Update on oggbashan's health

[Winter_Fare]

You're not going crazy, steroids can mess with your sugar levels, not saying don't take them, but they can. Also, your activity level has probably gone up now you can see straight and drive. (Yay!). Maybe have something high protein high fibre at tea time and bed time so you don't peak too soon over night, and grab a biscuit if you get up to pee! (Not at the same time obvs.)

 

[dmallord]

God's Speed on Your Double Vision Improvement

Congratulations on being able to get out and about, again! May those low sugar readings become stable as well!

Unfortunately, without the double vision, I fear your great writing productivity may not be as prolific. Missing out on those twin images means less word smithing, I should think, no?

Good health to you and to your wife, as you return to the roadways, Ogg.

DMallord

 

[oggbashan]

Thanks for your good wishes. I may not have double vision but I still have incompetent fingers.

Grammarly tells me that 72% of their users have better spelling skills than I have.

But I use more unusual words than 98% of their users. No wonder my readers get confused...

I have just finished editing my first April Fool entry - about 4000 words. On to the next...

 

[TxRad]

To reduce the incompetent fingers thing, I just lowered the number of fingers in play.

 

[oggbashan]

I had the blood test required before a scan but my veins are getting battered and scarred. This time I have a massive bruise.

Today I went for my first longish drive unaccompanied - 14 miles round trip to deposit books on a charity book store (and buy some more!) and to drop items off at a local museum. I have several more boxes for museums but they are further away. Local drivers are still a pain. There are road works in our High street just before a bus stop. Two buses stopped and of course, the traffic going the other way didn't leave a gap so we were in a locked state until the buses moved. I sat through three changes of lights.

 

[Handley_Page]

But I use more unusual words than 98% of their users. No wonder my readers get confused...

I have just finished editing my first April Fool entry - about 4000 words. On to the next...

Your vocab is one of the best reasons to read your work, Ogg.
And I can not find the emoti-things.

Where can I get a simple "screen grabber" ?

 

[oggbashan]

Your vocab is one of the best reasons to read your work, Ogg.
And I can not find the emoti-things.

Where can I get a simple "screen grabber" ?

Emoticons? When you are posting a reply you should see a smiley at the top - ONLY when you are writing a post.

Screen Grabber? Try shift Prt Scn at the top on the left of your keyboard. or click on the three lines at the top left of your browser, scroll down and choose "Save page as".

 

[Handley_Page]

Oh I sure am learning this time.
Thank You

 

[oggbashan]

Scan? I had my last scan on 31st December. It showed one enlarged lymph node. The oncologist asked for the next scan to be at TWO months, a month earlier than usual, to see what developed. Today I received the appointment for my next scan - 7 April! More than THREE months after the previous scan. It is already more than TWO months since the last scan and I am due to see the oncologist on 25th March to discuss the results - of a scan that will not yet have been done.

I can't ring the scan appointments unit. It is Saturday and they only work Mondays to Fridays. Even if they bring my appointment forward, it takes ten days for the results to be processed so my discussion on 25 March will have to be postponed. By the time the scan is done, my cancer might have increased significantly.

 

[Winter_Fare]

That's disgraceful Ogg you must be so frustrated. I'd go straight to the complaints department and call your consultant's secretary too. It's already a month late, hope you get it sorted.

 

[oggbashan]

We rang the scans appointments people. One of their two scanners is out of action. They have made a note to see whether they can fit me in for cancellation but that is very unlikely.

I made enquiries about having a scan done privately - £1206. I can't justify that although I have a reasonable income because we are financially supporting two other families.

We will speak to the oncologist today.

 

[oggbashan]

I had a reminder today that I need to renew my Blue Badge - disabled parking permit. Last time the form was completed by a volunteer for Age Uk who knew the right critical words to use.

This time I can renew online but the number of documents required is worrying... Recent passport-style photo (old one won't do), current driving licence or passport (out of date passport useless), council tax bill, proof of disability payments etc. I will need new photos and my scanner.

After completion and have sent scans of all docs, ten weeks for renewal!

 

[Handley_Page]

Get them to print a copy of the scan and use that ??

Good Luck, Ogg

 

[oggbashan]

1. Blue badge application has been acknowledged and sent to the assessment team. That assumes I didn't make a basic mistake in the application.

2. I was due to see my podiatrist/chiropodist today. It has been cancelled because she has tested positive for Omicron. Rearranged appointment in Wednesday. The number of Covid cases is rising locally (and across the UK) but most, like my podiatrist, only have 'the sniffles'. because almost everyone locally has been triple-jabbed, or if as ancient as me - quadruple-jabbed. Saturday I had a letter to say I was eligible to have my fourth jab (which I had done two months ago!).

3. As expected, my oncologist appointment had to be moved to be two weeks after the scan. My oncologist is NOT happy!

 

[R. Richard]

Instead of posting in other places such as Blurt and Coffee Shop threads. I have decided to set up a thread just for this.

Today, Wednesday 25 September 2019 was crunch day. I had my initial discussion with oncology as opposed to all the other specialist consultants I have seen this year.

I have Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome which is caused by small-cell lung cancer. My symptoms (of Lambert-Eaton) are increased unsteadiness meaning I fall over frequently and cannot walk without a four-wheeled walker; My speech is slurred and gets worse during the day; I have double vision and my taste is affected. I have NO symptoms and NO pain from the lung cancer -yet. My blood/oxygen level is about 100% and my lung function 93% both of which are ridiculously good for someone with lung cancer. But the Lambert-Eaton symptoms are worsening.

