I still had the pains in my head but Rob was here again now.
First he drove me to the hospital for my eye appointment to just check them over now I had finished with the drops. All was ok so no need to return :-)
Then we went for a drive around the Lizard peninsula, where my new profile picture was taken!
This was the first photo taken of me since I became ill with the virus three months ago.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Monday 29 March 2004
I feel generally better today and have my appetite back, although the stabbing pains in my head are still there.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Sunday 28 March 2004
My ankle is finally feeling ok, though I still feel a bit fluey and have no appetite.
I now have random sharp stabbing pains in my head too. This should be somewhat worrying I guess, but I think I will put them down to all the drops I have been putting into my eyes recently.
I now have random sharp stabbing pains in my head too. This should be somewhat worrying I guess, but I think I will put them down to all the drops I have been putting into my eyes recently.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Saturday 27 March 2004
My left ankle still sprained and still feel a bit fluey and have no appetite today either - this is really unusual for me :-)
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Friday 26 March 2004
Following yesterday's conversation with Dr.B, I now started on a course of anti-biotics. I took my last eye drop today. My left ankle still felt bruised. During the evening I felt I had flu coming on.
Thursday 25 March 2004
No change to my left ankle. I spoke with Dr.B on the phone as he had received the report from the Hospital about my appointment on March 1st. So now he knows what I had!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Friday 19 - Sunday 21 March 2004
My groin was still feeling sprained, and now my left knee was bruised too. I guess also as a result of the work I did in the garden on Tuesday. I didn't feel too worried about these things as I think I just accepted that getting my limbs and joints to work properly again would involve this kind of thing.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Wednesday 17 March 2004
In the evening I was starting to get a sprain feeling in my groin - which I guess was brought on by me standing still for so long in the garden yesterday. This told me that now I was beginning to use my knees and right hand again, after two months this was going to put a strain on other parts of me that hadn't been affected by the virus, but which had not been used normally in all that time.
By this stage, after using my left hand for things my right hand would normally have done for two months, my right arm looked like just a bone in skin!
By this stage, after using my left hand for things my right hand would normally have done for two months, my right arm looked like just a bone in skin!
Tuesday 16 March 2004
It was a warm sunny day and after being inside so long it was good to go outside in the garden. I have a large buddleia bush which needs chopping right down in the late winter and I hadn't been able to do this this year until today.
Most of the time I'm doing this I can stand still, so not much walking for my knees to do, which were getting better all the time anyway, and the telescopic pruners I use are operated with both hands rather than a flick of my wrist as secateurs would need, so my hand should be ok about it too.
Most of the time I'm doing this I can stand still, so not much walking for my knees to do, which were getting better all the time anyway, and the telescopic pruners I use are operated with both hands rather than a flick of my wrist as secateurs would need, so my hand should be ok about it too.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Monday 15 March 2004
Another eye appointment today at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. I could now cut out the drops that dilate my pupil altogether, so it was now much better with bright lights and focussing.
Also the other drops were reduced again to 4 per day, then every 3 days I could reduce by another one until I stopped altogether. I didn't need to go again until the end of the month, which would be just to check that all was ok when I had finished with the drops altogether.
Today I also finished the course of anti-biotics and anti-inflamatory tablets I had had since my first hospital appointment on March 1st, and re-started with just the anti-biotics I was taking up to then.
Also the other drops were reduced again to 4 per day, then every 3 days I could reduce by another one until I stopped altogether. I didn't need to go again until the end of the month, which would be just to check that all was ok when I had finished with the drops altogether.
Today I also finished the course of anti-biotics and anti-inflamatory tablets I had had since my first hospital appointment on March 1st, and re-started with just the anti-biotics I was taking up to then.
