Nice news

Not just Nice News but GOOD News
On Monday I had my last session with Andrew at Spirit Acupuncture.  It was a good session and by the time I left the building I was feeling really fit and well.  Nothing hurt anywhere.  I was walking comfortably, and my trademark waddle was down to a minimum.  How good that felt!  It's been a long time since I experienced  that and quite honestly it brought about a few teary moments.  So thankful was I to have a semblance of normality back.

It lasted through yesterday too when Grumpy Trousers and I went to The Photography Show at The NEC, Birmingham.  It's a bit of a trek from the car park into the exhibition centre, and once in there it's at least another 10 minute walk to get to the Halls.  I managed all that with no pain.  Walking without the gait, and striding out at a brisk pace put me on rather a high so I got quite giggly!  It was a lovely sunny day too, not particularly warm but the light levels were strong and lifted my elevated spirits even more.

I'd been looking forward to the show for a while, but was actually dreading the trek around, shuffling along with the crowds knowing the strain on my hip would become unbearable before too long.  But none of that happened.  I was pain free, and because we'd chosen to go mid-week the crowds were not in such abundance. There were still lots of people but  bags of space to move along comfortably.

I've loved photography for as long as I can remember, and to be there amongst the big names together with being offered opportunities to photograph models was irresistible.  We visited all the stands, marvelling at  the latest cameras, looking on in wonderment at the professional equipment, seeing radical new ways with wall art.....the list is endless!  

I went with an open mind about how much I might spend, although I'd set myself a modest budget.  That all went out of the proverbial window within 10 minutes after I enrolled on a course with The Photographer Academy.  The show prices were rather a bargain and it was too good to miss.   It was dear, patient Grumpy Trousers who suggested I enrol.  I dithered for a while, aware that I was about to bust my budget, but considering what came with the package it was a no-brainer.  You see, my skills have reached a level where I can't progress much more without some serious help, so I consider this to be an investment.  Bless him, Grumpy was just wonderful yesterday showing lots of interest and giving me encouragement. That was so nice as I do worry that he may not be enjoying things as much, but he was absolutely fine. 

So, here's a few images shot through the crowd.  They illustrate what opportunities were available.

Models on the Hasselblad stand

The Catwalk workshop on posing and lighting with Frank Doorhof, a Dutch celebrity and fashion photographer

Inspired by Guilty Pleasures

I blame Sarah over at mumofthreeworld.com/ for blogging about guilty pleasures.  No, she didn't write about sex, she wrote about chocolate!  Not just any old chocolate, but Green and Blacks Maya Gold.  My absolute all time, mouth drooling favourite. She gave a passing mention to Cadbury's, and she COULD have mentioned Lindt, or even Thornton's but no, it had to be Maya Gold.

Only minutes earlier prior to reading Sarah's posting, I'd been in the college Costa outlet queuing with other staff for our lunchtime coffee.  Because its Costa, it takes FOREVER to get served so there's far too much time to browse the muffins and cakes, not to mention the chocolate bars.  Maya Gold chocolate bars.  Maya  flippin GOLD!

I could feel that that familiar watering of the mouth starting, so before I began drooling I quickly looked away from the luscious orange and brown wrapper. Engaged in conversation with a colleague by way of a distraction, when it was my turn to order I opted for a black coffee and a Biscotti.  Damage limitation.  I'm all for that!

The fact is I shouldn't be having chocolate at all, unless its just a couple of squares of the 70%+ cocoa.  And the Maya Gold doesn't come close to that due to it being 55%.  I don't know where I got the will-power from but my mind was telling me to leave it alone.  I had a little box of mixed nuts in my locker; cashews, almonds and some macadamia's. Nice to tuck into when that peckish feeling hits.  I have to say they do take the edge off my appetite which can only be a good thing.  Just now its 3.15pm and the fact of writing about chocolate isn't making me crave it.  However, if there was a bar in front of me that would be a whole different ball-game!

Weight Loss?

So, after all this chocolate talk you're maybe wondering how the weight loss is going.  I was despairing a few days ago.  Nothing seemed to have budged.  I'd plateaued.  Before my appointment yesterday with Vlad The Impaler sorry, I mean Andrew at Spirit Acupuncture I decided to jump on the new scales and see what the reading was.  There had been a 5 day break since I weighed previously so I figured it was time to take another look.  Joy of joys, 1 kilo had gone!  Now that gave me a happy start to my day and I tootled off to be pinned feeling very positive.

We had a good session with the pinning, and in my back is a new area of pathways that we are investigating in relation to my hip.  I didn't swear much either.  So far so good, I feel a little less stiff today.   I have just one more session booked and then I'll call it a day for the time being.  I can always go back for a few more sessions if I need to.

Foot Consultation

Last weeks' appointment with the consultant was postponed to this Friday.  The consultant can get ready because I'm gunning for him.  Nothing to do with the postponement, more to do with my foot getting worse as each week passes.  It's almost 6 years since the problem began and nothing has been done to help.  Sometimes the pain is so bad that I want to scream, but at other times its just a dull ache.  Why is that, I shall be asking him.  As I've explained before, the only comfort I get is to wear lace up shoes which stop my foot rocking about. 

 I can wear velcro ones like these......

when all I really want to wear are THESE!!!!

A girl can dream.

Poked, prodded and pinned

The fine chap I visit for my acupuncture sessions has been treating me for the pain in my hip.  He's succeeded in taking the edge off the pain and I can certainly walk better without careering into shop displays and members of unsuspecting public.

No kidding, when I am in pain I walk like I'm drunk!  It's not so bad if I can stride out a bit, but if I'm walking slowly such as in the supermarket, or a really busy street the pressure builds in that hip and the pain feels like a severe stinging sensation.

