Dusty's Frugal Fortnights Return!

dustydigger

Sayschezza said:

I too have thyroid problems and put that down as the reason for the amount of hair on the brush each morning. Blood test confirmed it was very low Vit D and I was prescribed Vit D capsules from my doctor. The result has been amazing as despite having very thick hair and used to shedding more than the average person, I'm not losing more than one or two in the brush each morning and my hair is back to the thickness it was pre low thyroid.

I swear by Vit D,Sayschezza! Someone online recommended taking a large dose daily,much higher than the docs recommend,as a help to the immune system against covid.,and since my immune system is absolutely destroyed I have been taking it religiously.and do feel it is beneficial in shoring up my useless system to at least some degree.Every little helps!

dustydigger

Good morning,sunny but a bit blustery. 

Hectic weekend. Lovely little birthday party for GD6. She knew all the songs, all the action songs (cant believe they are STILL singing ''Heads and Shoulders,Knees and Toes. Sheesh it was ancient when I was a kid )But she sort of froze when they offered the cake for her to blow out the candles,but her mam assisted her.

I have been helping Mr Dusty with his BP readings. We were supposed to do them twice a day for a week then take the results in. Fine for 2 days then yesterday afternoon the machine.......would it hell work,despite numerous attempts all afternoon and evening it just said ''error'' everytime. What a day I had with him stressing out,then getting him calm for an hour,then trying again.MY cortisol levels were probably off the scale. He has gone down to the surgery this morning,but dont know even if he'll see a nurse,he had to wait 10 days for a BP appointment in the first place,and they fobbed him off to do it all home ,so dont know what will eventuate. I am just plain exhausted with the tension.

Not to say waiting (im)patiently for my scan results! Feels like forever,but the test was only last Wednesday evening so could still be several days before the consultant will write to me.Feels like a century. I just want to KNOW. Cant make decisions about my life till I have the facts. Cant even settle my mind enough to work out diet and exercise plans.

I have been really anxious and unsettled,and as a result the house looks like a bomb has dropped. I pointed out to Mr D on Saturday morning that has he never noticed that when I am down I just sort of freeze up,just do nothing at all. Hadnt he noticed all the stuff lying around everywhere in the sittingroom,even worse in the kitchen? Nope,OBLIVIOUS.

So yesterday I did a few fly lady type things. Started at the back door and for 2 min sessions put away stuff and wiped benches. Gasping for breath after just a few minutes,because I am like a junky needing my B12 fix. No oxygen being utilised to make strong red blood cells to supply the muscles with energy. Did that several times,in between cooking and the infernal BP issues,and things look a bit better. But its ridiculous how I cant get up the eenergy to do anything. There is a sock partly under the table,been there two days,and I just look at it and think how dizzy I will be if I have to bend over. OK,you folks are watching,so I am going to get up NOW and pick it up and carry to the washing machine................................

YAY,I did it!. You people will think I'm crazy,but the victims of thyroid and anaemia will totally get it I'm sure.Hooked it on my stick and carried it through.Feel like I've conquered Everest B)OK,Mr Dusty will soon be back so I'd better finish up. He sits here most of the day now,and gets very annoyed if I'm online too much. Hey I'm only on like 8 hours a day!

Oops,he's back and here I am on the computer as ever. handed in the results but couldnt see a nurse,they are going to phone .

MrsCD

I do sympathize, dusty. I'm waiting for a call from the hospital to see if they'll take my dad in for a blood and/or iron top up. His kidneys stop him making enough blood to carry oxygen around, so he's very anemic right now.

beanielou

No wonder you feel unsettled.

Keep p-lodding  xx

dustydigger

MrsCD said:

I do sympathize, dusty. I'm waiting for a call from the hospital to see if they'll take my dad in for a blood and/or iron top up. His kidneys stop him making enough blood to carry oxygen around, so he's very anemic right now.

Hope they help him,MrsCD!. I remember way back in 2016 when I required  my hysterectomy I (had a growth on my ovary as big as a grapefruit)and they packed my cells with a tranfusion of red cells to strengthen me in preparation. ,that  made a big difference. At the time the doctors' strike was on,and Sunderland Royal was almost a ghost town! The nurse spent ages trying to find a spare pillow for me to rest my arm on,and couldnt find one. She ended up rolling a towel up to  prop my arm up for the 20 mins or so of the infusion.

