V Festival

Well there isnt a lot i want to say here but i'll give you a brief outlook of v fest vicky and katy style! ... First off we got up well early for our travels down to London which the train journey was fine we caught up it had been a while it was like re-connecting after a long time. Then we had the buses lol well what can i say they were fine .. i was hoplessly looking for some thing i'd recognise on my travels into East London .. we did it and got to the hotel to!! We couldnt check in because we were too early! So we left our bags and off we went again on another bus to liverpool street! LOL seriously auir con should be on buses .. hot hot hot!! We then grab some lunch YUM YUM! start our journey to ESSEX on the train .. yeah you guessed it it started raining, how i have no idea!! We get to chamlmsford oh no another bus journey!! Slipping and slidding all over the place!! We get to V fest finally then have a bit of a treak ... LOL yes i nearly did end up in the hole but hey you gotta laugh!!! Next stop MAIN STAGE was brillant even went to the comedy tent but OMG the toilets oh dear the toilets haha bit of a hop skip jump and lift from a stranger woop im in the toilet LOL It was boiling and i didnt take sun tan lotion i had wellies ... rain mack but not sun tan lotion! Getting home in the dark was fun then a random adventure in east london lol .. we then hoped off to the hotel took some random pics of using being silly and eventually ended up in bed and then woke up homeward bound but first shopping and lunch and a panic the train line wasnt working!! Fantastic day full of smiling and laughter roll on 2013 V fest STAFFORDSHIRE!!!

Meeting Alison

So before i went on my holidays i meet my new rhaumtoid specialist nurse at City Hospital Birmingham. We talked she gave me my prescription for the methrotrex and the folic acid. She seem's OK but it takes time for me to trust a new medical professional lets face it i have so many already i like to weigh them up first!! I hope that in time our relationship is as strong as that of my GUCH nurse.

Tenerife!!!!

What can i say i had been looking forward to this break for SIX LONG WEEKS!! It eventually came and it did not disappear here's a short review!! I didnt sleep the night before i was so excited as i hadn't been out the country for a number of years i was also aprehensive about the flight! So 2am came and Carolyn and Tracey were came in like a world wind and before i knew it i'd waved bye to my bungalow and i was off on my adventure! We talked all the way to East Mids!! Tracey about having a vodka caz about reading her book me worrying about flying!!! So we get to the airport and we are sat by the check in gates waiting for them to open and then my cousin (after about 45 mins) goes .. havn't we checked in online? which we had que the laughter and eventual movement to the security area! WHAT A LAUGH!! So we get up there show passports boarding cards LOL and go through i go through yer fine, caz goes through yup fine tracey goes through off come the shoes .. honestly trace you should have washed your shoes ;) funniest thing happens i'm a good girl have all my bottles small amounts go straight through. Then carolyn and tracey spend about 20 mins with a women sorting out what they can take and what they crn't im sat there laughing .. luckily we only lost a hair spray, sun tan lotion and perfume! We then head for the shops and buy more sun tan lotion and some perfume! Then we head to the bar, and i start getting really scared! We have 2 soft drinks and a vodka for tracey! eventually we are called at this point im thinking do i really want togo on the plane lol! It was a long trip to the gate many lifts that my cousin is scared of! We get to the front talk to the lady, i go on the plane a different way cuz of the steps and to be fair i was bricking it at this point an elderly lady asked if i was ok cuz i looked terrified haha i was too!! Eventually get on the plane everything is covered, i took my last painkiller about 4am that morning! i do not like take off LOL as tracey found out when im gripping her hands for dear life! LOL we eventually get to our location im a bit exhausted and feeling a bit shell shocked lol!! Anyway we had an amazing time i took NO PAINKILLERS the wholw time and ate LOADS felt so brillant like a different person i guess! The head really suits me and the RA i think i should just move for 6 months a year!!! I can not wait for the next holiday!! Oh and yes i was better flying back apart!! Roll on 2013 Holidays!!

Heart Hospital

So i popped in to see my cardiac team in September dureing my lengthy travels! I had my sats done with 100% results very happy! I had low BP but thats normal for me because of being on the pill so i wasnt too worried. Had an Echocardiograme which i read the report for it (i am so bad ui read all my notes/ letters too hehe) and that was really good as well. Saw my team we talked more about my inpending medication for the rheumatoid than my heart they were very nice and reassuring gave me a lot of confidence going forward. Overall on the bright side heart is good :D no problems they said in the 2 min conversation we had about my heart.

