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Health notes 2.1.04 -23.9.04

2.1.04

Legs aching badly. Quite a lot of exertion yesterday due to T (cat) weeing on bed.

My nails (fingernails anyway) seem to be growing fast again - they had apparently slowed down in the past year or so. Due to candida? Slime again a.m.

5.1.04

Weight seems to be creeping back up - a few lbs over 10 stone with some clothes on. Decided to try a low-starch diet. Will try to cut out/drastically cut down bread intake, replace afternoon spuds with something else & replace rice with dhal (etc?)

Still have some bread, naan bread & cooked rice to use up.

Found that I was quite polyuric after having dhal & papadum instead of toast at lunchtime. Clothes had been v. tight for past 2 days which is maybe due to oedema, so maybe I'm just getting rid of excess fluid.

Sweating a lot (but think I was yesterday too).

8.1.04

Head & neck ache am. Went shopping in town yesterday. Also a lot of inadvertent perfume inhalation (wide range, including no. 4's washing products via encounter with the culprit, perfume & perfumed-clothes wearers in town & next door's products in evening)

Knee-backs v. achey & weak in evening even after smoke. Not as hungry as usual.

9.1.04

Head, neck & knee-back ache again/still a.m. Knees bad all day, aching & throbbing. Next-door neighbours still home & I can still smell perfume in extension - unable to use downstairs loo. Catching wafts of perfume in lounge & study too, followed by twinges in neck, tightness & feeling of lump in throat, hoarseness. Have been irritable lately - not sure if started before new diet.

10.1.04

Head & neck pretty OK am, legs a bit achey & weak but not as bad as yesterday. Lot of throbbing/twitching in knee-backs both days. Took Nytol last night. (¼ dose)

11.1.04

Legs much better. Some back-of-neck tightness & aching. Took Co-codamol in early hours due to worry about T - she seemed to need to go out but wouldn't due to rain.

Next door still in residence.

Have felt irritable rather a lot over past 3-4 days. This evening I felt quite low & unhappy. Next door doing washing with whatever their psychoactive laundry product is, & the smell filled the extension & substantially permeated the lounge.

Neck ache, swollen chin-neck glands & other usual perfume symptoms. Even evening smoke did not alleviate low mood much.

12.1.04

Felt better am re legs & neck. Mood level. (not up or down). Eyes watering a lot, but this has been highly prevalent recently.

Not getting much IBS gp at present but am getting 'swollen-upper-torso' syndrome a lot. Spoke too soon - attack of IBS-gp after afternoon stuffed pepper & baked potato. (NB I am still having small amounts of latter.)



13.1.04

Have had a patch of flakey, itchy skin in middle of left palm* for a week or so (like the 'stigmata' (!) I had in late 80s which I thought might be due to allergy to spruce sap). It started bleeding today. Motions a.m. smelt foul, like what I have previously produced after drinking scrumpy.

* on lifeline as before. Mood back to normal. Have not smelt next-door's perfumed products for 2 days but have caught whiffs of No 4's as usual.

Legs bad again from afternoon. Current diet is: breakfast, beans or spaghetti & vegesausage. Lunch & early afternoon: peppers stuffed with soyabeans, dhal, sunflower seeds, celery, onion & peanut butter + ½ small-medium baked/roast spud. Dinner (Evening): curry & dhal. Supper: bread roll with peanut butter or mushroom paté &/or vegan cheese. Still drinking tea + gin & tonic as usual.

Re 'stigmata', had stinging sensation around junction of lifeline with the line nearest fingers (heartline? headline?) for a while. Right palm has a dot-sized indentation where lifeline stops at junction with middle line (heart/headline?)

Polyuria for an hour or (looks like 'on') two after going to bed. Thirsty too.

14.1.04

Legs quite bad. 'Stigmata' still sore, & consist of a split along lifeline just over 8 mm long.

Managed to walk to town centre.

15.1.04

Legs better, but still achey. 2 atypical perfume exposures today - Anchor handyman (laundry products, I think) & a council employee (drenched in personal scent, I think). After the 2nd I had to cover chair where she had sat with a curtain as she had transferred the smell to it. Despite leaving door open for at least ½ hr + having extractor fan on, my throat felt so swollen & 'lumpy' that I became concerned that it might affect my breathing. Brief neck stiffness, aching & slight grinding. Voice became hoarse (another common perfume symptom for me). Eyes watered a lot after Anchor visit.

Still feel as though have lump in throat 2½ hrs after perfumed woman left. Can't smell perfume.

17.1.04

Bad dream/nightmare c0430. Woke shouting & thrashing about, I think (both cats were no longer on bed!). Bizarrely I was shouting 'No, T!' I think - in the dream she was doing something stupid (not unusual in her case!) and threatening (not personally experienced re her except when she's invaded my personal space), but has been reported.

19.1.04

Pain in mid-abdomen when hungry in afternoon, short-lived & followed by v. mild nausea. Ulcer? My diet is not especially high-fat & I'm eating plenty of veg. Have also had more fruit than usual (grapes & apples) but still poss. less than recommended 5 portions of fruit & veg a day.

V. randy today - relieved quickly (good one!)

20.1.04

Legs bad. More awake earlier than of late. For past few days (weeks?) I have slept till c. 0900 (although waking a few times before) & felt still tired, wanting to sleep on.

Next-door neighbour still around a lot; have detected her laundry smells maybe twice weekly (v. strong in extension, still some penetration of lounge since window to extension was closed properly).

