Nervey fun and games

[Gizmo]

Not Diabetic to my knowledge. But will follow that idea up anyway. I hadn't eaten much the day of the doctors appointment and my blood sugars were still normal by about lunchtime - which I did think was a bit odd.

[Mytical]

Just a warning, the test they do for this is NOT fun. At all. They stick pins in your legs then run a current and see how long it takes to reach the pins. You heard right..they shock you (it's not a heavy shock, but it is not pleasant) and stick you at the same time. When they do the back is the worst. The pins go into your lower back. Not fun.. not fun at all.

[Gizmo]

So... still laid up and frustrated.

Still have dead limb issues, phantom muscle pains, pins and needles etc, anxiety issues when in public because of too many things going on around me (manageable when with very good friends but otherwise hell). Add to that a completely weird sleep schedule, odd panic attacks and occasional times where I just want to walk off into the sunset and its been... fun.

I've been staving off muscle atrophy with some basic things that my martial arts friend has taught me. On a couple of occasions those things have also saved me from injury when I've lost balance on stairs due to a limb or two not co-operating too.

Doctors today and they are still trotting out the "reduce your stress factors" without any indication how they expect me to speed up several processes outside of my control. They did also suggest a staged return to work - a couple of shifts a week or light duties. That isn't going to happen as I can't handle the transport alone, its a job that is a 360 job and becomes more complicated when 2 people are trying to handle it at the same time, and even the light duties requires you to be fully conversant in detail with the customer accounts. I can't even consistently say I will be "ok" enough to cope on even a rough schedule - its a purely day by day thing.

I have badgered them into a vitamin and calcium test though.

Things *are* looking up but in the new year I'm gonna have to start stamping feet quite a bit to get them to look deeper or change doctors surgerys.

[TheSHAD0W]

One more stupid question... Are you a vegetarian, or avoiding red meat?

[42_42_42]

Not sure how things work on the NHS, but can you tell the doctor that you do not accept this diagnosis of "stress" and demand a more thorough work-up? Can you go to a different doctor since this one seems to be dismissing your concerns?

Stress can do odd things to the body, but what you have going on sounds to me like it's either circulatory or neurological. Definitely have your Hb A1C checked (better test for diabetes than a regular blood sugar test), along with your serum calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium levels. I really don't understand the neurologist, you failed the neuro exam and they didn't test further. Really sounds to me like you need a cranial and spinal MRI and a nerve conduction test.

[Gizmo]

The Shadow - No, not vegetarian and making more effort than usual to eat a variety of foods including more veg.

42 42 42 - The NHS is awful for this: I have four factors that means they write me off as a cuckoo case and don't want to know. I'm not thin (BMI hovers around the edge of 28-30), I'm having a stressful time and do admit to part depression, I sound competent when I attend them rather than a wreck, and my symptoms don't easily match a provable condition (as in a lot of the conditions it could be are proved in this country by *absence* of markers for other things).

Have tried to push for Diabetes but again - don't have enough of the classic markers for them to take it seriously. I will however invest in a home testing kit and keep an eye on it myself for now.

[42_42_42]

Hmmm. Is that Embarrassing Bodies show still being run? Maybe you can get on there. They seem to actually take people's health seriously.

I have absolutely no use for doctors who basically refuse to treat people just because they are overweight. I happen to be obese myself, which, in my case, was part of what helped my PCOS finally get diagnosed. It wasn't helped by certain meds I was prescribed at one point, either. Sometimes the weight isn't causing all the problems, the problems are causing the weight. I've had doctors in the pass dismiss me because of the weight (one of the reasons I wasn't diagnosed for PCOS for almost 15 years after first showing symptoms) and I fired them. Not sure what kind of doctor choice you get under the NHS, but if you can go to a different one than your current GP, I suggest you do so.

In the meantime, there are things you can do to help with the stress, which is probably exacerbating things.

[Gizmo]

Interestingly I've just rang for blood test results (and boy that blood test left a bruise - about 1 by 2 inches. Small veins...) and The doctor has called me in for a routine appointment regarding Vitamin D. Cause or symptom? I can't really be sure since I have been inside and not in the sun alot since this struck. The appointment isn't for over a week though.

Saw work earlier in the week and they were very much "its not a case of IF you come back but WHEN - there is a recovery process and no matter how long that process is we WANT you back". Nice.

However after that had the viral cold I swear I got rid of come back full force (duly OTC treated, orange juiced and slept off, getting there) , my wisdom teeth decide to freeze my jaw (eased up a bit but dentist booked for next week), and my muscle shakes come back (Hello bed!).

Luckily I can still just about concentrate on the embroidery project I have on hand to stop me going mad!