Health

Usually one of the shorter sections, this year we are sorry to say it is longer than usual. 

Kath has had a rough year. A blood test in March showed low calcium and vitamin D to the point where someone from the lab at the hospital rang at 3:00 a.m. and said she needed to go to A&E right now. So she went to the GP in the morning who sent us to QMC for another blood test because she hadn’t seen the results yet. The GP rang in the afternoon to say go to A & E right now! Kath got stuff together & Mick dropped her off.

After a few days on a calcium drip she came home and was put on calcium & vit D medication with monthly blood tests. After a couple of months the consultant thought improvement was too slow and increased the dosage significantly. On August 12^th he rang and said progress was good, but was speaking fast that was all Kath really understood from the consultation. At the end of August we both got ill and never thought of Covid till we were improving. Kath tested negative but Mick was positive. Mick got better but Kath relapsed and went to the GP who treated her with an antibiotic for a “secondary infection” but she just got worse. The list of symptoms got longer and worse. When it was time for her next blood test she struggled to the surgery. Mick was making tea when the GP rang and said take her to A & E now! Kate came round and by the time she & Kath had put a bag ready to go, the GP rang back and said he had arranged for Kath to go straight to Acute Medical Assessment. Kate dropped us off but it was a struggle to get to where we needed to be. Mick eventually convinced someone in A&E that unless a wheelchair could be found it would probably take the rest of the year to get her where she needed to be. They found one and someone to push. Mick’s heart had decided it was time to go into AF for the first time in over 5 years. Kath spent 10 days in Acute Medical on a drip at first while they got her body systems to re-start. Meanwhile the consultant finally sent the notes from 12^th August consultation to the GP dated 10^th October saying that Vit D & Calcium should be reduced (that’s nearly 2 months too late!)

Mick was so pleased to see the chair with its occupant back home even if she was two and a half stone lighter and had no energy.

Once back home, Kath had a string of appointments and a call from a senior consultant to say the circumstances were being investigated. There followed a succession of tests, blood, urine, blood, bone marrow, blood, MRI, blood, CT scan, blood …. The Medilink bus service had already been well tested when Mick visited Kath in hospital, now it was getting regular use for consultations and tests at both City Hospital and Queens Medical Centre. It’s a great service. Grateful Thanks also go to the ladies from Nottingham Kayak Club and our next door neighbour – Kate, Caroline, Lynne & Cath (next door) who ferried Mick on occasions when Medilink wasn’t running or was awkward.

Kath had lost about 2 and a half stone in weight, her kidneys gradually recovered (from 23%  to nearly full function) her body systems seemed to be recovering and thanks to one of the consultations suggesting a full fat diet on top of the 2.5 litres of fluid per day she was already taking, Kath seems to be getting appetite back and more normal body functions resumed. Still got a heart scan due in January and a CT guided vertebra bone biopsy. The most recent consultation was hopeful and the bone biopsy was optional. What was affected by an excess of Vit D/calcium – kidneys, heart, digestion, vision, brain, muscle action who knows what else, but the tests show where everything “spiked.” Oh and Kath got her copy of her 12^th August consultation notes the day after she came out of hospital on 13^th October!