21.1.04

Think I've been less thirsty at night since reducing starch intake. No weight loss yet. 'Stigmata(-um?) is spreading along life line towards wrist. Think that muscle tension may be slightly reduced.

23.1.04

Brief headache in afternoon after V left, followed by sore throat which persisted throughout day. V had brought some clothes, some of which were perfumed, & she smelt slightly of perfume too. She has relatives suffering from, or exposed to, chicken pox.

24.1.04

Woke in early hours with muscle tension & swollen-feeling throat. Feeling v. hot. Decided not to use Co-codamol as wanted to let heat fight infectious microbes, & didn't want to suppress cough reflex as had had to cough up some phlegm. Got back to sleep with aid of lavender.

Decided to try using dp. by non-smoking means as getting a bit worried about throat cancer.

Sore throat & aching legs when got up. Difficulty waking up. I have actually had sneezing bouts for a few days. C (cat) has too, & T had a runny eye for a few days.

26.1.04

Felt rather low on waking. Area under chin very swollen (went down later). Have had dp in food instead of smoking for last 2 days & am going to try to stick to it. Drank a bit less gin as a result (had been drinking too much). Effect of dp takes hours to reach peak when taken this way (in curry at 1800). Tired today (lethargic & sleepy).

Extreme urinary frequency on going to bed - every 5 - 10 mins. Had to take Desmotab (rarely needed now).

27.1.04

Pain in back, just left of spine & about ½ way up. Feels like pulled muscle.

28.1.04

Back still hurting. Difficulty finding painless lying position in bed - on back is best but do not allow self to fall asleep in this position due to tendency to inhale phlegm & other fluid. As yesterday, brushing hair causes particular pain.

29.1.04

Back pain milder, only triggered by certain positions when brushing hair or turning to look over left shoulder. 'Stigmata' disappeared days ago (well - it's healed & there's just a slight flakiness & scar left) but problem with left thumb is as bad as ever (alternating itching, flaking, splitting & bleeding). Have been wearing plaster on it most days for months, with various types of leaf between plaster & skin, partly because can't get plasters big enough for the lint to cover all of the irritated skin. Have used mint, evening primrose & goosegrass but nothing has been as soothing & healing as rose petals. (unfortunately currently unavailable)

31.1.04

Back pain almost totally gone.

Tried Amphora Aromatics calendula cream on thumb last night & the effect was dramatic - irritation stopped & skin appeared much smoother. Ingredients include aloe vera, glycerin, tocopheryl acetate, comfrey extract, lavender, ginseng & camomile.

Eyes watering a lot lately, making reading & playing Countdown difficult.

3.2.04

Feeling unusually relaxed today (still prob. tenser than most people & tenser than I have been in past, e.g. before M.E.). Mood good. Strong randy feelings in genitals, esp. when found self laughing at C's endearingness (she wasn't doing anything esp. funny; I was just feeling loving towards her). (NB I do NOT have that kind of relationship with a cat!) Concentration poor - feeling rather vague & mentally unfocused. Eyes still watering a lot.

Don't know whether mood is partly due to positive observations of nature: song thrush singing in garden, honeysuckle cuttings coming into leaf, celandine & daisy in flower, all of which I have found v. cheering. Weather mild, dull & damp, but this doesn't bother me much, in contrast to other people.

Maybe good mood & woosiness was just due to hangover from ingested rather than inhaled dp. Got so fed up waiting for effect this evening (4 hrs after consumption) that I had a smoke as well.

4.2.04

Struggling with thumb skin again. Thought I had found a solution yesterday: rubbing garlic over it & also over computer mouse & TV remote control, but skin keeps hardening, flaking & splitting again, even when apply Calendula cream.

Resorted to Evening Primrose leaf & plaster a.m. as it was bleeding in 2 places.

Overpowering sickly smell at front of house. Unable to avoid inhaling it & soon had 'lump in throat' feeling, hoarseness & low mood. Saw J P's car soon afterwards so maybe it's her exceptionally neurologically active toxic product.

5.2.04

Slight 'clamped' feeling in head on waking; not sure whether due to exertion (in-town shopping, including walk up R Hill), perfume exposure or both.

Got strong whiff of pungent male toiletry product late am when a courier delivered something & I opened front door to investigate noise. Had a few twinges on right side of head (near top) afterwards, & voice became momentarily hoarse accompanied by lumpy feeling in throat & slight neck-grinding & tightness.

Throat & neck swollen, tight & a bit achey later, poss due to Hs' washing. 'Ache' is strange - a 'bruised' feeling in throat (muscles?). Now suspect it's due to next door's products.

7.2.04

Getting polyuria & thirst again sometimes, e.g. last night & this afternoon.

8.2.04

Neck stiff in late afternoon.

Localised dull pain which I couldn't actually locate, but it's on l.h. side of throat. Throat & under-chin area swollen - this is becoming virtually permanent.

12.2.04

'Stigma' flared up again after doing washing up a day or 2 ago.

14.2.04

Developed hiccups in late afternoon for no apparent reason.

15.2.04

Feeling unfocused & a bit fed-up. Not sure why. Too little dp or too much alcohol last night? Maybe empathic sadness due to e-friend having to have dog put down. Maybe due to uncertainty re OU course - no tutor allocation & still waiting for computer upgrade - not sure what to do next. Also disconcerted by not being able to go outside whenever I want due to neighbours' perfumed washing & next-door's parents hostile presence. (NB unusual to miss out apostrophe) Had plucked up courage to ask neighbour what washing powder she used & was left feeling hurt & bewildered by her apparent lack of concern for my welfare.

