Thursday, 25 October 2007

Dr Gray and Writing, writing, writing

I feel cheered by the visit to Dr Gray. I don’t want to bore you lot, but basically last weekend’s catastrophe was a sort of flush through and from now on she hopes everything will settle down. If not, and I continue to have problems, she will put me on something that will stop my cycle altogether.

So I’m happy to do what she suggests, which is wait and see. I’d rather not take anything if I don’t have to, and I have her phone number so I can get hold of her when I need to.

I’ve also possibly got some work out of this. She works for a charity called Women’s Health Concern www.womens-health-concern.org (for some reason blogger won’t let me embed links which is a nuisance) which is for anyone with menopausal or gynae problems. They are looking for people to write for them and I’ve thrown myself in at the deep end. What do I know about adenomyosis? Not a lot except that I’ve got it. So I’m now on a Steep Learning Curve.

Unlike most subjects, there is very little on this topic on the internet or in the medical press so muggins here is scratching around desperately trying to make sense of what has happened to me so far. For someone who never passed a science exam in their life and failed Biology O Level twice, I sure have landed myself in it. My poor spongy brain is flapping and struggling in a quagmire of medical terminology. But I'm intending to make as much sense of it before I ring one of the medical experts to ask for additional information.

Still, at least I will learn something from it and with a bit of luck, the information can help other people with a similar problem. That’s what I’m telling myself as I sit here panicking, awaiting a phone call from WHC to discuss what I’m going to write.

Look on the bright side. Following a self imposed, crash course in adenomyosis yesterday I already know twice what I did on Tuesday. Admittedly that's not saying a lot, but it's a start.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a talented enough writer to be able to pull this one off perfectly. It will help you with your own condition along the way and maybe even help to pronounce it. I for one will want to read more about it and who knows, maybe one day I will be able to pronounce it too!!!!

Good luck and take care.
Crystal xx

Cornish Dreamer said...

I'm sure you'll do a marvellous job FP, even if the information is hard to get. At least it will also help you understand your own condition.

I wish you luck.

RT

Flowerpot said...

Crystal - thanks for your confidence in me! We will see...

RT - thanks for your vote also. I'm still waiting for that phone call...

BreadBox said...

FP: what you *do* know about it is what it *feels* like --- and if you get through the next few weeks as Dr G and you hope, then you'll know you can get through it.
You can write about that, and help others to have faith that things can get better.
And you can learn the science too: trust me, it is heaps easier to understand something when you have a personal connection to it than when it is presented as O level material by a boring teacher:-)

N.

BreadBox said...

Oh, and I am thrilled to learn that Dr G thinks that your problems last weekend were a "this has got to get through your system" problem, and not expected to be a monthly recurrence... great news:-)
N.

sallywrites said...

Twice as much is considerably more. Just keep going and you'll do just fine...

Flowerpot said...

breadbox - thank you for your wise words. You are quite right of course. I'm much better at writing about how things feel than any scientific basis, so I must do a bit of both for this! And yes, it is good news that last weekend isnt going to perpetuate monthly!

Flowerpot said...

sally - yes, you're quite right. That sounds much better!

Akelamalu said...

The writing won't be a problem to you Flowerpot - you're a natural! Finding out more about the condition may make it easier to cope with. Anyways I hope it will settle down now and you'll soon feel better. x

the rotten correspondent said...

Now that's turning lemons into lemonade, isn't it? Good for you!

And Blogger is still not letting you embed? Very odd.

If you need any medical terminology translated give me a shout. I seem to speak it fluently!

Julia Phillips Smith said...

My sister turned historical research for her novels into quite a few published articles in 'The Medical Post' (under historic medical interest). You never know what life throws your way!

Elaine Denning said...

I've got my fingers crossed for you...on both counts.

Flowerpot said...

ak - many thanks for that. Feeling better already!

Flowerpot said...

correspondent - funnily enough I was just thinking about you in connection with medical terminology. I might well have to give you a shout and ask you to translate! I will email if I get stuck - thanks indeed.

Julia - yes, good to be able to use real life experiences I think - good for your sister.

MissU - many thanks. Still no word from WHC so will try them again today.