Monday, December 13, 2004

Well, monday, monday again

Still no clue about what is going on with work, asked G to get in touch as the only contact has been to be cc'd in on a couple of emails...

Didnt manage to stay off the booze totally - one glass wine after the Xmas spectacular at the Orchards (pathos a gogo) two on Saturday with dinner, two at the Green Tree and two with dinner Sunday...Monday, Tuesday to go..

Mother is dearest is landing tomorrow - just a cup of tea and a biscuit will do...hmmmm

All the above done while feeling 100% premenstrual - headache, belly-ache & everything else ache plus the blues big style - but no show yet

P is quite excited about blood tests so fingers crossed Dr B is on the right track with pernicious anemia, it would be such a gift to have some spark back.

Friday, December 10, 2004

Enlarged red blood cells

Yup, back on the trail of the cause of sticky red blood cells. At least Dr B seems willing to investigate further - suggested it may be pernicious anaemia - unlike Dr V who really ripped into me saying they were caused by my drinking...next set of blood tests next week may show who is right...Whatever, I am intending to go dry for the next few days and see what the results are.

Seems I was wrong to blame the Stowford press for last weeks rash as a repeat of the daily diet did not cause it to flare up again.

Pretty much pain free at present, just knackered but what's new? It would be wonderful to get some energy so fingers crossed...

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Travel Industry News

Selection of the top travel industry news for totaltravel.com and partners keeping up to date with this and the other blogs takes up a fair bit of time.

Am awaiting call or other communication as to what I am going to be doing in my work from now on....bit of stress to say the least especially as I let my paranoid parrot on my shoulder get me thinking that my job is in danger...for reasons other than ill health, stupid mind gaames in my head which don't help health at all. After rash etc was so bad yesterday it set me thinking that I have Lupus or something similar to tie togethr and give a plan of action for dealing with all the stupid ailments that keep dragging me down. I must remember to mention fibromyalgia and possibility of maybe seeing a rheumatologist or othe r specialist to confirm ( or not) Dr B's tentative diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Back to today: Food cravings are a bit stong and I succumbed and had a bacon bun - brown - but still the most bread I have eaten for ages. The idea of the syeak pudding in the cupboard is making my mouth water but I reckon that would be asking for trouble so lunch will probably be the rest of the runner beans...not quite as exciting but hey ho...

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Caffeine, wine and celery soup

Could succumbing to the temptation of an esspresso ( double) followed by a few glasses of Iceland's Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet really have made me so hyper that I stayed up till 12.30 for the first time in ages and awoke before 5am and was unable to get back to sleep...

In addition the rash on my face and upper arms was in full bloom and feeling hot, tight and itchy like sunburn...a bit nauseous all day and knackered so day off work was used to do a bit of housework with the featherduster...

Reckon I had better go back to my original intention of keeping a detailed food diary though there is not much time from today until I se DR B next Tuesday..

Sooo
A few cups of brown tea with soya milk
loads of water
spinach omelette
black pudding
1 americano coffee couple of biscuits

Tea: Sausages, runner beans bit of potato with oil & vinegar

Fell to sleep on sofa before the end of Emmerdale...

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Prizes and laxatives

Well, now then, Senokot have a seasonal raffle with the top prize being a nutritionist consultation... Senokot Raffle "Win a personal health check with a qualified nutritional therapist £500 towards a course of consultations, supplements and diagnostic tests with a BANT registered nutritional therapist in your local area "

Yup, I have been rabbit dropping constipated on and off ( more on the pot with zero results) but thats probably more than enough info...My preferred remedy when totaly needed is Andrews which does not not trigger the IB spasms plus loads more fruit and veg.

The past week in particular and past couple of months have seen the rise of a new pain...bottom of rib cage on right hand back. Last Friday it reached a new crescendo of exquisite torture and succumbed to going to see Dr B again ( tried Dr Myers about a month ago with no joy, he didnt seem too impressed by Drs B's suggested diagnosis of fibro...) Anyway, blood and urine tests taken and awaiting an appointment for a scan. Also visited Osteopath but did not get same relief as from first visit for left rib cage. He said he could not find stuck ribs like on the left but did feel the constipation...

