Each new diary entry appears near the top of the page, so to read older postings, you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page and work your way upwards. That’s how… Continue reading
My doctor, Simon, has retired. It’s a great shame to see that my GP, Simon de Vial, has retired. I had no idea until I tried to book an appontment and found that… Continue reading
I’m sure it’s been said to leave in plenty of time for a medical appointment. Also, it’s probably a really good idea to check that you have plenty of fuel to get to the… Continue reading
I received an email from some company called Kanga Health inviting me to a workshop in Paris for a patient website. They said that they would video patient stories to put them on a website.… Continue reading
Over the last year or so I’ve been on the “Fast Diet”. It’s also known as the 5:2 diet. The well respected Dr Michael Mosley researched and presented the technique in a documentary… Continue reading
In my latest blood test results (May 2016), my IGF-1 still remains normal – which is wonderful! So I’m still in remission of acromegaly, six years after my operation. Hopefully this will be… Continue reading
My acromegaly is still in remission. I had the result of my blood tests (from 21 April 2015) and everything is normal. My IGF-1 level is a healthy normal of 159 ng/ml, which… Continue reading
It’s four years since my transsphenoidal operation to remove a pituitary tumour that was causing acromegaly. I’ve been in remission so far… I went in to The Christie today for another blood test… Continue reading
In two weeks time I have a follow-up consultation to see if I’m still in remission of acromegaly. Generally, the way it works is I’d turn up, they check my weight and blood… Continue reading
It’s possible to miss taking your tablets, or remembering which tablet you’ve taken. I find it helpful to put the tablets in a place that makes you likely to remember to take them.… Continue reading
TV Program: BBC 4 Wednesday 26th February 2014, 9pm A program entitled “The Fantastic World of Hormones with Professor John Wass” is being shown on BBC 4. In the hour long program, Professor… Continue reading
I had a brown envelope through the door yesterday. Usually it’s only letters from the taxman come in brown envelopes so it was good to see it came from the hospital. It was… Continue reading
My wedding ring has become smaller! A few months after having transphenoidal surgery for my acromegaly I notice that my wedding ring had become very loose. As I was not sure how my… Continue reading
Good luck Adrian in your operation today! Adrian has acromegaly, describes himself as a “never grown up punk rocker”, and so it’s great exchanging emails with him! Today he has his operation to… Continue reading
My blood test results came back absolutely marvellously normal. The IGF-1 at a very normal (bang in the middle) 160 ng/ml. I’d even brought my wife along today as I thought the news might have been… Continue reading
It’s strange isn’t it, how until somebody mentions something that you won’t notice it. After it’s mentioned though you can’t help but notice it all the time? Well since my blood test result… Continue reading
I had a phone call from the hospital today (Mrs MR) regarding the high IGF-1 result in blood test results. She explained that it wasn’t necessarily anything to be too worried about at… Continue reading
Back in September 2011 I had welcome blood test results, which showed that my Acromegaly was still kept at bay. The IGF-1 value came back as 173 ng/mL. The normal range for somebody… Continue reading
The Endocrinology department that I go to is at The Christie in Manchester (UK). This coming Sunday (10th July) they are holding a Christie Manchester to Blackpool Bike Ride. That’s over 60 miles.… Continue reading
Amazing today to see Pauline of the reception at Christie Endocrine Department (where I was treated and now have my checkups) in the Great Manchester Run 2011. What a girl! Well done Pauline!