Tuesday 9 - Sunday 14 March 2004
Nothing to write about here. Just continued with the drops and tablets, and a gradual improvement with my knees and right hand.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Monday 8 March 2004
Today was my next eye appointment. Things seemed to be improving so the doc cut both types of drops down. I was now only to take one per day of the nasty ones which sting and make things too bright and out of focus.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Thursday 4 - Sunday 7 March 2004
Not much to report for these few days. I was still taking the new tablets and eye drops. Next appointment with the Eye casualty was on Monday 8th.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Wednesday 3 March 2004
Today I had to go back to the Eye casualty doctor to check on the progress of my iritis and how my eye was reacting to all the drops. I was told to continue with the drops and come back again in five more days. The doctor gave me some ointment to use in my eye at night now too.
It was really reassuring to know that I was being told to come back for a check-up so frequently.
After just two days of having the steroid injection I could now bend my right leg back sufficiently to reach my bum with my heel! Wow. Things were actually improving :-)
It was really reassuring to know that I was being told to come back for a check-up so frequently.
After just two days of having the steroid injection I could now bend my right leg back sufficiently to reach my bum with my heel! Wow. Things were actually improving :-)
Monday, 2 March 2009
Tuesday 2 March 2004
Good news today - my knees were no longer hurting so much, and my right eye had stopped itching too. I still couldn't straighten my legs or walk properly and I couldn't see straight or focus on anything with my right eye, and everything was too bright for it too, but then Rome wasn't built in a day!
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Monday 1 March 2004
Apart from the first day of the year when it all began, today was the most significant and memorable, as it was the day something at last started happening. Strange that it was also the first of a new month again.
I finally had my appointment at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
First of all it was the usual checks etc, then I went thru to the specialist department.
He asked me about everything that had happened since the start, and then told me that what I had was Reactive Arthritis, and gave me a leaflet about it. It is specifically brought on by a bad reaction to a virus, and unlike normal arthritis, it normally clears up within two weeks. In rare cases it can take longer, and as I had now had the symptoms for 6 weeks without showing any signs of improvement, the best course of action was for me to have a steroid injection in my right knee, then see how it reacts and make a decision about doing the other knee after a while.
It was a weird place to have an injection as, unlike when they're in your arm, I actually felt the needle going through different parts of my knee, both on the way in, and on the way out!
The specialist then prescribed the tablets Dr.B changed me onto on January 20th, plus some more antibiotics.
Just as I was about to leave, he noticed my right eye was red. I told him it had had something in it for the last 3 or 4 days and he suggested I go to the Eye casualty department while I was there.
The eye doctor examined my eye and it turned out it was something called Iritis. This is an infection which should be dealt with promptly and can be brought on by - arthritis!
I was given two types of drops, one to use hourly, and one to use three times a day. That one dilates your pupil so your eye thinks it's dark, so you see everything far too brightly. It also means you can't focus.
So as one door opened, another door was closing!
I finally had my appointment at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
First of all it was the usual checks etc, then I went thru to the specialist department.
He asked me about everything that had happened since the start, and then told me that what I had was Reactive Arthritis, and gave me a leaflet about it. It is specifically brought on by a bad reaction to a virus, and unlike normal arthritis, it normally clears up within two weeks. In rare cases it can take longer, and as I had now had the symptoms for 6 weeks without showing any signs of improvement, the best course of action was for me to have a steroid injection in my right knee, then see how it reacts and make a decision about doing the other knee after a while.
It was a weird place to have an injection as, unlike when they're in your arm, I actually felt the needle going through different parts of my knee, both on the way in, and on the way out!
The specialist then prescribed the tablets Dr.B changed me onto on January 20th, plus some more antibiotics.
Just as I was about to leave, he noticed my right eye was red. I told him it had had something in it for the last 3 or 4 days and he suggested I go to the Eye casualty department while I was there.
The eye doctor examined my eye and it turned out it was something called Iritis. This is an infection which should be dealt with promptly and can be brought on by - arthritis!
I was given two types of drops, one to use hourly, and one to use three times a day. That one dilates your pupil so your eye thinks it's dark, so you see everything far too brightly. It also means you can't focus.
So as one door opened, another door was closing!
Saturday 28 - Sunday 29 February 2004
No change on these two days.
As there was a February 29th in 2004, from now on the days won't exactly match those in that year.
As there was a February 29th in 2004, from now on the days won't exactly match those in that year.
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