The FastDay Forum

You have made such a difference to the health of so many people by running this wonderful and successful forum, not to mention writing books and doing FB.

Time to get yourself back to strength, take the time for yourself.
Whatever the worries in other parts of life, health is more important than anything else.

Very well said !

[Moogie]

Hi all, and time for another update from the estranged admin!

Well, what can I say? I'm well and truly fed up of 'recovering' now especially when I keep getting setbacks just when I think I'm doing better!

A few weeks ago my INR (blood clotting factor) had dropped too low, they want me around 2.5 and I had dropped to 1.4 - which was making my heart struggle again and causing me to be extremely tired and weak. My warfarin dose has been increased and I was instructed to not eat any green veg for a few days and to have a couple of glasses of wine that evening (which boosts the warfarin effect). That probably doesn't sound like such a bad thing but the wine just made me emotional and I got really blue for a few days there. I'm so fed up of having to spend so long just resting.

In good news my arms don't get quite so tired as quickly as they were, so that means I can start catching up here a bit more as well as more or less staying on top of my workload.

Last week I had another set back as I awoke on Tuesday with a pulse rate of 95 (most days I'm around 55-65) which rapidly rose to 149 on taking the short slow walk from my bed to my desk in the next room. All I could do was dial 999 as Rich was at work and my mum on holiday (it took a lot of convincing to get her to go, she'd planned it ages ago and then didn't want to leave me!). The paramedic turned up within minutes and was brilliant, doing all sorts of tests and speaking with my doctor for me. Thankfully I didn't go back to hospital but he did advise me to see my GP which I duly did.

All my GP tells me really is that it's going to take time and that my body has been through a very, very serious medical event and that I need to reign myself in and let others do more for me. He says 4-6 months as a minimum before I feel anything resembling normal and that although I have age on my side it also works against me as I'll have higher expectations of what I want to do (whereas an older person will tend to be less active and therefore get less frustrated as they are used to being slower/less able).

In good news, my INR went up to 2.0 last week which was better but not quite what they want. So, another increase in my dose - which I find leaves me cold and tired as well as lacking in concentration by afternoon.

Tomorrow I'm off to see the nurse again to check my INR and I'm also going to talk with her about a plan I have to manage my time a bit better - hopefully my body will cope alright if I have a few hours break in the middle of the day rather than having to keep stopping for shorter breaks at random times when my body feels it needs it. I'm hoping some kind of routine will do me good.

To give a sense of just how little I can do besides a couple of hours at my desk each day, this week's goal is to be able to make the bed each morning (not change the sheets, just pulling them up tidy). Next week I aim to manage 5 mins of washing up each day as well as making the bed. In general I do manage to cook dinner with help from Rich. Where possible I prep little bits of it throughout the day rather than standing around for long spells of cooking.

I do miss my giant salads and huge piles of green veg. Most of the lovely low calorie veg is high vitamin K so I'm finding myself having lots of baked beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes and plenty of fruit - which is annoying because of the calories! I haven't fasted in 2 months now but over the coming weeks will try to get back into it. It's just so hard when all you can do is sit around, I get fed up of the telly but my arms can't handle a PS3 controller for long or doing any crafts so I find myself just getting up and having a biscuit as 'something' to do. Really bad idea, I know. I'm about 6lbs up on pre-house-move. It doesn't help that everyone keeps bringing me cake. I need to get my control back, but it seems my only pleasure at the moment is eating something nice.

What other news? Well, Rich got a seasonal job at a local Haven park, so at least that's one less thing to worry about. He's had some interviews and has another next week and feels confident about them given the roles and his experience.

Feebs is still with us and powering on like a furry little trooper! Her tumour although much bigger than before we moved doesn't seem to be growing too quickly nor impeding her beyond the affect it has on her right eye. She seems happy enough. We've currently got the landscapers in sorting out our back garden (something we had set money aside for as a proviso of buying this place, I hated the tiered garden and the state it was in) so hopefully in a couple of weeks it'll be safe & secure to let her out. I hope she's still with us to enjoy it for a little while.

