For about the past three weeks, or perhaps a little longer, I've had a mild sore throat. Symptoms: slight discomfort there, perpetual taste of old milk, intestinal bloating on account of the gunge draining down, resulting nausea and so on.
Last week I decided it had gone on long enough and went to the doctor. Cue loads of tests and a completely unexpected finding.
I didn't see my usual GP but a new guy who has replaced one who recently retired. I explained my symptoms and of course he had to look back through my (computerised) notes.
"What's this? Your latest X-ray (June sometime) shows a partial collapsed lung!"
"Dunno. It was never mentioned to me."
[Scrolls back.] "Here it is again, on a CT scan done a year ago! What's going on?"
Short story was, I went to the local hospital to have a whole load of blood tests done, as he wasn't sure what was going on and he wanted to start afresh. (Side story: Nobody can find veins in my arms any more. I used to be an anatomical model but now I've turned into a dartboard.)
The doc phoned me up the following day. "Um, I'm going to need a urine sample. You're not diabetic, there's a slight sign of anaemia and most of the rest looks good but your kidney function is a little high."
"Oh? How high?"
"Um, normal range is 90 to 105. Yours is 230."
[Gulp.] "What does that mean?"
"It looks like maybe one of your kidneys is not working. At all. And there are reasons a lung problem could have knock-on effects on your kidneys."
He phoned back with the result of the urine test. There's blood products in my urine and also creatine.
"Could you go for another blood test, please?"
So I went Friday (6th) for another blood extraction and saw him again this morning for the results.
"Your kidney function is down to 180. I've booked you in for the Lung team and the Kidney team, unfortunately there will be some delay before you're seen but I'm working on it. Meanwhile, go for another blood test on Thursday so we can see if there's a trend."
So I'm in a kind of limbo. It seems I have developed a kidney problem since June and only discovered it by merest chance. I'm perpetually tired, everything I eat tastes funny and I'm finding it hard to concentrate. It looks like I might have to disappear to clinic or hospital(s) at short notice for however long.
I am still working on SEE but we've arrived at a tricky section and I don't want to publish anything that isn't of good enough quality. To add to that I arranged to switch broadband providers before I knew about any of this and my computers may be in limbo for some unspecified length of time (assuming BT can actually get around to doing the work).
Naturally I am aware of my readers and their expectations and I will do whatever I can. I'll keep coming to BCTS to keep in touch but the next few SEE chapters could be... erratic. Um, more erratic than usual.
Fun times, eh?
Penny
Comments
Penny...
The main thing is to take care of yourself Penny! Sure we'll all miss SEE for a bit but your health takes precedence over anything else! I certainly hope the docs can fix you up without too much pain and bother but it sounds pretty serious with the collapsed lung AND bad kidney function!! You have my sincerest wishes on you having a quick and full recovery from these ailments dear! Bye for now!
Blossom
Second this!
All of it!
Take care of yourself Penny! Your readers will be patient and understanding and very very concerned for your well being!
Abigail Drew.
Much though we love new stories...
Much though we love new stories, I think we'd all prefer you stay around longer to write them. Take care of yourself, we'll wait.
It sounds like you got lucky in finding problems in time to take care of them, so do so. Your new doctor seems to have a handle on it, which is great. Best of luck, and I'll keep you in my prayers,
Titania
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
We want YOU
SEE can wait.
If wishes were horses then we would all be galloping to you and your support.
But as we all know, wishes aren't horses - they are probably dranakh which means that they keep plodding on, and protect you too.
Get well sweet Penny - THEN get the next chapters out.
Many healing hugs from Switzerland
J
Please do take care of yourself.
All I can think to say is that I do hope and will pray that the Doctors will have sufficient skill and drive to help you become well again. As to SEE, in spite of the fact that it is some of the best writing on the planet, we can do without it until you get well.
Much peace
Gwendolyn
Your health is way more
Your health is way more important than a story. I'm looking forward to the next SEE whenever you get to it, but I'd rather wait a while if it means you have time to take care of yourself.
Please take good care of yourself.....
As many others have already commented here, yes, we will all miss SEE as it is not only such a compelling story, but extremely well written.
Having said that, your health is the most important thing. Do what you need to do to get back to good health, and know that you will always have a lot of support here and be in my thoughts and prayers. Yeah, I know, many people get kind of funny about the prayer thing, and even as I say it I'm not really sure what if any good it might or might not do - but I do know this, it helps me to focus my thoughts on helping my friends, and it helps me to keep you and your health among those things which I think about each day. And maybe, just maybe that actually helps - whether through the intervention of some God or supreme being, or through the power of positive thought, I don't really care.
