7 October 2012
As I sit here writing this entry, the good Dr Michael is already an home in Melbourne shooting out emails to all concerned. I must say that both Alice and I realise I’m very fortunate we are to have such a distinguished surgeon and physician, I’m sure that the people we have seen at Papworth, on this occasion, and at Addenbrookes previously, very much appreciate his input, particularly as he is able to take measurements and report on the basis of 24 hour differences. Anyway we appreciate having an opinion from someone so well qualified as Michael. He has offered to come in November but from our point of view we do not see the need for any great urgency and would hope that he was able to fit it in for one or more legal-medico report which will make his visit the more useful.
The reader will understand why ‘my lovely’ insisted that we had a quiet day at home with which I was happy agree. Although we will receive a proper report from Dr Michael Davies, in the meantime I can report on two issues which cause me some concern. The first was my high blood pressure. I cannot recall them all but one 204/101 seemed alarmingly high for me used to boast, right up to the time I was still attending the generation, of having the blood pressure of a young man 170/30.
No doubt Dr Michael Davies will prescribe something for this, which will mean more pills!. The second was ‘that I was only hanging on to life by a thread ‘which in any event means I could snuff it at any time. Another issue beyond the two I have mentioned concerned my weight Richard gone down by 8 ½ kg since the last visit. For this I believe I can be prescribed calorie pills. With most of my friends trying to lose weight it seems ironic that I had to go the opposite way.
This will require a visit from Dr West to decide on the best calorie pills plus something to counteract the high blood pressure.
Darling Chloe who arrived around teatime yesterday, left just before lunch today. Apart from the pleasure it gives me to see her, she was also very helpful helping me tidy up a couple of the blog entries which seemed to take more time than dictating them in the first place. I asked how much they had mentioned my condition to the children. It seems that they are not making a big deal of it at have told them sufficient for them to know that I am extremely ill and for them to expect the worst, although when that will be only the good Lord knows. At least, Miles and Chloe are prepared for the worst.
One of my faithful readers, Penny, has sent in an excellent article by an MND sufferer, Tony Judt, entitled Night. The article is not too long and is well worthwhile spending a few minutes on and contemplating how similar your own symptoms are to that of the author and how to overcome them. Tony’s symptoms are those of a quadriplegic and from that aspect I can claim to be similar. Click here and spend a few minutes comparing symptoms with Tony Judt, and thanks to penny for sending it to us.