Not eating

Hi Steve,

Nice to hear from you. Funny you should ask, but he has gone right back to square one again. His steroid tablets were finished about a couple of weeks ago and now he is back to diarrhea and not eating. We risked going to my best friend this weekend past on Friday to see their brand new house. I drove 130 miles to Hampshire, we had a lovely evening with them and apparently about 4am he had an 'explosion' in her new bathroom. I woke to his news and had to help sort things out. We were a little concerned about staying but I dosed him with immodium and thought we would be okay. He hadn't eaten the night before other than some cheesecake, he only seems to be able to eat sweet things like before. Anyway, he just asked for a piece of toast for breakfast and then after two mouthfuls started being sick!!

Needless to say, I packed the car and had to drive back home. I was so gutted as I love staying at my best friend's and having a rest and catchup! Since then, he has been unable to eat and today has been in bed all day. I am trying to get hold of our doctor. I sent an email request on Thursday and still no luck. So I called today and after pestering, they are getting a clinician to call this afternoon. I am hoping it will be his own doctor who knows all the facts. I just want to get him back on steroids which work so well and so fast. We are supposed to be going to Richard's sisters on 11th but now worried that we won't be able to go. My only holiday in three years was a week in Norfolk with the grandchildren. I love it but as head cook and bottle washer, not really relaxing!! Thought at least a couple of weekends away would be a good break for both of us.

It is amazing how quickly he has deteriorated from one minute being much stronger and eating like nobody's business to the tiredness and no appetite.

I am sorry to hear you have been down in the dumps, and isn't helped by the nights getting darker. Not heard of acupuncture for hot flushes but I am a great believer in the therapy. If it is any consolation, I am getting hot flushes again. I seem to always wake up at some point in the night and no sooner have I done, then I start getting hot and have to kick the duvet off. I still have the window open a bit but obvs not enough to cool me. I have an Alexa device so I ask it to play sounds of the ocean, which really help me get back to sleep but last night didn't work. I just felt like getting my swimming costume out and going for a swim!!! I even listened to Dr Michael Moseley's Sleep Well podcast on BBC Sounds, which was interesting and informative but still didn't send me off. Finally I drifted and was almost there when Sidney decided to bark at an invisible intruder, and woke me again - grrrrr. 

Anyway, fingers crossed I get this phone call soon from the docs.  I have some steroids here to start him on but need their say so as not a drug you can play around with really.

Hope you perk up a bit.

Best regards

Gina

Hi Gina just read your post, that's real bad I hope you get sorted out soon, did the take the steroids away slowly, thinking of you both 

He was on the steroids over 12 weeks. Luckily, our amazing doc called after hours tonight (after much badgering from me at the surgery) and has suggested we put him back on the lower dose for now to see how he does. I had some pills left over so we will see how that goes.  He tried to eat tonight and after one mouthful threw up and then when I offered him some chocolate, which usually goes down with no problems, he threw up again. Very worrying.

Thanks for your wishes, hope you are doing well. 

Best regards

Gina

Hi Gina, lovely to hear your voice again! (Alexa, play "Gina"), honestly though, love to read your posts.

It's a strange coincidence about the steroids, not that Richard was dependent on them.

I remember when I stopped them, I could tell straight away (the Camera down my throat didn't help as well).  Thought I would be going back on them after my Colonoscopy but it never materialized.  Now, it's calmed down again (touchwood!).

I know my dosage was lower than Richard's.  I remember when he first got them, and you saying how they worked straight away.  Hopefully he can be put back on them again as they really work.

Sounds like it was nearly "Escape from the Country" in Hampshire.  I know you can look back now and possibly laugh about it, but at the time I bet you wished the ground would open up and swallow you.

I'm still kicking off the duvet, if I had an Alexa, all I would get would be Tracey saying "Who are you talking to?"

Sidney wasn't barking at an invisible intruder, he was asking Alexa to play '101 Dalmatians'

Hard to say if the Acupuncture will work, Ulls has started Acupuncture again, he said it worked for him.  Time will tell.

Glad to see the doctor came out and wants to put Richard back on the steroids (even at a lower dosage), they should help him (and you).

We finally have a bit of a holiday booked for a long weekend away in Yorkshire in a couple of weeks time.  First time we will have been anywhere since the first lockdown in March 2020.

Better go, the Cows will be wondering where I am.

Hi Steve,

Yes, Sidney was probably programming Alexa, why didn't I think of that.

Funny you should be going to Yorkshire in a couple of weeks. Whereabouts? We had planned to go to R's sisters in Yorkshire. They were in Menston near Ilkley, but have moved, not far away, but not sure of the place. 

If he responds to the steroids well, then we will still be going.  I am not missing out on someone cooking for me again!!

Gina

We're going to Skipton and Harrogate for a few days.

Never heard of Menston, been to Ilkley.

Hope the Budesonide do the trick.

Oh what a coincidence. We were going up on Friday night, 11th, so we could go to Skipton market on the Saturday. You will have to wear a red carnation in case we see each other!!!

Gina

It's the Sunday we're staying in Skipton, haven't been there for years.

We love Yorkshire, so friendly there, the dales and moors...  Need I go on.

Like going to Betty's in Harrogate, costs a lot, wait for ages but it's worth it.

We're life members of National Trust and have the pick of the properties.  Have you ever been to Fountain's Abbey?  You can spend a whole day there exploring.  They have a Deer park.  Really good.

Here's me with a bunch of Carnations stuffed in my pocket, how would I recognize you?

I'd just have to look for someone pointing at my Carnations and whispering.

What if I only had a snotty hankie in my pocket?

Hi Guys, if you're serious about meeting up, there's a shop called chocolate and coffee in the high st, if you're lucky you might get the upstairs front window, nice place, I haven't been since covid so not sure if still trading.