Hi All
I thought I would post an update on how Stephen is faring on the RCD regime. He seems to be coping with this combo quite well. His pp levels have dropped and the "dexatude" is nowhere near the level it was when he was on a higher dose. It was such a shock to come accross "dexatude" as you could not ever ever meet a more laid back and mild mannered person than Stephen.
This time he is not nearly as bad tempered and he is aware of his grumpiness where as before he would deny it was anything to do with him and blamed everyone (me mainly) for being in the wrong.
The bad side of the rcd seems to be on the loo side. Gripping pain, very unpleasent wind and 3 or 4 loose movements in one day. Then no pain, no wind and no bowel movement for 2 or 3 days and so it starts again.
Mind you Stephen's best new friend is Radiotherapy. He is almost pain free and has stopped walking like a chicken (arms thrust behind him, head thrust forward and a lumbering gait). He is back to walking the dogs even though it is not as far as it used to be and we are off to France next week without him being very scared that he won't be able to cope with the journey (12 hours from door to door if you don't stop but we do now stop overnight half way) Why did we not get a place closer to the tunnel? Not us slap bang in the centre of France. Very French, very rural and boy do I struggle with the language.
Mind you just sometimes neighbours do try a little english. We went for a quick pre dinner drink early one evening with an elderley couple (both retired teachers he is well over ninety) and it annoys him that although he studied English when young he has had little chance to use it over the years. He taps his head and says "I learn the english but now she all seem gone"
One thing he does remember is when you toast somebody the English phrase is "up your bottom yes?" We smile and nod and say nothing, but I have made far larger mistakes than that I once told a neighbour that he was a tease to the amusement of all only to be explained to that the word I had used means when a woman teases a man in a sexual way:-/ His wife did a charade of what they meant by rolling down the collar of her sweater to expose a little bit of shoulder and fluttering her eyelids.
OOPS
