Hi,

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been and is so kind and friendly here on the board. Have just got back from seeing my doctor to repeat the blood test that she wanted, and I asked her to explain what the previous abnormal test results could indicate. Unfortunately it's potentially very serious (autoimmune disorder, possibly Lupus). So I'm feeling a bit sad and scared.

But popping in here, and seeing that I'm being nominated for the Miss ABRSM award amongst other things, has only made me smile and laugh! Again, as dear hubby would say "Not bad for an old bird!"

So thank you for helping me hang on to my sense of humour at this difficult time. I think I'm going to "do a Natalie" now and go and play Le Onde to myself!

Amber
x

QUOTE (Amber @ Dec 16 2004, 01:06 PM)

Hi, Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been and is so kind and friendly here on the board. Have just got back from seeing my doctor to repeat the blood test that she wanted, and I asked her to explain what the previous abnormal test results could indicate. Unfortunately it's potentially very serious (autoimmune disorder, possibly Lupus). So I'm feeling a bit sad and scared. But popping in here, and seeing that I'm being nominated for the Miss ABRSM award amongst other things, has only made me smile and laugh! Again, as dear hubby would say "Not bad for an old bird!" So thank you for helping me hang on to my sense of humour at this difficult time. I think I'm going to "do a Natalie" now and go and play Le Onde to myself! Amber x

Oh Amber....


(((((((you)))))))

(sorry, can't help that)

Sheesh....

QUOTE (Amber @ Dec 16 2004, 01:06 PM)

I think I'm going to "do a Natalie" now and go and play Le Onde to myself! Amber x

Have you a grand woohoo, too?

I sincerely feel for you, Amber. Pray you're okay until hubby and boys get home...

R
X

Oh Amber, I'm so sorry to hear that you are not too good, and just before Christmas things always seem worse somehow. Music is a great tonic, but if all else fails, have a glass of wine or two with our hubby this evening...

I'm sure you will be upheld in many people's thoughts at this time.

Big hug,

Emma

I am so sorry to hear that you are not well. Think about your hubby and your kids than you will feel better...

Get well soon..

<winces>

And I moan that I have it bad!

<Send sympathy waves~~~~~~~~~~~>

Everyones thinking of you (((((()))))

God bless

So sorry to hear your news Amber,

we'll all be thinking of you.

Big tubbyhugs from me too

Maggie

Sorry to hear the news, Amber. Thinking of you...

Sorry to hear things aren't too good, let's hope that the blood tests do bring up anything serious. My cousing suffers from Lupus and I was tested for it a couple of years ago, (luckily I was all clear) so I do understand what you are going through. Look after yourself.

Lucia

QUOTE (maggiemay @ Dec 16 2004, 04:12 PM)

Big tubbyhugs from me too

And from me...

I hope nothing is too serious and you hope to feel better soon. You deserve to win the Miss ABRSM, you do contribute lots on the board. My best wishes go out for you, and I hope this doesn't make your Christmas a bad one. *hugs*

*goes on Google*. Oh my, I didn't realise how bad Lupus is, but I know you can come through this! I will always be here if you need support or need to talk.

Nicki xxxxxx

PS - Where is the Miss ABRSM topic?

My sympathy waves and tubbyhugs and a bit of magic woohoo are with you. Hope you have a lovely, carolly, tinselly, puddingy and bubbly Christmas all the same.

Nicki- look towards the end of this topic!

*hugs*

Oh, poor Amber...

Remember we're always here if you need to talk to us; I guess none of us can identify, but we're unlimited sources of sympathy!!

You definitely deserve the title of Miss ABRSM.

((((((()))))))

lots of love,
cheebletubby
xxx

Oh Amber, I feel for you so much sweetie.

I hope that you don't suffer from a severe case of this disease.

All my thoughts and best wishes are with you and your family.

hey,
I am so sorry,
that must be terrible for you.............................
have a big fat hug, and you definately deserve the title of miss ABRSM.............

Poor you. Try to enjoy Christmas as much as you can and remember we're all thinking about you. Hope 2005 brings better news.

Stephen xx

It's moving that you care enough about these lot in here to share such sad news with us - I think that I would, too. God bless you Amber,

Love David

So sorry to hear about your illness, Amber. Take care of yourself and have a restful Christmas!

Amber

I'm so sorry for you but, take heart. I was admitted to hospital a while back now and the docs took ages to find out what was wrong but I have been diagnosed with a condition not unlike Lupus. There's lots of help out there if you go search for it and there is life after......

