Friday Five!

Friday!

1. I have to mail my Xmas cards. None of my family will receive them before Christmas, but that's actually no different than every year in the states. I hate going to the post office within 4 weeks of Xmas, mailing my secret santa gift took 30 minutes.

2. I've officially been in the UK for a year. I feel like my life came to a screeching halt when I moved here and every decision since has just set me further back, but I couldn't have predicted such extreme discrimination in the workplace. I still wish my husband had moved to the states. I am not sure I'll ever stop feeling that way. I think we need to live somewhere else though, the pollution is making me really ill. So many people burn wood fires it's brutal in the winter and the ozone/diesel fumes through the summer.

3. Husband forgot he took vacation starting today, so that was a surprise yesterday. He didn't get to sleep in because I had a doctor appointment this morning, but it was nice to have coffee together.

4. Off to the inlaws for the holidays and bringing my kitty with us. She stayed with them for 2 months when I first moved so I'm hoping she's OK with it. At least I have an excuse to hide, kitty will need cuddles and company.

5. So glad it's the solstice and longer days from here on!

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4. Off to the inlaws for the holidays and bringing my kitty with us. She stayed with them for 2 months when I first moved so I'm hoping she's OK with it. At least I have an excuse to hide, kitty will need cuddles and company.

So great that you're bringing her with you!  This will save you! 

My Friday Five:

1) I'm finished with work for 2 weeks... yay! Well, okay, I'm on-call for 5 hours tonight, and also for 48 hours on the 30th and 31st, but unless some big emergency happens, it's unlikely I'll get called in... which means my next rostered shift isn't until Jan 6th .

2) Unfortunately, because we've now gone to 24-hour on-call over Christmas, unless we put in for leave over the 2 weeks (which I don't really want to do),  our hours balances are plummeting. This month I'm about 13 hours up, but by the end of January I will be 93 hours down!

3) On the plus side, because the move to on-call was a management decision and it's not our fault that our hours are dropping, we shouldn't be penalised for it. It should be sorted out eventually, but it could take a few months.

4) I think the SAD lamp I bought last month is working... I haven't felt depressed since the first week of December . Of course, it's hard to tell if that's due to the SAD lamp, or whether I would have felt better by now anyway

5) Had a Christmass-y day yesterday. There wasn't much going on at work (with everyone winding down for the holidays), so we had cheesy Christmas movies on in the office during the afternoon, and then we had a pizza evening at a colleagues last night and watched The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix.

4) I think the SAD lamp I bought last month is working... I haven't felt depressed since the first week of December . Of course, it's hard to tell if that's due to the SAD lamp, or whether I would have felt better by now anyway

It's great that you're feeling better, whether it's the lamp or not! 

1) Went for tea with the Daughter. Had two pots (Yogi Chai and then Earl Gray). Very nice to sit and chat for an hour, about just "stuff".
2) It's Solstice! So, Happy Solstice! 
3) Went through a couple of thrift stores browsing, then to two cheese shops, crowded beyond words. Wanted some Isle of Mull Cheddar. Everyone is sold out. (Of the less expensive kind.) Went to Waitrose, got a half-dozen cheeses I know nothing about, some chorizo, some beef sausage from Germany, a box of "Waitrose Essential" crackers to have the cheese on,  a few other odds and ends. Kitchen is now well-stocked. (Except for milk. Have to run to the corner shop for that in the morning.) Christmas and Boxing Day will be spent curled up watching old movies, eating nibbles. Christmas Eve will be a muscavado-glazed smoked ham with baked potatoes and carrots with butter. I may make some fresh bread to go with that. Off to the Farmer's Market in the morning in the hopes of finding some Puddledub smoked middle bacon for Christmas morning breakfast.
4) I heard today from an old friend I knew thirty years ago. Nice to hear from her, need to sit and write a letter back. She reminds me how life used to be, and that I've made at least a few good choices along the way. 
5) The Daughter is finally relaxing - she had a rough month. The rush to get the dissertation in. Graduation. Starting the new job. So now she's relaxing a bit and is happy. Which makes me happy. Life is good. Will worry about Brexit and the Rump some other day. 

It's late on a Friday night but I'll do Friday Five anyway.