16.2.04

Woke feeling tense. Mood still rather low & indefinably anxious (reasons not definable)

Developed sore throat in evening, so maybe psychological low was due to early stage of a bug. More sleepy/stoned/relaxed this evening than for past 2-3 nights.

19.2.04

Feeling tired & rather low all morning. Went into town yesterday, with usual exertion & perfume inhalation. Eyes itchy/'gritty'-feeling. Tired all day & v. absent-minded - extreme short-term memory difficulty. Bit better after coffee in late afternoon, & mood improved a bit too. Sweating (armpits) all day & v. dilute polyuria in late afternoon.

20.2.04

Felt more normal today.

21.2.04

Slept heavily with vivid & not-unpleasant dreams. Difficulty waking up but OK once I had. My sleep varies a lot in quality, quantity & pattern.

23.2.04

'Stigma' on right palm bleeding again.

24.2.04

Sore throat & sinus congestion a.m. Went to Co-op yesterday. Wonder if there's a pattern - feeling low & with respiratory infection symptoms the day after going shopping. May be due to exertion and/or exposure to a veritable smellscape of artificial perfumes. Yesterday there was a fog of such fumes along about 50 yards of path on industrial estate, in addition to the usual trails left by individual pedestrians. Also caught whiffs of smell like next door's psychoactive product a few times in evening, source unknown as couldn't smell it in extension. Sometimes have found some paper to be highly perfumed with the harsh but sickly perfume characteristic of neighbours' laundry.

Feel rather grotty today - eyes & brain tired. Have a few spots on face & neck.

25.2.04

Weight just under 10st with full gamut of cold-weather indoor clothing.

27.2.04

IBS gp all evening.

Getting quite a lot of hot flushes lately.

29.2.04

Weight 2 or 3lbs under 10 st with 2 t-shirts, 2 jumpers & slippers a.m. (pre-poo!).

1.3.04

Weight 10st 4-5lbs fully clothed (incl. boots) in evening. Is such substantial fluctuation normal (see 25th for morning value)?

2.3.04

10st 1 or 2lbs fully dressed a.m. V. hungry am from c. an hour after breakfast.

3.3.04

9¾ stone with 2 T-shirts, 1 jumper & slippers. (a.m.) Boots weigh c 2lbs.

10.3.04

10 st am with full indoor winter clothing incl. boots (pre-poo!)

12.3.04

Neck-chin glands very swollen; they were a bit yesterday too. Bit headachey yesterday afternoon (after shopping trip in town centre). Weight about same as yesterday: just over 9½ st with 2 T-shirts, 1 jumper & leggings. Bit woosy & clumsy later.

14.3.04

Knee-backs aching quite a lot for past few days, poss because I have been on my feet a lot, partly due to having to do extra cooking due to low-starch diet.

Acquired 2 armchairs yesterday - they're T's old ones and reek of v. harsh chemical product. Had to put extractor fan on, then cover chairs with bedspreads. Smell still arises when covers slip & when I sit down.

Clothes digging badly into upper body after evening meal. Then had pain on right side of abdomen just below ribs for few minutes.

15.3.04

Noticed upper-body clothes digging in just after returning to lounge from study. Wonder if it's due to the perfumed furniture?

Getting frequent 'lump-in-throat' feelings when in lounge, & high phlegm secretion. Had to drape blankets on top of bedspreads on chairs as the fumes were getting out in high volumes. Still getting whiffs later.

16.3.04

Legs still aching. Weight has been 'stuck' for c 2 weeks at c 9½ st with just tshirts & slippers. Getting 2-3 hot flushes a night in bed & lots during day. Wonder if they're 'overshoots' in temperature regulation.

Have also been getting lower-lip spasms a few times a day for past week or so. Had not had this for long time except after heavy drinking.

17.3.04

Legs still aching: weight still 'stuck'. Chemical fumes are coming out through double layers of 'shielding' so am trying a system of changing 'shields' & washing them.

18.3.04

Legs (knee-backs as usual) still aching.

20.3.04

Got fed up with 'digging' & backache from sports top & removed. Earlier I had that funny 'glass-chinking 'sound'' in back of neck, which I actually 'hear' internally, not through ears.

22.3.04

Weight still stuck at 9½ st unclothed. Motions have been unhealthy-looking lately - orange & wet, sometimes with spray. Until recently they had become quite wholesome! Front lower teeth hurting p.m - seems to be a generalised ache, focused on tips, so prob. not actually due to problems with teeth themselves.

Drinking too much, bit more tense than usual.

23.3.04

Knee-backs much better. Mood a bit lighter - had been a bit low at times.

Throat became v. tight and lumpy feeling - this is lower part of throat - completely different from the swelling I get below chin - in afternoon. Had to clear throat a bit & also seemed to have to cough up particulates at times (have had this before recently). The alarming thought of MND came into my mind in evening. Computer has been making nasty noises & making me suspect that I'm being irradiated as when I had a misbehaving computer or monitor before. Must check connections, as I think that may have been the problem.

