Nine nights ago I fainted for the first time in my adult life. I am convinced that this was an adverse reaction to Larbex XL - an alpha blocker that had just been added to my cocktail of anti-hypertension pills. That same night something else occurred that had never happened before. I deposited bright red blood in the toilet bowl and this kept happening for the next twenty four hours. It was alarming.
On Friday the 14th, I had a doctor's appointment which resulted in me having bloods taken on Monday morning. I should have left three stool samples but constipation had set in over the weekend. I was finally able to supply those samples on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday afternoon I visited The Charles Clifford Dental Hospital for an operation - the surgical removal of a small granular cyst from the corner of my mouth. All went well but I need to go back for re-examination and the results of the biopsy.
On Wednesday, a receptionist at the local surgery phoned me about the bloods that I had provided on Monday. She said that something of concern had shown up and that I needed to have my bloods taken again on March 31st. There was some mention of diabetes but I didn't take it in. What was said seemed to be outside the sphere of an admin person.
On Friday morning, I had to attend the central clinic on Mulberry Street for pre-operative assessment as I have an operation coming up next month with the urology department at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital. This concerns a stricture in my urethra - quite close to the point where it reaches the sphincter that leads into my bladder. The pre-op appointment lasted for ninety minutes.
On Friday afternoon, I went back to the doctor's surgery for another appointment - this time linked to the stool samples. I think the doctor I met is Egyptian though I had never seen him before. He seemed kind and competent.
Of course the laboratory had found blood in my samples. Not surprising when these samples had been taken from my first stool after the night of the fainting.
The doctor, who I think was called Dr Ahmed, said he accepted that Larbex XL almost certainly caused me to faint but the release of blood suggested that something else was amiss unconnected with the new drug. What a hell of a co-incidence that would be!
He asked if it would be okay to refer me for a colonoscopy which in layman's terms means a camera up my arse and I agreed to this.
So you may see what I mean about health matters swarming around me. I am sick of it. Once I was an urban superman with little need for medical professionals but now my frailities are coming home to roost. I can't even plan any holidays because of potential appointments around the corner. Maybe this is the beginning of the end.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/pwXVSEI
