Countdown to BMT!

[Neil Cuadra]

Fantastic photos, Melissa. Congratulations again!

[mausmish]

Gorgeous bride and handsome groom - fabulous gown! Red shoes have always been my favourite, too. I love the photos and can't wait to see more. Congratulations to you both. How was NYC?

[Chirley]

Melissa you look lovely. What a beautiful gown. I also think the red shirt red shoes idea an inspiration.

Congratulations to you both.

Chirley

[Laura]

Beautiful! I love the red!! Thanks for sharing.

Laura

[Debbie W]

Beautiful pictures and thanks for sharing!

[Mary4Mike]

Melissa,

I am a new poster, but have been reading for quite a while. Your pictures are beautiful and so are YOU. I read all the horror posts about your dermatological problems, but you are absolutely glowing!!! And as the others mentioned, I LOVE the red shoes.

On a different note, have you read about or considered natural bioidentical hormones for the gyno problems? I haven't had a transplant, however I have experienced menopause, and I am having some success with them. You might want to check them out if you haven't had good luck with other options.

Congratulations and Best Wishes!!

[squirrellypoo]

Thanks for the flattery, everyone!

I had a haematology checkup today and both my nurse and doctor agreed that the gynae/endocrine doctor situation is unacceptable so both are on the case to see if they can get me seen by a new doctor any quicker than Christmas (my next scheduled appointment from the retiring doc). Other than that, everything's fine, so they're sending my GP the go-ahead to get my immunisations started in a few weeks (but I'm ringing my GP now to get the flu shot before bugs start going around so we don't have to wait for the letter). I'm also getting the standard bone density scan, but she doesn't think that'll be a problem, and she's waiving another lung function test since, as she put it "you're a runner so clearly you've not got lung issues!".

Next checkup in THREE MONTHS! woo! and I got to show around wedding photos on my iPhone to absolutely everyone, too.

Originally Posted by Mary4Mike

On a different note, have you read about or considered natural bioidentical hormones for the gyno problems?

Without going into too many details, that retiring gynae/endocrine doc has said that he doesn't think I need total hormone replacement and that he thinks I'm still making some hormones so only a little bit is needed. Whether that's actually true, who knows. But HRT is not on the cards right now.

[Laura]

Hey Melissa,
So glad to hear your apt went well and wow three months until your next apt!!! That is crazy wonderful! So glad things are going so well for you.

Hopefully they can get the gyn stuff figured out too.

Laura

[squirrellypoo]

A small victory for me: yesterday was the first day I've gone running AND gone to work in the same day since before I got ill. Pre-wedding I was only working four days a week so I would just run on my day off (usually Wednesday) and Saturdays. But I'm back to work full time now so I tried just a short run (6km - it's short for me!) to see how I felt for the rest of the day, but I really didn't feel any more tired or braindead than usual by the evening so I count this as a success. One run a week juts wasn't working for me so I'm very happy to see I can get back into a workweek routine of sorts.

[Greg H]

Hey Melissa!

That sounds like a pretty big victory to me. It's nuts, but I find that I have so much more energy when I can fit in my bike ride every day. I haven't for a week (family-related travel and work complications), and that has me feeling much more draggy than when I'm on my daily exercise routine.

Way to go!

Greg

[Laura]

Melissa,
How do you have the energy? I am envious.

I had to scale back work to only working part time as I just couldn't handle work. Didn't have enough energy. And on days I work I can barely make it through the door at night and crawl into bed exhausted.

What's your secret?

Laura

[mausmish]

Congratulations, Melissa - an impressive victory indeed.

[squirrellypoo]

Originally Posted by Laura

How do you have the energy? I am envious.

Well, my work is a desk job, for starters, so I'm not on my feet all day like you are! And my body's not busy fighting off any infections like yours is so it's got more energy to devote to other activities.

Other than that, I get a lot of sleep at night (9 hrs usually, but I've always been that way), eat very healthily with 90% organic fruit & veg, no red meat, and nearly always homecooked meals (just because I really like cooking), and like Greg, I find I have more energy when I exercise. I always think of it as "you've got to give energy to get it". So I walk to work and back most days (2mi/3km, 35min each direction - I use it as my Radio 4 podcast unwinding time), and I'm running twice a week and doing an awful lot of hefting stuff around the moorings, too.