27.3.04

Strong attack of what some might interpret as anxiety or panic soon after waking between 0600 & 0700. Became very hot (or felt very hot) & muscles throughout body became rigid or twitching. Pulse pounding in head. Lasted 5-10 mins at strongest point. After that I had to get up 5 or 6 times to urinate &/or defecate (at least 4 defecations within an hour or less).

Weight 9st 11 or 12 fully clothed (incl. boots) when got up. Maybe loss is partly due to loss of fluid. Had bout of polyuria yesterday afternoon - difficulty holding on when walking back from shops due to fullness of bladder. This is quite rare nowadays.

Back to 'panic attack', it seemed to affect internal, autonomic muscles as well. Belched soon afterwards, then had brief nausea. Felt mild, transient pains in upper abdomen (on right) as if sphincters or valves were contracting, perhaps.

Although I had just awoken from an anxious dream (pursuit by terrorists) I think the attack was physically-based, as they usually seem to be.

Also had the strong sensation of a moving weight on my foot as though a cat were walking on it - like I had when grieving for B.

29.3.04

Weight still stuck at 9½ stone with 2 T-shirts & slippers.

Got toxic armchairs out of house. Still have blankets & bedspreads in utility room (old kitchen) to wash. Lovely to have non-smelly lounge again.

30.3.04

Sleepy a.m. IBS gp in afternoon, making study difficult but managed to keep going. Vertigo at times - don't get this often nowadays.

31.3.04

Knee-backs v. achey am. Note sure if this is due to exertion. Finished working with some paper which smells strongly of similar smell to chairs.

1.4.04

Have had slight headache in mornings for past 2 or 3 days (not sure if every day). Have been drinking a bit too much again, having reduced it to a bottle of gin a week again.

IBS gp all afternoon, affecting study & making me feel tired. Am getting 'disconnected' spells again (which have been quite rare for some time - years?). Maybe associated with the IBS.

There is still a smell coming from the scatter cushions T gave me. I have put them through another vinegar rinse as they had taken up smell of chairs. Not sure if their smell is causing me problems - maybe it's mainly due to vinegar. Doesn't make me anxious. Later - decided to store them away to be on the safe side.

Polyuria after afternoon shopping trip.

4.4.04

Weight 9st 6lbs am - with 2 t-shirts & slippers. Drank a lot last night. Otherwise only changes apart from lack of toxic furniture have been

1) Consumption of an apple (maybe not had them v. often lately)

2) Tomatoes & onions instead of beans at breakfast

Prolonged stress today due to malfunctioning new computer. Lot of throat tightness & voice loss towards end of day - not sure of cause. Got v. distressed due to computer problems & cried at times. Someone was in next door in evening so not sure if throat probs partly due to perfumed products. Did notice smell in extension at times but not v. strong.

In past week, following flushing of downstairs loo using bucket, there was a strong smell for hours. First seemed perfumed-loo-cleaner-like, then more like white spirit.

5.4.04

Weight 9st 5 or 6lbs in nightdress & slippers am.

6.4.04

Slight sleepiness + polyuria late a.m., followed by aching knee-backs. Drank too much again last night but stress levels are lower.

9.4.04

Weight 9st 4-5lb with 1 T-shirt & slippers, 9¾ st fully dressed (winter clothing). Have had dull pain around fronts of armpits at times during past 2-3 days. Lymph nodes? Have also been getting v. occasional slight urinary tract discomfort (v. short-lived)

Polyuria in afternoon.

14.4.04

Weight c 9st 5lb with 2 T-shirts & slippers pre-poo. 9¾ st fully dressed after 1st poo. Have been becoming more aware of lower abdominal muscles lately, as if the excess fat had prevented their efficient use.

Seem to get IBS gp whenever I eat chickpeas so am going to cut them out. Polyuria in afternoon.

14.4.04? (one of these entries is wrongly dated)

9st 3lb in short satin nightdress am pre-poo. Knee-backs v. achey, poss. due to over-exertion yesterday evening (weeding).

Sleepiness & concentration difficulty am although had slept well.

15.4.04

Left eye started bleeding late a.m. Blood is visible from top to bottom of eye just in from iris, & also in inner corner. Eye was stinging a bit when I first noticed bleeding (think I had rubbed it shortly before, as I often do). Then just felt a bit sore/achey. Also had slight headache near eyes & at front of head. No apparent effect on eyesight. Have had eye bleeding before but not for some time.

Had some sharp twinges in groin after lunchtime snack - seemingly in bowels as accompanies by feelings of wind in rectum. Had bloodshot eyes associated with IBS gp in 80s.

'Stigma' in left palm has been quite bad for several days - itching, flaking & sometimes reddening in centre as if about to bleed. Left thumb looks similar & sometimes has to be covered to avoid risk of splitting & bleeding.

Felt something like a tiny piece of grit in inner corner of eye 1440 (actually on edge, so presumably coming out). Removed.
Suspect it may have been cause of bleeding.

16.4.04

9st 2lb in nightdress & slippers post-1-poo am! Eye still bloody.

R & C were round for considerable time yesterday, with former in particular smelling even more strongly than usual, mostly of hair products.

Had had to put extractor fan on & leave room (study) but room still smells of it today. It is v. similar to, maybe identical to, the smell given off by the armchairs I had to throw out.

See next day.

17.4.04

Weight 9¼ st with 2 T-shirts (no slippers). Study still smells of R & C's toiletries.

