Well its time to update the blog again with whats been going on. Thankfully this month its not all doom and gloom and we have some good news for once. Unfortunately its not about the clusters as they have been as bad as ever. This time of year has always been the same for the clusters and they are always worst with the cold wet weather. Mine have been murder for the last 6 weeks. Non stop attacks 2 or 3 every day with out fail. I am using my injections , oxygen and heat treatment to try and control them but its wiping me out. by the end of each day i find myself with no strength or energy and really struggle doing simple things. All i can do for now is continue to fight and hope they calm down soon. My appointment with the Neurologist is at the start of next month so hopefully they will either increase my medication to try and help ease the attacks or they will try a new medication and ill have to start all over again and hope it works.
I've had good news with my benefits as they have seen how bad i am and thankfully have awarded me my PIP after a long wait and now I can get on with things and try and plan ahead. Its difficult to plan anything when your having cluster attacks all the time but i am hoping as they start to decrease I will be able to get out and about again and go fishing as i have been missing it like crazy. its the only thing that's been keeping me sane during all these health issues. Now March is approaching and Spring will soon be here I am looking forwards to getting back on the bank catching some lovely carp. I am just praying to god that the damaged nerve in the left side of body plays ball and doesn't cause me too many issues.
Thankfully the type of fishing i now do doesn't mean i have to sit with a rod in my hand for hours on end at the side of a water. We place the rods on alarms and can sit and relax whilst waiting for a bite. This type of angling is perfect for anyone with disability problems as you can take everything you need with you. Tend , comfortable bed, chairs pillows you name it. I even take my oxygen with me if going on a long fishing trip so i can medicate myself and take care of any cluster attacks whilst fishing. Having the Bivvy (tent) makes it a lot easier as you can just nip inside lay down and deal with it and no one is the wiser as they don't see you,. This is the main reason i ended up doing this type of fishing, being able to hide away in private whilst having an attack or having to deal with medication is perfect. You can then get on with your fishing once sorted and carry on catching loads of lovely fish. I have to admit it is so much nicer having an attack by the side of the lake doing something you love than it is having one stuck at home and stuck indoors unable to go anywhere. I just wish Spring would hurry up and get here as being stuck indoors is driving me nuts. I miss my fishing so much lately.
It is very tempting just to grab the rods and go down the lake even in this weather but i know in my heart if i do it too soon before the nerve has settled in the left side of the body i will just end up in a lot of pain and will end up not enjoying my fishing and will then not want to go in spring so i am being strict with myself this year so i don't cause any issues and I will try an get in a full season of fishing. I hope!. So far the nerve down the left side of the body has caused problems with my walking, movement when i try and turn the body or twist, issues with lifting things even light objects with the left hand and also serious pain up my left leg and left side of my lower back. Why its causing all this i don't know but i am coping with it and being careful not to aggravate things. . I have also started to get burning pain right at the bottom of my spine. This causes problems when just sitting so I have to get this checked again by the spinal clinic. Thankfully the spine issue is minimal at moment but it does worry me and i wonder if it could cause problems when i opt for the cervical nerve root block in the future. i hope its not going to be an issue and i just have to watch what i do. Its doesn't bother me when out and about or when fishing yet but i can see it causing problems in future.
So things have started to get better and are looking good for the future as long as I continue to improve and watch what i do. I am hoping things will calm down soon but if they don't I am seeing the doctor soon so should be able to get the help i need before the start of the new season. I have decided I am going to concentrate on my fishing this year and by doing so will be able to put all these health issues to the back of my mind which in turn will help me get control of it all and manage my condition so i can get on with it and try and live some sort of normal life. I know its not going to be easy and I will get a few more knock backs before i start to manage things but i am getting used to it by now. Fingers crossed things starts getting a little easier from now on........
