospital this time she moved into Aminya Retirement Village at Baulkham Hills - yet another new reality that she just accepted and got on with.
Though life was now very different, Mum remained very much in control - she had us arrange the sale of the house she had lived in for 48 years, in the process abandoning almost all of her earthly possessions - she did this with a dignity and self possession that had to be witnessed to be believed. I know she also took this time to heal some old wounds and to make sure she made all of her final wishes known. Once again there were no complaints and certainly no regrets.
During this time she made the most of every minute. Any offer for an outing - no matter what it was, was willingly accepted. No phone call could be too short or too long. If there was an activity to do, she was in it. Without ever feeling sorry for herself, if there was a way to really live just one more bit of life - she would be in it!
Accepting the situations that life threw at her and adapting what was needed to overcome them, would never have been a conscious motto of Mum's - but I think you will agree with me that it serves as a fitting epitaph.
Thanks for the lessons Mum and thanks for the love.
On behalf of Lynne & Grahame, I would like to start by thanking you all for coming today, so that collectively we can celebrate the life of this remarkable woman, our Mum.
Lynne, Grahame and I would also like to thank some people for their help towards the last years of Mums life - Robyn & Graham - Mums Neighbours who were always willing to help out, Rex and Val provided much support before and particularly since Dad's death, and Barry, Sandra & Adam who cared so lovingly for Mum in their own home when it became clear she could no longer live alone.
You may not know this, but Mum was actually born a city slicker! Life started out for Mum in around the Kensington & Canterbury areas - before moving with her Mum & Dad at age 5 to Heath Road at Leppington - an area vastly different then to the Leppington you see today - but a Leppington that would shape the very fundamental core of what and who Mum would become.
Part of this shaping was the life-long relationships that she formed. From her precious "Leppington Girls" from Raby Public School to all the others she met along the way. The circle just grew and grew and when she met Dad that brought in the Cobbity and Camden crowd as well.
It was also an environment without running water, electricity, shopping malls, or for that matter even a corner shop - where needing to go with your Mum & Sister to the clinic in Liverpool meant hooking up the horse and sulky. This environment prepared Mum for dealing with life in a way that many of us here today could never hope to understand.
In short, it was a world where you just had to get on with things.
One example of how Mum herself learned to get on with things, was that from the time she was 12, she rode her push bike three and a half kilometers to the bus stop. From there she got on the bus and took a 45 minute trip to the nearest train station. She then caught an old red-rattler for 40 minutes and then after a walk, she would finally arrive at her destination, the nearest high school to where she lived, Homebush Girls High School. In the depths of winter it would have been dark when she left in the morning and it would have been dark when she got home. Remember this was from when she was just 12!
If that wasn't tough enough, she then had to do an even longer trip, when she landed her dream job at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music near the Sydney Botanical Gardens, as secretary to Sir Eugene Goosens. It was during this time that Mum formed her lifelong passion for music - stories of the Con were very much a part of growing up around Mum and I well remember her proudly showing me one of her most treasured possessions - a telegram of congratulations from Sir Eugene on the birth of her new daughter Lynne.
The Con wasn't Mum's only job with people who went on to become household names - indeed Mums very first job after leaving school was to work directly for Albert Teagle, the founder of Teagles Turkeys.
Many of you here today heard me speak some four and a half years ago about Mum & Dads life together - about their various moves to Aberdeen to run a farm, to Camden to run a dairy, and to then take a real punt and along with Mums brother Barry, start up their own transport business.
Through all of these moves and changes in direction, Mum just got on with things. In the business, Mums main job was as Bookkeeper - it might have been at home, but she was still very much a working Mum. The only way to fit it all in was to start at 4:00AM and using a manual adding machine and a clunky old Corona typewriter she would do the accounts and invoicing on the kitchen table. While other kids were planning to buy their Mums some perfume or flowers for Mothers Day - we conspired to get our Mum a new-fangled (but far more importantly - silent) Sharp Elsi Mate electronic calculator - so at last, we at least, could finally get a sleep in!
Mum loved it - as indeed she loved it whenever any piece of new technology came along - from cassette players to CD's, from VHS to DVD's, to microwave ovens, computers, the Internet and email - you see to Mum, they were all tools to be embraced that enabled her to get on with things.