Time and tests may tell but this in particular has caused problems at home with Partner getting very angry with me and it all getting me down. I thought I had made such good progress towards health earlier this year so this has hit pretty hard. The pressure to not be ill because of the work situation and P being angry def does not help...

Thursday, October 07, 2004

A useful and vocal website run by Dominie Bush is organising a campaign in the USA to raise awareness of fibro - note the recent fibromyaligia awareness week here in the UK showed zero results in Goole alerts .. not anywhere in the media and public eye, vey dissapointing...

Dominie says "P.S. Please visit my FMS/CFIDS site at http://www.fms-help.com where you will find my personal FMS/CFIDS story, my 100 Tips for Coping, information about the exciting Million Letter Campaign--plus lots of compassion, encouragement and practical helps for living with this illness! "

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

The H Factor: "The H Factor
The biggest health breakthrough of the century: Patrick Holford & Dr James Braly"

Following the advise of my osteopath I bought the above book - the changes to my diet after putting the two together may seem like a lot of effort and maybe expense but the improvement in my health and energy levels is nothing short of amazing....

  • No more "T" shirt of pain from the neck down, an awful sensation as if my whole upper torso was bruised, the gentlest touch, bra or handbag strap on my shoulder would be unbearable.

  • No more brain fog

  • Migraines down to very rare from 2 or more a week

  • Much less joint pain

  • No more hot sweats, especially no boiling head waking me up drenched in sweat through the night

  • Body clock reset so I more often than not now sleep through until the alarm goes off in the morning - what a change from waking every hour or two and unable to sleep from 4am on...

  • Weight stable at ~9st

  • Far less irritable bowel and other gastric problems

    Plus so many other improvments which often make me wonder how I put up with it all for soooo long.

    Bottom line - don't expect any magic cure from anywhere - take control of what you eat and drink ( plus step up that activity and exercise bit by bit) and see if like me you start to see changes.

    The web site Patrick Holford has loads of great articles and advice.

  • Tuesday, October 05, 2004

    Fibromyalgia - Fibromyalgia treatment UK: Norah Wickerson claims "that 'Fibromyalgia' is actually three conditions in one, with the root of the problem being Reactive Hypoglycaemia, which most sufferers are not even aware that they have. By controlling this condition with the diet I recommend, the other conditions of Chronic Myofascial Pain and Fibromyalgia can be more easily treated with hands-on physiotherapy techniques and simple exercises."

    Changing my diet to very low carb - I already ate next to zero additives or pre-prepared meals apart from bread - and still staying off dairy produce has brought about huge changes in my well being. A big plus is my weight is staying at around 9st while eating lots of things I like....

    Monday, October 04, 2004

    Google AdSense - Thank You:Applied for Adsense in response to "invite" on blogger HP.....lets see what happens "Frequently Asked Questions "
    Time for an update I guess, so much for my intention of keeping a daily food and symptoms diary but a number of things have become apparent since I first visted the osteopath...

    White bread definitly causes major fibro symptoms... t-shirt of pain, joint and tendon pain plus brain fog and extreme tiredness.

    Skipping breakfast or having it late brings on visual migraines.

    Sex in any position other that missionary puts my back out.

    On very low carbs but eating as much as I want of protein, fruit and veg my weight has dropped to 9st and seems to be staying steady - a welcome side effect as the main aim of changes is to avaid fibro symptoms...

    Wednesday, September 15, 2004

    FMS Factsheet PDF
    Syndrome Description
    FMS is a chronic, body-wide pain disorder coupled with other symptoms, such as severe daytime fatigue, unrefreshed sleep (likely due to a number of sleep anomalies), irritable bowel, chronic headaches, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairments, reduced coordination and decreased
    physical endurance.
    Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Information Rec to ostepoath re treating tender points....covers Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic myofascial pain (CMP) are real conditions, and they are not the same.

    Tuesday, June 08, 2004

    Been neglecting the blog a bit but not my diet...also doing best to get walking in... bit disappointed that started a period last week & everything seems to have flared up still... shoulder especially, t-shirt pain & abcess on root canal.

    Mr Simpson, dentist should be posting me a prescription so hope the antibiotics will sort it again cos it makes me feel pretty grotty.

    Not long till Menorca... 8 working days...

    Saturday, May 29, 2004

    Barefoot Doctor Bit: Is It OK To Break State Laws You Disagree With?

