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Me and ME

tettridge profile image
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My Blog

Just thought I would tell you a bit about myself and how I got to be what/how I am these days.

I led an uneventful life health-wise until I was about 26 that was when I had Gout, yes that is right 26 and Gout. This was not as bad as it sounds, I had some tablets and a slight change in diet and it has gone.

When I was 28 I was diagnosed with Cervical Spondylosis and that is still with me.

Way back in 1988 I had a really heavy cold/flu and it wiped me out for a couple of weeks, when that went or when I suppose I realised I no longer had the cold/flu and I was ill with something else I saw a doctor (at my wife’s insistence) and after many blood tests, a couple of weeks in hospital and being told I may have‘Green Parrots Disease’ or something with some exotic name among other things.

It was suggested by a visiting doctor that what was wrong with me was M. E.

Problem with that was, well, at the time was a bit uncommon apart from the derogative name of Yuppie Flu’ and it did have a terrible stigma to it (and it still has to some degree) and to be honest at the time I honestly thought I was going to die because I felt so ill, and the worst part was that I did not care if I did because I felt so bad. The only thing that I could manage to do was to walk the two Springer spaniels we had at the time. In the middle of winter although it is not to cold down the west country (we lived in Plymouth) most of the time, it can still get down to the zero temperatures and lower but I would take our dogs out in just a light tee-shirt and would return home saturated through with my sweat and that would knock me out for rest of the day and for the next day until it was ‘walkies time’.

But I was pretty lucky as I had a doctor who was understanding and tried to help me for over a year until I was well enough to go back to work.

So for a few years I had this M.E. on my back, and osteoarthritis that started in my neck and now in my body just waiting for me to slip up. Except for the pain all over at different times I felt OK I could manage it with the Tramadol and things.

Although I have had a Spinal decompression done twice and have Hepatitis B (which has absolutely no impact on my health) I still felt that I could manage it.

I had a bad bout of restless leg for a few years in the early 90’s which still sometimes pop up and say ‘Hi I am still here so don’t forget me”

I had my Thyroid removed some years ago and that was after they tried to take most of it some years earlier but it just got bigger and bigger and now its all gone.

And then the kicker, I had pneumonia in June 2007. That has left me with all sorts of problems.

Because I was ill and unable to do my exercises in fact unable to exercise at all for three or four weeks my arthritis (that I have had for so long) and was coping with, has really taken off, and this has left me pretty badly disabled.

But I am still walking the dogs (now they are Shih-Tzu's) all be it only a little way [as the pain is so bad] but I feel I really need to do this as I think if I stop I will be in a wheelchair sooner rather than later and I will fight that all the way (stupid pride again)

I know it is creeping up on me as I went Christmas shopping on Saturday 1st Dec 2012 and here it is three days later and I am still trying to get over it, with the pain so bad.

Sorry to bore you but I thought a bit about me might get others to share.

Terry

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tettridge
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3 Replies
Mialenari profile image
Mialenari

Hello it's nice to meet you Terry and it wasn't boring at all, thank you for sharing. =]

TIDDLYF profile image
TIDDLYF

I have been told i have cervical spondylosis but i also have many other conditions. I do not know exactly what Cervical spondylosis is as it may be masked by other things or i am blaming other things on it.

Could you tell me what it is please

Miep profile image
Miep

Are you still in Plymouth?

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