The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

fuddle

Maryb that's incredibly encouraging. How did you manage to get yourself a crush fracture in the first place? I can see how a small tweak can have marvelous effects. Did the doctors tell you to supplement or was it something you decided for yourself? Not that it matters, fantastic that your scores are responding.

Thank you maddiemay I appreciate you taking the time to give me the heads up.

I have been for my check up. I'm 80% on the way to recovery according to the stethoscope. I had my favourite GP who has been with me through so much of what has gone on. He's a senior partner which I didn't realise and was very apologetic for what happened on Friday. He wants me to go through him in future. I did the right thing acting so quickly and in future if I can't get an appointment I'm to ask reception to leave him a message. He will always see me. He warned me he doesn't work Thursdays though. He's looked at the letter the consultant sent the practice. They took antibodies last time I was there and now this further episode the GP is going to wait for those results then take me down the testing route to see what bacteria it is that I am struggling to fight. The treatment is a long term, low dose, bacteria specific antibiotic that is to help fight. I must have looked horrified (I felt it!) and he put my mind at ease telling me that they're not like the broad spectrum, every day antibiotics and they won't harm me. I'm dubious but what is the option, recurring pneumonia and lung scarring so...

He said I could have been born with this lowered resistance but had a handle on it until life got me down and then that bad pneumonia last year and I'm scuppered.

So, I am scared but I'm hopeful that there could be a way through it eventually.

Edit to add I'm sorry I got the threads mixed up. Friday's kerfuffle is on the no T words thread. So sorry!

monnagran

fuddle you don't have to worry about getting threads mixed up. I read a post from mar on this thread and answered it on the Preppers. Total confusion all round.

So glad that you have got the GP's surgery sorted out. It must be frightening to know that you must see someone urgently and be blocked.

Just having a coffee break. Back to work now.

maryb

Fuddle I was running to the door and tripped. I went down on hands and knees but the forward momentum continued and the crown of my head crashed into the door frame. I felt a shockwave travel down my spine and explode just above my waist. Oh and blood everywhere but that was more dramatic than serious

I think I was unlucky because the normal way to get a crush fracture is if you fall off a chair and land on your bum. That wouldn't have been enough to fracture a vertebra in my case but the fact I was running was a force multiplier.

Anyway I'm very careful now to try and avoid falls. In icy weather I stay put indoors and thank heaven I am retired and can do so.

But I'm glad I didn't take bisphosphonates because I had a lot of trouble with a trapped nerve which runs along the lowest rib which connects to the vertebra I fractured. It's fine now and from what I can gather, it was because when a fracture first heals, the bone building cells throw everything they've got at it and then over the next few months the normal bone remodelling process refines it. If I had taken drugs which are purposely designed to stop that remodelling process, I think I might still be having trouble

fuddle

maryb that sounds both horrific and excruciating. I had no idea that you went through that.

maryb

It's not as bad as you might think. It sounds dramatic but once I got my back brace a few days later it wasn't too bad. The trapped nerve was what gave me most grief, I got cramp in my side that reminded me of labour.:eek: I could turn over in bed after three weeks without too much trouble and after six weeks I was 90% better. Although I had to keep the back brace on for three months

But understandably, I'm keen to avoid a repeat. I think the K2 must be helping. Funnily enough, most doctors assume you are talking about the Vitamin K that deals with blood clotting. Whereas it seems it's more like B vitamins there's not just one and they have different functions

But you do have to be careful with internet advice. Lots of people say you should take strontium citrate supplements. That can have awful side effects in very rare cases. And it's not found in anything you could eat. At least K2 is found in food. It's just I don't think I could stomach eating natto from what I've read

mardatha

GPs don't know much about vitamins and what they do know is often 30 - 50 years out of date. I take 2400iu vitD a day Fuds. I need to get back onto multivits, not been taking them for a while as they are so big I choke.

VJsmum

So, today is my birthday and therefore a bitter sweet kind of day....

But the funniest thing has been those who thought it appropriate to put sympathy cards and birthday cards in the same envelope...... :cool: To anyone thinking of doing that, it's probably best to not send the sympathy cards.

Also I had a phone call from my sister in law which went "happy birthday... Me me me me me me me me ..... sorry about your dad..... Me me me me me me me me "

nursemaggie

I'm not going to say happy birthday because I am sure you don't to do that. I certainly would not say many happy returns because that is horrendous.

All I can say is these people are all being horribly human. Lets hope some of us learn how bad this is. I would have skipped the birthday card and found a way to do something nice for you later. You will probably have plenty of birthdays still to come.

Now I am not so sure I have not committed another mistake just as bad. Still thinking of you VJsmum and remembering you in my prayers.

monnagran

VJsmum,
I can just imagine people debating in their minds what they should do, but to put the two cards in one envelope is a bit thoughtless.

As nursemaggie says, you will have other birthdays, but only one father to mourn. I don't think that I have ever been in that position but having read your post at least I will know what NOT to do.

It's horrible to be mourning when the rest of the world is celebrating but it seems to happen more than you would think. I hope that you are managing to give yourself some space amidst all the busyness.

x

fuddle

To have a birthday in this awful period is so sad VJs. I can imagine you're struggling to feel anything aside from grief and I guess any birthday memories of years gone by will hurt even more.

We can be horribly human can't we? I like that nm. Remember when I was blue lighted to hopital the day after we found mam was gone? I had a WhatsApp message passing on condolences while telling me I would be close to mam as she was in the hospital too. I was distraught. I don't think for one second the person meant anything other than comfort, but it goes to show how us human folk can get it so wrong.

I think you need an IOU birthday VJs. When you're able to cope with calm reflection with a smile you could do something sentimental, relaxing, revisiting somewhere or jut get away, pampered or indulge in an afternoon tea. Whatever you feel but take the opportunity, when you're ready, to embrace your memories while making new ones with your family.

You're very much in my thoughts.