When Dad died in 2006, we all wondered how Mum would cope - after all - they had been soul mates for well over half a century. Everyone here knows just how special their relationship was. How did Mum cope? Well she got on with things - from 75 years of age plus, she drove the old manual gear shift Ford Telstar that was also without power steering and joined not one, but two Senior Citizens clubs, she drove herself out to Austral to play Bingo every week. Took herself out to the shops and went on whatever trips through the Senior Citz clubs were available. She also embraced computer games and email on the laptop she bought.
Of course she was desperately lonely and missing Dad, but she just made the most out of what was now her new reality.
In January last year Mum had a small stroke and it became clear that she would no longer be able to drive and her capacity to look after herself at home was also diminished. As her kids, we again wondered how she was going to cope? Without complaint, she got on with things and she started to get linked into community transport and the other aged care support available to her and carried on with as much of her old life as she could, gracefully surrendering the things she had to let go.
Due to another hospitalization last September, Mum could no longer live at home alone and her only way to get on with things now was to move in with Barry, Sandra & Adam until another option could be arranged - the need for supplemented oxygen at least 18 hours a day was no problem, Mum just got on with it by purchasing the latest portable machine, which meant she wouldn't be reliant on bottled oxygen and could retain some of her mobility and independence.
In December Mum had a catastrophic incident whilst in Liverpool Hospital where she literally died - the wonderful medical staff there brought her back and we were all blessed to get her for yet another few months. When Mum came out of the hospital this time she moved into Aminya Retirement Village at Baulkham Hills - yet another new reality that she just accepted and got on with.
Though life was now very different, Mum remained very much in control - she had us arrange the sale of the house she had lived in for 48 years, in the process abandoning almost all of her earthly possessions - she did this with a dignity and self possession that had to be witnessed to be believed. I know she also took this time to heal some old wounds and to make sure she made all of her final wishes known. Once again there were no complaints and certainly no regrets.
During this time she made the most of every minute. Any offer for an outing - no matter what it was, was willingly accepted. No phone call could be too short or too long. If there was an activity to do, she was in it. Without ever feeling sorry for herself, if there was a way to really live just one more bit of life - she would be in it!
Accepting the situations that life threw at her and adapting what was needed to overcome them, would never have been a conscious motto of Mum's - but I think you will agree with me that it serves as a fitting epitaph.
Thanks for the lessons Mum and thanks for the love.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Update
Still in hospital - good news & not so fantastic but i need to just deal with it news.
Good news
Just today they have managed to hit on the secret formula that can consistently manage my pain - so instead of having to take the maximum doses of Panadeine Forte, seriously high doses of Endone (morphine equivalent tablet) and the occasional injection of Morphine - I'm just back to Panadeine Forte and the occasional Endone. They've managed this with a mix of cortisone (Prednisone), anti-inflammatories (Naproxen) and an unusual drug called Sulfasalazine.
Bad news
The medicos don't particularly like the cocktail because of the associated risks they each have are exacerbated by mixing them, but as all of their previous experiments have agonisingly (for me) failed. My symptoms have left them nowhere else to go. Also, the symptoms are presenting in new areas and old areas that have abated have flared again - indicating that I have a version of this thing that is going to be a longer-term proposition to deal with and they are keeping me in hospital till probably next Wednesday or until it stops turning up in new places and reigniting in areas that have previously died down.
They are also subtly managing my expectations now (which I appreciate) from the optimism they first showed (and I shared) to start to get my head around the fact that this might go on for some time, both now and as an outpatient into the future.
The rest
For anyone interested - you have to have the HLA-B27 that roughly 8% of the general population have and a precipitating bacterial infection - in my case Gastro - if you want a good horror story - google Reactive Arthritis. Also whilst I thought I'd never heard of it before - I've been reminded that it is the thing that Daniel Johns from Silverchair got in 2002. Must confess I was skeptical at the time but now have sent him silent apology vibes.
Mum's funeral is on Monday but they are going to give me day release to go.
Here is hoping the symptoms now come under control.