Andrew at Spirit Acupuncture near Chesterfield moves heaven and earth to render me pain free and have me leave his clinic walking a straight line.  However, this is likely to be a lengthy process which is mainly due to the complexities of my issues.  After a few weeks I decided to ask him to take a different path with my sessions; one with which I could incorporate further benefits.  You see, I struggle with my weight, and I can easily change from size 14/16 to 18/20 in a short space of time.  Naturally this isn't helping the cause for my foot and hip.  I'm given to understand from other acupuncture converts that a weight loss solution combined with healthier eating is highly achievable.  So buoyed up with anticipation I consulted Andrew during which I told him about my lifelong negative relationship with food; the comfort eating, the digestive problems and my general lack of well-being.  I like my consultations with Andrew; he takes his work very seriously and is certainly a person who goes the extra mile.  And he's up for a laugh.

During the weight issue chat this week, we suddenly found ourselves chuckling at the thought of Peter Kay in his Slimming Consultant guise.  I told him about my time with Slimming World, about how much I'd lost before the despondency set in.  It's not the same for everyone.  Some people do incredibly well and manage to maintain their success.  While I had my own successes there, there were things about the group sessions that held no inspiration for me, and as a result I lapsed.

In the following clip from You Tube, Peter Kay will have you in stitches, and how he presents is of course, an exaggerated version.  But true.  Don't let that put you off if you're thinking of going though!




So after we'd stopped snorting about the loss of a pound here and there (yes it's to be celebrated!) we got on with the poking, prodding and pinning session.

While Andrew has been treating my hip, he's been concentrating on pinning my left upper arm.  He first feels for the pathway and applies a little pressure (poke!).  In most spots I don't feel anything but the pressure.  When he hits a blockage in the pathway it feels sore and that's the area he will pin.  Some places are so sore that any pressure (poke and prod!) he applies will elicit a loud expletive from me.  I apologised at first, but he assures me he's heard worse, so I just carry on swearing life a fishwife!  The feeling of soreness under pressure lasts less than a second and I never feel the pins going in.

For the weight loss, he pinned inside my outer ears, areas in my foot and I lost track of where else.  After the session I felt absolutely fine and will be going again tomorrow for 'round 2'.  We discussed a different eating regime.  No diet as such, but given some of my symptoms we both agree that cutting out dairy, bread, cereal and potatoes might be worth a try.  To take things a step further I am considering trying the Paleo eating plan.  I've already cut out the bread, cereal and spuds, and have been careful about everything else.  I've substituted cow's milk for Almond milk, but I confess to having a preference for Hazelnut milk as it's nicer in coffee.

 I thought I'd succeeded in keeping it fairly gluten free. That is until I read a small amount of dark chocolate such as 70% cocoa solids is OK to have.  At work we have a Costa coffee outlet and there I found a bar of Divine dark chocolate  labelled at 70%.

Feeling a choc feast coming on I took it to my office and checked the label.  Along with the good stuff, it contained (note past tense!) milk and gluten.  Not good news but I got stuck in anyway.  I have to say, it's no substitute for Cadbury's chocolate but a couple of squares of Divine satisfied the choc craving.  Truly, I really didn't want any more.

So watch this space and I'll be letting you know my ups and downs in all this.  If there are any gory details I'll spare you those!

The pain - to drug or not to drug? That is the question!

In view of the fact that me and my foot are currently getting nowhere with the NHS, I've had to resort to painkillers. 

Over time my GP has prescribed a range of them from simple paracetamol, through to codeine, ibuprofen, and Tramadol.  None of which work very successfully.  I had to stop the ibuprofen as it gave me stomach acid, and the Tramadol just made me feel nauseous.  Codeine for some reason has no effect whatsoever. 

However, I thought I'd found a breakthrough with the paracetamol when one morning while in a hurry to get to work, I inadvertently took two with my coffee instead of water.  I spent all that day being relatively pain free and was overjoyed to think that at last I'd found some temporary relief.

Subsequent doses produced the same level of relief so I thought I was on to a winner, until I did some research.  The long term implications of paracetamol and caffeine look dismal.  I already have CKD3 (chronic kidney disease level 3 which is fairly low level), so I really should be treating any drug I take with extreme caution.  The implications for the liver are even worse.  I've linked HERE to an article in The Daily Mail so you can read for yourselves what happens.  I have to say it makes alarming reading for anyone who has to take pankillers regularly.

I can't possibly spend the rest of my life swallowing pills on a daily basis, and reading that article has highlighted how much of a stink I now need to kick up with the NHS over the lack of treatment of my foot.  Seemingly it's the root cause of a lot of things, beginning with balance problems, the stress it's causing my hip, and before long it will impact my lower back and my knees.  Before the last two things happen I HAVE to get my foot sorted out.

For weeks now I've been having acupuncture in an attempt to control the hip pain.  This is £30 an hour, and as the weeks wear on the cost is eating into my small income; and it's debatable whether it's doing much.  The day of the treatment sees me very comfortable, and with a slight spring in my step waddle, but the following days feel as if I'm back to square one.  I'm sure this is not the fault of the acupuncturist. I think it's because my problems are complex and need trial and error sessions before we hit on the right path.

In the meantime, I met with a friend today who is a sports masseur.  She gave me a thorough going over and suggested that when I have  my hospital appointment next month I explain to the consultant that my Tensor Fasciae Latae (yeah I know, here's a link!) seem to be affected.  We talked at length abut the impact one affected area has on another, and it seems I am lucky that my knees aren't affected already.

So, on this informative note dear readers (I'm assuming you read this far!) I'm off to find you some Simon's Cat on You Tube to release a few endorphins with a good chuckle!