Hi!!
Yes, I live in Te Akau.
There may be a very good chance that we have the same ostomy nurse, but there are two. My ostomy nurse is Nicole. I find her to be so nice. Every time I have a problem, I just email her, and she rings me back very quickly.
I have spent a lot of time in Waikato. Until my specialist said there was nothing they could do for me anymore, except to help me with my pain. The pain clinic has given my GP permission to regulate it, but I tend to do it myself. I use as little as I can so I do not get so sedated.
I used to sleep 20 hours a day, and I got fed up.
I may not have much quality of life anymore, but I am so tired of missing out on life.
I spent most of my time sitting on top of the bed, reading a lot. I have always been an avid bookworm. Plus, the people in my community are so kind that they collect books people have bought and read, and my husband comes home with a huge box full of books for me to read.
If I didn't give the books away myself after reading them, I could have probably opened up a small library with the amount I read!!
:-)
UPDATE:
My stoma nurse is back from her summer holidays and just rang me after asking for a photograph. She's advised me to use 5 puffs of my Flixotide inhaler every time I change my bag. She wants me to change my bag at least every 4 days. And I have to take one or two doses of liquid Loratadine a day as it's definitely allergy-related.
There is NOTHING WORSE than incredibly itchy skin where you cannot scratch it - I know that I shouldn't be scratching at all! However, I also have a big outbreak of eczema on my arms - which I have had since childhood. And when I'm asleep, I tend to scratch until it starts bleeding - if it wasn't as hot here right now, I'd probably put some gloves over my hands, but in this weather, I cannot even wear socks, and I walk around the house barefoot.
I am so much HAPPIER!
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Abe/Paul
I wish that small sample sized tubes were available in New Zealand. My ostomy nurse told me most people put the Eaken Cohesive Paste in a cup of hot water - but even though it made it slightly easier to work with, and using water helps to spread it I kept consistently getting too much paste out of the tube. It's so sticky that there have been times that it's gotten all over my hands, and it's terribly difficult to remove afterwards.
About ten years ago (I am clumsy as can be) I fell down the stairs, and I damaged my left ulnar nerve (and broke my index finger in 3 places), and I have very little feeling in my left hand. Which makes some it often difficult. I once thought that if I dropped something small accidentally on the floor that if I could see it clearly that I should still be able to pick it up using my left hand, but to my frustration I discovered that I need to be able to feel the item I dropped as well.
My doctors didn't think I'd ever get any feeling back in my wrist and hand, but lately I have started getting some sensation back in my finger tips - so that encourages me. I also force my hand to do exercises so that my hand doesn't get any muscle deterioration.
I am also very thankful that I am right handed :-)
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