What I do care about is that you get well.
The next chapter/chapters of SEE can wait - your health can't.
Get well soon,
Dallas
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Your health is far more
Your health is far more important that anything, see to that as priority. SEE fans will wait happily knowing when you're healthy SEE will still be a great read.
While your busy getting well I may start reading from the start to occupy myself.
Take care and big but gentle hugs
Lizzie :)
Bailey's Angel
The Godmother :p
Health before SEE
I would rather see you getting healthy than you going to Tea with Patrick O'Brian (Author of the Master and Commander series). As Mr O'Brian died while he was writing book 21 of the series you can see why I really don't want to see you accepting an invitation to Tea with him.
So, in conclusion, listen to your new Doctor, get healthy and when this distraction is finished we can wait for you to post SEE.
Kindly do....
...take care of your health issues first. We your BC family would rather you be healthy and with us rather than you write more stories and leave us way too soon. We have lost too many for us not too care about you. Be glad this doctor caught it and woe be your previous one for not.
and I thought I had it bad
I broke my ankle at the end of July, which has kept me housebound. I shouldn't feel so sorry about myself (something I am good at), when others have far worse problems.
Commiserating!
I have been fighting kidney problems since the 70’s and they damned near won a couple of years ago. I was in the hospital for 3 days before I found out where I was.
As much as I am an avid fan of SEE, take care of the problems before they take care of you!
Best,
DJ
Please, please
take care of yourself. SEE is after all only a story if a particularly good one. When you heal and get well there will be plenty of time to write.
Hugs
Grover
Looking after yourself.
It's not a case of 'looking after yourself'. It's down to the medical professionals to do whatever they can for you. You've got pulmonary malfunction and kidney malfunction, I sincerely hope that these problems can be addressed successfully. They should be, provided there isn't some serious underlying problem but from what you've written that does not seem to be the case.
Just remember you can function perfectly well with only one kidney and indeed only one lung but it's better that all your organs are brought back to normality and that's what I'm expecting to hear in some later blog.
Good luck and mind how you go girl.
Much love.
XXX
Bevs.
Please Take Care
SEE/Snep can wait. Please take care of yourself first. I wish you all the best.
Hug
- Terry
Poor You, Penny. It makes me
Poor You, Penny. It makes me furious how GPs in the UK's NHS let people down by ignoring results of tests, and how they often just dont send people to a hospital where they can get a proper diagnosis but just keep having guesses and prescribing something to "see if it helps" - they call that "Therapeutic Testing".
Most Brits have never experienced the medical services in other countries so have no real idea how their's compares. I have, since I have lived and worked all over Europe and even in the USA and Canada, and by Europe I include countries that were then communist, like Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and have had a few trips into Russia even.
IMHO the uk has the second worst healthcare provision in Europe, better only than that in Romania, where I have seen things I will not tell you about as they are too upsetting.
The way to get the best out of the UK system is to get as much background info as you can, so that you can discuss your problems with the medics on a more equal basis, and to MAKE A FUSS, politely. You have the RIGHT to be referred to the Specialist of your choice, to the Hospital you prefer. If you know the local one is crap you do NOT HAVE to be sent there. As I have been involved in medical research for many years it may sound easier for me, but with GOOGLE and a few other Search Engines a lot of information is on open access now.
The way GPs are rewarded is what is partly at fault - they are paid a fee every year for having you on their list, but do NOT get paid for what they do (with a few exceptions now) In Germany for example, a doctor is paid for each item of medical intervention he does, so he will do a lot more tests and get imaging, with xray or other things like Sonography (ultrasound) MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and other, even more amazing technologies. Also, you have lots of Specialists in practices, outside hospitals, with lots of apparatus and their own laboratory, and you can go directly to one - not having to waste time being referred after a lot of time wasting tries at guesswork chosen drugs for example.
The Powers That Be in many countries assume the Patient has some elementary intelligence, so that a skin rash is taken to a Dermatologist, with a broken leg you hobble off to an Orthopaedic Surgeon, if a woman with a womens' complaint you seek a Gynaecologist, if you have a sick child you see a Paediatrician, and if you feel you are going MAD to a Psychiatrist, but anyone who goes to one of THEM must be crazy! :). Unfortunately in the UK you have to see a GP first, and get referred (but if you go to Accident and Emergency it is possible to short cut the system).
Penny, I hope you get everything sorted out fast - we all need you back on here and continuing with your Tolkien-like Epic. Things could be worse - kidneys and lungs we have 2 of, if it was heart or brain well, we only have one of those.
I wish you better health and a quick recovery, along with everybody else.
We all love you and admire your skill at writing.
Briar