Witness - two years ago I could hardly teach a few students a week. Now I teach 40! OK, I still haven't been able to return to school instrumental teaching yet but my energy levels are slowly returning although I do, of course, still have some difficult days.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers. BIG HUG for you and be encouraged - there's much that can be done to make things easier for you but, for now, be kind to yourself and try to enjoy your Christmas

Yes, you should certainly be Miss ABRSM!

Take care

Thank you everyone. I am deeply, deeply moved by everyone's lovely messages. It is such a help. I need/want to put on a brave face for the boys, and also to be able to put it to the back of my mind whilst working. And sharing it here with you enables me to do this. If that makes sense?

Now I have to attempt to "forget" about it until I see the doctor again (New Year's Eve), and bear in mind that it isn't a definite diagnosis yet. No use in assuming the worst is there.

I have had some good sessions with clients this morning, which is always cheering.

Thank you again for all your care and support. This is a particularly special Message Board I think.



Amber
x

QUOTE

Nicki- look towards the end of this topic!

Thanks!

QUOTE (Amber @ Dec 17 2004, 12:42 PM)

I need/want to put on a brave face for the boys ... Now I have to attempt to "forget" about it until I see the doctor again (New Year's Eve), and bear in mind that it isn't a definite diagnosis yet.

Doctors do seem to have this frustrating habit of delivering potentially devastating news just before Christmas, so you have to wait in limbo until after the holiday season!

I really feel for you, Amber. It's awful when you feel your health is letting you down, but infinitely more so when you have dependents for whom you must "put on a brave face". It sounds as if you're being very brave and sensible, which must be close to impossible right now. I hope the eventual prognosis is not as bad as you fear. Best wishes for as happy a Christmas as possible, and a less stressful New Year.

Fred

Dear Amber

I haven`t been on the Forums in a while,but I`ve spent some time tonight reading through some of the posts with a friend of mine online.

Everything has been said that I would like to say,but I`m offering big hugs to you.Keep strong and I`m sure you will get through this.

XXX

keep playing Le Onde, Amber, it cheers me up lots!

Maybe if I could persuade YOU to play it for me, that would cheer me up even more, Miss-Just-passed-her-Grade-5-piano!!!!!!!! I just play some of the right notes in occasionally the right order.

[puts on her Bambi eyes and looks beseechingly at Nat]

Please......



Amber
x

QUOTE

[puts on her Bambi eyes and looks beseechingly at Nat]

Hehe, go on Nat, how can you refuse?
Best wishes as always Amber xx

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ Dec 20 2004, 06:07 PM)

Hehe, go on Nat, how can you refuse?

well.....hm........ok just this once LOL

QUOTE

well.....hm........ok just this once LOL

Haha, my power of persuasion! !!!

I really hope that you feel better soon. I'm thinking about you. Hope that everything goes well.

hi amber...i just got in here and read your message...
i don't know what to say to make you feel better

I hope you will get better the next day and music can make you feel better
take care amber....will drop by again

Well, I had such a lovely birthday, and the whole weekend has been nice, but I think I accidentally overdid things. Started to feel a bit bad yesterday afternoon, but I let dear hubby take me out to the cinema to watch Bridget Jones (a nice film, but I felt a bit choked at the bit where they're on the beach in Thailand, at the thought of all the loss of life and devastation there).

This morning I've woken up and feel dreadful. My throat's so sore from my swollen glands, and I feel exhausted and everything aches. My son noticed that I'd left the Town off an envelope I'd addressed, and we got halfway to school and I forgot where we were heading. I don't know whether to even attempt singing practice today.

I didn't go back to the GP on New Year's Eve (as previously mentioned in this post) because she has been poorly, poor thing. But I have an appointment with her on Thursday. I really hoped that after the Christmas break that somehow, magically, I would be completely well again. So I feel rather sad to still feel this bad. Oh well, today is not going to be a hectic one. Hubs is flying to Germany this afternoon and so will be away overnight, and I made a Shepherds Pie yesterday which will be straightforward to heat up and serve to the boys, so I don't need to have a busy evening.

Sorry I'm being a bit of a whinging pom. It's just strangely helpful just to write it all down. I had hoped to do lots of singing practice, make a start on the Grade 6 theory, and carry on working on my Tax Return (oh what joy!), and really make the most of this clear day. (I start back with my clients later on this week).

I'm supposed to be going to the hospital tomorrow so that someone can look down my throat to check my vocal chords, because of this more or less persistant sore throat. But to my mind it gets worse when my glands are swollen and less painful when they're not. So I can't see the point of going through with the examination, because surely it's not going to show anything? I'm absolutely dreading it - after something that happened in childhood, I'm a bit phobic about things too near my face and particularly my mouth, so I feel tempted just to cancel the appointment. I don't know what to do. Has anyone else had this type of investigation, and is it as bad as I fear it will be?