1. I was finally diagnosed with small intestine bacterial overgrowth and started on antibiotics a week and a half ago. It's the first time in 2 years that my stomach has felt well. Dealing with extreme bloating, chronic diarrhea, gas and wind has been a nightmare. So I feel great but now I don't because something else has happened. I've had a rapid onset of pain and swelling  across all major joints. I woke up in agony today not being able to use my hands. I went to A&E today and the doctor said he doesn't know what is going on. He can see there is something wrong but doesn't have an answer. I was sent home with rest, take paracetamol and come back if I get worse.  Ha ha on him. I'm not going to take paracetamol. I'm going to take naproxen and not for period pain!

2. Deliveroo brought me Nandos for dinner since I can't use my hands.

3. I'm really excited for Christmas. I got Stuart some really good gifts and I can't wait for him to open them.

4. I came home from the hospital to find a letter from my doctor about my iron level. It's low again so I'll need another infusion.

5. My coworkers have sent so many lovely messages asking after me. They really are the loveliest people and I feel so incredibly lucky to work somewhere that feels like a family.

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Hope you feel much better very soon!

(Which antibiotic? Is it one of the side effects?)

Hope you feel much better very soon!

(Which antibiotic? Is it one of the side effects?)

It's Flagyl and not a side effect. If it was a reaction to it, it would be incredibly rare.

I have no history of arthritis. It would be rare to have RA affect so many joints this rapidly. He doesn't think it's a virus because I don't have cold/flu symptoms.

I'm hedging my bets on a herx reaction to bacteria die off. It's what makes the most sense. But doesn't help with the pain I'm experiencing. Naproxen helps but I have to work.

I took today off sick but can't miss any more time. I won't miss this one day off my next pay since I was scheduled 6 days this week. But I'll be skint if I miss more.

And we got paid a week early so I'll be extra skint by next payday in 5 weeks.

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Poor Tami, get well soon! 

Could it be gout?

Poor Tami, get well soon! 

Could it be gout?

It's not gout. It doesn't present like it. It was my first thought when it was just starting in my feet but it quickly spread to my ankles, knees, hands, wrists, elbow and shoulder. 

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Ouch Tami Is naproxen helping? Peripheral neuropathy seems to be common with flagyl but I've seen a couple reports where people had tendon issues like with fluoroquinolones. Are they having you stop taking it?

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Ouch Tami Is naproxen helping? Peripheral neuropathy seems to be common with flagyl but I've seen a couple reports where people had tendon issues like with fluoroquinolones. Are they having you stop taking it?

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This isn't neuropathy. I've had neuropathy when I used to have uncontrolled diabetes 12 years ago. I reversed my T2 many years ago. I know what neuropathy feels like.

This looks like RA but it it would be really rare for me to all of a sudden get RA across so many joints so rapidly.

Naproxen barely touches the pain. I take ibuprofen and codeine with a 50mg diphendramine to sleep. But I can't be tripping at work.

I'm really thinking herx. I've had this bacterial overgrowth for at least 2 years now. And another thing I've been fighting just as long has disappeared since starting the antibiotics. I don't want to say what that is but I had skin scrapings done and my doctor couldn't fix it. But now it's gone.

I'm going to continue with the antibiotics because it's only a few more days and I don't want to take the chance of not killing all the bacteria and my stomach getting messed up again. Doctor said it was up to me but this is not a side effect of Flagyl. My pharmacist at work also looked up the side effects and it's not listed.

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#latetotheparty but I've not slept yet so, technically, it's still Friday to me!

1.  Have had two Christmas buffets at work this week.  Decent spreads, lots of yummy nibbles and delicious cakes.  And it's been nice not having to worry about bringing/buying lunch!

2.  Straight after work, we drove up to the MIL's house in Lancashire, where we will be spending the holidays.  We've taken my car so I can get out for some practice while Dave and I are both off work.

3.  We have decided we're going out for Christmas lunch/dinner this year.  Normally we do a home-cooked thing at the MIL's, but that's when Dave's brother is here - he's the one who likes to do the cooking.  It's just the three of us this year, though, so we're all going to go out and leave the piles of dirty dishes for someone else to deal with.

4.  I love being in this part of the country.  Everyone is so friendly and there is so much more to do.  There is a cat cafe where my MIL lives that we are hoping to hit up tomorrow.  Think we will visit the Trafford Centre on Christmas Eve which will be absolutely MENTAL.

5. This van:


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Ahh! I love that van

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Feel better soon Tami! Glad the antibiotics are helping with the belly thing. I hope the swelling and pain goes down and you can function too.  Paracetemol for joint pain, having a f'n laugh, A&E.  I have lupus, the only thing that remotely touches it is Naproxen.  Hopefully you feel better soon!