It was all going so well

stickywicket

The lady who does my bloods regularly had ‘been on a course’ last time I went so was keen to give me a proper health check this time.

I was heading for 100% Grade As. My height and weight match up, I eat lots of oily fish, fresh fruit and veg, my BP is fine, my last cholesterol test, 4 years ago, was also fine and, all things considered, I do reasonably on the exercise front. There is no diabetes or early heart disease in the family. Then she bowled me the yorker – alcohol.

I told the truth because I never see the point in lying to people who are trying to help me. (Besides, to be a good liar – as my mother always told me - you need a good memory.) So, a glass of wine most days with the evening meal, sometimes more, or a bottle of cider outside, usually no alcohol on meth days and sometimes I even manage another alcohol-free day in the week. But, I pointed out in my defence, my ALT levels were always very low.

She’s very kind. “A glass of wine is about a fifth of a bottle” she said. ( :shock: Really? Not the way we pour it. Surely it’s not good for the stability of a marriage to have an uneven amount of glasses issuing from one bottle?)

“So, let’s say you have two alcohol-free days a week.”

“OK” (Let’s say that. Even though it’s not usually the case.)

“That sounds fine. We’ll send you a letter with the results.”

I'm sure I've ruined my straight ‘As’ patient status but, if they’re happy with things as they are, I’m more than happy to continue. Here’s to your good health. And mine.

valval

some of the questions are a bit much how often do you drink well about once a month are you sure well it could be less lol
do you eat healthy yes plenty of veg and fruit but do have butter on my toast (it the truth and i like it) you could loose some weight (well i do look in mirror and know this)
glad it went ok and the latest tests show drink is good for you val

ELAINE55555

Hilarious, stickywicket!
With what we have to put up with on a daily basis, it would drive you to drink!

mig

Cheers Sticky.Mig

dreamdaisy

Firstly congratulations on all the things that are good with you, it all sounds very positive. Secondly, do what you want viz the alcohol. We all know it's bad for us (until it's good for us but then soon enough it's bad again) because you know what's what for you. You have had years of dealing with this and it's all very well for those who don't live as we do to moralise: give them a dose of what we deal with on a regular basis and I bet they would be sinking more than they should. DD

duvarayi

Hello Sticky

I just want to say well done for your great achievement. I am with others, you deserve to enjoy yourself and you definately lead a healthy lifestyle. Yes you have wine with your meal so what? If it was harming you it was going to show wasn't it. Good weight is what most of us dream of with me at the top of that list and you manage to have it despite all the pain you live with.

In my eyes you are a good patient and you score the 100% straight As end of.

Congratulations and enjoy yourself!!!

Babs xxx

stickywicket

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. My aim wasn't to show what a perfect patient I am :shock: . I just thought it was funny because it never occurred to me that she'd ask about alcohol. I thought that was taken care of with the blood test and I know my bloods are always good. The question just took me unawares as I was smugly congratulating myself on how well I'd done. And she certainly wasn't moralising. The good lady was actually minimising all I said. (I must make sure I get her next time )

Numptydumpty

I agree Sticky, honesty is the best policy,
but tell me, did they find any blood in your alcohol stream?

fowls48

Well Done Sticky


i do not drink a lot these days 2 kids that want to be carted everywhere . :roll: I was crestfallen when told that i shouldn't drink with Meth :shock: Because the choice was taken away from me :?: When i do go out i do have alot 6-7 alchol pops .So what do i do:?: have a wedding coming up soon ,How far do i go :?: Please help i'm all ears .
Well done again on your acheivements keep up with the good work.
karen xx

LignumVitae

I got it the minimising way from my nurse a couple of days before my wedding when I was reassuring her that I wouldn't drink too much on the big day and she told me I should (not sure if that was for medical or marital advice ). In the end, she named all the staff in the rheumy department that I knew telling me to have a drink for them too. I did my very best and G&T is a bit of an anti-inflammatory.
My doctor also told me so long as you don't binge drink, if your ALT is OK then you are OK...I like it when the medics are human like that, makes being an honest patient much easier. I guess if a fifth of a bottle seems like a bad fraction then you can always swap to boxes of wine, it'd be lots less that way! Well done Sticky, I think you might be an A grade patient, enjoy, it takes some focus! LVxx

dachshund

Hello Sticky.
well done you eat healthy why cant you have a drink we all need some thing some times.
i dont drink only coffee and thats wrong.
joan xx

stickywicket

Numptydumpty wrote:

I agree Sticky, honesty is the best policy,
but tell me, did they find any blood in your alcohol stream?

Now then Numpty. Don't judge everyone by your own standards

fowls48 wrote:

I was crestfallen when told that i shouldn't drink with Meth :shock: Because the choice was taken away from me :?: When i do go out i do have alot 6-7 alchol pops .So what do i do:?: have a wedding coming up soon ,How far do i go :?:

Karen, I am emphatically not the best person to advise on this, as I've just demonstrated. For my money, though, if you've been on meth for two or three months and your ALT levels are OK...... However, I wouldn't personally waste my units on alcopops. They're all about 4% proof, aren't they? You could have a decent beer or cider for that.

LignumVitae wrote:

I got it the minimising way from my nurse a couple of days before my wedding when I was reassuring her that I wouldn't drink too much on the big day and she told me I should (not sure if that was for medical or marital advice ).

I reckon that nurse knew a fair bit about marriage, LignumVitae (Always to be taken with alcohol.)

'G&T is a bit of an anti-inflammatory.' Hey, that's good news. I guess sloe gin would be even better

'I guess if a fifth of a bottle seems like a bad fraction then you can always swap to boxes of wine, it'd be lots less that way!'

LG, you are my kind of mathematician

dachshund wrote:

i dont drink only coffee and thats wrong.
joan xx

Joan, my old Mum always said 'A bit of what you fancy does you good.' Enjoy your coffee.

stickywicket

Woo hoo! Clean bill of health.

It seems my 'overall risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease in the next 10 years is in the target range of less than 20%'.

I can't remember when I last passed a health test. Some bits of me are clearly still functioning OK.

This calls for a drink

LignumVitae

A very large drink I would say, that sounds pretty damned good Sticky, well done and congratulations - it's doubly smug making when you fly through a health check and a fine lesson in just how resilient and well the body can work despite arthritis and it's associated cocktail of meds. I'm so pleased, time to party me thinks LV xx

dreamdaisy

Get in! Don't go mad with the celebrations - let's keep those functioning bits functioning, yes? DD

Numptydumpty

That is good news, well done you.
In fact I'll drink to that
PARTY at Sticky's house