I saw the oncology specialist with my wife and youngest (medical) daughter. WE agreed that I should start chemotherapy soon even though that will NOT cure the small-cell cancer. It might reduce its spread and extend my life - maybe. It might stop the Lambert-Eaton getting worse or possibly reduce the symptoms - maybe. It will be unpleasant and there are risks from the chemotherapy itself but small-cell cancer is aggressive and if not treated could spread very rapidly making it untreatable.

If the chemotherapy is successful it might be followed by radiotherapy again to try to reduce the spread of the cancer. But neither treatment will stop it. They might buy me time, but not much more than that.

I start the chemotherapy on Monday 30 September and will be back at the hospital every Monday for five more weeks after that. If I don't react too badly, then there will be a reassessment followed by yet another five courses of chemotherapy before radiotherapy is considered - if I survive that long.

The specialist(s) have only agreed to try this because apart from the Lambert-Eaton I am surprisinmgly fit and active for my age. If I had not been they would have said - 'forget any treatment - make your will'. I am doing that anyway.

I will try to keep my friends on Literotica updated through this thread.

Congrats Ogg!

 

[Athalia]

I've been thinking of getting one of those tags one hangs on his mirror, because I have mobility problems that hamper my ability to walk longer distances, like more than a couple of blocks, or at a mall parking lot. I think it costs money here. Do they charge for it in the UK?

 

[oggbashan]

I've been thinking of getting one of those tags one hangs on his mirror, because I have mobility problems that hamper my ability to walk longer distances, like more than a couple of blocks, or at a mall parking lot. I think it costs money here. Do they charge for it in the UK?

Yes. £10 for processing. That's a nominal charge, not the full cost. If your application is rejected you don't have to pay that.

That's not much. But the paperwork is very complex. For my first one I used a local volunteer at Age UK. He knew exactly what statements to make and how to word them with the necessary critical words.

I had to scan fifteen documents and answer dozens of questions - for just a renewal. The initial form is far worse!

 

[yowser]

I've been thinking of getting one of those tags one hangs on his mirror, because I have mobility problems that hamper my ability to walk longer distances, like more than a couple of blocks, or at a mall parking lot. I think it costs money here. Do they charge for it in the UK?

These are state administered designations handled by the DMV (looks like you are US.) As Ogg indicates in the UK, paperwork is involved, but not excessive, most important is verification from a doctor of the medical need. Red placard is temporary (thus expires, so for a broken leg, a temporary condition) while blue is permanent. Costs vary by state, free to about $20.

 

[oggbashan]

Decades ago we had an employee who had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. Every three years he had to renew his blue (disability) badge and I as his personnel manager had to certify that no, he hadn't grown a new leg...

 

[shakna]

Decades ago we had an employee who had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. Every three years he had to renew his blue (disability) badge and I as his personnel manager had to certify that no, he hadn't grown a new leg...

It's every two years, here, and the submission has to include all the same documentary evidence every time. So every two years you need to submit the original accident report, then the discharge reports, and so on, and if anything is slightly different than a previous submission, the Great Algorithm in the Sky automatically denies the submission. Which is fun, decades on from the original event.

 

[sirhugs]

It's every two years, here, and the submission has to include all the same documentary evidence every time. So every two years you need to submit the original accident report, then the discharge reports, and so on, and if anything is slightly different than a previous submission, the Great Algorithm in the Sky automatically denies the submission. Which is fun, decades on from the original event.

In Canada, at least Ontario, it is a simple form where your doctor cerifies, you take to license office, pay fee...
please do not give the bureaucrats ideas

 

[Kumquatqueen]

In the UK it's fairly straightforward if you meet the 'obvious' criteria. Have higher rate disability benefits for mobility? Send your award letter and £10 (free in Wales/NI, allegedly some boroughs in England don't charge), job done.

Getting those disability benefits? Well, that's the 50-page form which requires another 20 pages of 'extra info' and needs to be posted via Signed For delivery as otherwise it invariably gets lost, then wait 9 months for assessment, and you're lucky if you don't need to appeal (introducing yourself as Dr X with your companion Dr Y always helps...)

 

[oggbashan]

In the UK it's fairly straightforward if you meet the 'obvious' criteria. Have higher rate disability benefits for mobility? Send your award letter and £10 (free in Wales/NI, allegedly some boroughs in England don't charge), job done.

Getting those disability benefits? Well, that's the 50-page form which requires another 20 pages of 'extra info' and needs to be posted via Signed For delivery as otherwise it invariably gets lost, then wait 9 months for assessment, and you're lucky if you don't need to appeal (introducing yourself as Dr X with your companion Dr Y always helps...)

I used Age UK to get my higher rate disability allowance. I don't know what they said, but they obviously used the right buzz-words because I got it with no queries. Their volunteers do the forms several times a week so they know what to say (and their services are free!) - but I gave the local branch of Age-UK a donation.

 

[oggbashan]

I had my CT scan today. Results in two weeks.

But - I had a disaster. For the scan, I have to wear clothing with no metal anywhere. I was wearing tracksuit trousers and had emptied all my pockets. But when we got back to the car we were low on fuel so I put my metal card case in my pocket to pay at the gas station. When we got there- no card case. The tracksuit has very shallow pockets. Between putting the card case into my pocket and getting into the car it dropped out.

It contained two debit cards, a credit card, several store cards and my driving licence. We drove straight back to the hospital but the case wasn't there. All the reception desks had shut.


But when we got home there was a message on our answerphone. The card case had been found and handed in - please ring before 5.30. But we were back at the hospital at 5.40... and didn't get home until 6.15.

Back to the hospital tomorrow...

 

[KeithD]

You wife was there, wasn't she? Isn't that what wives are for--to hand over all of your stuff to with the assumption that it will all fit in her purse? Glad it was found.