Amber
x

Sorry to hear you're not feeling too well Amber. If you go to the hospital, will they put an instrument down your throat? Have you got someone that can go with you and hold your hand?!

Hope you feel brighter during today - don't get the 'post birthday blues'!

Rosemary.

QUOTE (Rosemary @ Jan 10 2005, 10:35 AM)

Sorry to hear you're not feeling too well Amber.  If you go to the hospital, will they put an instrument down your throat?  Have you got someone that can go with you and hold your hand?! Hope you feel brighter during today - don't get the 'post birthday blues'! Rosemary.

Yes, the plan IS to put an instrument down my throat to have a look there, and unfortunately I don't know anyone who could accompany me. My family live many miles away, and my local friends are working in the sort of jobs (like teaching for instance), where it's not easy to take time off, and my husband will be in Germany.

I don't think it's post-birthday stuff, more just a frustration at feeling so unwell YET AGAIN. But perhaps to cheer myself up I should compose a nice 12-bar "Post-Birthday Blues" song! I don't feel that inspired at the moment, but I'm sure it will come to me.

[goes off quietly singing to self "I woke up this morning.... feeling kinda bluuuuue..."]



Amber
x

I've just realised the pun - sorry, it wasn't intended! (wonders what sort of instrument it could be - no, I know really.)

It's not so nice going through something like that by yourself, but nurses are usually very kind and supportive........ Be brave - we'll be thinking of you. I hope the results will be good too.

Rosemary.

QUOTE (Amber @ Jan 10 2005, 11:35 AM)

I don't know anyone who could accompany me.

Nurses are usually nice and friendly though! When I went for my polio etc last summer, she wanted to get the receptionist to come and hold my hand because i was on my own! Needless to say I politely declined! Hope you feel better soon . Don't do any singing practice today, or you will have an even worse throat... have a break, have a kitkat.

Oh Amber- I hate hospital visits such as those, I've had a lot of them myself recently. It is true though that they usually have very kind nurses so I hope you get a particularly nice one. I know everyone from the forums will be thinking of you.

Good luck with your hospital visit, Amber. I'm sure you'll find a nice nurse.

Good luck with your hospital visit Amber. You should really go, because even if you're phobic it is better that they find out your illness than be ill all the time. The nurses are nice, I had to stay in hospital for 3 days in the summer and they were friendly.

*hands you a handwritten 12 bar 'how-to-beat-the-blues' composition*

*hugs*

Yes, it wouldn't be sensible to not go (scuse the double negative there), and in my experience nurses are wonderful people. It's weird really because I've had Crohns Disease for twenty years or so, and had radical surgery for it nine years ago, so I'm no stranger to pain nor medical procedures. I went through childbirth without painkillers and so on, so I don't think I'm a wimp. It's just the phobic feelings that are putting me off. I think the best thing I can do is tell the doctor/nurse that I'm scared (I don't have to go into details of what happened when I was a child), and hopefully they'll understand.



Amber
x

PS. Thank you for the blues composition Nicki - do you reckon I should sing it in the Waiting Room to take my mind off things. I could ask the other patients to put a donation in the hospital League of Friends box (along the lines of "The more you donate, the quicker I'll shut up!")

Awww Amber. Try not to be phobic as you know that it is for the best. The doctors would rather you not suffer! I wouldn't think you were a wimp anyway. So when are you next going to the hospital? Look at it as a positive step

It's 9.30 tomorrow morning (eek).

good luck Amber

i dont like hospitals,they scare me!

Amber, it is like anything you don't want to do, think how relieved you are going to feel when it is over, and in the morning, you will get it over and done with

You're right. And even though I don't think they'll find anything, at least that way I'll be sure. But I will definitely be looking forward to it being over and done with.

And afterwards I will celebrate by picking dear hubby's suit up from the drycleaners, and getting some more milk and bread from the supermarket, because we're nearly out of both. Wow, I really know how to party, don't I!!!!!


Amber
x

Hehe, yes you are really splashing out!

QUOTE (Amber @ Jan 10 2005, 08:07 PM)

And afterwards I will celebrate by picking dear hubby's suit up from the drycleaners, and getting some more milk and bread from the supermarket, because we're nearly out of both. Wow, I really know how to party, don't I!!!!!

The words "wild child" spring to mind Amber m'dear!

Yup, that's me. Just an ageing hippy really. Bring on the Joss sticks.

Haha!! Shall I get you one of those old, rustic, wooden caravans drawn by horses?