No spots yet...

Hi all,

Been busy getting back into the joys of work...who am i kidding joys, I wish I could retire, shame that it's so difficult at 35 to actually do...ho hum.

Mrs.A has been working away for a couple of days, Nanny A was round to make sure agi Junior got to school on time etc.

I'm feeling quite ill on my new tablets; hot flushes, metalic tastes in my mouth, nausea (almost but not quite vomiting) fatigue, headache - I'm not sure if they are working yet; won't know that for another few weeks without Psoriasis. In the meantime it's fortnightly blood tests to make sure my kidneys and liver are not being damaged by the Cyclosporin. Off to see the Dermatologist again on Monday evening and will be looking to discuss what other treatments are still open to me including the newer expensive Biologic treatments.

but still relatively psoriasis free for the time being so I'll make the most of it :o)

V For Vendetta

Went to see V for Vendetta tonight. both me and Mrs.A are fans of the Source Material, a set of comics from the early 1980's which were eventually bound together in a Graphic Novel; by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

It's been sympathetically filmed with an eye to those who know the material. An intelligent film set in a totalitarian England of the future whilst the USA undergoes a 2nd Civil War in the background. Starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman (who both give strong performances) and many notable others such as Stephen Fry and John Hurt (in an excellent juxtaposition of his earlier work as Smith in 1984). Plenty of acute references to the current politcal situation in the USA, UK and the middle East and some clever jibes aimed at the current British and American administrations, bring closer to home the point of this film as stated in the dialogue...

People should not be afraid of their Governments...Governments should be afraid of the People.

I'll be interested to see just how this film is received in the US, and whether any cuts will be made to tone down the political messages it contains.

Go see it...one of the best films I have seen in a very long time.

Intermediate Stages

So at home at last :o)

Thought you'd be interested to see what my Psoriasis looks like now after the Dithranol Treatment, it's not 100% cleared yet, but it is getting there. The discolouration is burns and staining caused by the Dithranol, and not angry skin as in the previous photo's I posted before treatment.

So heres my foot and leg with some lovely purple/brown burn stains from the dithranol.

My Left Knee

Left Hand
Right Elbow (Ignore my stomach please ! What do you mean it's hard too?), most of the staining has washed off now just a few scraps left.

And a reminder of what my Right arm was like before I went in.


It'll be another couple of weeks until all the staining disappears, and the few sore chemical burns fully heal. In the meantime I am now taking a drug called Cyclosporin to try and remain clear until I can get on the newer more expensive treatments. (follow the link for details of yet another scary drug....)

Sneaked a couple of pictures of the ward before I left....

This is the ward itself

And this was the bane of my stay...the resident loon, not issing him in the slightest...


I'm really glad to be home. Mrs.A was very happy to be cooked for last night, and for me putting the kids to bed. We're heading off for a swim tomorrow now that I can show my body in public again.

Freeeeeeeeee

I've ben released....

after 15 nights i'm home...A more thorough blog tomorrow with pictures.....

Not the 9 0'clock news

Here's the latest from your hospital correspondent.

The resident loon is driving of mad. For some reason he has decided everything i own belongs to one of his sons, so i am constantly being forced to stop him taking things from my locker/table. He kept up a running description of a fried breakfast all night, not a lot of sleep has been had, i'm at the end of my tether over his behaviour.

Hope to be out of here this weekend. My arms are done, my body needs one more treatment, my legs should respond to the 2% dithranol that I'll be using from today. When i get out I'll post out some more pictures of various body parts to scare you all again :-)

right time to hide my phone consultant round about to start.

Bored now!

Bored now!

I know i still need more treatment, but i am really feeling very homesick. I should think I'll be here for another week yet at least.



Not that i intend to discharge myself early, that would be just daft.

They hope to reopen the ward early this week. Haven't seen Mrs.A or the kids for days. Thankfully craziequeen has been able to visit to keep me sane.

For those who know what it means i'm up to 1% strength dithranol now and am going purple. My skin is smoothing off at last, a few burns from the treatment but That's to be expected.
Oh i'm completely over the stomach bug by the way. Now i have a cold instead
ho hum at least i am getting to watch the commonwealth games.

Oh and that was never a try 80 seconds from time yesterday >:-(

I'm still here

Have i really only been in hospital 9 days? ... Seems longer! My Psoriasis is slowly improving, probably have another 2 weeks to look forward too.

The ward has been closed to new admissions because of a virus infection. Lucky me, i had it tuesday/wednesday. Spent 2 days with stomach cramps and uncontrollable bowels, topped of with a mammoth vomiting session on tuesday night. Extremely unpleasant.