I think it also probably helped that I was *really* fit before I got ill - I'm not anywhere close to my muscle tone and endurance pre-illness, but I'm okay with that now. I'm trying to be nicer to myself and not feel quite so guilty if I run to a lesser bridge one day, or sleep in a bit later, or have ice cream now and then.

[PJ1972]

Good to read all your stories and advice, i am due to go in for a bone marrow transplant very soon, at Kings College in London under Prof Marsh. I have had AA for 21years. My donor is coming from the US , i must admit i am very anxious.
Any advice would be great........... Take care all

[squirrellypoo]

Good news: I had zero hospital appointments during the month of November.

Bad news: I am still doing battle with the awful, negligent, and incompetent gynae/endocrine department, and last night I was very down about it.

My husband sent me a link to this XKCD comic this morning, and I really think the message is a great one that WE SHOULD ALL READ! (Really, go take a second to have a look, it'll make you feel better!)

[Greg H]

Hey Melissa!

That is absolutely outstanding!

Thanks for sharing it.

Greg

[Laura]

Sorry that is still an issue! I can't believe they aren't trying to help better.

But I do love the comic!

Laura

[mausmish]

The comic is great. Thanks for the link. Having the continued problems stinks though!

[starz]

Lots of good laughs in that comic! Are you used to using the 'my husband' thing yet? Whilst Kings is lovely it must be great to have a whole month off. We are back at home now, and there are no hosp appts scheduled as its difficult to get there for Nick. However he does still continue to show small improvements everyday, which bucks the trend for PML.

[squirrellypoo]

Ughghhhh day four of an awful colf/flu/fever whatever. It came on SO quickly Thursday afternoon, and I've been stuck in bed all day Saturday and Sunday. I utterly HATE IT. I have so many things to do and get done and think about and I HATE that I'm pinned here flicking through the awful tv channels yet again. Boooooooo. Headache, snotty nose, barking cough, sneezing, aching muscles, high fever (38.8C/102F), the works.

Today I was forced to leave my bed to go to hospital for an existing dermatology appointment (my husband drove me in since walking to the bus stop was a bit iffy) so I got looked over by the haem doctor on duty, who reckons it's just a really bad cold or flu. But they swabbed me just to make sure, so I'll find out if anything grows on the cultures in a few days. Until then, more BORING AWFUL DUVET. I am really, really sick of this. Last night I had trouble sleeping for stressing about all the things that need doing and all the timelines I'm up against, arrrrghhghgh. I really can't afford to lose four whole days right now.

Even when I came home right after the transplant I wasn't as useless as I am with this! I could at least cook dinner and sit upstairs and work in my sewing room then!

(yes, I know I'm acting like a petulant, moping child here. Humour me.)

[mausmish]

Aw, so sorry you're feeling just wretched. You have every right to be petulant and moping. If I were a bit closer instead of across the big pond, I'd come and mop your forehead with cold compresses and sing silly songs off key. Take good care of yourself and try not to fret about unfinished work. It has a way of still being there when you're all better, and usually there are no earth shattering consequences for a few days delay, frustrating as they are. You are the number one priority! Big hugs, Karen

[Laura]

Melissa so sorry to hear you are under the weather! Feel better soon! As Karen said, don't worry about all the stuff that needs to get done. Just take care of yourself!
Laura

[squirrellypoo]

Turns out I was right to mope - the dr just rang to say I tested positive for swine flu! Oh joy of joys! This is after having the flu vaccine that supposedly contained H1N1, too. Boo!

So now I've got to get the bus back into kings this morning to pick up the tamiflu, I've been told to stay home from work this week so the office have to bike my office laptop over to me (beautiful timing - tomorrow we launch after three YEARS of solid work!), and James was starting to cough last night so we don't know if he's got it now, too.

And I'll miss the office Christmas party on Friday.

But mostly I'm laughing. Some times, what more can you do??? (and also, having had both now, I can safely say meningitis makes you feel a thousand times worse than swine flu!!)

[Lori Patrick]

Sorry to hear you are ill. Hopefully the Tamiflu will make you all better quickly!

[Greg H]

Originally Posted by squirrellypoo

so the office have to bike my office laptop over to me (beautiful timing - tomorrow we launch after three YEARS of solid work!),

Melissa,

Ack! the flu of the swines. So sorry to hear it. And aren't you having lousy weather, just to make matters worse?

But what are you launching? Some hot new website that will revolutionize the way we all communicate? Will we all get to see?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Hope you start feeling better!

Greg