Mid-Week Update

Since I last posted on Thursday, things have not improved much at all. The nerve pain in my shoulder and arm seems to be far worse at night and does not allow me to sleep or lay flat at all. I have to give up and come downstairs. I have never experienced anything like this in my life, my arm is extremely tender to touch, even clothing makes it feel sore. I feel totally wrecked.

I am currently on my fifth day of taking Diazepam to relax my neck muscles (which is helping a bit) and Amitriptyline for nerve pain, but this isn't working! Also taking Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. I'm exhausted and totally fed-up. Still doing all the exercises and using the neck traction collar several times a day, as advised by the staff physio.

I had a physio appointment this morning at 10.30am and was told that if the Amitriptyline is not working, then I need to ask my GP to prescribe Gabapentin. The physio described my arm pain as 'Radicular pain in arm'. The physio is referring me to the Pain Clinic and flagging it up as urgent – he hopes this will also be the quickest route to have an MRI scan of my spine, which he said I need for a correct and full diagnosis.

After my appointment, I popped in to see some of my colleagues (on their tea break) in the Stroke team. It was so lovely to see lots of smiley faces! I'm not good at being at home on my own and when I can't physically do any jobs either – if I could, I would be back at work! I usually cut my hedges with my shears at this time of year, I'm going to have to pay someone to do this, which is very annoying, as I certainly can't do it!

I can only drive essential short distances (eg appts, food shopping) as it hurts my arm to change gear and use the handbrake. I so wish there was somewhere nice to walk from my house for exercise and where I feel totally safe – sadly there isn't. I miss doing my photography so much and I was just at the beginning of trying to master the Canon R5 before this happened and its killing me not being able to get out birding along the coast. 😞 Made even worse by the fact, there are seven Bee-eaters at Trimingham that I haven't seen yet, heartbreaking!

Anyway, I returned home and not long after this, I had a surprise knock on the door – Vivien turned up! This was so nice and she sat and chatted with me all afternoon – I had a job to keep awake though, if I'm honest as only had about two hours sleep early this morning. I swear I had a fleeting glimpse of a "Silver-washed Fritillary" in my garden, but it was gone over the fence before I had a chance to get a closer look, Vivien saw it too – if it was, it would have been a first for my garden! It was the heavy kind of typical flight pattern, that caught my eye. Vivien left just before 5pm to return to Ely for her tea with Ray.