Where it Started
January 2011For my 50th Birthday my wife has arranged a luxury trip down the Nile and in order to go we need some vaccinations. The trip is scheduled for Mid-February, so we go to our GP for the injections and come out with sore arm(s). Around two weeks later at the end of this month I am suddenly struck down by a flu-like virus that completely knocked me out for 4/5 days.
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February 2011Chaos in Egypt! Holiday cancelled – but that was the least of my worries as it turned out...
I started to feel very lethargic, couldn’t even mow the grass without feeling knackered. Had to “just go for a lie down!”. I also noticed pins and needles in my feet/toes and they were continually cold – which is something I have never suffered from before. Put this down to getting old and tried to get on with life. |
March 2011Lethargy getting worse and feet still cold, starting to affect my work, as really struggling to cope with long days and constant driving around. Decided to go and see my GP around the end of the month as I had given it long enough to go away on its own.
Initial visit to GP, she listened and took some notes and sent me for blood tests to the nurse. Had the blood tests and waited for the results. |
April 2011
At the beginning of the month was told I had type 2 diabetes (which is the controlled by medicine and diet sort, rather than injections). As both my parents were diabetics and had been for a considerable time, this was not a massive worry to me and I went away with some medicine (Metformin) and the testing kit, plus a diet sheet. Had fun learning to test myself and my wife worked out what I could and couldn’t eat against a list provided (fun – no fizzy drinks, all diet stuff!).
However this had no effect on my legs/feet/toes, which were starting to feel a bit weird, like they didn’t quite belong to me. More concerning at the time, was that I now had a band around my stomach that was feeling numb and I had less of an appetite.
However this had no effect on my legs/feet/toes, which were starting to feel a bit weird, like they didn’t quite belong to me. More concerning at the time, was that I now had a band around my stomach that was feeling numb and I had less of an appetite.
May 2011
Went to the GP because of slackness on the right side of my face, it looked like it had dropped! This was diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy, 10 days later I had it on the left side of my face too – this concerned the GP as in all her years of practice, she had never seen it down both sides before. Proscribed steroids for 5 days – six pills per day, the symptoms lasted for a few weeks before gradually disappearing. I did find out much later that this can be related to Sarcoidosis.
I was in and out of my GP’s surgery, complaining about my stomach area, starting to have problems with bowel movement and eating significantly less. Additionally I was starting to have walking/balance problems. I was sent to our local hospital (both initially as an out and then as an inpatient), which ran lots more tests, stuck me on a drip and proclaimed it was the Metformin tablets and I should change them. My tablets were changed to Gliclazide and informed that some people just don’t get on with certain types of tablets. However I was getting very worried that this was not the whole picture and something far more sinister was happening.
Walking became increasingly difficult and I was so lethargic I could hardly do anything, yet sleeping was also difficult. Towards the end of the month, we went on holiday and I had to visit a local GP because my ability to stand/walk was severely restricted, in fact on one walk I had just fallen over and was unable to move for a considerable time. Due to an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) when I was 9 years old my right leg has always has been very weak, especially from the knee and below. My right knee has been prone to give way for no real reason (other than I do not put the weight on it properly) and this was now happening with frightening regularity.
The GP advised we went home and sought urgent medical attention, so the holiday was curtailed. I was now off work as well.
During our holiday, we visited a church and when I looked up to see the spire I nearly fell over backwards, as I really had more and more problems with balance and feeling in my legs.
I was in and out of my GP’s surgery, complaining about my stomach area, starting to have problems with bowel movement and eating significantly less. Additionally I was starting to have walking/balance problems. I was sent to our local hospital (both initially as an out and then as an inpatient), which ran lots more tests, stuck me on a drip and proclaimed it was the Metformin tablets and I should change them. My tablets were changed to Gliclazide and informed that some people just don’t get on with certain types of tablets. However I was getting very worried that this was not the whole picture and something far more sinister was happening.
Walking became increasingly difficult and I was so lethargic I could hardly do anything, yet sleeping was also difficult. Towards the end of the month, we went on holiday and I had to visit a local GP because my ability to stand/walk was severely restricted, in fact on one walk I had just fallen over and was unable to move for a considerable time. Due to an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) when I was 9 years old my right leg has always has been very weak, especially from the knee and below. My right knee has been prone to give way for no real reason (other than I do not put the weight on it properly) and this was now happening with frightening regularity.
The GP advised we went home and sought urgent medical attention, so the holiday was curtailed. I was now off work as well.
During our holiday, we visited a church and when I looked up to see the spire I nearly fell over backwards, as I really had more and more problems with balance and feeling in my legs.