All good :)
Good news
Just today they have managed to hit on the secret formula that can consistently manage my pain - so instead of having to take the maximum doses of Panadeine Forte, seriously high doses of Endone (morphine equivalent tablet) and the occasional injection of Morphine - I'm just back to Panadeine Forte and the occasional Endone. They've managed this with a mix of cortisone (Prednisone), anti-inflammatories (Naproxen) and an unusual drug called Sulfasalazine.
Bad news
The medicos don't particularly like the cocktail because of the associated risks they each have are exacerbated by mixing them, but as all of their previous experiments have agonisingly (for me) failed. My symptoms have left them nowhere else to go. Also, the symptoms are presenting in new areas and old areas that have abated have flared again - indicating that I have a version of this thing that is going to be a longer-term proposition to deal with and they are keeping me in hospital till probably next Wednesday or until it stops turning up in new places and reigniting in areas that have previously died down.
They are also subtly managing my expectations now (which I appreciate) from the optimism they first showed (and I shared) to start to get my head around the fact that this might go on for some time, both now and as an outpatient into the future.
The rest
For anyone interested - you have to have the HLA-B27 that roughly 8% of the general population have and a precipitating bacterial infection - in my case Gastro - if you want a good horror story - google Reactive Arthritis. Also whilst I thought I'd never heard of it before - I've been reminded that it is the thing that Daniel Johns from Silverchair got in 2002. Must confess I was skeptical at the time but now have sent him silent apology vibes.
Mum's funeral is on Monday but they are going to give me day release to go.
Here is hoping the symptoms now come under control.
All good :)
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Farewell Ma - You Played Hard, Ya Done Good
Yep - got a call in the hospital this morning to say Mum had passed away.
Not totally unexpected because she has been slowly deteriorating for quite some time - but it still comes as a shock when it happens.
Apart from the smoking - Mum was a model on how to live your life. She faced every new challenge, every set back and every good fortune with the same pragmatic "get on with it attitude" that I could only ever aspire to.
Mum & Dad were soul mates and we were all amazed at how Mum just got on with things when he died. When she lost her mobility, she just got on with it, when she had to sell the house she had lived in for 48 years, she just got on with it. Accept the situation, overcome and adapt may not have been her conscious motto but it may well be her epitaph.
We'll miss ya Ma - see you when the weather breaks :) xo
Not totally unexpected because she has been slowly deteriorating for quite some time - but it still comes as a shock when it happens.
Apart from the smoking - Mum was a model on how to live your life. She faced every new challenge, every set back and every good fortune with the same pragmatic "get on with it attitude" that I could only ever aspire to.
Mum & Dad were soul mates and we were all amazed at how Mum just got on with things when he died. When she lost her mobility, she just got on with it, when she had to sell the house she had lived in for 48 years, she just got on with it. Accept the situation, overcome and adapt may not have been her conscious motto but it may well be her epitaph.
We'll miss ya Ma - see you when the weather breaks :) xo
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hospital
We'll all these aches and pains have landed the old 2P's in hospital......
Turns out I have Reactive Arthritis - from the Gastro I had from 9-13 Feb - severe back and shoulder pain ensued, then a week later my feet went, now a week later my hands have gone.
All the inflammation markers in my blood tests were sky high - the good news all the rest of the results were pretty good.
The pain is really quite interesting and certainly a new experience - I'm on Endone (morphine) but they might as well be giving me aspirin - for all the good it's doing - doc just doubled the dose a couple of hours ago, but it still hurts like a bitch. Im not convinced it's not a placebo.
Anyhoo they reckon I'm here till at least Thursday till they are sure the treatment is working.
Prognosis is good, they reckon 95% of people make a full recovery albeit it can take some time, so the odds are pretty good. Apparently there is one other thing it could be but I can't remember the name, apparently it is pretty rare but also treatable - the results of the tests they did today should rule that out (or in) - but n any event apparently no biggie if it is.
With a little bit of luck I'll be up and around in no time -Hellgate might be a bit of challenge - but hey - I love challenge.
All good :)
Turns out I have Reactive Arthritis - from the Gastro I had from 9-13 Feb - severe back and shoulder pain ensued, then a week later my feet went, now a week later my hands have gone.
All the inflammation markers in my blood tests were sky high - the good news all the rest of the results were pretty good.