.I did great for a while,then for some reason still incredible to me,my surgery took away my Strong Vitamin B tablets,and my health just deteriorated from there.Got to say that in the last few months my kidney health has greatly improved,and have gone 2 whole months without a UTI,unheard of!

============

At least I have managed to do a bit more reading these last few days. Binge read 2 fluffy nonsense urban fantasy novelsabout grim reapers and demons on my kindle. No literary merit but enormous fun.I'm halfway through a third one. I do have a load of harder,longer stuff I should be reading,but who cares,I need some fun at the moment.

My reading talley has reached the 100 mark for the year so far. Cool!

MrsCD

I'm reading Richard Osman's first book, The Thursday Murder Club. Quite lightweight story wise but so much fun! I will buy the follow up story to take on holiday.
Still nothing from the hospital yet....

dreaming

dustydigger said:

Sayschezza said:

I too have thyroid problems and put that down as the reason for the amount of hair on the brush each morning. Blood test confirmed it was very low Vit D and I was prescribed Vit D capsules from my doctor. The result has been amazing as despite having very thick hair and used to shedding more than the average person, I'm not losing more than one or two in the brush each morning and my hair is back to the thickness it was pre low thyroid.

I swear by Vit D,Sayschezza! Someone online recommended taking a large dose daily,much higher than the docs recommend,as a help to the immune system against covid.,and since my immune system is absolutely destroyed I have been taking it religiously.and do feel it is beneficial in shoring up my useless system to at least some degree.Every little helps!

I also have an underactive thyroid and a few years ago now my doctor recommended Vit D after an annual review showed it was low. I told him I found it very confusing to know what dosage to take and he told me to take a good multi vitamin tablet plus 2000iu vit D. I've done that ever since and know if I miss a few days. He also told me it would help with my joint pain - which it does although not if I have a bad flare of arthritis. I am struggling at the moment with my new diagnosis of myasthenia gravis and I am having a few "wobbly" days so intend to continue watching Stranger Things on Netflix. I'm a bit behind the rest of the world (it seems) in watching it but it is easy enough to cope with when the brain and body needs to rest. Have been referred for an eye operation (hopefully in 2-3 months time) which I hope will enable me to read more than the one book a fortnight I'm currently managing, and get back to my book groups.

dustydigger

MrsCD said:

I'm reading Richard Osman's first book, The Thursday Murder Club. Quite lightweight story wise but so much fun! I will buy the follow up story to take on holiday.
Still nothing from the hospital yet....

I've heard of the Osman series,but never got round to it yet. I am reading the third book in  David Blake's Inspector Tanner series set on the Norfolk Broads,a kindle unlimited book. I like the police protagonists,and the grisly crimes,and the Norfolk background.One all time crime series that I enjoyed was Jim Kelly's Philip Dryden series about a journalist. That had wonderful descriptions of the Broads.

''still nothing from the hospital''

SNAP!. What was the point of putting me on the special fast track to get urgent tests etc done,and to get on to treatment as fast as possible,and then make me wait ages for results?Its so stressful.

Hope they treat your dad soon.

dustydigger

dreaming said:

dustydigger said:

Sayschezza said:

I too have thyroid problems and put that down as the reason for the amount of hair on the brush each morning. Blood test confirmed it was very low Vit D and I was prescribed Vit D capsules from my doctor. The result has been amazing as despite having very thick hair and used to shedding more than the average person, I'm not losing more than one or two in the brush each morning and my hair is back to the thickness it was pre low thyroid.

I swear by Vit D,Sayschezza! Someone online recommended taking a large dose daily,much higher than the docs recommend,as a help to the immune system against covid.,and since my immune system is absolutely destroyed I have been taking it religiously.and do feel it is beneficial in shoring up my useless system to at least some degree.Every little helps!

I also have an underactive thyroid and a few years ago now my doctor recommended Vit D after an annual review showed it was low. I told him I found it very confusing to know what dosage to take and he told me to take a good multi vitamin tablet plus 2000iu vit D. I've done that ever since and know if I miss a few days. He also told me it would help with my joint pain - which it does although not if I have a bad flare of arthritis. I am struggling at the moment with my new diagnosis of myasthenia gravis and I am having a few "wobbly" days so intend to continue watching Stranger Things on Netflix. I'm a bit behind the rest of the world (it seems) in watching it but it is easy enough to cope with when the brain and body needs to rest. Have been referred for an eye operation (hopefully in 2-3 months time) which I hope will enable me to read more than the one book a fortnight I'm currently managing, and get back to my book groups.

