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Personal Blog - Antony Simpson is an Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.

Feeling Devastated. Plenty of Questions & Worries, But Not Many Answers

By Health, LifeNo Comments

I’ve had time to reflect on my recent health consultations (see The ENT Specialists) and I can honestly say that I’m feeling devastated.

I knew the hole in my septum had gotten bigger, but seeing the state of the inside of my nose on a monitor attached to a camera on a flexible cable really traumatised me. I have plenty of health-related worries right now including:

  • Do I have vasculitis and if so, what does this mean for me in the long term? Vasculitis is a very rare condition.
  • If its not vasculitis, then what is the cause of this extensive nasal destruction?
  • What will the biopsies show? Could it be Cancer?
  • They want to operate urgently in the next two weeks. What is going through the mind of my ENT Consultant?
  • What has caused a small hole in my septum to lead to complete septum destruction in around 4 months?
  • Will the pain ever be resolved? Or is this it now? Chronic long term pain.
  • Could other symptoms such as fatigue, a psoriasis-like rash on my elbows, difficulty standing for short periods, right hip/knee pain and difficulty sleeping through the night (insomnia) be related to my nasal passage problems?
  • How will they decide to fix the problem? Is it even fixable?
  • How will all this impact on the management of my type 1 diabetes?
  • What other autoimmune diseases does this increase my risk of getting?
  • Is this related to that time I got pneumonia?
  • How will any or all of the above affect my life expectancy?
  • What does all this mean for returning to work and life?
  • Will I ever feel normal again, or is this the new normal?
  • Why did nobody ever tell me to go and get my constant blocked nose checked out? Would it have made any difference?
  • Why didn’t I get any ENT experience as a Student Nurse or in A&E. This would have at least given me some clinical experience in the area?
  • Why did I decide that my constant blocked nose was because of developing an allergy to my two gorgeous cats?
  • Will I ever be able to smell normally again? At the moment, I can’t usually smell anything, unless I try and it is particularly strong. Sometimes, I smell what smells like rotting flesh.
  • Why is the waiting list so long to seen ENT? Ear, nose and throat systems are vital to health and wellbeing.
  • And more questions continue to fill my head on an hourly basis.

I have plenty of questions right now, but not a lot of answers. It’s the not knowing that causes the most anxiety.

Best Wishes,

Antony

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Thursday 18 April 2024

The Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Specialists

By HealthNo Comments

This week I’ve seen two ENT Specialists Doctors. The first was at my local outpatients department. Although they had made clear that they didn’t feel competent to undertake the surgical repair I required, don’t get me started on that one, they had offered to provide management advice.

I have to say: All of the staff were friendly, smiled and were a credit to the NHS. The Consultant was kind and explained that the hole in my septum has got bigger. He gave me antibiotics and nasal antibiotic creams. He said it would be unlikely due to the now larger size, that they would be unable to place a button and that it would more likely need more extensive surgery to repair. He requested urgent blood tests, including a test to indicate if I have vasculitis. He said I should wait to see what the other ENT Consultant says on Wednesday.

The next was at another hospital. I was particularly anxious, given my experience with private healthcare. They were also kind and the Consultant particularly reassuring. She called the hole in my nose: nasal destruction and reported that I had no cartilage left. This may go some way to explain the pain I am currently constantly in. She requested urgent bloods to test for vasculitis and urgent surgery (in the next fortnight) for an antiseptic nasal washout and biopsies. The hour’s appointment turned into a day as I waited for blood to be drawn, pre-op and ECG.

I should note that this has gone from a little hole in December (2023) to complete nasal destruction of the cartilage now (in April 2024). Having had no clinical experience or personal experience with ENT I cannot predict the outcome of biopsies or blood tests.

I am hoping normal pain-free service can resume soon.

Write soon,

Antony

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Wednesday 17 April 2024

I Have a TARDIS! I’ve Named her Sexy :)

By Shopping, The Web, TV, Online Streaming & FilmsNo Comments

I’ve had a hankering for a TARDIS for quite some time. The problem is that they are hard to find. All TARDIS toys have become collectables and are ridiculously priced for what they are. But then I found this Facebook group. I was lucky enough to find someone who builds bespoke TARDIS’ to order.

Here is my new TARDIS, which I’ve named Sexy:

I am over the moon with it. The craftmanship is incredible. I was so lucky in finding this wonderful man who did such an amazing job.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Tuesday 16 April 2024

Appendix J – Useful Resources (from: Ways The Human Body Can Go Wrong book)

By HealthNo Comments

From my latest book Ways The Human Body Can Go Wrong, here are some useful resources and organisations:

Action Cerebral Palsy – Is a charity that aims to campaign for and provide information to the public about cerebral palsy.
Website: https://actioncp.org/

Action On Pain – Provides advice and information for people affected by chronic pain.
Website: https://action-on-pain.co.uk/

Age UK – A charity that provides information, advice and support for older people.
Website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/

Alzheimer’s Society – A charity that understands all aspects of dementia. As well as providing information and advice, it funds research into better treatments.
Website: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

Anaphylaxis UK – Supports people with serious allergic reactions. Provides information, advice and training.
Website: https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/

Asthma + Lung UK – A charity looking after people’s lungs. Run by The British Lung Foundation.
Website: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/