So visiting is now restricted, and because Mrs.A is ill she and the kids aren't allowed in for a few days :-( i'm missing them all terribly.

The ward is half empty now but our resident Geriatric loon is still here... He is currently surrounded by nurses cleaning up after he shit all over his bed ... Again!

Staying sane

what day is it? It's easy to lose track in hospital. Doc has said I'll start the more aggressive dithranol based treatment today... So it must be monday.

A newly arrived patient kept up a shouting vigil last night, the rest of us were not impressed and i am going to put in a complaint; again a patient that required specialist geriatric care dumped on a general ward >:-(

As for me; my skin is less inflamed but still itchy as hell. I will be in here for at least another 2 weeks. At least i am catching up on my reading list :-) getting plenty of visits from Mrs.A, craziequeen, RCA, Nanny A to help keep me sane.

Oh and don't talk about the rugby:-(

In hospital at last

saturday ... 3 days in hospital now. i have emailed in 3 blogs so far, but Blogger has eaten them. This one is via Mrs.A

my Psoriasis was too inflamed for aggressive treatment by dithranol, so i am slathered in petroleum jelly and topical steroids to calm it down. It's working, i actually got my 1st full nights sleep in 2 weeks last night. They intend to start the dithranol treatment by monday, and then that will take about 2 to 3 weeks to complete... Then I'll be released.

The food has improved since i was here last year. The mash potato no longer bounces, :-) not to say It's home cooked standard though, it is still pretty poor quality, you could slice the soup last night.

most of the other inmates are amenable, bar the old guy opposite me; he tends to wander around naked and doesn't make it to the toilet on time very often (tending to use the floor!), he is senile and should really be on a geriatric ward.

Spending my time watching dvd's, reading and playing on my nintendo. Oh and telling Mrs.A how to fix the heating by text :-) which really made of want to be at home :-(

Is this working?

3rd attempt to Moblog. They're not appearing but i live in hope you'll see this.

2 days in and the itchy soreness is slowly getting better. They will be starting my dithranol treatment on monday. Not to bored yet :-)

Day one

7am been awake 4 the best part of an hour. The shower on the ward works, which is am improvement on last time i was in this ward. It's still a pretty grotty place though. Just waiting 4 my first treatment now. Unfortunately i am on the main ward this time... Or is that fortunately?

Moblog test

Just checking my Moblog settings :-) so i can report from hospital

Twiddling thumbs in anger

Just spoken to my Dermatologist. She is livid with the BRI who have no male baeds available on the dermatology ward, this I know is because teh hospital use it as a dumping ground for overflow acute medical cases.

So she has told me that I have 2 options either present at Accident and Emergency, or go see my GP tomorrow and get him to admit me as a medical emergency. So I guess I am gonna see my GP tomorrow, and so I should be in hospital tomorrow afternoon with any luck. They'll put me onto a general/observation ward, but they will then be forced to move me to the correct Ward and treat me within 48 hours as I understand it.

So another day at home...Mrs.A has escaped to see her sister in London, she needs a break from all this crap.

Guess it means I get to play Eve online all day then....


UPDATE: 14:00 I have now a bed in to the Hospital for 1830 this evening !!! My Dermatologist has been shouting at the ward ...so I am in....

So this is what it really is...

You know I said I was sore....

I've been telling you good folk for sometime now what Psoriasis is and how it affects me but I have never shown you my Psoriasis.

Now this post is not for the faint hearted, and that includes me.

I have thought long and hard about posting these pictures of me, but to make this real, and so you can see what I am suffering day to day I am posting these pictures of various parts of my Body (not those bits!!!).

You won't enjoy it...but this is me....

Yes it is as sore as it looks

Here's looking forward to being greased up by the nurses at the hospital as soon as possible

Left Arm
Left Wrist
Right Wrist
Right Arm
Back
Left Flank
Right Flank
Back of Knees/Calves

Knees

Back of Ankles

Sore

I'm sore, and getting more sore. I haven't had much sleep of any substance now for about 10 days, and my Psoriasis continues to get worse.

On top of the Psoriasis I am suffering from Psoriasis relate Arthritis as well in my ankles Knees and wrists. It hurts to sit; It hurts to stand; Kneeling down is excruciating; typing is OK as long as I don't rest my very sore wrists or elbows on the desk.

every time I shift or move I am greeted by a shower of skin flakes; LMB thinks it fun to ruffle my hair " look Daddy snowing "...I can't say I am overly enamoured by this behaviour ;o)

My depression is definitely worsening, I am taking more and more time-outs from the family to avoid snapping at them over trivial things I would usually ignore.

Waiting by the phone, hoping to be in the Hospital and treated ASAP......

I'm off for a bath and 5 minutes relief.