The pain is really quite interesting and certainly a new experience - I'm on Endone (morphine) but they might as well be giving me aspirin - for all the good it's doing - doc just doubled the dose a couple of hours ago, but it still hurts like a bitch. Im not convinced it's not a placebo.
Anyhoo they reckon I'm here till at least Thursday till they are sure the treatment is working.
Prognosis is good, they reckon 95% of people make a full recovery albeit it can take some time, so the odds are pretty good. Apparently there is one other thing it could be but I can't remember the name, apparently it is pretty rare but also treatable - the results of the tests they did today should rule that out (or in) - but n any event apparently no biggie if it is.
With a little bit of luck I'll be up and around in no time -Hellgate might be a bit of challenge - but hey - I love challenge.
All good :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Bad to Worse
Well the old 2P's has gone from bad to worse......
I'm not given to complaining - but I am in pain and don't know why.
My shoulders still hurt, my feet joined them last week and now my hands are well..... throwing their hand in too.
Doctors don't have a clue - I've been treated for everything from gout to a staph infection and many things in-between. Due to a stuff up the world supply of blood tests didn't get back in time yesterday till after my doctor knocked off so I'll have to wait till Monday to see if there are any answers there?
I've taken gout meds, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, Panadeine forte, Valium - I've tried ice, I've tried difflam. At best they make the pain bearable but it is always there.
Went to work Wednesday night (Board Meeting), Thursday & Friday and each time, by the time I got home - well let's just say I wasn't presenting as a big tough guy....
I'm even finding it almost impossible to play guitar - but I'm persisting.
Anyhoo - as I'm want to quote "pain is mandatory, suffering is optional" - I'm keeping my focus - I really want to do Hellgate in April even if I only walk it.
Hopefully I'll get an answer soon.
I'm not given to complaining - but I am in pain and don't know why.
My shoulders still hurt, my feet joined them last week and now my hands are well..... throwing their hand in too.
Doctors don't have a clue - I've been treated for everything from gout to a staph infection and many things in-between. Due to a stuff up the world supply of blood tests didn't get back in time yesterday till after my doctor knocked off so I'll have to wait till Monday to see if there are any answers there?
I've taken gout meds, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, Panadeine forte, Valium - I've tried ice, I've tried difflam. At best they make the pain bearable but it is always there.
Went to work Wednesday night (Board Meeting), Thursday & Friday and each time, by the time I got home - well let's just say I wasn't presenting as a big tough guy....
I'm even finding it almost impossible to play guitar - but I'm persisting.
Anyhoo - as I'm want to quote "pain is mandatory, suffering is optional" - I'm keeping my focus - I really want to do Hellgate in April even if I only walk it.
Hopefully I'll get an answer soon.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Drowning Ducks
Well by Sunday night the Gastro had abated - all good - except that Monday morning I awoke to an excruciating pain in my left shoulder!
I toughed it out at work but pain turned to spasms..... Some Mersyndol nights and Voltaren 25's got things under control Monday night, but by Tuesday arvo I was having to take silly amounts just to get through the day - Wednesday I had no option but to go to the Doctors as not only were the spasms out of control, they had also spread to the right shoulder and i was literally in screaming agony - WTF?
Having now been poked, prodded and imaged it appears on Sunday night I rolled in my sleep and tore the subscapularis on my left shoulder - sometime Tuesday night whether as a result of spasm or another sleep rolling incident I tore the infraspinatus on my right shoulder!
Today I lay in a Panadeine Forte, Valium & Voltaren induced haze wondering how the f*ck did this happen?
Please, nobody give me a duck to look after!
I toughed it out at work but pain turned to spasms..... Some Mersyndol nights and Voltaren 25's got things under control Monday night, but by Tuesday arvo I was having to take silly amounts just to get through the day - Wednesday I had no option but to go to the Doctors as not only were the spasms out of control, they had also spread to the right shoulder and i was literally in screaming agony - WTF?
Having now been poked, prodded and imaged it appears on Sunday night I rolled in my sleep and tore the subscapularis on my left shoulder - sometime Tuesday night whether as a result of spasm or another sleep rolling incident I tore the infraspinatus on my right shoulder!
Today I lay in a Panadeine Forte, Valium & Voltaren induced haze wondering how the f*ck did this happen?
Please, nobody give me a duck to look after!
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