    Barefoot Doctor: "Generally you should do all you can to obey the state laws as these are implicitly conditional in you accepting to be a citizen. You can always leave if you don't like or agree with the laws and move somewhere where you like the laws better.

    Without laws and the underlying threat of force to deter non-compliance, society would swiftly degenerate into total chaos, especially regarding laws concerning violating another person or their property in any way.

    However laws relating to your own personal behaviour such as what drugs you take, are obviously something people adhere to at their own discretion, adding the proviso that they're not careless or unfortunate enough to get caught.

    The rule of thumb is to respect the world of law (on the grounds of its usually healthy overall social regulating function plus implicit threat) while avoiding it if at all possible (it being rather smelly, dull and dreary to get involved with). Or in other words, try not to break too many laws if you can possibly help it though if you do, apply discretion, stealth, good sense and respect for other people and their property. And most importantly, don't get caught."

    Tuesday, May 25, 2004

    Words About Words
    ---------------------------------
    The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

    Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, poet, and novelist,The Importance
    of Being Earnest, 1895
    Monday still tired/ achey ..only got 4 hours work in ( not over productive either) went to see if tanning booths paid for still valid...they were...so plan to catch bus every other day to Stonecross & walk from there to town as am sure the walk all the way last tuesday knackered me for at least 2 days.

    Tried to look for a holiday for us but have asked P to help...too much

    Regimen;

    Celery J then OJ
    2 eggs scrambled with tomato ( olive oil)
    Asparagus, Smoked salmon & xtra light mayo
    Mushroom curry, brown rice, shami kebab (3oz) & salad
    0 alcohol

    Monday, May 24, 2004

    Still v tired Sunday.Bit of gardening in the morning , went to the Lion for Sunday dinner...eventually, Cafe closed, Woodies closed, Tithe bar non-smoking upstairs for the carvery, P didnt want chinese so walked up & down the HIgh St a fair bit. I had to come home & back to bed - gave the Tree a miss but Pete went

    Intake:
    Celery then OJ in the morning
    Salmon & prawn salad, with french type dressing, Roast lamb veg (plain boiled) Y pud, couple of roasties & ONE glass of wine. Cannot remember if we had anything else to eat on the evening but think not...

    Sunday, May 23, 2004

    7am Sunday morning....

    Tired yesterday morning, went to town for couple of beers & a bet then home for a bed picnic of tesco ready roasted spare ribs & barbecued chicken....sex then sleep.

    Pete reckoned he would never buy that food again.. the flavour lingered & made him feel sick...i agree, it is probably full of additives..flavour colour etc. Lemon salt water helped him feel a little better.

    Anyway, libido showed a glimmer after much effort. Fell asleep 6.30ish but woke midnight with back-ache (unaccustomed bed exercise???) Pete got up for a while also, watched J Ross then he went back to bed.

    I stayed up till 4 & sorted out problem with BT yahoo mail ...login changed & all mail dumped in bulk box....didnt miss anything terribly important. Wages still not through from Monday invoice & no sign of de Bossman....emailed & voice mailed....
    Review of Sat morning...

    Still pretty tired,

    Hot water & lemon
    celery juice / OJ
    mushrooms & one slice bacon

    Started new vitamins yesterday (FrI) .. Optimmum Nutrition ...
    Finding the Right Tapping Points: "TH = Top of Head
    EB = Beginning of the Eye Brow
    SE = Side of the Eye
    UE = Under the Eye
    UN = Under the Nose
    Ch = Chin
    CB = Beginning of the Collar Bone
    UA = Under the Arm
    WR = Inside of Wrists"

    More positive thinking: Everyone has made negative choices in the past, we all have. The good news is that we all have a choice. You can always choose to let go of the old pattern. You can choose different and more supportive and nourishing thoughts. Letting go of your old negative pattern with love, allows you to move into the new pattern with ease.

    Please always avoid punishing yourself and beating yourself up.The thoughts you think and the words you say are constantly creating your future. Your beliefs shape your life. The things you say are extension of your thoughts. This is why it is so important to never, ever berate yourself.

    Always tell yourself you are doing the best you can. Remember, you need to always forgive yourself for not being perfect.


