Saturday, September 18, 2021

 

I hope you have guessed that life here is much as before. I feel very weak. Appetite is holding steady, on a low level. No knitting.

 

Helen and David were here this morning.  They are trying to put my affairs in order – an heroic endeavour. A little bit was accomplished. David is going back to Thessaloniki tomorrow, alas – Helen and an accountant will be here on Monday morning to take up the chase.

 

I had a letter from the NHS this morning, announcing that they have made an appt for me in Leith for the flu injection in a couple of weeks’ time. I am tremendously conscientious about flu injections and plan to have mine in my local pharmacy, as I did last year. It is one of the few destinations still within range – I can walk there. Leith is miles away and would involve taxis. But the thought of the effort needed to straighten this out is almost too much for me.

 

Comments

 

Tamar, your ideas are good: when are they ever less? I have switched to easy food – bananas and corn flakes and frozen ready meals. It’s helping somewhat. I wouldn’t know where to turn for anorexia therapy, but it might be worth looking for some. And getting tested for Covid is not a bad idea, either. I think C. will be here tomorrow, and I think she knows a cheap or even free source of the cheaper and less accurate Lateral Flow test. We’ll talk about it.

 

Audrey: a UTI or kidney infection is an alarming possibility. My husband was in and out of hospital in the last months of his life with exactly that. But he had symptoms – low oxygen saturation, at least. I don’t (Helen has one of those tester-things.). I feel fine, except for this appalling weakness.

 

Mary Lou, I’m sure your MD friend is right, about malnutrition in the elderly. But I’m trying hard. As soon as appetite collapsed – shortly after I returned from that cruise – I started (amongst other things) Complan, which I think is the “protein shake” you’re suggesting.

 

Well, I’ll keep your posted.

 

Ann, yes, I know I could support Franklin on Patreon but feel a reluctance which I couldn’t really explain to Patronise a grown, healthy man, dearly as I love him in this case. My Patron standing orders are for Knitty and Fruity Knitting. The latter started off like a subscription to a knitting magazine, and has of course morphed into something different due to unimaginably dreadful events,

14 comments:

  1. It was good to hear your news. I am surprised that the GP did not find any specific cause as it certainly sounds like something. My mother had a longish spell off her food, which was unusual for her. This turned out to be a symptom of diabetes requiring insulin. Your weakness sounds like anaemia, but that would surely have shown up on the blood tests. It is surprising how easy it is to gain weight when you do not want to - a piece of millionaire,s shortbread here and there would do it-yet how hard when you need the energy.

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  2. =Tamar8:42 PM

    I have read that blood tests are often done using a "normal" for a particular group, which is not the same as normal for the average population. People may be compared to groups who also have an abnormally low reading when compared to the general population; then they are told they are "in the normal range" - when in fact it is not normal at all. (That's aside from individual variation. All the articles say women my age should never take iron supplements, but if I skip my iron, the capillaries in the whites of my eyes fill up and my eyes get red lines and hurt. That's how I noticed it, my eyes hurt and I looked in the mirror. I take iron, and that doesn't happen. My blood tests are always "low normal" no matter how much iron I take. This has been true since I was in my early forties.)
    So the test for anemia might read low but be _interpreted_ based on how many other people in the area also have borderline anemia.

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  3. Please go to a doctor.

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  4. Happy to hear from you. I must say, I agree about Patreon in most cases. Fruity Knitting and Knitty are the ones I do as well, along with a couple of non-knitting related ones that provide classes. And since you are using Complan, I’ll stop with my “helpful” suggestions. Reading Tamar has me off to check my eyes in the mirror. When I try to donate blood I am often not able due to low normal hemoglobin.

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  5. Jean….just an idea….I had decreasing blood levels and lack of appetite or any gumption for about a year….after several scans for the big C and colonoscopies that found nothing…..my doctor opted to check out the “top half”. One gastroscopy later, I had a very bad case of Heliobacter Pylori. Lots of antibiotics later, my blood count is gradually increasing!

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  6. One thing to know, Franklin produces a lot of content just for this Patreon subscribers. He emphasizes that the feels he needs to earn that money. He did a live broadcast from his new workroom in his apartment tonight and seems to be settling in very well. He has friend In Paris who seem to be helping him navigate the system

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  7. I am so glad to read your post, although this lassitude sounds very debilitating. I shan't add any advice as all the suggestions so far have merit. Hopefully something can be done to improve the situation soon. I find Wrestling with doctors and appointments is quite tiring enough without being actually unwell.
    I would love to have a workroom! Our two 'spare' bedrooms are full of a mixture of the children's 'leavings' and accumulated 'stuff' waiting to be sorted, tidied, skipped, donated.... tomorrow is another day...

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  8. I agree with Gerri. Go back to the doctor and take a daughter with you for emphasis and documentation. You need further testing.

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  9. You can order free lateral flow tests from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
    I'd definitely recommend getting Helen or Archie to help you do it, as they are a bit fiddly.

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  10. It's good to hear from you. I know how irritating it can be to have people around you nag you to see a doctor, but we only do it because we care.

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  11. its been a few days. i hope this means you have gone to a doctor and are taking medicine or whatevers to get back to feeling better. we so care for you Jean...

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    Replies
    1. My post is on 9-23.. Jean's last post is 9-18

      Does anyone have her daughters email?

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  12. Jean has made a couple of posts on Instagram.

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    1. Anonymous1:01 PM

      https://www.instagram.com/jeanmiles8442/

      It kind of sounds more like Helen making those posts, but at least the6 show Jean at home and well-enough.

      Beverly in NJ

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