Fighting fit and chipper

I'm glad to report I'm fighting fit and ready for christmas. After the last worrying health development (with the reappearance of my chostochondritis, which my GP warned me might not be that and might be much worse), I was referred to a specialist.

She was brilliant. I was shown the x-ray results of my first hospital visit, along with all of the results they'd obtained - The pains I were getting again were, she was convinced, still the chostochondritis and nothing worse. Not potential angina or liver failure, as my GP had suggested. My GP had taken the incredibly intelligent route of assisting the treatment of an illness made worse through stress by suggesting it was something way worse than it was, something that neatly undid the healing process my body had been going through.

After a few more weeks of discomfort (albeit discomfort that didn't convince me I was having a heart attack with every twinge of my chest), the pain has all but gone. I've almost recovered fully now, and thanks for all the kind thoughts that many of you have passed my way.

More Medical Woes

So, after thinking I was shot of the chostochondritis after a couple of weeks, I was feeling good again. Until about a fortnight later (around a week and a bit ago) the pains in my chest started again and have been gradually getting worse. Beginning to panic again, I went to my local GP on Friday who put the fear of God into me by pointing out that the hospital might have been too hasty with their conclusion of Chostochondria and that he was going to put me forward for some more blood tests (starting a few days later) to find out what was wrong. The word 'Angina' was mentioned which didn't exactly put me at rest. He put me on a low dose of diazepam for the anxiety, enough to last me about a fortnight.

That evening I had a really bad attack of pain in my chest and armpit, and was taken to our local walk-in centre where the doctor suspects I may have sprained my pectoral muscle. The GP at the walk-in centre still thinks its chostochondritis, but noticed my breathing was a little wheezy so prescribed me some steroids to last around a week to deal with that.

So I'm now on a combination of ibuprofen, paracetomol, diazepam and steroids. This morning I woke up at three with a really bad attack; it literally felt like my heart was going to stop. Even now several hours later my chest wall is really tender, especially around my side. Worrying about it makes it worse as my heart races, but I'm finding it hard to think about anything else at the moment.

Fingers crossed the blood tests will reveal something positive that can be done about this - I'm bored of feeling like this now, and I'm scared.

Left Right Left Right Left Right

Quick one this - I promise a decent blog update in the next couple of days. My good friend Paul from Plinx has submitted something to the fine website Facebook Animations. Here's the offending article; Me angrily smacking Paul in the chops. Who knew so much entertainment could be gathered from simple two/three frame animations?