Sunday, October 12, 2014

Off on a quick holiday

Off to Cape Town for a week tomorrow morning and except for the packing which I need to do now (I am the world's worst packer!), I cannot wait. A good break and chance to relax although do have two work meetings but guess that was my choice and they are both over meals, so should be fun.
I am fine, totally delighted that my thyroid doc declared I was "extemely well". That was about two-three weeks ago and made me feel rather bouyant as he checks me, both physically and via blood tests, for almost everything under the sun and doubt many doctors give that kind of diagnosis to any patient and he is a particularly top doctor, a world renowened diabetes expert (although I see him for thyroid).
He offered to raise my thyroid meds to push me to the top end of normal as I was moaning about having gained 4kg this year. I declined, thinking it was manipulative and unneccessary but then had second thoughts and last week got the new script which I have still to take.
My stomach, well really my digestive system ie colon and small intestine, are probably worse than I have been for a while. Saw a second gastroenterologist for a second opinion which turned out to be a waste of time - and cost a bloody fortune which means I have now spent well over R2000 on two such doctor visits this month - and then saw my usual one again on Friday who has now prescribed some herbal drops - 20 into a little bit of water before/with meals. They taste ghastly and my stomach is still helleva bloated but let's see. At least the pain has gone (got very saw which he believes was the spinach I was eating to try to lose weight). "But it as cooked spinach!" I exclaimed. "And it's allowed on Fodmaps..." but he has now declared it verboten. He also declared that I do not have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), just functional bloating.....Grrrr!
Anyway, let's see how these herbs go. Oh and he also suggested a dietician - until now I had been to the one who had helped me lose weight on tamoxifen but whose programme hadn't helped with the bloating mainly cos I don't think it is 100% linked to food plus difficult to work out which food and I think quantities play a role.....
This one he suggested has not returned my call yet. I hope to see her when I return to Joburg after my holiday.
Hope those of you reading this are ok.
Gillian