    Goal Setting: Your Consistent Thoughts Become Your Reality

    All personal growth reduces down to the above sentence. Dreams don't necessarily come true but they DO take you in directions.
    Your habitual vocabulary has a subtle and powerful ability to condition your mental system. Which is a better statement, "I can't" or "I don't know how yet"? Shifting your vocabulary will shift your entire outlook.

    You get what you focus on. Pessimists see what is wrong in the world. Optimists see opportunity. Yet, it's the same world. What do you see? Whatever it is, it's a reflection of your consistent thoughts.

    Saturday, May 22, 2004

    well thursday was a washout too... woken by dawn chorus (?) tired & achy all over...brain fog, plus feverish feeling. Could it be down to walk on tuesday or someething I ate?

    Anyway,Thusday morning I had to go back to bed & take 2 co-prox after P went to work & slept till 10.30, got sweet FA else done apart from bus to Nettos stop & walk around town in a daze.

    Thursdays Menu
    Juice
    Huevos revueltos
    Fruit & nuts
    organic salmon & green beans with tomato & garlic
    2 glasses red wine.
    Made one cup of black tea but only drank 2-3 mouthfulls & forgot about it...bought herbal detox tea from spiceman on wed...getting to quite like it.

    Friday woke 4am again but made myself go back to sleep, woke 6 with back/ shoulder/ headache...

    Menu du Jour:

    Breakfast: Hot water & lemon & 2 co-prox & aches eased @ 8.30 + 1pt salty water
    Tortilla de espinacas y ajo, juice - celery & orange/grapefruit
    Finished the salmon & beans for tea.

    met Pete @ lunchtime after Osteo visit & both took the afternoon off.

    Michael (Osteo) worked a bit on my back, shoulder & neck & talked a lot about colonic cleansing & his fuure plans. Suggested monthly visit.

    I started with a mineral water the 4 1/2 beers plus extra water. Pete omitted the water & had 5 pints & no food ... he woke with bad headache when Greta rang to say Dad was "wandering" ...school bell rings for end of break, get round there....H was in fine form, told us he had walked almost as far as the circus @ the rugby club but got bored & came back. I also felt fine & was up for a visit to the crown on way home but Pete just wanted to get to bed ...still had headache so I had a small whisky & lemonade & messed about on computer. Went to bed about midnight, woke early -4 am - read 7 dozed till 6 then up ...

    Friday, May 21, 2004

    Popular Anti-Aging Techniques: Find Out Which Ones Work and Which Ones Don't 5/19/04: "Mark Twain said close to 100 years ago, life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18."

    Thursday, May 20, 2004

    Woke feeling like I have a hangover, aching joints, esp shoulder & IBS still niggling ( rabbit pellets) ...no booze yesterday though so was it the walk into town? or something I ate?

    Took 45mins to walk to town, resisted catching the bus 1/2 way but had to have a rest on the stone sign...stich & phone calls & got just one blister ... felt overwhelming fatigue after dinner & had to lie down on bench in garden.& pass on going to Petes dads with him...

    Breakfast..juice, mushrooms & 2 small slices rye bread, hot lemon water, 1 cup of tea..
    blackcurrent & soda at Masons
    Some nuts

    Dinner chicken breast with white wine, herbs, mushrooms & shallots... & one potato..

    Amazing occurance...Pete agreed to order new sofas...from Argos but hope thay should be lovely...30 days delivery though.

    Hi G,

    Hope you don't thhink I was being ignorant not replying to your get well type message below but didnt really want to copy Lynton etc in.

    The osteopath worked a miracle getting rid of the pain that had kept me awake for 2 weeks looking & feeling like Edward Munch's screamer....nice! Really wierd though that daylight hours it went away....

    He also proved a treasure trove of information about the ongoing underlying problem ( fibromyalgia) which as well as chronic fatigue, if am having a bad day the aches etc are a bit like the beer monster has been jumping up & down on me ( highly unlikely given the lowly intake of 4 units of alcohol the past 10 days) or a bad dose of full on flu....fingers, nipples, everything aches, painkillers don't do much but the brain fog also makes it near impossible to think so making me feel pretty useless.

    Anyway, visit again tomorrow, am making further diet changes & at least the severe pain has gone...

