Day Ten

Well, I said yesterday that I would provide updates, and yesterday afternoon there was a letter from the hospital. You would think this was a follow-up to the cystoscopy I had 2 weeks ago, but, No! It was a response to the gastroscopy that I had last July. There are that many -oscopies that it must get confusing. The first line of the letter reads:

"This patient (I am, I have to confess; I am patient) presented for gastroscopy which showed erosive oesophagitis and flattening of the D2 (for Star Wars fans: Don't comment - D2, not R2D2). Biopsies were taken which showed shortening and atrophy of the villi in duodenum." (The letter contained neither indefinite nor definite articles).

It goes on to say that they are going to do a TTG on me and they will send me the required forms. Yes, me too. I was wondering why they didn't enclose the forms with this letter, but they didn't.

They are going to review me again as an outpatient. Me too - I am wondering when!

In the meantime, my TTG is 141, so I am requested to start a gluten-free diet. And again I had to turn to the internet to find out what TTG means, and with autocorrect I was looking up TGIF and wondering if I have a bad case of weekend-deprivation. I don't have weekends after all, but I soon realised it wasn't TGIF (In case you are wondering: there was no autocorrect!)

My TTG is 141. It would not be me if there were not extremes involved.

Many many decades ago when I was first diagnosed with anaemia, my blood count was 8.5 and it should have been 15. The doctors wondered how I was able to function.

My PSA levels were too high last year, but no cancer.

My cholesterol was at 24% when it should be below 10% (it's below the minimum now).

And the TTG level should be below 10. Mine is 141.

I don't so much take part in extreme sports, but I go for extreme test results.

I don't look forward to the gluten-free diet. I put up with it for 4 years in the last millennium before I was healed, and my annual blood tests indicated it had gone.

For the time being, until they tell me one way or the other, I will be tired and hungry. But, interestingly, looking up the symptoms of coeliac disease, I found that I have one symptom: abdominal pains. But, it can cause fatigue and depression. Those last 2 were not on the list a century ago. So, maybe this could be the cure-all! Give up gluten and be indefatigable and change from Eeyore to Tigger.

We shall see!