Health
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 →
So this Monday I had another blood test to check my magnesium levels and got a call yesterday afternoon, late, from the pharmacist (as I don’t currently have a family doctor) telling me my level was hovering on the very edge of normal. Which is to say the least, not good. So we both agreed, I need to see a doctor to have them authorise further tests to see what’s going on.
The problem is, it’s not so easy to get to see a doctor outside of having a family doctor. Yes, it’s true the government created a Portal to facilitate access to a nurse, for making appointments. But it works as easy as standing naked in the middle of a road, at midnight, under a full moon, chanting gibberish. The categories and sub categories are limited and don’t allow for leeway when trying to navigate getting said call-back from a nurse.
We sat there looking at the screen trying them all, till we just chose one in order to get the call. This is even before you get referred to an agent to book an actual appointment with a random, free doctor somewhere within the city limits.
The nurse did call within the hour (which in and of itself was a miracle.) I then had to answer 101 questions detailing everything that has happened to me in the last 6 months (information that should by all accounts, be in my records already) and then, when she finally said she was going to transfer me to a booking agent, her computer froze.
Of course, she had to call me back.
Thankfully, it was only a 10 minute wait. Another several minutes and finally, I was transferred to a booking agent who took all of a minute to type into their computer to see which doctor was available and get me an appointment (all which seems dumb, leaving me wondering why couldn’t the nurse do this?) Who knows.
I actually got an appointment for this year, amazing. December 23rd. And, it’s in an easy to get to business mall. This is when the next part of this mini drama starts.
It’s all very exhausting.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 →
Went to see the vampire again, this morning. Had to give enough to fill 3 vials this time.
I’m always fascinated by the different colour coding on the tubes they fill. This one has a yellow stripe tape, this one red, another is green. I know one is to be tested for my magnesium levels, the other two? Cancer markers.
I now know my blood will scream, Red Alert! Red Alert! to the doctor to let them know if there’s any pesky aliens in my blood work. Thereby alerting us early enough (I hope) to take action.
So very thankful for modern medicine.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Thursday, November 6, 2025 • 1 min read
More good news from the doctor this morning. Well, good in that he reaffirmed that my surgery seems to have gotten all the nasty stuff, and that blood tests and scans show no signs of any lingering cells anywhere.
That said. Every 4 months for the next 2 years I have to do a blood test to check my markers to see if they’re still good. Plus, every year for the next 2 I have to have a yearly colonoscopy. Then, the following 3 years, twice a year blood tests, plus the colonoscopies.
Five years seems to be the point at which they say your are less likely to have another occurrence but still, I will be doing blood tests and colonoscopies probably for the rest of my life. Something I’m more than happy to do if it means I never ever have cancer again!
So dear Ladies and Germs, listen to your friendly Alexandra and, for the love of life and your families, please, please, go get tested every other year. Get scoped top and bottom and make sure you too stay healthy and on the right side of cancer.
This post is brought to you by the letters A and W.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • 2 min read
Tomorrow I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 6 am because of a doctor’s appointment at 8:15. It’s my follow up with my cancer surgeon and, because he starts surgery at 8:45, he literally squeezes in patient follow-ups beforehand.
Don’t feel sorry for me getting up at that silly time to shower and eat, he get’s up even earlier, because that’s his life of a surgeon these days. Get into work, do prep, see patients and then, go off to do several surgeries throughout the day.
Thinking about it, when I realised what long hours he does, I was glad that, on the day of my surgery, I was his first patient rather than his last. I wouldn’t want to be that last one on a difficult day especially when said surgeries, without complications, can take 3 hours each.
So, I’ll be there at 8 am, ready to see him at 8:15 sharp and, even though it’s only for a five minute consult while he looks at my scars and asks me a few questions to see how I’m doing and maybe, schedule further follow-ups. I’ll be grateful because, once again, I’m seeing him at the start of his day and not at the end, when he might have been through hell and back.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 1 min read
Just had the call I’ve been waiting for from the pharmacy about my blood test results for my magnesium and … good news, my levels are back in the top end of ‘Normal’ which means no more magnesium pills. For now at least.
I am so happy. The pharmacist explain that my magnesium was probably always low because of the stomach pills I was on for my ulcer. But once I stopped taking those as I no longer have the ulcer, the magnesium levels went back up. So it looks like my digestive system is slowly getting back to normal.
But, and there’s always a but, she advised we do another blood test in about a week, followed by another one after that in two weeks. Just to be on the safe side and to make sure my levels remain in the normal range without too much fluctuation.
Who knew magnesium was such an important mineral, but it is.
I have to say I have never been so cognisant of what I’m eating as I am these days.
Friday, October 24, 2025 →
Just got a reminder from my pharmacy to say don’t forget, I have an appointment tomorrow morning for my combo flu and covid shots.
Reminder to the rest of you, don’t forget to get Vaxxed this season, save lives!
Monday, October 20, 2025 →
So, for all of you who are following along. This morning I went for my follow up endoscopy at the hospital. A three minute prceedure that, in the end, took almost three and a half hours.
But … skipping all boring details … the good news is: MY ULCER IS GONE.
Healed one assumes. And, as a result, the doctor told me I could stop at least one drug straight away. As to the second one? Well, I have no idea who to ask about that one. It remains to be seen over the coming weeks what effect this will have on my guts and health going forward. It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders to know the ulcer is gone. And maybe, just maybe, things are slowly getting back to normal.
My next doctor’s appointment is with the colon surgeon on November 6th.
I am so hoping for more good news.