Later - the smell is coming from new computer & scanner*. Wiped them down with wet cloth but smell did not transfer much to cloth & equipment did not show any reduction in smell. Covered computer & scanner with newspaper to dry them. *mostly scanner

Eye still bloody but only in one place (a vertical streak) rather than 2 now.

Covered computer & scanner with polythene, which seems to trap most of the fumes, but there is a big toxic waft when I open scanner lid.

18.4.04

Fumes in study not overwhelming. Reduced to almost indetectable level by wafting air by opening & closing door repeatedly for few mins, then leaving it open for a while & having extractor fan on. Presume that they're just coming out the side of the scanner which isn't fully covered. Don't seem to be permeating plastic (bubble-wrap and a plastic bag in which catalogue items came).

Weight 9¼ st in nightdress & slippers pre-poo.

19.4.04

Weight still stuck. Doing a lot of scanning at present. Also have had to resort to buying some non-organic veg. Several poos later - I think that weight is down - 9st 9-10 lbs fully dressed. Still have blood in left eye but area has decreased. Still immediately adjacent to iris.

Sore spot on inside of lower lip.

Drinking too much.

20.4.04

Weight 9st 2-3 lbs in nightdress & slippers pre-poo. Slept badly - couldn't get legs comfortable. Legs aching (knee-backs as usual) quite badly on getting up.

Eye bleeding has decreased again (smaller area).

Weight 9st 8 or 9 fully dressed lunchtime.

Spot on lip is still sore. There is a prominent structure running horizontally in its vicinity across much of inside of lip. Nerve? Tendon? It's very taut.

21.4.04

Spot on lip still sore & taut structure as yesterday.

At c1700 I suddenly came over v. sleepy & a bit hungry. Also had dull mid-to-upper-back pain.

Eye bleeding is further reduced. Lower lip also dry at edge, with a ridge all along it.

22.4.04

Lower lip better - almost back to normal. Weight c 9st 3lbs in nightdress & slippers am.

Upper-body bloating later, making sports top uncomfortably tight-feeling. Polyuria in evening - had to take Desmotab after going to bed.

23.4.04

9st 5lbs in 2 t-shirts & slippers pre-poo. V. woosy - hard to wake up, & had slept v. heavily (for me). Have had less gin than usual for past 2 days - maybe that has allowed dp to have greater effect (&/-or the impurities in it). (Did get v. stoned last night)

Bleary-eyed all day; eyes aching a bit & watering even more than usual. Also aching in one or both armpits briefly.

Slight change of diet because health shop closed: home-made beanburgers & sweetcorn in evening & no vegan cheese slice.

24.4.04

9st 3lbs in nightdress & slippers after 1 poo.

Diet change: stir fry mid afternoon with bits of home-made beanburger (which also contains chickpea flour, wheat flour, rice flour, soya flour & potato) instead of veggiemince & spud. (small piece)

25.4.04

Drank too much last night. Ended up dancing to Santana & Traffic!

9st 2lbs pre-poo in nightdress a.m. Maybe gin & tonic is the secret to weight loss! Rather constipated (v. unusual for me).

27.4.04

Weight 9st 2-3lbs in nightdress & slippers after 1 poo am. Am trying to minimise exposure to fumes from scanner by airing the room at least once a day. Can smell it occasionally when in there. Wrapped it in another layer of plastic.

Weight 9½ st fully dressed* in afternoon. *less one jumper

Horrified to find that tins (beans & cat food) just bought in Co-op, incl. those in sealed pallet, stank of a chemical which smells to me like that in toxic scanner & armchairs.

28.4.04

9st 2 in nightdress & slippers pre-poo.

29.4.04

Weight still stuck. Have 1 sosmix, burgamix & rye bread again (meant 'had'?). Clothes I'm wearing at moment weight c5lbs. (unusual misspelling) Have slept till late for past few days; night before last & night before that I woke early with v. rigid muscles & had to inhale lavender, but slept well last night. Woke at 0930 yesterday. Watery yellow discharge. Occasional urinary discomfort. Have been drinking coffee instead of tea for a week due to lack of soya milk.

As well as weight being stuck, I have been hungry lately, during both night & day. Protein intake has probably been low - not having baked beans for breakfast or veginmince (?!) in afternoon. Having beans again from 30th.

1.5.04

Weight still stuck. Headachey & congested (nasal) am - this used to be a daily scenario but less so recently.

2.5.04

9st 2 in nightdress & slippers after 1 poo.

Can't usually smell new scanner when in study, but get periodic wafts of it. Started producing a lot of phlegm after a waft today, & was having to make considerable efforts to swallow it for several minutes.

Legs aching all morning. Drank too much last night

3.5.04

Fed up with weight being stuck so removed stinking scanner from study & stashed it in closed utility room. Now let's see if my theory holds again...

Left thumb has been better than usual recently - have usually been able to go without plaster. It flared up after contact with some old synthetic building material - plasterboard? chipboard? Have had reddish scaly area in middle of left palm for weeks, maybe months (my 'stigma' manifesting mildly!)

5.5.04

Weight 9¼ stone after 1 poo in 2 T-shirts & slippers. Legs v. achy. Bad all day.

6.5.04

Weight 9st 2-3lbs in nightdress & slippers. Legs still throbbing & wobbly but a bit better than yesterday.

Found that photos just got back have same smell as scanner & chairs chucked out.

9.5.04

9st 1 in nightdress & slippers after 1 poo. Was 9st 2lbs unclothed yesterday lunchtime.

