Andy Dunn, this is for you

I've been guilt tripped into updating the blog. It was pointed out at last night's pub quiz (where we were quite frankly pathetic) that I haven't updated the blog in, ahem, quite a while. As puffyfingers had an appointment this morning I thought I'd do it in my lunch hour while it's all fresh.

A potted history of the last few months. Puffyfingers has had recurrences of arthritis in her fingers and wrist. And also new flares in her right hip and her jaw. All of these were leapt on by Seattle Children's with their usual alacrity and she's had two rounds of steroid injections, in June and September.

Meanwhile we kept up the methotrexate. We've tried to up the dosage when she's had a flare but the blood tests have shown that Puffyfinger's liver doesn't seem to like methotrexate very much, so then we've lowered the dosage and she's had another flare. It's like one of those really annoying balancing games where you want to find the sweet spot where the ball bearing doesn't roll off the edge or down the hole.

So this morning we had another blood draw (much moaning and gnashing of teeth) and the results are in the post below. No sign of inflammation, Hurrah! No sign of anaemia, Hurrah! Liver Enzymes gone bananas, Boo! Hiss!

I'm waiting to hear from the hospital on what they want to do about the blood results, phone call expected this afternoon.

The other thing we had this morning was a check-up with the oral and maxillofacial surgeon who did the jaw injection. That led to a CAT scan. Phone call with those results expected tomorrow.

Spot the problem...

Surgery scheduled

Grovelling apologies. I haven't posted for two months and when I do it's a pathetically short entry. I must try harder.

Quick post to let you know PuffyFingers has surgery scheduled for Friday 5th June.

The next few posts will go back in time and give you all the information on how we got to this point...

Career choices

I asked the girls wanted they wanted to be when they grew up. PuffyFingers after a bit of hmming and hahing about maybe being a vet, or as she's Amurrican, a vetinarian, decided that she wanted to be an astronaut. Nice choice!

LMI was in no doubt, or waffling from her, oh no. When LMI grows up she wants to be a dog. But not just any dog... When she grows up she's going to be... Scooby Doo.

My Nan

My Nan died on Thursday morning. She was 98 years old. Her death certificate says she died of frailty and old age.

Until last December she'd lived by herself since my Grandfather died 26 years ago. She's cooked, cleaned, and done everything for herself. She was an independent lady.

The funeral is on Friday. Friday 13th. Red Nose Day. I think is particularly appropriate as she was most definitely always ready for a laugh. I'll be flying to the UK for the funeral next week.

For those of you who didn't know my Nan here are a few basic facts to give you a flavour of her character:

• She joined a dating agency in her 80s but complained that they kept sending her old men.
• She always had a glass of sherry at lunchtime.
• She always had a G&T in the evening.
• She used to drink Vodka rather than Gin but changed over about 5 years ago when she decided that vodka didn't have much taste.
• She used to bet on the horses every day. 5p each way, which was the same stake my grandfather did when he was alive 30 years ago. The bookies wouldn't accept bets that small from anyone else.
• She loved to sing, and could damage ear drums at 50 paces.

PuffyFingers, LMI, my Mum, and I visited her last week. I'm very glad that she saw her great grandchildren, and they saw her, before she died.

Confusing the Chemist

Last Friday we ran out of prednisolone tablets. I dashed into the chemist (pharmacy) to pick up a repeat prescription on Saturday morning. But we had no refills left. Oops.

The man serving me was the actual pharmacist rather than one of his minions like normal. He looked at the array of drugs showing up on PuffyFingers computer record and said:
"I think, I shouldn't leave you without her meds over the weekend. What exactly is she being treated for?"
(Hurrah for the common sense pharamacist! I've had this argument with a chemist in the UK and totally failed to get any help.)
Anyway, he gave us 3 tablets to get us through to Monday when they'll fax the hospital about getting a repeat prescription.

Monday rolls around... I phone the hospital explain about the lovely pharmacist and ask if they've received the fax. No they tell me, they haven't. Hmm, maybe the pharmacist isn't so lovely.

But don't worry says the nurse, we'll phone through the prescription now. You can pick it up this evening.

Monday evening, I stop at the chemist to pick up the prescription. But, lo, there are two prescriptions waiting for PuffyFingers. One, a repeat prescription of the prednisolone at 2.5 mg per day, the other a new prescription for prednisone at 5mg per day. So the pharmacist was lovley after all.

I chat with the pharmacist (a different one). Prednisolone and Prednisone do the same thing (I wonder why they both exist?). Bu the dosages advised by the hospital are different: the refill is a repeat of the dosage before the sausage finger incident. I decide to go with the prednisone in the higher dosage, which is the new prescription phoned through from the hospital that day.

So one new medication to add to the list: Prednisone.

I did phone the hospital on Tuesday to check on the dosage - see, I'm not a total space cadet.

A little light reading

An article written by someone not a million miles away from this blog:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA103375521033.aspx