Holy Monday

Saint Martins Church Memmingen - Lutheran/Protestant!
Very interesting history dating back to 9thC.
Find the tower quite fascinating

To the right, the former Customs House, nowadays a very "in" cafe/restaurant going by the traditional Bavaria/Swabian/German name of "Hamptons"!!

In a few weeks the tables and umbrellas will be out.

I was in Memmingen for a Specialist Doctor appontment. Good news even if a change in lifestyle (for the better).

In the afternoon had to pick up prescription medication from Ottobeuren and also took the chance to do my first dog walk since Wednesday 11th February!

It has been a few weeks of up & down, nothing serious but simply testing patience to the limit.

Kidney stone operation on Friday 13th was as expected suboptimal. The tubing had been in for 2 months - in my case it gets critical after 2 days. This situation was known but not taken in to account. Result, there was a good old fashioned tug of war to get the tubing out which naturally tore at the the urether. In addition, an avalanche of stones followed. The "operator" (the #2 after Prof) I know well and respect, did his best to patch me up and said I needed to be back at the latest in 4 weeks - would have been earlier if not so much damage).
Home Sunday afternoon and evening felt as though I could be getting a cold. Muscle pains, bit of fever, Monday then realised muscle pains were actually blocked urether (which was not unexpected). Luckily a largish stone popped out on Tuesday. Breathing getting difficult, temperature just under 40°C, looked like man flu (I can't remember having flu for 15+ years and I never have jab). Wednesday breathing really very difficult. Angie home early and takes me to Ottobeuren hospital. Kidneys ultrasound, Lung x-ray & heart checked. All OK! Better keep me in although not a single  room free but parked in the corridor. Didn't worry me in the slightest, and I was very happy to have two liters of water pumped in to me overnight and the night shift thanks to a tip from MrsB found me a room.

Next day (Thursday) more lung tests (panting was obvious to see) but again negative. Senior ward doctor was now getting aggressive. What is your problem?? Even though he could see I couldn't breath. He said he couldn't find anything and so if I wanted to stay then I had to be treated as having flu and be in isolation and they would now simply pump in more infusions - a further 2 liters (now 4 liters in 24 Hours). Knowing thant flu was not something to be treated in hospital I said I would go home that afternoon when final infusion done.

Got home and went further downhill. Totally frustrated at being told all fine yet not not being able to walk 5 meters. As one perhaps should have expected, my kidneys couldn't cope with all the infusions and pumped loads of the excess in to the lungs.

By Tuesday I thought there was no end and took off for the Urology A&E at Memmingen. They diagnosed water on the lungs (x-ray) but apart from that no serious problem and asked me to wait until all blood tests came through in case there was something and they would pass me on to the internists. All results were just below the critical level so went home with the suggestion to drink a little less water etc and let the lungs get rid of the water themselves.

Friday still feeling poorly and with the weekend ahead went to Angie's GP who is the standby if my GP is closed which he was. I have been wanting to change GPs for good 4 years but stupidly hadn't. (a bit of history to this). The "new" GP checked over the lungs and said all OK but she didn't like my general physical condition and prescribed some what we call "Astronaut food" - high calaorie stuff. My old GP had refused to prescribe this for the last 4 years despite several pleas from specialist doctors and nursing care staff. (Budget issue combined with making GP practice numbers look good as he sold it this year after years of looking for a doctor to take it over).

Weekend still lying flat.....Angie was at home to keep things working and on Thursday I went to Memmingen hospital for the pre opertion tests for my kidney stones due the following week. No chance they said in Urology, not the way you are panting and luckily sent me over to the internists A&E who then set about four hours of really deep tests. Result of all the lung, heart etc etc tets was nothing special. Even though it turned out to be wrong (probably!) the doctor was disturbed by the clear signs of "distress" but no real problems from the tests and she took the time to dig out a lung person who looked through all the results and diagnosed "ACOS". I won't go in to it - a mix of Asthma and Chronic Breathing problems. Take cortisone tablets and get to a lung specialist as soon as possible.

Next day Friday managed to get an appointment Monday with a lung specialist. Incredible luck. Cortisone didn't really help much over the weekend but with some brilliant weather I at least got vertical for a few hours each day.

Monday lung specialist - ACOS my *****. Who told you that - luckily I had the mass of tests and the written "verdict" from the hospital!
You have got a smoker's lung but your not in too bad condition. Take these sprays for a couple of weeks and come back and that should be the end of that..... so long as you never smoke again.

But Doc! - I only do it for the bees. I need to keep them quiet when stealing their honey! I had known what was coming and had already thrown away the last one long before the appointment.

Actually very pleased as I have wanted to for ages but simply enjoyed the occasional smoke and a good cup of coffee. I had given up in the 80's but started again 1990 when I was spending night after night alone sitting in restaurants having to undercover observe what was going on. Box of 5 Hamlet cigars bought at Gatwick Duty free on Monday morning lasted the whole week and we didn't inhale in the early days. 5'box a week became 5'box/day because 5x5 box at Duty free comparatively cheap. By now we were inhaling.................one day no more Duty free and no Hamlets in Germany so Marlboro 20, no 200...................

No commiseration please for 25 years of being an idiot and money water. The only one who needs any commiseration is Angie for keeping things floating during the last nearly 4 weeks.

The sprays took an immediate effect. Still a way to go but now much better. Odd kidney stone dropping out and got the next operation planned in a week or two!

Thanks one and all for all your support. I have avoided all contact with Blip of any sort whatsoever and will now in peace with comments turned off try to do some catching up on all the journals I have missed so much. Just one thing I did do on Blip - Angie threw me her mobile phone (on which she Blips) saying MissWinterFinch was getting "aggressive" despite having replied. I then using Angie's mobile wrote a reply in her name and it was accepted as any other comment but when I then looked at MissWF journal itself there was no comment. As Angie is not a "Follower" it seems the comments are simply dumped in the digital trash can somewhere at Blip Central.