Vit D is an incredibly important thing,it has many essential purposes in the immune system. I took 4000 IU in the winter,3000 IU in the spring,and 2000IU now in the summer,because I still dont get out and about much to get enough sunshine. I think my levels there may be much improved,and I will probably stay on 2000IU on a regular basis from now on.My immune system is so pathetic that I need lots of supplements eg magnesium,zinc,selenium.,B12 jabs - the list goes on! Plus aspirin to avoid another stroke,,lisinopril for the BP,and my statin.  Dont know why I dont rattle when I walk........

SNAP with the arthritis flares,I've been having them since I was 17.

 So sorry about the MG diagnosis. I hardly watch  TV at all,so you are ahead of me with Stranger Things,because I dont have Netflix. I do have Amaz*n Prime,yet I never watch any films ot TV at all. The last time I watched a series was Wheel of Time in November.Though I do have a guilty pleasure of watching You Tube videos about budgeting,cash stuffing etc. Mindless stuff,watching people counting money and putting it in envelopes.Only mental effort needed is to wonder how these women,mostly americans, ever manage to do any housework with two inch (literally in some cases) nails. They struggle even to open an envelope,for goodness sakes.

SNAP with an eye op,but mine is only for draining a pocket of fluid behind the eye.3 months wait so far,no idea when I will have an op.I am looking at my laptop screen,and if I cover the still working eye I cant read a word at any distance,even 3 inches. There's like a veil over the eye. So I plod along with the one myopic eye,stopping reading every so often to avoid eyestrain. I read almost entirely online now,as I can zoom in . I have a couple of books I got from my library's ebook collection,but the app only works for me on the phone,and its a bit difficcult to read on there. If I increase the font I can only see part of the line and have to continally move backwards and forwards to read a single line,so that gets old very quickly.Especially when a book is 800 pages long! Aarrgghh!!

What book clubs do you frequent?

dreaming

I also take B12 tablets, plus folic acid, plus paracetamol and ibuprofen when I feel the need, so with the thyroxin once a day and MG tablets 5 times a day, I have so many bottles in my bedside table that there is little room for anything else. I am long-sighted so wear varifocals but have what they call a macular hole in my "best" eye (not the same as macular degeneration by the way) so I am also a one-eyed reader at the moment. It sounds very similar to you in that everything in one eye is "cloudy".  This problem was discovered when undergoing tests for the MG, plus some other areas of concern, so in a way the MG has been a mixed blessing, and I have to say that my experience of the NHS has been excellent although some tests have been for cancer (luckily no sign of that) so the turnaround has been very quick. The only part of me not scanned in the last few months is my toes!
Both of my book groups are local, unfortunately not local enough to get to without my car which I can't drive at the moment. One has been going for some 22 years now but numbers are dwindling. There is a hard core of about 8 now, all females of a certain age, (in fact at 66 I am one of the youngest) but we do try to read a variety of books based on members' suggestions, then meet once a month to discuss them, plus often going off on a tangent. The other book group is very similar but attached to a library which was slated for closure by the council but has been turned into a community library by the excellent efforts of a number of volunteers. I used to be one of them but haven't been able to take on any such duties due to my health now. My reading is quite varied but I used to be quite a SF fan when I was younger. Never got into Terry Pratchett despite my eldest's best efforts but at the moment it is all I can do to read the groups' books and send my comments online - not very satisfying. I do often think that both groups are a bit "staid" but I do have a co-conspirator in one group and we occasionally throw in something a little more controversial.
I also watch some of the budgetting/debt-busting Youtubes which my youngest thinks is odd as I am really disciplined with money. Then again, I am also extremely organised and tidy at home and hate clutter but I also like watching programmes about hoarders. I have just done an online shop and nearly fainted at the total but it will last for the next 3/4 weeks so I will just have to pop round to the local Tesco Express (luckily a 4 minute walk from my house, and there is also a pharmacy in the same little parade) once a week for milk and a bit of fresh fruit and veg. I have started using a walking stick but it's a bit of a faff loading my shopping bag and paying when using it so try to manage without it.
I hope you get your results soon as I know the waiting is often the most stressful part of these health investigations. Best wishes.