Bed blether!

Mat48

Hi All. I've confined myself to bed today having only slept for a few hours of the night - kept awake by howling gale roaring on the velux and restless dogs - pain everywhere but especially in feet and ankles, feet like iceblocks despite socks, duvet and many blankets - oh and tummy ache (where did that come from?)

Having completed the list of tasks I've set myself I've decided to go back to bed (I only left to hobble to the loo and back!). Husband is sleeping off a nightshift so I'm pretending I am too. I've quit the Prednisolone today finally - my hours of sleep were from 7.45 - 9am and I forgot that I was still supposed to have 1mg today and tomorrow and stop on Wednesday. But tummy pain was a deterrent. And if I'm in pain anyway then I might as well try and get myself prepared for rheumy apt a week on Thursday when my DAS is being taken with a view to my qualifying for anti-tnfs perhaps.

My morning's to do list went like this; phone the Council and complain about the parking fine I got yesterday. There's a new parking rule to encourage people to shop in the town center (as opposed to the supermarkets). You can get an hour's free parking in the winter months now but you have to get a ticket. I had a work meeting at 4pm and was running late and feeling rubbish. So when the ticket machine button brought no ticket and didn't register I just locked up and hobbled off to the meeting - thinking "well it's 4pm and in an hour it's free anyway - and surely they will know that their machine isn't working?". Came back to a £30 fine. Same thing happened to me a few months ago.

The council parking fine woman said that if I wanted to protest I would have to write to the transport and infastructure people detailing my tale. I'm afraid - skint as we are just now - I just couldn't be bothered to write in protest so I paid using debit card but asked her to pass on to the power's that be that this new free parking is counterproductive since the supermarket carparks are free anyway and if machine isn't working and I have to write letters or pay fine then it's far easier to just stick to the supermarket frankly. Also if you want longer you have to leave what you are doing and get another ticket. Turning into wothisname of "I don't BELIEVE it!" rapidly.

Then I phoned the hospital to ask them if I was on the rheumy's list and if so when I might get an appointment letter - given he's up here next week for two days only. She said the letter was being sent today and my appointment is on Thursday week. What if I had a proper job (as opposed to being a self employed artist malingering in bed) and had to get time off work? Would a week's notice suffice I wonder?

Next I phoned the counselling service - a local charity - about my referral to CBT by my GP. It's been two months since she told me she'd written and I've heard nothing. A friend who used to work for them encouraged me to phone and prompt them to give me an appointment. So the very nice woman said that they have no record of my name at all and she could only assume my GP had referred me elsewhere. I'm 99% sure my GP told me she was referring me to this organisation so I've now emailed GP to double check. Meanwhile nice woman has given me an assessment appointment in December. Heck I could be somewhere hot on the other side of the world by then - only we are skint and have a school aged son with exams soon and so this will only be in my dreams!

Finally I thought about getting up and walking the dogs somehow but it's hailing now and the wind is raging still even they don't fancy so much as a pee in the garden. And the toothache in my feet and ankles and vaguely flu-like stuff in the rest of me isn't exactly enthusing me for any kind of walk at all.

I was meant to be attending the second of an Arthritis Care self management workshop at 1pm today but as I was one of only two people in the room with any kind of arthritis and no one knew what autoimmune was at last week's one AND it's a thirty minute drive with only an hour's free parking the other end I just can't face it. The irony is that today's session is all about managing pain! Mat x

Numptydumpty

Sorry you're feeling so rough, sounds as though you're in the right place!
I hope things improve for you very soon.
Numpty

Mat48

Thanks Numpty. I can't wait until my rheumy apt is over and done with that's for sure! X

dibdab

I'm with you today in the "I can't face it" club. It's post methotrexate bleugh........Why does all the stuff we take to tackle our disease leave us feeling like rubbish? Sorry moan over- I just dropped by to empathise and say I hope tomorrow feels better for you. Stay warm.

Deb x

Mat48

Ah Deb I so know what you mean. At the AC self management workshop last week we were asked to mention something that isolates us - that people don't really understand and we just can't communicate about with our friends or family easily. People mentioned pain and stress and insomnia and mobility issues and other stuff. But when I said drugs - most people just looked really baffled. That's how I was reasonably sure that no one else in the room had ever taken methotrexate? Mind you I don't take it anymore either and I'm struggling to climb the stairs today whereas at least I was mobile when on those injections. Its a toughie. X

stickywicket

I hope you're soon feeling better, Mat.

Mat48

Thanks SW. A good night's sleep would sort me out and exorcise the Victor Meldrew in me too perhaps ?! X

bubbadog

Hope you had a better night sleep last night.

Mat48

Yes thanks I did - thanks to my buddies Zopiclone and Amitriptyline and co-codimol! X