Doctor Armstrong is my saviour!
Having built my hopes towards this consultation it was unlikely that the reality could ever match my expectations.....but.
I was immediately impressed with his relaxed manner he gathered information from me, gave me his opinion that this was (as guessed) MG.
He went on to explain the way in which this condition interferes with signal being passed across the neuro muscular junction at the interface between nerve and muscle, explaining that the antibodies being produced by my Thymus gland are masking the nicotinic receptors on my muscles, reducing the number of receptors available to take up the acetylcholine that my nerves produce.
In turn this reduces the twitching ability of the muscle which is not receiving the signal to 'act'. Phew I really am beginning to grasp this thing.
In short as Bob the Builder or President Obama might say HE CAN FIX IT!
The £250 fee for this consultation was worth every penny, as he began to describe the treatment I would receive, I stopped him to explain that I would be swapping from this point to the NHS.....instead of the embarrassed silence I had feared he brushed my concerns aside explaining that he would be dealing with me either way and the treatment would be the same........
SUCH GREAT NEWS, as by this point I had decided that this was the only person I wanted to treat me.
Even as my speech impediment developed at no point did I feel uncomfortable.
His compassion was palpable and I did not feel seperated, as is so often the case by the professional boundary.
He suggested a couple of blood tests were necessary and at about £200 this seemed like good value, as it would save a couple of days.
Having realised however that the bloods had been taken off site that day, he made a snap decision to invite me to see him at 12.30pm on Wednesday at Royal Berks without an appointment!
At this point I jumped to my feet and ran around his office wailing YOOOOOO Da MAN YOOOOO Da MAN YOOOOO Da BOSS MAN!! I didn't of course, but I did say I felt like giving him a cuddle, most unlike me and I think, given his reaction, unlike him too, he smiled and suggested that my thanks were premature and that I should wait until I'm better, when I could give him a judo lesson instead.
This missed the point for me as I now feel like my silent freefall is over, someone who knows about this is finally aware and acting on it.
Of course I explained all of this, but by this point it my hitherto erudite delivery had taken on the threatening flavour of a spit drenched scary old drunk man ramble.....ttttth aaah jussss wanna saaay thhhhhnnnnnnkuuu tthhhhhurbbbbs tthhh!
"What did that man say daddy?" " Don't look at him Roger.... come along quickly.... don't stare"!
I am looking forward to starting my acetylcholinesterase inhibitors tomorrow followed by steroids for about a year with the attendant weight gain,(mental note better stop laughing at fatties).
Can't wait to get back to teaching my little warriors.
Bye for now its gone midnight and I have this condition called ..... did I tell you about the time.... blaa blaaa blaaa..... yes Bertie was not at all happy and can tell you he didn't mind jolly well letting them know particularly given that..... blaaa blaa blaaa
x
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