Clinical Trial week 12

I went back to the hospital today to for week 12 of my clinical diet trial.

I could have kissed her, it's made such a difference. She told me she had had mixed results but mainly positive, but they have stopped her funding, and she had only put 18 patients on the trial when she needs to have 100 for statistical purposes. With the new financial year and the credit crunch there is no longer the funding for the intolerance testing at the beginning of the trial. Ridiculous as the amount of money that could be saved on medicine if it proves relevant would far out way the test. I am on the trial for another 12 weeks. When I think of all the steroids and intrusive endoscopies, colonoscopies, and medication I've taken over the past 16 years, that perhaps could have been avoided, well, you work it out. Of course, there may be other factors, not speaking to Belle Mere makes my life less stressful, which could be a factor, and I've cut out a lot of dairy aswell as the yeast and egg white I'm reportedly intolerant to. But hey ho, for now I am happy and symptom free, I can wear white again and don't need to know where the nearest loo is. I'm even going to stay with friends for a couple of days without fear of embarrasing morning or midnight rushes to the bathroom every five minute. Bliss. My Bristol Stool Form Chart register is back on 5 for the first time in years!

Diet trial

I’ve started a diet trial with UCH.

It’s to see if allergens provide any bearing on IBS symptoms.

It kicked off with an 8.30am appointment, after a 12 hour fast to test for lactose intolerance, this involved drinking a dusty liquid from a disposable beaker and then breathing into a breathaliser every half hour and noting down the readings until midday, as I live nearby the kindly researcher let me leave with the machine.

Also a blood test.

Note to anyone who has to have a blood test at a hospital, they send everyone in the morning, you wait in a packed waiting room, you take a number and watch the counter board clicks slowly higher, people cough. Or you leave and come back around midday when the waiting room is empty and 5 nurses are waiting around to take blood, you're in and out in 5 minutes.

I had Erbie with me this time and I am very squeamish, he was strapped to my front and looked intently on as I looked intently away, I wasn’t the only one giving blood in the room, it wasn’t easy. Anyway, touch wood, they never seem to have trouble finding a vein.

I also got given a chart to fill in. Everything that passes my lips to be written down and any symptoms noted.

And oh joy of joys The Bristol Stool Form Chart.

Anyone squeamish reading here, scroll no further. Men seem to love this chart. The GR was so excited he downloaded it and emailed it off to most of his buddies who also eagerly emailed back with desired information.

Urgh. I go back on the 15th to get a specially tailored diet, which should be good as although The GR seems to think we have a healthy diet, pizza, chocolate eclairs, full english breakfasts, pitta and houmous - probably is not.