    Enjoy the beach life

    Cheers

    J
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: G
    To: 'J'
    Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 10:34 AM
    Subject: RE: Area descriptions
    Yo,

    We need this job doing pretty smartish. Lynton has been briefed and I would have thought that the key phrases at area level would be self-selecting (i.e. biggies from the localities). HOWEVER, I demur to your superior knowledge on this matter – if you think it will be worth your time creating and Lynton’s time wading through a more detailed guide, then go for it. Though I would have thought just getting something reasonable in there quickly was the way to go.

    Life in Be-right-on is cool (well actually quite warm actually) and it felt slightly strange going to the beach again – it’s not something I thought I’d ever do in England. Hope you are recovered – I only got sketchy details from Mike, but it didn’t sound at all pleasant, so do take care of yourself.

    Must dash, let me know what you think about descriptions…


    From: J [Sent: 18 May 2004 10:19
    To: G
    Subject: Re: Area descriptions

    Hi G...

    Were the quick tips re writing keywords & descriptions enough to be getting on with or do you want a step by step in depth guide with links to resources?

    Cheers
    J
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: g
    To: j
    Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 12:40 PM
    Subject: Area descriptions

    Hi J,

    L is going through writing the descriptions for the area index pages (example: http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/travel/london/essex/). They have a maximum of 600 characters. Any tips for writing from the SEO perspective?

    Ta and hope you are feeling better now.

    G

    Wednesday, May 19, 2004

    Buteyko Training Services providing you with a wealth of health & information: "Buteyko Breathing "
    Bought a pair of trainers yesterday, intention being to walk to town as often as possible...

    Have been keeping to the water & salt "cure" & diet changes but 2 days of work see me knackered & achy again. 2 beers tuesday evening knocked me out, not helped by Pete having a full scale moaning paddy about the changes at work...early night. He woke me 4am going to toilet & couldnt get back to sleep. Dawn chorus woke me today & ditto.

    Risked some ice cream with strawberries last night ... result a visual migraine at 10pm bed time, great...

    Tue/ Wed
    grilled mushrooms with 1 slice grilled bacon 1 slice rye bread, juice, aspargus, ham, salad.
    One cup of normal tea only, rest green tea or water & lemon.Fresh fruit juices

    IBS has been making itself noticed...cramps, rabbit pellets & bloated plus sore bum..what fun

    Monday, May 17, 2004

    What a difference since visit to Ostoe on friday! Started "water cure" & rice milk instead of soya...more energy, less tired & NO pain in back ( well, odd bit of stiffness & twinges but nothing compared to before) actually awake Saturday & Sunday evenings....although IBS has flared up a bit...

    Must remember to ask about:

    Rec vitamins
    rec exercise pilates?
    fasting...colon cleanse...
    Number of appointments?


    TOMATO-VEGGIE JUICE:

    Makes 16 ounces

    2 ripe tomatoes
    2 garlic cloves
    1 handful fresh spinach
    1 large organic carrot
    1/4 vidalia onion
    1 large rib celery
    2 teaspoons lemon juice
    salt and pepper to taste
    2 small shots Texas hot sauce
    1/4 cup filtered water

    Friday
    Cannot remember days food etc, home made pizza night

    Saturday
    Fish & 1/2 chips
    ~ 8 units

    Sunday

    Duck & chorizo salad & Roast lamb @ Lion
    ~ 6 units

    Friday, May 14, 2004

    Bodywork: "CLEANSING THE COLON AND BODY WITH THE ULTIMATE FAST"

    Phwwoorr -- headache & irritible bowel pain after osteo massage....(not migraine though)
    Bowel Cleanse intestinal cleanser parasites cleanse master cleanse juicing flax seed oil: "30 people who are using Basic PLUS and all of them agree that product is worth money.
    Should I do parasites cleanse at the same time? Yes, the best way to cleanse bowel is if you do it together with parasite killing herbs. Find more about Parasites cleanse here.
    To learn more about bowel cleanse, you should read: Bowel Cleanse FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions,
    Articles and Recepies for Cleansing Bowel, and you should hang around Bowel Cleanse Forum, and read messages posted, or ask for help and support. You should also Join BOWEL CLEANSE email support group. You can read previously posted email messages here: Messages
    You should also read this book (whole book is online): The Master Cleanser - (Lemonade Diet), and those articles: The Key to Excellent Health: Cleansing the Colon by RICHARD ANDERSON, N.D and The Bentonite Cure - Cleanse Yourself Internally With Liquid Clay"
    The Water Cure recipe drinking water, chlorine, minerals: "The Water Cure Recipe:
    Drink 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces, daily. Example 180 lb = 90 oz. of water daily. Divide that into 8 or 10 oz. glasses and that's how many glasses you will need to drink, daily. Use 1/4 tsp. of salt for every quart of water you drink. Use salt liberally with food. As long as you drink the water, you can use the salt. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. These are diuretics and will dehydrate you. Every 6 oz. of caffeine or alcohol requires an additional 10 to 12 oz. of water to re-hydrate you"

