summut serious

[BeestonMick 263]

A million sites on t'interweb still call it black pudding so it's cool as far as I'm concerned.

[Compo 10,328]

I was getting to be obese. I weighed in at fourteen stones in late September. I have been using the British Heart Foundation diet since then and now weigh in at twelve and a half stones. Not a bad weight loss over three months eh?!

[Compo 10,328]

It is called Black pudding because it's main colour is black. Simples! In Scotland we have a "White" pudding, so named because its main colour is off-white.

[Chulla 4,946]

All right, all right, leave it alone. I only said it as a humorous aside, not a topic for discussion.

[catfan 14,793]

I was brought up to refer to coloured people as coloured people. A friend of Mrs Catfan's put me in my place by saying refer to coloured people as black, nothing else. A lifetime's effort wrong it seems. Unles attitudes have changed.

[MargieH 7,599]

Chulla, I'm really sorry you are having problems with your health and hope that it will continue to be adequately managed by the doctors in the future. Keep telling us how you are getting on, won't you... NONE of us knows what the next year will bring - I reckon it's best to just remember remember all the positive things in life and keep plodding on with a smile on your face! AND I'm not going to tell you to get stuffed - don't fancy the idea of taxidermy! Best wishes from me and Paul x

[plantfit 7,580]

Sorry to hear of your problem Chulla,I have a similar problem with the breathing and being overweight all seems to have started when I stopped smoking,I suppose we used to put the breathing problems and the aching legs down to getting older but it seems these days we have to have a name for everything,just take it steady my friend follow a good diet plan and fitness regime and you'll be ok,

ps: I must follow that last lot of advice myself

Rog

[loppylugs 8,427]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, Chulla.

I know its not funny, but speaking of stuffing. I always tell Mrs. Loppy to just Fedex me back to Canada in a cardboard box. Cheaper than a fancy funeral and its where I want to be anyway.

Now back to the celebrations. Enjoy each day. Its all any of us has in this world anyway.

[Chulla 4,946]

Thanks for the best wishes everyone. I think you all know that I will keep smiling no matter what. If there is one thing that I am proud of it is my sense of humour - I see the funny side of almost everything and I will do so till the day I die; and beyond, knowing me. I just know that something serio-comic is likely to happen at my funeral. Katyjay will murmur out the corner of her mouth the the person standing next to her - 'that's him, that's him all over'. Hope so.

[carni 10,094]

Chulla,I have just finished watching the film and back on NS, and I am sorry to read your post.I know these tickers of ours can cause some problems when they don't work properly. Keep taking the Propapopalopalololol, they work wonders.

Seriously, I hope the experts can get you sorted. They might not be able to mend you, but if they can keep your ticker ticking for another 20years, that wont be bad aye miduck. Yep, we know you will keep smiling. Best Wishes, Have a Good Christmas and we look forward to meeting in the New Year.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Chulla, like everyone else, I also wish you well and hope that there will be a cure for all these heart problems in the near future.

I don't know, they finally get someone to sort out the meet-ups and this happens.

[Guest]

Hey Chulla my mate!,sorry to see you are not well..take it easy!..not many like you about tha' knows. Seriously, I hope you get sorted.

Have a lovely Christmas Dave..and thank you for all your efforts on the meet up front. Save a pew in the Roebuck for Dawson!!..cheers,Ian.

[Chulla 4,946]

I aint dead yet. I'll have a few graves to dance on before its my time! Seriously, As the man said; it isn't going to get better. All I can hope for is that it doesn't get worse.

[nonnaB 4,894]

Thats the way to do it Chulla. New methods and cures are emerging every day.Keep up the checkups and you'll be ok but dont overdo it. All the best love to Mrs and Miss C

[catfan 14,793]

That's what they told me Chulla !

[davep5491 360]

Chulla I wish you well in the future.

I had a quad bypass 19 years ago and the surgeon said it was ok to have a couple of glasses of red the night before the op, a practice I have continued ever since, it's my take on a mediterranean diet.

The nurse said do what you feel like doing, but listen to your body and stop if it complains. Worked so far for me.

With your attitude I'm sure that you will be fine.

[swe62 334]

don,t worry chulla I,ve had a bit of pump trouble myself take the pills and carry on ,all the best see you at the next meet up

[Chulla 4,946]

#669. Well, that's one deffo for the next meeting.

[Chulla 4,946]

#636. Further to my post giving details of my medical problems; in particular the heart problem, now confirmed as hypotrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), I thought you might like to have an update of the state of play.