Anyway, it's about time for me to take my 3 hour break now - I've been sort of trying out the new routine for a few days to see how I get on Hope to start to catch up with my numerous PMs and requests later on.

Thanks again for bearing with me. This really is quite an experience, not at all what I expected. Part of me wants to write a story and send it to a magazine to raise awareness of this invisible illness. "My cat got cancer, I got a second job and moved house... all the while with an undiagnosed pulmonary embolism!". That's magazine gold right?!

First off hallo my dear, I was only thinking yesterday about you and you must have caught the thought. I like the new plan time wise but please stop whenever you feel off, no sense in risking a good recovery. Much sympathy with the food front but hurrah on the wine, fasting can return when your strength does, no rush is there. Strokes to Feebs, each day is it's own reward, as they say.
Big hugs {{{+}}} and make like an OAP, sedentary and still :0)

So lovely to hear from you and wishing you all the best in your recovery. Thanks for the big update as it's hard to know if ok to write posts as you have so little energy to reply but have thought of you heaps.

Good news about your Rich and that Phoebe is in good spirits. Pity about the vit K in the greens, that must be hard to avoid, salads that is. Hope your plan works out and you turn a corner energy wise. Take care (((((((((((( ))))))))))))))

Part of me wants to write a story and send it to a magazine to raise awareness of this invisible illness. "My cat got cancer, I got a second job and moved house... all the while with an undiagnosed pulmonary embolism!". That's magazine gold right?!

It is so lovely to read your post @Moogie and hear that you are on the mend, albeit in slow mode. As to the above I think that you really should write something and send it off to a magazine and raise people's awareness of the dangerous situation you found yourself in.
I am sending you my very best wishes for your recovery and hope that you will feel much better in the weeks to come.

Hi Moogie, so lovely to hear from you, what a state you got yourself into but hopefully the worst in now behind you and you are well on the way to a full recovery. You have constantly been in all our thoughts so it's so nice to see your beautiful face 'pop' back on here again. Take good care of yourself, be kind to yourself and just do as the medics tell you, not what your active brain tells you. Many, many hugs and best wishes on the way to you...... there, did you get them?good

Ballerina x

Pleased you are feeling a bit better. Take care I am sure there are no problems on here that can't wait a bit longer!

So lovely to hear from you again Moogie and hoping your return to good health continues albeit slowly. Do take things as easy as you can, however frustrating that must be! Much love and positive thoughts. x

Wishing you a steady recovery. Don't push yourself too hard and you will get there in the end. It's like the fasting goes for some of us - slowly slowly catchee monkey

Thank-You @moogie For your update that must have taken some doing considering the state you're obviously still in so thanks for taking time.
Don't worry about all of us were doing OK and in good hands. Good Luck with your plans for the next couple of weeks hope you achieve your goals.
Fasting will return for you soon enough so don't rush things and obey the Docs orders!!
few flowers coming your way.
Take very good care of yourself shore no

Hi Moogie. Been thinking about you a lot this weekend. Its bad enough trying to sort all the stuff you can and can't eat on Warfarin so just go with eating a decent diet and let your body recover.

Glad puss cat is keeping happy.

Thanks for taking the time to update us, Moogie--wish it could all be easier for you. Your article idea is wonderful; but don't give yourself a deadline--too much pressure!

My very best wishes for continued recovery

Thank you for taking the trouble to update us. I am sorry you are having to experience these hiccups on your road to recovery, it must be very frustrating when part of you so much wants to get back to normal and just get on. The site continues to tick on nicely as you see. We will really enjoy all the enhancements you will make when you are better, but we want you well first, however long that takes.

I feel your impatience, but do take it easy! LOVED hearing from you and we all miss you! But as everyone has said, take it slow. We are still here chugging along nicely. Looking forward to when you are well and truly well!

So good to hear from you moogie!
Now you know why a patient is called that. We have to learn to be patient,frustrating tho it is!
Take care,rest up and yes,write that article,make yrself a few bob and raise awareness! X