    134lb approx = 77oz, 16oz = 1 pint so need 5 pints day.....1 quart = 2 pints (or 1 litre)

    Natural Health Expertise with a Nutrition and Lifestyle Focus: "Begin Your Journey to Independent Health

    Stay informed of all sides on the latest medical news and health information & discover how to prevent disease, optimize health and weight, and live longer. Mercola.com's 30,000 pages and the free health e-newsletter will show you how..."
    PAge as taken to osteopaths today...seems I have a problem with bottom 3 ribs left back which are causing the pain...also seems really clued up re fibro & stategies for coping & improving - main first one to cut out the soya milk as it causes problems for many people. Also mentioned loads of other possibilities inc jkeep up water intake but filter it & add 1/4 tsp maldon sea salt for minerals, take a mega vitamin supplement to inc vit c...more to follow.

    So shall see if any improvment in sleep tonight & other stuff over time...heres my spec..
    Symptoms
    Severe pain left flank past two weeks, at night only – wakes me up, typically within 2 hours of going to bed & then cannot sleep again, cannot stay in bed… Pain alleviated by standing, moving. Made tolerable by seat pad (heat & vibrating massage) diclofenac eventually kicks I think. Doesn’t happen if manage to sleep during day. EG Thursday asleep 2 hours 3pm – 5pm with no pain.
    Meds
    Every night
    Dothiepin 150mg antidepressant
    Zirtek antihistamine

    As needed
    Co-proxamol
    Diclofenac
    Mebeverine – very rarely since dairy free

    Recent history:

    Diagnosed fibromyalgia April – upper torso T- shirt of pain, tired, tired, tired, joint/ muscle pains, brain fog…….advice…to exercise – whatever suits, minimal alcohol, keep a diary… explains history of joint pains, numbness, tingling, weakness etc?

    Also visual disturbance said to be classic migraine. ( Had frequent full 2-3 day migraines with vomiting, pain etc until given beta blockers during final exams at Uni 1990. rare reoccurrence since of full type but visual problems ~ past 4 years.

    4 * antibiotics January on…
    2 for mouth abscesses – erythromycin, Metrodiazanole
    2 for UTI – Trimethoprim?

    Novocaine injection right shoulder for tendonitis after 6months of futile physio – exercise & ultrasound

    History:
    · Mirena coil – 21/2 years, side effects are wonderful for alleviating PMS & associated worsening of all aches & pains
    · Chest infection after holiday in Greece October 2003
    · Polyp removed from bowel following ~2 years severe digestive problems ..IBS & sickness & diarrhoea. Dairy problems became apparent, switch to soya & dairy free made huge difference.
    · Major endogenous depression 1990(?) … hospital 6months. Curtailed post graduate studies
    · Allergic to penicillin


    He also recommended a couple of books & websites...

    Thursday, May 13, 2004

    Two weeks of next to no sleep on a night due to excrutiating pain in my left flank... approx over left kidney I reckon. Cannot stay in bed...grabs & stabs with cramps in waves...

    so wierd that it does not bother me during the day, could it be a reaction to the nightly dose of antidepressants I wonder?

    Tues 3rd May, saw Dr B, sent urine for testing came back clear as .....(Had some urinary tract infection earlier this year.. 1st symptom was peeing blood

    Thurs 13th MAY re results as above .. reckons most likely a pulled muscle also sent for chest X Ray & asked if bowels ok ... which they are apart from constipation due to pain killing meds (fibogel needed despite juice/ fruit intake)

    I have cut out alcohol..well 5 units over past 2 weeks , 1 glass wine last sat, 1/2 beer sunday & 3 x 1/2 beer with meal out tuesday...Have also stopped all supplements in case ....