Drank too much last night - this seems to lead to weight loss, at least sometimes. Fluid loss? Or does G & T contain magic weight-loss ingredient?! Muscle tension a bit less bad over past few days.

10.5.04

Awake from 0500 or 0600 due to polyuria causing frequency (every 10-20 mins approx). Also cold in bed at one point, but became too hot soon after putting on more clothes ('overshooting' - a common problem for me). Bleary-eyed & achy-legged on getting up.

Sharp groin pains lunchtimes, (another misspelling) causing me to groan audibly & stay standing as it felt as though sitting down would exacerbate it. Only lasted about a minute. Later, including during night, had transient pains which may have been in various regions of GI tract, including oesophagus.

11.5.04

9st 1lb in nightdress & slippers pre-poo.

12.5.04

9st 1-2lbs in nightdress & slippers pre-poo & after 1st one.

13.5.04

Lots of hot sweats during past 2 nights. Weight as yesterday. Recent chemical exposures include strong solvent smell on N. I. Est. on Monday, & TCP-like smell round back of M P a week or 2 ago, which may have been pesticide.

Late afternoon - got brief 'fluttering' in chest that I haven't had for some time. A year? 6 months? Followed as before by slight congestion in airways, easily coughed up. (as before)

16.5.04

Succumbed to temptation & had c⅓ packet Tortilla Chips (bought for birthday). c250 kcal.

Thought I'd confessed to other transgression a few days ago - some Swedish Glace (about a small scoop).

17.5.04

Noticed strong smell in extension. Found that J B was using spray in north field. Had c another 250 kcal of Tortilla chips. Also see Nature diary for 14th.

18.5.04

Polyuria after lunch. Felt need to go as soon as I had been. Still polyuric at 1800. Legs v. achey too (have observed this association before).

J spraying near river in east field 1830.

19.5.04

Polyuria after lunch again, accompanied by leg-ache.

Lunch is basically same as usual - salad & scheese & cup of tea. Continued all afternoon again (presumably polyuria; leg-ache?). Had to have bucket in lounge as extension too polluted with laundry smells & legs too achey to go upstairs every 15 mins or so.

Felt tired all day - the kind of tiredness due to lack of sleep. Had got up early as I felt ready, but obviously wasn't. I often (usually) have alternating periods of sleepiness & wakefulness during night. 250 kcal Tortilla chips again.

20.5.04

Legs aching during night & a bit after getting up. Included calves, which is unusual - it's usually almost entirely knee-backs.

Couple of bad dreams last night, & woke twice having inhaled fluid, but otherwise slept well.

Weight still c 9st 2 in nightdress a.m.

Did not have polyuria problem which had for previous 2 afternoons.

Smoked 3 single-skin neat joints of h.g. leaf in evening. Surprisingly little effect.

22.5.04

Backs of thighs aching, & tender when sit on loo. Suspect that it's due to strain on them when carrying some water downstairs (bathwater to water garden).

Polyuria late a.m/early pm. Again at night. Had to take Desmotabs on both occasions.

23.5.04

Using up birthday food (rice crackers, nuts, Bombay mix, naan bread, pancake rolls) for few days. Sleepy attack mid-afternoon; had to stop studying & have coffee & snack.

24.5.04

Still 9st 2 in nightdress after 1st poo.

25.5.04

Paying the price for breaking diet - weight up to 9st 4lbs in nightdress & slippers (slippers weigh ½ - 1 lb). Another bout of polyuria today.

28.5.04

Have a few itchy bites, like those previously attributed to fleas. Although there are lots of midges &/or other small flies on railway cutting, where I've been going.

29.5.04

Line of red, itchy bites along top of right shoulder, & others elsewhere.

30.5.04

Itchy spots have developed into larger, hard lumps. Weight 9st 1lb in nightdress after 2 poos.

Drank too much gin last night (which seems to enhance weight loss!). Noticed yesterday that computer seems to give off fumes (similar to armchair/scanner smell) when CD-Rom drive is running or disk optimiser (defrag) is running. Nowhere near as strong as chairs or scanner.

2.6.04

Weight 9st 1-2lbs pre-poo in nightdress & slippers; 9st - 9st 1lb without slippers. Long sleep last night.

Have been spending less time on computer for few days. Have been having Swedish Glace some evenings (as well as usual veggie burger & veggie cheese).

Nervous habits have been v. bad lately - fiddling with hair & pulling off skin tags, both in ear & pubic region. Skin on left thumb has been quite good lately, but 'stigma' on left hand started splitting again at lunchtime.

3.6.04

Weight back to 9st 3lbs in nightdress & slippers. Had to put plaster on thumb for first time in (weeks?). 9st 4-5lbs in evening (same clothing)

4.6.04

Weight 9st 1-2lbs in nightdress (& slippers?)

5.6.04

9st nothing just in nightdress pre-poo (no underwear). c 9st 1-1½ with underwear & slippers. Didn't sleep v. well last night - had to resort to lavender inhalation in early hours. Had smoked h/g instead of having hash in food. Used later pickings than on birthday, & to my relief it worked. Warm night. Having mushrooms instead of beans for breakfast for few days.

8.6.04

Tired & mood a bit (but not dramatically) low. Difficulty sleeping recently due to hot weather. Weight 9st 1½-2 lbs in nightdress post-1-poo.

9.6.04

Mood a bit better. Had slept better with aid of lavender. Eyes extremely watery at moment, interfering significantly with studying.