My breathlessness is just as bad when I undertake any exertion. Just lately I have been sick when out walking, not every time but its has happened four times now. If anyone has/is having the problem i would like to hear from them. PM me if you want the keep it private. I have booked a doctor appointment to see what he thinks it might be. I want this over with because it has got to the stage where I am wondering if I am going to be sick when I leave the house. Usually this does not happen, but the sickness is so random that it can happen at any time.

I have had a session with the cardiac genetics nurse at the Inherited Cardiac Conditions Service at the City hospital. I gave her details of the family tree of our family highlighting those that had a heart problem/reason stated on their death certificates. It so happened that I had the telephone number of a cousin who I not seen or been in contact with for over sixty years. She lives in Scotland. I called her and we renewed our acquaintance and reminisced about her family, who we used to visit at Carlton. So, I asked her if she had any heart problems, and would you believe it, we have exactly the same condition, HCM. Not only that , but she has had the hereditary tests and they have found the misplaced DNA genes - for example where it should be AGCT it is ATCG. The gene sequence for the heart is known. This has thrilled the lady at the city hospital because she has two people in the same family with a direct genetic link with the same medical problem and will be able to compare their details. I have given a blood sample and it is being taken to Scotland (not Oxford as was the original intention) for those who tested my cousin to do the same with.

On the prostate cancer front, things have started to go downhill. My previous postings related how after having a PSA score of a very high 197, it came down to just 3. When it had got down to 14 the consultant at the City Hospital handed me over to my doctor to keep an eye on how things were going, and the surgery there gave me a Decopeptyl injection every six months. Every six months I have had a blood test for the PSA figure. In March last year it was down to 3; in November it was 8.1. The surgery phoned me the next day for another test, in case it was a false reading. It wasn't, the score was now 7.6. The doc decided to leave it for a while and I had another blood test in January. The score was now up to 15. As instructed by the consultant when he handed me over to my doctor, he said that if the PSA score started rising I should be referred back to him. This was done and yesterday I was back in the Urology Department at the City.

I have to say the man wasn't all that concerned. He has given me some tablets to take - one a day. The Hormone injections will carry on as before. I will have blood checks every three months instead of every six. When I was first diagnosed two years ago, I went for a bone scan, which showed no sign that the cancer was there. I am going to have another bone scan. If this does show signs then I will have a CT scan to check other parts of my body - I might have the CT scan whether or not the bone scan is negative. I asked if he was considering radiation treatment, and he had no thought of going in that direction. To me that seemed a positive. Fifteen minutes after I walked back into the house the phone rang and it was someone wanting to fix up the bone scan at the city. That was quick!

If the bone scan shows cancer, and the CT scan also does, then Urology will hand me over to Oncology for them to decide what the next move is. Watch this space.

[carni 10,094]

Chulla, I'm really sorry that you are having all these health problems. I hope you can get some treatment and peace of mind quickly. It looks as if the Hospital is getting a move on with your scan, which is good and as you say, your consultant is not considering radiation. Definitely a positive. hope all goes well Chulla.

[FLY2 10,108]

So sorry to hear of all your ongoing problems Chulla, it must be soul distressing to have to cope with one thing after another.

I sincerely hope that things considerably improve for you in the immediate future. My thoughts are with you. Take care.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Chulla, you are vital to the organising of meet-ups, so it's very important that everything turns out ok. Best wishes with treatment and medical things.

[Compo 10,328]

Keep yer pecker up Chulla, miduck. Fingers all crossed for you.

[catfan 14,793]

I certainly hope things improve for you Dave. I was diagnosed the same with HCM last year & my breathlessness improved a lot after my GP changed one particular medication, that worked really well for me.

I was placed on the surgical list for either another complex angioplasty to unblock a blocked artery which was unable to clear 18 months ago or as a last resort a CABG. Fortunately I have now removed myself from that list, this route was offered to me by my consultant if things improved.

A long history of heart disease in the family certainly in both my parents families too. The longest surviving uncle lived to the grand old age of 66 years, most died in their 40s & 50s all succumbing to HA or stroke. I have reached a stage now where cousins & nieces even younger than me are having cardiac problems.

I took a long look what was happening & the first thing I did was change my GP, I'd been a patient with my old GP for more than 30 years & was reaching the conclusion that he was past his sell by date & now have joined a practice with 4 GPs all quite young & very much on the ball with modern medical tecniques & am very well looked after there.

Life is a book made up of several chapters, this for me is a new chapter, live your life & take it easy & don't get too stressed about anything. My only regret is that Hobgoblin is not on prescription !

All the best Dave..

I will PM you with more details !

[LizzieM 9,507]

Thinking about you Chulla and fingers crossed you get all the necessary medical attention and treatment sorted very soon. You'll be fine x