December 2013 - the new year beckons

To think, that this time last year, I was doing exactly the same as I am now....wondering "what will this next year hold". It is fair to say that whatever I predicted (I can't remember) it wouldn't have been what happened in reality. It is probably also true to say 2014 will be the same in terms of unpredictability, but I do hope for no more health scares to come.

My first test of that will be in February, when I have my first full Endocrine MOT checkup post Pituitary surgery. I have an MRI scan booked in for late January (an "MRI with *Gadolinium" to be precise) and I will need to get some blood tests done, and then I can go back to Dr. Kar to find out the status of my hormones and more importantly whether my Pituitary gland remains tumour-free. I really hope so, but if the news is different then I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

* Gadolinium is the stuff they injected me with when I had my first MRI scan. It is a 'contrast agent' they inject into the bloodstream so that they can get a good image of my Pituitary area

2014 generally isn't really shaping up to be a stunning year for us, both our Dad's are in their 80's and not in a brilliant state of health, I think that is where my main area of concern lies for this coming year. Even our old dog, at 14 years of age, cannot go on forever. So whilst I hope for good health for me, I fear for others in our family.

I was also thinking about a couple of other associated oddities that have happened as a result of having my tumour removed....if not 'as a result of', certainly 'around the same time as' and probably more the hormone treatment than the tumour itself. My hair has really gone downhill, it is much more greasy and unruly than it was, as well as thinning at an alarming rate. Also my fingernails have nearly recovered, but I had a 'growth line' appear in every single one of them, around the time of my operation. There was a line across all the nails where clearly something biological changed in my body that affected my nails. My left thumbnail fared the worse, in that little shards kept snapping off, but the defects have just about grown out now. And spots! I keep getting spots on my face, turned into a spotty teenager I have.....

Lastly, the other thing I could NEVER have imagined me doing in 2013, or any other year for that matter, was writing a blog. I've really quite enjoyed doing it and will continue to do so for as long as I'm enjoying it and have something useful to say. I hope you the reader finds it a bit interesting every now and then - I guess if it helps just one person with a Pituitary issue understand a bit more about the process, then I've succeeded. 

I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

Cheers, Carlton.