Weeks 6, 7 and 8...

WEEK SIX AND ONWARDS

Week 6

Progressing.  Slowly.  Too slowly.  Far too slowly for me. I’m not a patient patient.

Used my E-bike again, but it’s now refusing to charge more than 91% and since the range is not great, that is annoying.  It got below 20% battery on my ride this week which means the 250 Watts of aid (red setting) suddenly felt like 60W (green setting).  I peddled very slowly home and survived but it’s not ideal.  Seems it may need a ‘software update’.  Who knew!!

Managed to walk 1.22 miles at a fair pace.  Felt great.  Also did some cooking – prepped Yogurt Marinated Chicken for dinner plus made Falafels for later in the week.  Next two days I was exhausted. Do I never learn? The Chicken was DELICIOUS, by the way, but the yogurt had curdled and it looked disgusting – bit like cat sick – (just saying, mum!). 

 Eating less both because I am getting fatter and fatter but also because of my IBS.  I really need to follow the FODMAPS elimination diet more closely (or rather, more than 10%!) but it is so difficult missing out vegetables (of which I eat loads) plus wheat, diary and apples and pears. 

Ploughing through all my medical appointments – blood tests at hospital yesterday re the TB.  Got confusing because she wanted to know if I had a pacemaker – I told her I had an Atriclip and she wasn’t sure if the magnetic torniquet would affect it or not.  I said that Sheffield never really said anything about it but it is a foreign body in me! Eventually she used the old-school one, instead!

Today to the GPs for different blood tests (liver, thyroid, blood count) only to be told that I didn’t need them as they were done yesterday at the hospital yesterday and results were already back! Thyroid is really badly low – which may be due to missing though tablets in Oct/Nov but also because of the Amiodarone?  Need to speak to GP (another appointment!).

BUT I do need an ECG before my follow-up with Mr H and so need another appointment to do that at the hospital as the one at the surgery has been broken for weeks!  So, every time I tick some appointments off my list a few more drop on it!!

Feeling really sick and faint but BP ok.  I have most of the symptoms of an under-active thyroid (dry skin, gut issues, weight gain, fatigue, feeling very cold) though, to be honest, the last 13 months (nose op, ablation, AFib x 3, SCAD x 2 AND Minimaze) have made me rather forget what it is like to feel well …. (self-pity alert).

 

Week 7/8

Up and Down and Up and Down.

 ➕Did 1.33M of walking!  Quite quick too.  Then had a rest and did a few weights exercises – half the weight I used to use and only 1 set of 12 reps, but got to start somewhere.

➖Last week I took my Electric-bike in for a ‘software update’ – I was due to pick it up the next day.  It is now four days later and it is still not sorted out - I really need it back.  The bike is so much easier than walking and I get to see more.  I DID explain to the dealer that I needed this as rehab from a cardiac operation, but no joy yet.  I’m going to have to collect it this afternoon and then take it back for its update when I am fit enough to ride a ‘proper’ bike.  So that’s another wasted journey.

➖I also found out that the phlebotomist who did my blood test for TB last week, actually didn’t.  She did the GP requested ones which I was due to have the next day but not the TB.  So now I have to go tomorrow – more worry, more wasted journeys.

➖Left the bike at the shop in the end so couldn’t ride it all weekend.  Finally got it back late Monday – it now does not work properly.  Rang the shop.  Not a bit apologetic “bring it back”. How am I supposed to do that? My car is tiny and I can’t keep asking for the friend with a pick-up to drive me over there.  So annoying.  I got the impression they think I am making a fuss about nothing, but I really need the bike NOW – not later when I will able to ride an ordinary bike. 

➕Lots of investigations on the internet and found I can control the levels of assistance on the bike with the app.  Which is good but wildly inconvenient as you then cannot then wear padded gloves.  But at least I can ride it until it is convenient to take it back.  Blooming annoying all round though.

➖Started doing FODMAPs diet 90% for the IBS.  So far, it seems worse! 

➕Doctor has increased my thyroxine which was very low.  Went back to hospital for TB blood test – she tried to do the wrong one again – good job I double-checked!

➕Ordered new mouthguard £327 – ouch! But cheaper than a private Minimaze op would have been.   Annoying.

➖Everything is annoying at the moment – feel tearful often.  Nosebleeds have been very rare and quite mild, but that has altered this week with a 35 minute long one which made me feel awful.

➕On the plus side I am now doing Pilates with some Yoga as well as the weights. Added a second set of weights and increased the actual weight lifted too.

➕I can also now do all the housework even the vacuuming – though not done any ironing yet (what a shame!).

➖On the minus side, I have a fast-changing mole on my right arm – so now I have an emergency referral to the local skin cancer unit as I have a history of that – being rather melanin-challenged!

➕My RSI has cleared up enough to play the piano again – hurrah (I’m VERY bad, but I enjoy it – relaxing).  Must be dead good for your brain too – coordinating Left and Right hands – I can almost feel my brain throbbing and glowing red as I play!

➖Used my e-bike – now the battery range has reduced from 28 miles to under 16.  FGS!  Took it back to the bike shop for the umpteenth time – they say it is because of the cold weather – though at 10 degrees it’s not exactly Arctic out. 

➕They have fitted a new assistance changer @ £79 – they got it from the manufacturer and it came free of charge as the manufacturer (Mahle) said it was their software update that caused it to malfunction.  The bike shop has now also fitted it free of charge – so happy days.

➕Had my six-week review with Mr Hunter from Sheffield yesterday.  He was pleased with my progress and, unusually in my experience, said to feel fatigued and tired was to be expected given the fact I had been knocked about (my words) and also the general deconditioning.  I have the all-clear to do anything I like sensibly when I feel able to do so (i.e. run, ride a bike without a motor etc).  I feel weeks away from all that though). I am to stop the Amiodarone – this will clear the system in about five weeks and then we shall see if the Surgical Ablation (Minimaze) has done any good or not.

 

I think this blog is very negative and very boring so I apologise – I did promise it would not be full of toxic positivity 😊😊. It’s just a long plod to get well again and then the hoping it does not all recur…