Weymouth

So i went on my Holidays in september! Had a fantastic time! My last stop was Weymouth, i went with my cousin, uncle and the girls. It was good to have some time with the girls and enjoy some family time. We laughed and joked went swimming well i watched but my uncle did first time in many years the girls loved Grandy in the water!!! We went to the beach which was real fun we made sandcastles and had donkey rides too! I was very lucky my joints did me proud, i was a bit stiff in the morning and late at night but my cousin was on hand to help and even the 3 year old would help cousin vicky which was so nice :) she helped me do small things like give me my trainers bless her. All in all a great break and enjoyed spending time with my family :) xx

Tough week

I've got a lot of catching up on my blog to do .. so i'll start with the most recent and work backwards hang on in there!! So the time finally came when i would start new medication MTX (a chemotheropy drug). My first in stings were i dont want to take this drug i do not want to put this medication in my system. I talked LONG and HARD with many medical personal from my GP to my Rheumatologist to my Cardiologist to my specialist nurses they all said the same give it a go Vicky lets get you feeling better. Now ive known my GP for many years he was the one that orginally told me i had Rheumatoid 4 long years a go, so i trusted his judegment. Ive know my cardiology team for 10 years now and to be fair i trust them with most things well in fact everything not just my heart but every thing if i have a problem they are the first people i go to for advise and reassurance with regardes to health matters and even when my mother passed away. I trusted them i'd be ok! Everyone told me the same, you've been through so much Vicky you will be fine. So Wednesday came, i wont lie i sat there with Tracey and i cried and i um'd and ar'd about the tablets i cured people mainly my doctors! Then i took the plunge one tablet two tablets and that was it my journey had started. I tried some food after the tablets what a joke it made me feel so sick it was aweful, we went for a hot chocolate as i didnt want to be on my own for the first few hours and you know the smell in the coffee shop and me want to puke every were, it wasnt nice!! The day continued i felt so sick bringin up some food but i kept going. Thursday it got worse my head was so foggy i wasn't sure what my name was lol my head hurt as if id been on a week long bender! I felt sick my joints were flareing i was so so tired. My stomach felt so dodgy like a constant fizz in the pit of my stomach too Friday came still the same no better .. the weekend came and went still feeling the methrotrex hangover! We get to monday my throat's hurting i feel so darn low emotionally and physically time to see my GP he tells me i have a throat viras which hasn't helped my MTX first take. My rheum nurse says its the end of the line for MTX and me and if im honest i dont want to go through that week again it was the worst i've ever felt not sure i could do that every week for the rest of my life. Do i still trust my doctors of course i do .. will i listen to there medication advise again .. we'll see, lets hope next time i dont feel so darn bad!! I would also like to mention the help and support from my family and friends this past week so many of you to name you know who you are you're all fantastic and i love you all THANK YOU This week has done one thing for me proved that i may be single and living life on my own but if i can get through that without a man holding my hand well hair while im sicking it up then im a dam good fighter and i can survive anything. xx

Its been a tough for months

Hello all, Since my last blog ive had a really tough time both rheumatoid and personally but things are starting slowly to even out again now, so though i'd give you an update on the rheumatoid. So the one big news i have is that my consultant told me i have Mild Fibramalgia which seems to be quite common with people who have rheumatoid so i've tried not to let it get to me so much, its just another obstacle i need to over come. Secondly is that i have decided that after discussions with both of my consultants and understanding the pro's and risks that it is time to take the risk the medication it is scary to think that i will be on these drugs. But my consultant has introduced me to the whole team so i know them by name and sight which was a nice touch. I can not really put fully into words how i feel nervous, scared, apprehensive all come to mind but ultimately i am scared! I will be on methrotrex and a biologic and see how that goes. This means an aprox 3 tablets a week and self injecting myself although i'll have some one else do it for me! I'm still coming to terms with this news but it will sick in eventually. Thirdly i went swimming for the first time in a while which was great i managed to do a couple of lengths certainly got my heart going! I felt so happy with myself but what i enjoyed most was sitting in the hydro pool first so relaxing on the joints! I am still fighting and proud of raising Rheumatoid awareness Keep strong all xx