Jims journey on Skilarence

[jiml]

26 January 2022

Been a while since I've updated my journal and have been lax as much has happened with my health although my psoriasis had remained under control

Firstly in August I did a routine bowel cancer test which people of a certain age are advised to have as a precaution .
This flagged up some abnormalities and was invited to the hospital for a Gastroscopy and colonoscopy to investigate and I was found to have some polyps in my bowel and some in my stomach which were removed in September
No further problems until just after Christmas when I got a bit of diarrhea which came and went but I was feeling constantly tired and lethargic
2 weeks ago the diarrhea got really bad and I was parked outside the toilet most of the day and hardly dared sleep at night ... So I went to the pharmacy and got some immodium . Which fixed the runs but the pains in my stomach were pretty bad so I phoned for an appointment with my Doctor and after explaining to the receptionist what my problem was she said a doctor would phone me . I was phoned and prescribed antibiotics as she was able to diagnose diaviculitis without seeing or examining me and asked for a stool sample which I provided.
The Antibiotics seemed to make the diarrhea worse so after 4 days I stopped taking them and rang to see the results of the stool sample and was told it was clear
So I'm back to square one with same problem no energy, constant tiredness, no medication and letting nature take its course as to get to see a doctor here is pretty nigh impossible

Rant over 
Back to psoriasis
My skin is still  clear although a few spots popped up on my thigh as I tried stopping Skilarence for a few days  but those lesions are fading now

My bloods have been good and my lymphocytes have ranged between 0.9 and 1.04 which it is currently

Note to self update more often

Could you get back to seeing the gastroenterologist (not your primary care, regular doctor) who took the polyps from colon and stomach?  How complicated would it be to get an appointment with that specialist? 

Also, did you the doctor performing the exam of colon tell you that you had diverticulitis?  Or is this the first you've been told you had it? 

Diarrhea is exhausting and can make you dehydrated.  Be sure to keep up on the liquids while sorting this out.  Do you also have a low-grade fever?  

Sleeping with a towel beneath you may help keep the sheets clean if you should have any nocturnal accidents.  Or wearing disposable, absorbent underwear may help keep the bedding clean, too, just in case.

I'm sorry you're having this.

Thanks Forest for your words if wisdom
I will contact my GP tomorrow and ask him to get in touch with the gastro department at the hospital and ask the question, but looking at the report he sent me there was no mention of diaviculitis, which is why I doubt the telephone diagnosis
I've taken precautions in case if night accidents but so far I've had enough warning

Today I got more bad news as the PCR test I had at the hospital on Wednesday has come back positive for COVID-19 so I'm isolating in a bedroom away from my wife as I really don't want her to get it

[Fred]

Today I got more bad news as the PCR test I had at the hospital on Wednesday has come back positive for COVID-19 so I'm isolating in a bedroom away from my wife as I really don't want her to get it

I left message on your in-tray Jim.

[Kat]

Jim....

You're dealing with quite a bit right now. Thinking of you and Mrs. Jim.

[KatT]

Hope you get better soon Jim 

[Caroline]

Good vibes Jim !
Stay strong.

[Wooley]

Oh Jim, you are suffering a bit, really hope you're feeling better soon..... maybe take some dioralyte sachets to replace lost minerals - I had to do this when I had salmonella a few years back, they did help...

Hope you are not feeling too bad after the positive PCR - sending hugs to you 

[D Foster]

I did wonder from what you described.
Take care and I hope you feel better very soon, best wishes to Mrs Jim .

[Forest Walker]

I hope your family and friends are able to help you and your wife.  I hope you are able to drink small amounts of liquids frequently throughout the day to stay hydrated.  

The doctor's report would have mentioned diverticulitis if you had it.  This is something else.  

Could you have a virtual doctor visit through your computer?

Wishing you a speedy recovery, dear Jim.

[jiml]

Just a quick apology for absence and an update on my psoriasis
Firstly, since losing Eileen I had a total rethink about life and it's fragility and decided to live a much fuller life and to pursue my birdwatching hobby as a free agent, and I now spend a lot of time out with friends all with the same passion, unfortunately one dear friend in our group was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year and two of us look after her as she gets weaker with chemotherapy,and it's very time consuming. However that's really no excuse for not coming here, but somehow the longer I'm away the harder it seems to come back, my life has been in turmoil since losing Eileen and I felt that a complete change was needed
Just an update on my health now having just passed my 78th birthday. My psoriasis is still under control and I'm still on Skilarence tablets 3 morning and 2 in the evening always with food and water, I have a few stubborn spots that won't go away but probably will when the sun comes out and I can get my shirt off
My lymphocyte levels remain between 0.95 and 1.1 which is good and my prostate specific antigen (PSA) test always comes back at around 0.3 which shows my prostate cancer is not returning

I will try to pop in from time to time to update this thread

[Turnedlight]

So nice to hear from you - and I did wonder if you were ok but thought pretty much what you said, that life has got a bit different and you’ve been busy. It’s good to hear you are well