Well today is the first anniversary of my surgery for Acromegaly that I had at Hope Hospital (Salford Royal Hospital) in Manchester (UK). It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. It seems… Continue reading
Last week I went for a follow-up appointment to discuss tests and an MRI scan I’d had on September 17th (some seven months after surgery). The OGTT test showed suppression of GH to… Continue reading
We have the results of the blood test back on 2 August (the six month mark after surgery)! It’s still in normal range at 226 ug/ml. Phew! Indeed, the normal range for the… Continue reading
I went into hospital today thinking that I’d be in for the day to have a “Day Curve” and an modified Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (for Growth Hormone). It’s almost exactly six months… Continue reading
As I have acromegaly, I’m at greater risk of having polyps on my colon (large intestine). Colonic polyps are, in a way, little fleshy bits (like little ‘skin tags’ or overgrown spots) that… Continue reading
Today I received the results of the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (for Growth Hormone) and other blood tests that I had on 11 June 2010. It’s still really good news! My random fasting… Continue reading
I’ve (finally) added my photos after my surgery for acromegaly: (Click the links below to see them in the diary entries) Four hours after surgery The day after surgery Hopefully the images will… Continue reading
Wow!! I’d been a bit too eager to get my mitts on the radiology report for my MRI scan. I’ve been told by the Professor that on examination of the MRI films, that… Continue reading
I had an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (for Growth Hormone) today. I also had one back in 2008, and in the same week as my surgery. Whenever we read about glucose tests, we… Continue reading
I had an MRI scan two weeks ago, which is three months after my pituitary surgery for acromegaly. Today, I rang up to get the results. The doctor told me that the MRI… Continue reading
Three months ago I had an operation to remove a benign tumour on my pituitary gland. The tumour was pumping out growth hormone, and so giving me the condition of Acromegaly. A few… Continue reading
I’m a bit “in limbo”. So I had transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly some six and a half weeks ago (9th February 2010). I was very fortunate to have such a gifted surgeon. My… Continue reading
Insulin Stress Test I had an Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT) or rather an Insulin Stress Test today. As the test is quite intense on the heart, I had an ECG yesterday which was… Continue reading
I have been passed on some very sad news indeed, Michael Muir (Mike) lost his fight for life on Wednesday 17th February 2010. My sympathies go to his family and friends in the… Continue reading
I can whistle again! I used to be able to whistle through my teeth some years back. I wasn’t particularly melodic, but whistle I did, and I was happy. Then, one day, probably… Continue reading
Friday felt like I was really starting to get back better again, and then on Saturday we went out for a day and had a lovely time. We went out for a meal… Continue reading
Deficiency after Pituitary Adenoma Surgery Surgery of a pituitary tumour can result in the deficiency in a number of hormones (and factors) from the pituitary and the hypothalamus. This deficiency is often just… Continue reading
Wow – what a headline – “Cured of Acromegaly?”, but in true sensational newspaper-type hype, it is alas but a headline. The word “Cured” should of course be “remission”. Any tumour or growth… Continue reading
Wow – hello everybody! It’s about 48 hours since I came round from surgery for ‘transspehenoidal resection of pituitary adeonoma’. That’s a way of saying that I’ve come round from surgery that involved… Continue reading
Just arrived home after visiting Trys, and was pleased to find him browsing the Hospital menu. The operation was expected to take about one hour but in the end, Trys was in surgery… Continue reading
Excellent news! Lots of things have been happening lately, and I’ve only just got around to writing about it. The big thing is that I’ve got a date of my transsphenoidal surgery that… Continue reading
I’ve just rang the hospital to get the results of my last ‘Day Curve’ to find out what my Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) level is. Bad news. My acromegaly is not fully… Continue reading
I went into hospital today for a “Growth Hormone Day Curve”. In this topic I’m going to answer some questions that I had before I first went. My fist day curve was three… Continue reading
We’ve recently moved offices at work – only by a few yards. Some of our colleagues are in the original office. Some months back, I told the lady who looked after Health &… Continue reading
I’m wearing a Spacelabs 90207 again today. Whoohoo – the fun never stops!! (I do secretly find it quite fascinating though, but don’t tell anybody!) I was given it when I last went… Continue reading
My wife and I were in Manchester today, and we’d done a bit of shopping then went to the Art Gallery neat St Peter’s square. Anyhow, we suddenly spotted a doctor that I… Continue reading
“Lund, Sweden. 26 May, 2009 – Camurus announced today that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMEA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has issued a positive opinion on the application for orphan designation for… Continue reading
Hot off the press (well, it was published online on May 8th 2009): Octreotide LAR and Cabergoline association has been shown to be an effective alternative therapy for those acromegalics who still have… Continue reading
I had my first “Day Curve” today. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. (I’ll try to add a photo) I checked into the Endocrine… Continue reading
I’d been wrestling with a rubber stamp at work today trying to change the date on it. It’s so impossible to change the date without being covered in ink. The rubber stamp won… Continue reading
Just something I noticed this morning – my shoe laces are getting longer! Since starting Sandostatin LAR treatment (Octreotide, a Somatostatin analogue), I’ve noticed a few improvement. It appears now that my feet… Continue reading