As roses are now flowering, I have started using it under plaster on left thumb again but it doesn't seem to work any more & may even increase the inflammation.

10.6.04

Put raspberry leaves on left thumb under plaster. More comfortable than rose petal.

Have been using evening primrose leaves for months (on & off as have spells when don't need anything).

Polyuria this afternoon.

Have a few v. itchy bites again, on ankle, abdomen & thigh.

12.6.04

Feeling a bit low in evening. Found that there was v. strong, sickly-sweet smell outside rear of house, maybe from no. 5's washing machine outlet. Phlegm rapidly built up in throat. Have slight twinges in back of neck, which feels tight, & head feels 'clamped' at sides.

17.6.04

Polyuria late a.m. Happened after I posted a message on OU FC conference about it being largely a problem of the past! (This sort of thing is not uncommon - the god I don't believe me (should be 'in'?) doesn't like me counting blessings!) Aching knee-backs accompanyind (should presumably be 'accompanying') polyuria.

19.6.04

Fractionally under 9 st am in nightdress, for first time since 2000 (e.g. see 13.3.00).

23.6.04

Just on or below 9 st for past few days.

24.6.04

8st 13lbs am! Sleepy all day. Shopping trip yesterday. Computer packed up in evening → anxiety. Dp (hg) in food had little effect, but had worked fine yesterday.

Took co-codamol last night, but did the night before too & wasn't sleepy yesterday (took it for sedation). Maybe the anxiety caused delay of effect from the one I took last night. Still sleepy in evening so didn't have dp in dinner. Got slightly more alert & edgy after a couple of g & ts & had single-skin hg. It's very unusual to be so sleepy all day. Fair bit of exertion weeding in afternoon.

26.6.04

Slept long & quite heavily last night. Had only had hg in food & an average amount of gin.

Polyuria last night & late this morning. Got sleepy again during course of morning. More sleepy attacks in afternoon, + continuing polyuria & hunger. Transient stinging in urinary tract in late afternoon & early evening. Teeth on left side aching a bit in evening. I did get a bit of food stuck between teeth yesterday, but suspect that aching may be due to a bug.

For a few years I have noticed that veins on backs of hands are sometimes very prominent, making hands look v. old. Today I observed that the swelling disappears within a second of holding hands up.

29.6.04

I have considerable difficulty getting up stairs at night many or most evenings due to fatigue, stiffness & pain in legs (knee-backs mostly). This evening I found that I had the same difficulty earlier in evening when under influence of hg & gin. Fits in with my theory that my body uses tension to keep me active/functioning & maybe even awake, as the dp & gin relax my muscles.

1.7.04

Polyuria at bedtime last night; managed with ½ Desmotab. Also had it previous night & took a whole tablet. Otherwise slept well for past couple of nights despite getting up frequently.

2.7.04

Bad night last night at least partly due to polyuria & cats repeatedly coming in and out (so had to keep being ready to rescue prey, although there was none).

Legs aching on getting up. Had the strange "glass-scraping" feeling or sound in back of neck a couple of times before getting up. It's like a sound transmitted through bone. Went shopping in town yesterday. Have managed to walk up R H without stopping ½ way the past few times.

Sore throat (not very) at times today. Didn't smoke yesterday so maybe bug.

3.7.04

Have had transient urinary discomfort (burning/stinging) for few days. Today it was accompanied by knee-back aching & throbbing. Took an extra cranberry tablet.

Have wondered whether sweetcorn (tinned) contributes to this problem. I don't get it v. often & don't have sweetcorn v. often either but have been eating it more recently due to lack of opportunity to buy fresh organic salad veg.

Skin problem on left thumb seems to be spreading to front - there is an itchy area on right side of thumb 'knuckle' & a raised area like a pimple. Also spreading downwards onto palm. Soon after I wrote this a split developed near thumb 'knuckle' c 5mm long & bled. Wish I could find decent-sized plasters.

8.7.04

8st 12lbs in nightdress! Had been c 9st for a week or 2.

Produced much less poo than usual this morning.

9.7.04

8st 13lb in nightdress. Urinary discomfort & 'randies' (relieved) today. Took an extra cranberry tablet.

10.7.04

Thumb much better - able to take plaster (with evening primrose leaf underneath) off. Weight just under 9 st in nightdress.

12.7.04

Terrible artificial perfume smell in extension in evening, permeating old kitchen & slightly less so into lounge. The fumes seem to be heavier than air as smell stronger nearer ground.

17.7.04

Getting a lot of hot flushes at present. Weight still 9st.

Still on low-starch diet.

Drinking a bit too much (bottle of gin in 5-6 days)

Have had scabs on right ankle for weeks from bites I'd scratched.

20.7.04

Legs aching & throbbing a.m. Did some 'gardening' on railway cutting & picked wild strawberries yesterday evening.

26.7.04

8st 12lbs after 1 poo. Had drunk c ½ bot gin yesterday & entertained brother M & partner yesterday.

27.7.04

8st 13lbs pre-poo. Have been about this weight for ages. Still on low-starch (low-glycaemic index) diet.

30.7.04

Have been smoking (mostly under glass) again most evenings as hg in food seems to wear off after a couple of g & ts. Also drinking too much - bottle of gin every 5 days, maybe more sometimes.

31.7.04

Quite bad pain a.m. after poo. Worst in groin but stretched to rectal area. Felt unable to sit down while it lasted, so knelt.

