Back on the evening of the 6th July I struggled to get to sleep due to pain in both my legs below the knees. I ended up in absolute agony and had to call 111, as I'd done everything I could think of to ease the pain.
Ultimately an ambulance came out to me and once they'd confirmed that I wasn't having, or going to have, a heart attack weren't really much use.
It pain had eased off a little, but I was left with massively inflamed and swollen legs (below the knee) and feet.
I spent the next week in my rented flat, on the third floor, unable to do much at all apart from take paracetamol and Ibuprofen, keep my legs up and apply hot and cold compresses to my shins and feet.
Failing to get to the Dr in the surgery I eventually booked an appointment with the Health Centre's Physio, as I was struggling to walk, I had developed this shuffle where my feet never left the ground. If my shuffling feet came in contact with a rug or anything like that them I'd effectively fall over it. It was very graceful.
Having to take a taxi ride to the Physio, I found myself sat in the Health Centre on the 13th July, still in some pain (but nothing like the worst of it which was on the 7th). I wasn't surprised by the look on the Physio's face as I did my strange walk, which was an improvement from the shuffle, towards him. I effectively couldn't lift my feet at the ankle, effectively raising the toes, and had to lift my knees high and swing my lower legs to flick the foot out and then land my weight on it, so it all came down together with a splat.
The physio said I had 'dropsy' due to nerve damage sustained whilst my legs had swollen but was stunned by the swelling still there around my legs and ankles and went to see a Dr. He came back with a prescription for a strong anti-biotic.
A week later I was back in, actually seeing a Dr this time, and was prescribed an anti-inflammatory. The anti-biotics had done some good but my legs and feet were still swollen and I still struggled to walk.
A week later, not much improvement I tried to get to see the Dr again, to follow up on the anti-inflammatories, failed to do so and so took a taxi to the local hospital's A&E.
I didn't have to wait too long as it turned out, and after a quick examination was sent to a hospital (not the closest one though) to have a DVT scan.
Another taxi ride later, and after the test I was informed that it wasn't DVT and to come back tomorrow for a different scan.
A few taxi rides later, there's no way I could drive with my feet as they were, and I found myself back the next day with another negative result from another scan.
I was asked to stay in the ward until they could sort me out.
Although I was only dressed in shorts, t-shirt and saddles (the only shoes I could get my feet into) with my wallet and iPhone in my pockets I checked myself in.
The NHS staff are all wonderful human beings. I was constantly humbled by pretty much everything they did, day in and day out.
A week later and I was checking out again with the knowledge that my thyroid was incredibly small and not producing anywhere near enough Thyroxine.
They never did explain the infections but I had a diagnosis, knowledge of a whole load of things I haven't got and a prescription to sort me out.
It's funny that before all of this I had thought I had bad congestion, my voice sounded very growly and a little drunk.
Turns out this was all linked and my voice is now back to normal.
Sadly the same can't be said of my feet. My walking is much improved but I still can't lift my toes as I stride along and so I have to lift my feet and put them down carefully in front of me with each step.
I get overtaken by everybody now.
I still can't drive as my feet can't work a clutch, accelerator or brake, which has a massive impact on my mobility. Missing Cons, having to wfh despite things lifting (rightly or wrongly) from a Covid perspective and generally not being able to just pop somewhere if needed, or fancied.
Looks like this might be it I guess, as good as my feet will get, so I'm going to have to look at cars that you can drive with your hands, an automatic with hand controlled brake and accelerator I guess.
I'll decide after my next appointment with the hospital, at the end of Jan.
Yep, not a great second half of the year and frustrating to still be impacted by it all some 6 months later, but there are people in worse situations.
