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I did another entry!

Wahoo, I’m writing this blog entry on the iPad keyboard, but with the iPhone docked into it. I don’t know why I am telling you this, but I find it neat.

Anyway, I’ve woken up with some kind of cold. I was roasting warm in Cirque du Soleil last night, but in bed in the middle of the night my bottom half was uncovered and really cold. Today I have neck ache and I’m feeling head coldy. Meh.

I had an all day appointment at the EB clinic yesterday and it was grand. I’ve put on a kg in the last couple of weeks since I was last weighed there, so I’m now 2 kgs away from what would be a fairly normal weight. I’ve always been embarrassed to mention my exact weight, but now it is a less scary weight I don’t mind saying I’m now 38.7kg. I’d LOVE to reach 40kg. Not only is it a nice even number, but it is also properly over six stone. I’m slightly over six stone now. It’s good because if I got ill or had surgery – having my right hand operated on in the autumn, I’m so pleased with how the left one went in November – and if I ended up losing a little weight it wouldn’t be such a disaster. Also, while I normally ignore weight articles in the likes of The Mail and those celeb magazines, they seem to report that Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole are 6.5 stone. If they run fashion houses and release not-as-great-as-you’d-hope pop records on that weight, then so can I. The other week I wore a pair of jeans I haven’t worn for six months, and the waistband was really tight.
I’m going to try getting back on the swiss ball in the next few days. I haven’t done it since the fall, and the physio in the hospital was amazed that I had one. I might never be able to walk as much as I did a few years ago, but it’d be nice to be stronger anyway. I need to be stronger to carry my extra fat arse around. The physio also recommended I get some small hand weights, something which I have given thought to anyway.

My sister, her boyfriend and Dad will briefly visit me on Saturday as she is playing in Wimbledon, so I’m looking forward to that.

This is a bit of an entry that just goes on about health and shit but I really want to keep up with this blog. Oh for something more interesting to report..!

Rise and fall (hoho)

I’m going to try and blog on this again because it’s nice. I did an entry a month ago but then I don’t know where it went, which was annoying.

FALL – Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I had a fall on Tuesday night. Was looking out of my window in my flat – I didn’t fall out the window – and as I walked away, my right foot caught a dining table/chair (not sure which) leg, and I kind of did a two stage slam down. I tried to hold myself up on the table, but in my hands I was holding a tub of er, Marks and Spencers cornflake bites. I was opening the tub with scissors in my livingroom, and decided to look out the window before going back into the kitchen with them, as the late-night shop across the road had a load of police there the other night, and it had been shut, so I wanted to see if it was open again so I could tell Dad. The mundane shit we do, and the trouble it gets us into.

I sort of went sideways down and then the rest of me went. As part of my EB I also have osteoporosis, and that night the inside of my knee was killing, so I anticipated I would not be able to move the next day, or today with bone damage to it, or maybe to my elbow. It’s fine. Aside from a load of skin off my knee and elbow, they’re not feeling broken in any way. My feet have a lot of skin off the bottom and are hurting the most. I’ve probably upset the nerves a bit. I’ve had a little neck ache – but I kind of do anyway – and today I had a little headache round my left temple, but that may be due to the second coffee. I always get temple-specific headaches when I have a second coffee, so why did I have another today? I’m a right dick. So feet aside, I think I got off quite lucky. I have a couple of hospital appointments tomorrow and I’ll have a chat to my consultant to see what she thinks, or if she could prescribe me something a bit stronger for the feet pain. No swiss ball exercise for me for a while.

RISE (of sorts) - I am interviewing my own carers on Tuesday afternoon. My excellent x3-a-week carer Patrycja is going to leave soon to have a baby – a boy! – and the most-of-the-time carer, ‘U’ is really getting on my tits, so much so, that I’ve been doing some doable dressings myself, even if it takes me an hour alone, rather than 20 minutes with her. She won’t do the more complex dressing changes, involving gently cleaning my head, which Patrycja does, as she says the agency wouldn’t want her to do it as it’s too complex. P does it because she has nursing training, has researched and understood my condition and understands that I need it doing. U also asked if she could not use my food chopper any more, as it is too noisy. FFS. So I have applied for direct payments, and I’m getting help with sorting that and I can hire and pay my carers directly. I can also choose my own hours, have more hours with them, and train them properly with EB nurse Pauline. I am interviewing three applicants. They seem so lovely, so I’m hoping it’ll go well, and they won’t be disappointed or put-off working with me. I sent them the link to Debra.org.uk and they each said they had read it, so that didn’t put them off so far. One girl seems very qualified and experienced, even doing a course in…INFECTION CONTROL. Can I get a high-five?! The other two seem less experienced, but very keen and lovely.

Anyway, Dad and brother V are coming to visit, and their train should arrive in the next ten minutes or so. Pauline is staying for a few days next week, which’ll be cool as she’s smashing.

 

Eee, it’s been nice to blog again. Sorry if it’s been a bit shit to read it.

hands and prints

Righto, well there is a WordPress app for the iPad and iPhone. How cool. Hope they don’t crash or anything.

Two weeks today, I’ll be admitted for my hand operation the next day. Yeeeeeek.

I’m having more antibiotics to put me in prime condition for the op, and they’re rotten. It’s 20ml x4 a day, and it’s brought me out in hives and made me feel puke-a-rama. I have a stronger gut than people think, and it takes a lot to make me throw-up, so I haven’t yet, thank God. 

Dad is returning tomorrow as I have an appointment at the hospital on Wednesday; I’m having more dental work done, and a pre-op heart scan and blood tests to check I’m alright. I’m kind of looking forward to getting it finished with, as it’s not very nice, and I will have to return to theatre weekly for a while for dressing changes and to check the skin donor site has healed.

I’ve chosen to have a nerve block for my arm instead of general anaesthetic, as I would worry about it less, as the arm is numb and I wouldn’t need to be put to sleep, but I would be given sedatives. Lovely happy sedatives.

I say I would worry less, and I have worried less, until I made the mistake of curiously googling ‘arm nerve block’ and finding this picture.

Anyway, it freaked me out a bit, then I realised that it looks worse because it is an illustration and is anatomical, showing the individual with no skin etc, which makes everything look more gross. On another site, I read about the method to block the nerve, and it doesn’t sound so bad. Not looking forward to the ‘click’ sound I should expect to hear though… *shudder*

All the furniture is built and in place in the flat, and it’s sorted now. I’m properly moved-in. I should have a flat warming, but there’s no time now, and it’ll be a bit too late to warm it anyway soon. Ah well, it’s still lovely. I’ve furnished the second bedroom so nice I like it more than my own room. It has a small antique-looking mirror, a black velvet cushion and a leopard print cushion on the bed, nice wooden furniture (IKEA, so not *proper* wood, but still…) and I have this poster behind the door, which is kind of apt for when guests stay over…

The image on the right is not my flat.

Anyway, I’d never put art up in the other flats, but I am here. Shows how much I love it and want to stay here.

Anyway, I’m going to tidy a little and do a bit more writing. I’ve been doing a few blogs for the Graun lately, and I’m doing something else for G2 now, which they approached me for. It’ll be in PRINT! It’s like I can actually do it properly, so I’m making the most of it, as in two weeks I’ll be less handy. Though in the past I remember writing a 20six blog as soon as I was able after surgery, and I typed using a digit on my operated-on hand that was sticking out of the big bandage. When it comes to the internet, you can’t keep me down.

Speaking of which, I’m thinking of getting this when I get my next blog payment:

They’re a bit cliche now, but the sentiment is true as ever. Might put it in the entrance hallway.