Well, the visit to the doctor produced good and less good news...My blood test results showed my kidneys to be normal. So the blood-pressure tablets I was put on a few months ago don't seem to be affecting me adversely. These tablets can put your kidneys at risk, especially if you suffer from diabetes, as I do.
Less welcome news was that my finger pains are probably due to arthritis. The lady doctor who checked me out said that there's not a lot you can do about it, other than try 'Voltarol' gel, (a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.) I explained it was a particular worry for me as I was a professional guitarist. She asked what kind of music I played, which always stumps me. I ventured that it was a fusion of all kinds of music: rock, jazz, ambient, neo-classical, pop, etc. Then she wryly said, "well, you're 69 now, maybe you need to think about stopping playing the guitar..." I explained that I'd been a guitarist since I was 10 or 11 years old and had no intention of giving it up.
I'll hang on until it becomes either impossible or too difficult to maintain some sort of standard. I can't imagine life without a guitar and being able to create music. Horrified by the thought...
Going over to Wakefield again today to visit my mum. Time for a blood sugar test, then some lunch before driving over.
