How are you feeling today

DearBags and GA I'm sending you both a cyber hug. Be gentle with yourselves. You know it makes sense...

phoenix

Yesterday, came home from Tesco shop to find a message on the answer machine. Returned the call to Mr Anderson's secretary at the Glasgow hospital. An April appointment has been made for me to see a gynaecologist. The colo-rectal and gynae surgeons will liaise and work together surgically repairing my cystocele and bowel prolapse. This means that I shall need to return for yet another pre-op assessment before having surgery in June? All hopes of saying farewell to absent have evaporated. However, once I'm mended and recovered I shall demand a Glasgow gathering. x

Bags and Ga hope you are both doing much better today.

Thank you, yes, just back to 'normal' pain levels this morning . Seeing doc on Tuesday. I'm usually a coper but the alert was me checking maxiumum doses of every painkiller in the house and trying to work out what rich cocktail I could take without killing myself! Internal messenger banged on my skull from the inside and said "You need help with this!"

ga and B - Hope you are both feeling better this morning.

Bags and Ga and sympathy.

I'm feeling happy tonight, just come back from visiting old friends in London and my sister in Cornwall. Had a lovely time with everyone.

Thanks for good wishes and advice all.
bookdreamer I've had no changes in my medication for several years.
Galen In the past I have had X-rays, antibiotics and steroids.
This particular cough followed on from an infection, caught from my grandson who came to stay when he wasn't well a couple of weeks back. By the time he left I was sharing his symptoms of swollen glands, sore throat, earache and sinusitis. All these symptoms have now gone, but I have been left with this horrendous cough. Those of you who have been on GN long enough will remember that this is the third time in the last twelve months that this pattern has been repeated. My GP is very thorough and is keeping a close eye on me. One suggestion is that the first coughing bout I had last year was whooping cough and that because of my poor health due to other medical problems I am still in the convalescent stage (which apparently can last for many months); the symptoms have generally subsided, but subsequent respiratory infections, are causing a recurrence of the coughing spasms.
I think it's as plausible a theory as any other, but I'm past caring what causes it - I JUST WANT THE COUGH TO GO.
When I've tried most other things so tomorrow I'm off to the health food shop for Manuka honey. Lemons I always have in, but is it okay to substitute brandy for whisky do you think? I have some brandy in the larder (purely for medicinal purposes you understand).

ga You have my sympathy, I have just got rid of the cough and now DH has it.
Bags for you too.

X-ray to check!

ga I had a post-viral cough for a few weeks and used pholcodeine linctus to suppress it at night, but all that did was give me a dry cough that I couldn't get any relief from. My ribs ached and I was exhausted. I stopped taking it and used Manuka honey 15+ with fresh lemon juice and occasionally a splash of whisky. Result! It went within the week. I hope yours goes quickly

grannyactivist. No idea if this has been mentioned before but have you been started on any blood pressure medication or had it changed over the last few months?

GA you are such a positive person and always supportive of everyone else. Sorry to hear you are feeling low. Coughing and no sleep are an awful combination and you must be really tired. Sending you and lots of healing golden thoughts.

DD3 has been coughing since October. She is awaiting results of blood tests for probable whooping cough strain . Told it could also be the 100 day cough (sounds a bit medieval to me!) in which case she will 'just have to put up with it'.
Feel better soon everyone

ga,
Maybe stop taking cough suppressants. Take something that will help you expectorate. ( right word ? )
Apple cider vinegar or raspberry vinegar ; a tablespoon three times a day in a little water with honey might help you.
You are not alone, people round here have been coughing since Christmas.
Good luck.
And.. I have heard that DRAMBUIE is very good for a bad chest!!

Bags, I saw your quilt on FB. What a lucky little boy your grandson is. It's beautiful work. Be kind to yourselves, both of you, Bags and GA.

grannyactivist you could ask your Doc to do further test, 8 weeks is a long time to have a cough and they love the word virus, basically virus in Doctor language means I havent got a clue, it is worth going down that route, My Mum was told she just had an infection and it was much worse, so please have it checked out.

When I am feeling down, as you were, I sometimes need someone to be a bit ,Oh get on with it dear, so I applied that thinking to you because I care and not to be an idiot.

Get better soon

I've had medication for the original infection each time, but the cough is what my GP describes as a 'post-viral' cough and each time I've had it it's lasted for eight weeks or more. I do all the right things, cover my nose and mouth so that I'm not breathing cold air, take cough suppressants, suck lozenges etc., but the blasted thing persists. And yes, I do count the Wonderful Man as my greatest blessing and I know that there are many worse things things, but when I awake several times every night coughing myself sick I do feel more than a little woebegone! [poor me emoticon]
Bags fibromyalgia is horribly painful (I have polymalgia and the pain is described as being very similar) so yes, do get yourself off to the GP and get your pain meds sorted. There is no need, in this day and age, for people to suffer unnecessary pain. (((hugs))) and my friend.

phoenix you are absolutley right they can be ###

If they are rude to you give it back and report any behaviour that you are not happy with.

When my niece had to go to the jobcentre she said they were patronising, my sister complained about that particular person that wasnt very nice to my niece and my niece got to see someone different the next time she went.

grannyactivist sounds like you have a loving husband, just think how horrible things would be without him, a cough is a cough and hopefully will soon be gone, you should get checked out from the Doctor if it keeps coming back just to rule out the need for medication etc.

Get better soon just for you

Ga , have you been back to see the doctor about your cough? It must be so debilitating. And Bags here are for you as well. You must be feeling pretty low. Both of you need to see the doctor!
phoenix, I can understand how you might be feeling about those at the Job Centre. My son was unemployed for many, many months and was doing as much as he possibly could to find work. The first time this happened, he was more or less bullied by the staff member who was allocated to him. A couple of times his money was held back, which affected his Housing Benefit. He didn't feel he could do anything about how he was treated by that member of staff in case it made things worse. Eventually he found work again for a few months, before being laid off again. However this time, the person allocated to him was supportive. He's been in work again for a good while, though this could change at any time, as he works in the construction industry.
You've been trying so, so hard. Don't Let the b.....ds grind you down .

I don't know where they find the staff for these places, they must pay the minimum wage.
They seem to go out of their way to be unhelpful quite often.

Oh Ella I realise that they are "only doing their job" but I do object to being patronised and treated as if I'm not taking every step possible to get a job.

Ga, Bags
Phoenix ((((hugs))))
What happened P to upset you?

Hugs, flowers and cake to all in need.

I was reduced to tears in the Job Centre today.

Oh poor you! The consensus is that amytriptilline works well in FM. Some people swear by gabapentin, but it does have side effects. It must be the weather!
Actually I've found mine slightly better since I started taking A vit D and magnesium supplement. Might be worth trying!
Like you I refuse to believe I've got it, but whatever it is it hurts

galen and kitty,

I'll join you in the Feeling Grotty Room, ga. So much ME/fibromyalgia pain last night, I've even made an appointment with the doc. Need better pain management. Hey ho. Could be worse. At least I don't need operations.
Get well soon

I did get something done today – finished a baby quilt for my new GS.