    Made appointmment for tommorrow with osteopath to follow up pulled muscle suggestion rather than wait a month to see the surgery physio.

    Dr B was adamant that any kidney problem whatsoever would have shown in urine test...???
    But a little digging on Prodigy & NHS Direct show that is not always the case
    eg Loin Pain Hematuria Syndrome (LPHS)
    http://www.med.sc.edu:85/2003-infectpdf/03-07UTI.pdf Chronic interstitial nephritis...resembling chronic bacterial pyelonephritis but in which evidence foran etiologic role for bacterial infection is lacking. DrugsΧnot only prescription drugs but also non-prescription drugs as in analgesic nephropathyΧare common causes of chronic interstitial nephritis.

    Colony counts less than < 105 CFU/mL of urine can be significant in at least 4
    situations:Patients with pyelonephritisΧin whom the bacteria are multiplying mainly in
    the kidneys rather than in the urinary bladderΧ not infrequently show colony counts less than <10 4 CFU/mL.
    • Patients with symptoms of lower urinary tract infection have low colony
    counts, which may indicate the “urethral syndrome” (see above).
    • Low colony counts can also be important in patients with prostatitis and
    epididymitis.
    • Low colony counts can be important in patients with fungal urinary tract
    infection.

    Monday, May 03, 2004

    Slashdot | Websites For The Frugal?: "fwc writes 'Like most people, I like being able to get the most benefit out of my money. In pursuit of this, I use several websites which help stretch my dollar even more. For instance, I have found Airfare, Hotel, Car Rental, Cruise and Vacation Deals - SmarterLiving.com which I consult for good travel-related deals. I also use SlickDeals.net [Home] - Your Daily Source for the BEST Deals on the Net! and Offers from FatWallet.com! to make sure I don't miss those almost-too-good-to-be-true deals. When looking for the best price on a specific item, I usually consult Froogle, pricewatch � - The Web's first and best price comparison search engine, and Shopper.com. I also use a collection of online stores which sell stuff dirt cheap, such as newegg, PC Surplus Online, and of course half.com. Recently, I was looking for some tools at Harbor Freight's Website and a friend suggested that I might want to also look at Homier's. I was pleasantly suprised to find that they have some prices which are even lower than at any other site which I have found. This makes me wonder what other sites are out there I haven't found yet which are in the same category.' I know http://www.techbargains.com/ has 'saved' me money on some things I might not otherwise have bought. Where have you been best led? "

    Saturday, May 01, 2004

    Well, embarked on a make myself feel better prgram...exercise vids, juicer, low/ no alcohol...feel a bit less tired but not amazingly. Maybe should use this to keep food & symptoms diary??

    Wednesday, April 21, 2004

    Words About Words
    ---------------------------------
    We step into the future with less connection to ancestral guidance than any human generation before us. Although we have invented amazing technologies for saving data, we are at risk of forgetting our personal, family and cultural stories. We broadcast our voices over vast distances, but talk less to our neighbours. Haunting these changes are the spectres of continuing violence, planetary degradation and, above all, the danger that we'll come to believe the implacable message of the powerful: that resistance is futile. The old stories teach us that resistance is never futile.--Dan Yashinsky, American-born storyteller and writer, _Suddenly They Heard Footsteps_, 2004

    Saturday, April 17, 2004

    So, long time since I opened this blog ..christmas, easter, Olgas death, fibromyagelia, Susie back to Zante --- eventful but not fruitful re work despite launch being immineneent throughout - rather like the sword of damocles...


    The Novel as Software |
    | from the write-once-run-anywhere dept. |
    | posted by michael on Friday April 16, @11:28 (books) |
    | http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/16/1347217 |
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    LukePieStalker writes "Former English professor Eric Brown has published
    the first work in what he claims is a new literary category called the
    [0]'digital epistolary novel', or DEN. 'Intimacies', based on an 18th
    century novel, requires the DEN 1.2 software. The program's interface has
    windows for mock e-mail, instant messaging, Web browser and pager,
    through which the narrative unfolds. For those wishing to create their
    own works in [1]this genre, Mr. Brown is marketing composition software
    called DEN WriterWare."