I finally got my new glucose meter working and it’s not great news. Still hyperglycemic, not that I’m surprised. I’ve been ignoring the problem for a long time, ever since my old meter started giving me questionable results. Not to mention all my other medical problems I’ve had for literally decades (61 years in the case of Crohn’s disease).
My diet is changing significantly and it is incredibly depressing. Not only giving up things I like (e.g., my wife’s excellent cookies etc.) but having to spend yet more time doing medical stuff (looking up diets, doing finger sticks, and planning proper meals).
Diabetes is on both sides of my family. I wished I chosen healthier parents.
I’m pretty good.
Dad died just over a month ago. The paperwork is pretty much done.
My nephew is in charge of playing “Fur Elise” at the end of his eulogy. I’m hoping he doesn’t fuck it up - No-one wants their Dad buried to “Gangnam Style”!
I’ve finished writing, and am pretty happy with, his eulogy.
It turns out the will I have is a copy, the solicitor he chose apparently doesn’t have the original, but I think my brother has it, instead of the copy he was supposed to have. It’s all fun and games here.
The reason I’ve jumped on here quickly is that I may disappear for a week or two (or a month or two).
See, I tried to change my dad’s Sky account into my name - £25 quid-ish per month for telly, netflix and landline (which I didn’t need). I get a letter confirming this and then four days later a letter cancelling the whole package.
Long story short - I’ve just had twenty minutes on the phone with a chap in a foreign land telling me I have signed up for the thick end of 60 quid a month - when I gave him short shrift I was passed on to another chap in Scotland who ran me around the bush for a bit before I told him to cancel everything.
Okay, I basically told him to fuck right off.
Anyway, Sky is cancelled effective immediately.
How long my internet stays up is anyone’s guess.
So, if you don’t hear from me, dinnae worrit, I’ll be back.
Could be five mins, could be five months.
Tara for now.
I’m lined up with another provider now, but they won’t get me connected until the 27th.
So for now I’m piggybacking at Annie’s, bless her little cottons - she put me on the “staff” connection.
When my new internet supplier failed to get me connected on the offered date, they had to offer compensation, in the end it amounted to over three months worth of free internet. Which was also unterrible.
I saw my ophthalmologist today. The (relatively) good news is that the small blind spots in my eyes are probably due to my (mostly controlled) glaucoma–not macular degeneration or high blood glucose levels (which I do have a bit of). The glaucoma can be controlled; I’m on three eye drops, and may need to get on a fourth one. I’m hoping to get off a steroid for Crohn’s disease soon, so that may help too.
The (relatively) bad news is that the recent slight worsening of the blind spots I’ve noticed is likely due a condition called central retinal vein occlusion, which he diagnosed by taking an image of my retina he took today. Fortunately there’s a treatment to keep it from getting worse. I doubt it will correct the damage already done, though.
The generally good news is that I can still read, use the computer, work on models, drive (not at night though), watch TV, and so on. I don’t notice the blind spots when I’m actively working on something else–even doing the dishes. So making sure it doesn’t get worse is important.
Sigh. Yet another medical problem. But I’ve made it past 70 in generally good health, so I really can’t complain.
To continue my eye story – the ophthalmologist wanted me to see a retina specialist right away. I called a retina group he recommended, who managed to get me in the next day (yesterday). Pretty amazing, but also a measure of the seriousness, I guess.
Technicians gave me an eye test, dilated my eyes (second time this week), took lots of pictures. The doctor came in and examined my eyes directly with a very bright light, and studied the pictures. She confirmed the vein occlusion my regular ophthalmologist found, and explained that I probably had the first blind spots (about 5 years ago) due to the glaucoma I’ve had for years. She also found some early evidence of macular degeneration, sigh. She was fabulous, answered all my questions, applied numbing drops, then did the, ah, treatment. I wish she could have used a transporter to beam the anti-VEGF drug into my eye, but unfortunately that technology hasn’t been approved by the FDA. But hopefully the drug will clear the blocked vein and reduce some of the concomitant wrinkling of my retina that’s responsible for the weirdly blurred vision I’ve had for a couple of months.
Alas I have to have this treatment in four weeks. Some people need to get it done regularly, like forever. Eeesh.
my mum has to have that “treatment” - a shot in the eyeball - every 3 months for her MD.
she hates it, of course, but says that the doc is very good about distracting her for that brief second before he stabs her in the eyeball.
the good news is, it has stopped the progression of MD. the bad news is, it is ongoing for… yeah. ongoing.
i am sorry you are going through that.