Bipolar UK – Supporting people in the UK with Bipolar. As well as providing information and advice, it also runs local support groups.
Website: https://www.bipolaruk.org/

Borderline Support UK – A charity supporting people with Borderline Personality Disorders.
Website: https://borderlinesupport.org.uk/

British Heart Foundation – Provides advice and information about all things cardiac.
Website: https://bhf.org.uk/

British National Formulary (BNF) – Provides information about medications that is useful for healthcare professionals prescribing or administering medication.
Website: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/

Cancer Research UK – Provides advice and information about Cancer, also funds research into better treatments.
Website: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Cardiac Risk in the Young – A charity that provides information for those that have lost someone to Sudden Cardiac Death.
Website: https://www.c-r-y.org.uk/

Crohn’s & Colitis UK – A national charity providing information, support and funding research for Crohn’s & Colitis in the UK.
Website: https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/

Cystic Fibrosis Trust – Provides advice and information for people living with Cystic Fibrosis.
Website: https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/

Diabetes UK – A charity that provides valuable information for people living with all forms of diabetes.
Website: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/

Elton John AIDS Foundation – A charity that aims to prevent HIV infections, educate and inform, provide care for and reduce stigma for people living with HIV across the world.
Website: https://www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org/

Endometriosis UK – A UK charity providing information, advice and support for women affected by Endometriosis.
Website: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/

Epilepsy Action – Provides advice and information about epilepsy.
Website: https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/

Family Planning Association – Provides information around contraceptive methods, although a lot of their leaflets and resources have an associated cost.
Website: https://www.fpa.org.uk/

Fibromyalgia Action UK – A national charity providing information and support for people with fibromyalgia in the UK.
Website: https://www.fmauk.org/

FSRH UK – The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) UK provides guidelines on the issuing of Emergency Contraception and Contraceptive Methods in the UK.
Website: https://www.fsrh.org/home/

General Medical Council (GMC) – The independent regulator of all doctors in the UK.
Website: https://www.gmc-uk.org/

JDRF – A Type 1 Diabetes charity that funds research into a cure and better treatments for people with Type 1 Diabetes.
Website: https://jdrf.org.uk/

Kidney Research UK – A national charity providing information, advice and funding into Kidney Research.
Website: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/

Lupus UK – A national charity that provides support for people living with Lupus in the UK.
Website: https://lupusuk.org.uk/

Macmillan Cancer Support – Provides advice, information and support to people living with Cancer.
Website: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

MIND – A mental health charity delivering advice, information and support.
Website: https://www.mind.org.uk/

Motor Neuron Disease Association – A national charity providing support around Motor Neuron Disease and funding research into the disease.
Website: https://www.mndassociation.org/

MS-UK – A charity that provides advice and information about MS.
Website: https://ms-uk.org/

Muscular Dystrophy UK – A national charity that provides a variety of information for people with Muscular Dystrophy and funds research into better treatments.
Websites: https://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/

National AIDS Trust – A charity that educates around HIV/AIDS and is responsible for the Red Ribbon campaign.
Website: https://www.nat.org.uk/

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) – Guidelines for best evidence-based practice in the UK.
Website: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance

NHS Inform (Scotland) – The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s healthcare provider organisation. NHS Inform is Scotland’s website for health information.
Website: https://www.nhsinform.scot/

NHS Website – The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s healthcare provider organisation. Their website contains a wide range of information including: information on conditions, treatments and how to access healthcare in the UK.
Website: https://www.nhs.uk/

NSPCC – A national children’s charity that among other things runs ChildLine.
Website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) – The independent regulator of Nurses, Midwives and Nurse Associates in the UK.
Website: https://www.nmc.org.uk/

Parkinson’s UK – A charity that provides information and funds research around Parkinson’s in the UK.
Website: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

Patient – A useful website providing a wide range of information and tools about health and healthcare.
Website: https://patient.info/

Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK – Provides information and funding for research into better treatments for people with Pulmonary Hypertension.
Website: https://www.phauk.org/

Relate – Provide couples counselling across the UK.
Website: https://www.relate.org.uk/

Re-Solv – A national charity that provides information and advice around use of glues, gases and aerosols. Including the risk of instant death on every occasion of use.
Website: https://www.re-solv.org/

Resuscitation Council UK – Provides guidelines around resuscitation in the UK.
Website: https://www.resus.org.uk/

Royal Osteoporosis Society – A national charity advocating for better bone health.
Website: https://theros.org.uk/

SADS UK – A charity providing information around SADS and prevention (such as defibrillators).
Website: https://www.sadsuk.org.uk/

Sleep Apnoea Trust – Provides support to individuals who experience sleep apnoea.
Website: https://sleep-apnoea-trust.org/

Stroke Association – Provides support for people that have had a Stroke.
Website: https://www.stroke.org.uk/

Terrence Higgins Trust – A UK charity supporting people living with HIV.
Website: https://www.tht.org.uk/

The British Skin Foundation – A charity that funds research into a range of skin conditions.
Website: https://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/

The Thalassaemia Society – A national charity that provides information and resources around living with Thalassaemia.
Website: https://ukts.org/

The UK Sepsis Trust – A charity aiming to reduce preventable sepsis-related deaths.
Website: https://sepsistrust.org/


Joke: How do you hide a £10 note from a Surgeon?
Put it with the patient’s observation charts.

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Monday 15 April 2024
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