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| 2012 - No. 3 www.malecek.com | |||
| Gail Takes PART |
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You probably know that we have joined the village’s petanque club and that Gail was in the art club. Gail has also joined the village’s entertainment committee and about twice a week she helps set up for events. Outside the village she is a member of Papamoa Sunshine Probus Club, the Ornithological Society of NZ and  the Papamoa Library Book Club. She volunteers at the newly opened Papamoa College helping students with reading.  And two days a week she is at the Waipuna Hospice shop.
Gail had a day out with the birders. Was on a boat at 6:30AM for a 2.5 hr cruise to Mayor Island. Gail wasn’t able to do the hike up to the crater where the wetlands are found so she settled for lower levels.  At the pump: $1.98/litre $7.62/gal |
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During the night of Feb 25th a great pain developed in my right thigh and I could feel a lump. Thought it might be a blood clot so off we went to emergency. Even though it was dead quiet, in terms of patients, it still took 3 hours to organize an ultrasound which showed the veins were clear. So they put me on a waiting list for another ultrasound. Got a letter from the local Heath Board saying it would be a minimum 8 week wait as my problem was of very low importance. Well, slowly the pain spread to both my legs, hips and arms which now hurt all the time. So I saw my doctor and he immediately organized a biopsy using a needle (TNA) on the lump. Since it was Easter holiday I had to wait a week for that. The lump was deep and the fellow wasn’t sure if he actually got samples from the lump, so result was inconclusive. Told my doctor I wanted to go private (to avoid the long waiting lists) and have it removed. Even that took over a month to get done on June 6th. The lump was not cancerous.
But the pains remain. From the description I gave my doctor of the pains he immediately said: “Fibromyalgia" which is closely related to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) that I have. So it could be my CFS moving up a notch in intensity. I have had “restless legs” since 1985 and a cool breeze will cause my legs to ache on a hot day. Almost year-round I need the electric blanket on as heat helps. I have three medications to help with the restless leg pain, but these are new and different pains (more like electrical tingles)which include my arms. Doctor believes that the pains are from damaged nerves. And that can be caused by my diabetes and/or B12 deficiency. My B12 was found to be very low so I have begun monthly injections. Early days but I don’t notice any improvement. Once a nerve is damaged it can’t be repaired, so I shall have to live with the current (pun intended) pains and use medication (a synthetic morphine at this stage) to reduce them. A side effect of the pains is that I don’t use my limbs as normal to avoid causing a painful spike. So I have stiffened up somewhat and now walk a bit like Frankenstein’s monster. I hope with exercise and soaks in the village spa to get some fluidity back. In 64 years I only had two operations up to August 2011 and since then I have had two more and a third is a possibility. Oh, the joys of getting older. | |
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 Far APART but...
we continue to have friends visit. Susi and the Minis came for a few days and got me to climb to the top of the Mount. Sandy and Mike, who has just retired, stopped in for a meal while in the area. John and Helen, who at age 72 should retire, came for an afternoon.  And Russell was here for a third time and we are expecting him soon for another good time. And as I type this Ann E is literally on her way here for her first visit.
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Malley Muses Horace Greeley said: |
| “Go west, young man”
Where do the old ones go? And what about the women, where do they go? | ||
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