Have had slight discharge at times for 2-3 weeks. Pain gradually subsided over 5-10 mins.

1.8.04

DIY last night led to pain in same pattern as that described above but much milder.

3.8.04

Horrendous perfumed-product smell in extension in evening, but not outside. Suspect that it may be coming up loo again. Permeating lounge a bit too. J is in next door - could it be her machine? Seems to be worse nearer ground, as on 12th July.

4.8.04

Smell still coming from loo. Water level in loo is v. low, as was yesterday - clearly being sucked down by some force. Can hear running water there as often/usually/always can when level is low. Weather hot & dry. Can still smell the smell a bit in lounge. Smell went not long after I flushed loo (using bucket as usual).

7.8.04

That smell is coming from loo again, and not from outside (afternoon).

10.8.04

Feeling slightly low - not sure why. Didn't sleep v. well, but not exceptionally badly. Weather showery & hot/warm. Used lavender oil to aid sleep in early hours (inhaled from handkerchief)

Weight has been 8 st 12-13 on the occasions when I have weighed self in past week. Drinking a bit too much - a bottle of gin in 5-6 days in past week. Clitoris area feeling tender/sore (maybe swollen).

11.8.04

'Perfume' smell coming from loo again. Weather wet, water level normal. Weight back to 9 st a.m.

12.8.04

'Clamped' achey feeling in head & neck as used to get regularly a few years ago (esp. when at F L). Have had a lot of nasal congestion at night for past few days. Slight discharge. Weather wet. Perseid meteor showers. Arms became itchy near wrist after dp harvesting last night - scratched till skin reddened.

'Clamped', congested, washed-out feeling soon cleared, replaced by polyuria - had to take Desmotab.

Mood a bit low, concentration poor, ill-defined feeling of anxiety & irritability. Have been fiddling with hair a lot lately - driving self mad with it! More than ½ of left thumb is now covered with eczema-like flaky skin, as is centre of palm. Generally rather weary today but went shopping OK.

13.8.04

Felt much brighter today - mood lighter. 8st 12-13. Breath & faeces foul-smelling - ketosis?

14.8.04

Partly deaf in left ear, presumably due to wax. Occasionally I can hear properly. Hearing returned to normal fairly quickly. One of my current nervous habits is scratching itches in ears & picking at dead skin, etc., in there.

15.8.04

8st 12lb am. Drank too much gin last night.

Started having a ½ pt bottle of French lager first in evenings, to reduce gin intake. Working well. Beer gives dp in food time to work & I've been having a small hg j with beer as well most evenings.

23.8.04

Weight has been 8st 12-13lb am consistently recently (usually pre-poo).

26.8.04

Weight c8st 11½ post-1-poo (in nightdress). Feeling slightly low. Recently found that M J died a lonely, squalid death in 1993, which has made me sad & reflective, but low mood may be simply due to swings & roundabouts of M.E. Alcohol intake is up again, due, I think, to weakness of h.g. in food instead of hash.

Seem to have bad breath today. Also slightly headachey & neck-achey & quite tired/sleepy after exertion of sticking paper on OU assessable poster.

28.8.04

Have been getting cramp-like feelings in legs & feet for pas (presumably should be 'past') few days. Think it's due to working on OU poster, which includes leaning forward while kneeling. Knee-backs quite achey too. Sore throat today. Have been smoking hg, but I think that sore throat is more likely to be due to bug or auto-immune activity.

30.8.04

Legs aching all day, & crampy at times.

31.8.04

Lower-back ache & polyuria for several hours before getting up. Legs still aching when got up. Also had aching around upper abdomen before getting up.

2 & 3.9.04

Slept badly. Knee-backs aching & twitching during night, & also unable to switch off mentally, poss. due to dispute with union bod on OU online conference system, & fact that this was eating into study time. Also polyuric in early hours. Co-codamol had little effect - usually it gets me to sleep (I only take it when have difficulties).

4 - 5.9.04

Slept better. Took co-codamol & Desmotab to make sure after waking in middle of night. (I usually wake up & have to urinate frequently but usually get back to sleep OK)

5.9.04

Had to defecate in early evening after eating the first-ever apple from my tree in garden. Seemed quite ripe - only slightly sharp.

Sore tongue for few days around this time (like what I think of as mouth ulcers, occurring when I'm a bit under the weather. (Forgot to close brackets)

Actual weather hot & dry.

12.9.04

Polyuria last night. Despite a Desmotab, I had to get up about every hour.

16.9.04

Dull ache in lower back all last night. Bowel movements loose am, & have the 'clamped head-&-neck' feeling which was common a few years ago. Felt grotty all day* & study was affected a bit. *but better after eating & in evening after drink & dp. Bouts of nausea during day. Wonder if it's related to having to use hot water tap on kitchen sink due to leak on cold water pipe. (water hot hot)*. (Not sure if repetiton was intended or whether one of the 'hot's should have been another word)

18.9.04

Much better today & no pain last night. Foul-smelling motions a.m. (3rd or 4th 'go') accompanied by slight urinary burning & v. mild lower-back ache.

*or could it have been due to eating a contaminated apple from garden? Something has been eating big chunks out of them - think it must be squirrel or rat.

22.9.04

Weight 8st 9-10lbs after 1 poo am!

23.9.04

Tried dock leaves on thumb eczema (under plaster). Seemed at least as effective as rose petals & evening primrose leaves.

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