All about me and driving a bus for MK Metro/ARRIVA Milton Keynes

Sometimes do you just feel like your life goes round in circles, with nothing noteworthy happening. Just the same routine day in day out?? That’s how it’s felt for a couple of months for me, which I’m using as an excuse for the lack of blog updates.

So what has been going on?? Bugger all !!!

I am still taking my Psoriasis tablets, Acitretin. It’s been a good 18 months now that I’ve been on them, and they are still sort of working, not as well as when I first started them but they are just about holding it back. I still have the occasional incident where there’s red patches on me arms that embarass me a bit, But it’s not too bad….. I’ve even got to wear shorts this summer!! This might not sound like a big deal, But it’s been 15 years since my legs have been clear enough for me to have the courage to wear them outside, This little fact is a really big thing for me, probably the best thing that’s happened from this medication.

The downside though is the side effects which have really started to come into force of late, The worst ones at the moment are the shoulder pain and mood swings. I feel like whenever someone asks me whats wrong and I just say “it’s my tablets” it’s like I’m using it as an excuse for everything that goes wrong with me and they are like “yeah whatever” and roll their eyes, but it really is the tablets! I feel like I moan on and on about my medication, and I guess I do, but it really really has given me alot more confidence to do stuff.

Work was fun on Thursday, To start with I had a bus where the Destination blind was stuck on “A – PRIVATE-SHUTTLE” when I was actually on route 8.

This meant stopping at every stop and shouting “EIGHT!!” at people LOL. No wonder people put their hands out at buses when they have Not In Service or Shuttle on the front!

and then for the second half of my shift the Bus decided to break down right by a junction with lots of people moaning and buses struggling to get past… What a fun fun day that was LOL.

and now today, the bad news, My car’s broke

Turbo went “pop” and now it’s sat at the dealers… The problem being that the Warranty runs out on Wednesday!! Hoping they don’t try to weasel out of doing anything :-/

the most exciting thing of late was being on the Telly at Big Brother! Woo!!!

This is ‘Banking Clara’, She is the other half of Professional Matt…..

That’s me, Banking Clara and Professional Matt with the “Where’s the Shuttle?” banner

Well that’s all I can think about putting here for now, see you in 6 months! LOL

Why do people think they can get on my bus and make hurtful comment about my Psoriasis/Skin?!

Why do I take these comments to heart and end up getting myself into a state over them?!

Why do I put up with all the headaches, Felling sick, Slow killing of my liver and all the other side effects these tablets bring in the quest for Clear skin?!

Why, after having Psoriasis for 16 years, Have I still not come to terms with the fact I’ll have it for the rest of my life?!

Why can’t I accept that, at the moment, This is the best my skin is ever going to be?!

Why, even with a number of friends saying they are here for me, Can I not actually tell them what’s upset me?!

Why do I continue to bother with this job, When this same thing happens every few months?!

Why, Lately, Do I seem to be so depressed/emotional (tablets again) and crying over nothing?!

Why me?!

Basically, WHY?!

(I don’t expect people to comment, I just needed to get that out there! Will probably delete this later)

Yes, Can you believe it! A blog posting not about buses!!

So whats been happening?

Incredibly Little I have to say, (Yes I really am that boring!)

I have been taking some new (to me) tablets for my Psoriasis, I think I blogged about them before, Acitretin. I started out 50mg a day, and after a couple of months Ive gone from 85% skin coverage to under 10%

[One of my arms looking almost clear]

Some of the side effects of this drug have been pretty poo. Ive had rather ban skin peeling on the palms of my hands and feet, My feet being really bad to the point where when taking my socks off a whole layer of skin would be attached…. Going to work and walking on feet with chunks of skin missing is rather painful and far from pleasant! Ive also suffered with being unable to sleep, permanently dry/cracked lips, Headaches and rather strange moods. Yes even stranger than normal!! At some points in the past couple of months its turned me into a happy bus driver, and I remember one morning trying to get the old dears to sing along to a song as we went down the road… Sadly I cant remember which song now, But a couple of them did join in. LOL

Been back to the hospital Saturday just gone and it looks like the weekly blood tests have shown that this drug is starting to effect my liver like all the rest, But luckily no where near as bad as when I was using Methotrexate, So its been decided that I can carry on with the treatment but on a slightly lower dose of 40mg a day. Hopefully that will reduce the side effects but stop the Psoriasis from coming back. Unfortunately you can only take this drug for a maximum of six months in a row, which will mean my time will be up when I go back to the hospital in November. Who knows what Ill be using then!

IVA wise everything seems to be going smoothly, Have just heard from the IVA company this week that its time for my yearly Income & expenditure review and thats the first time Ive heard from them since last years review. Well shortly be into year 4! Hard to believe it really, 5 years seemed an awfully long time when I started it in 2006… Ive managed to keep to my payments, Infact Im actually paying in £340 a month instead of my required £275. I do expect the minimum payment to go up this year as Ive had two pay rises, But Hopefully not by too much!

Going back to the current drug Im using for my Psoriasis, One other side effect is it can increase your cholesterol levels to dangerous levels, Which happened within about 3 weeks of starting it. Now my cholesterol level was far from wonderful to start with, 7.1 but it went upto a very nasty 10.8!! So I started a diet, That was at the end of March and so far Ive lost just under 6 stone (admittedly with the help of Orlistat) and my cholesterol level, Although not wonderful, is down to 5.9, Which I was told by my doctor is the average for this country. It also means I no longer have to take the Statin things with these tablets. (Which is good because Im not a very good pill taker). The only down side?! Well theres two, The first is if you have a lapse and have something high in fat then the Orlistat punishes you with, lets just say, very frequent visits to the toilet LOL. The second is having to keep buying smaller clothes! LOL and trying to get uniform at work is a struggle at the best of times, But when you keep changing sizes they aint best pleased!! hehehe. Ive changed my diet slightly to fit in with work as it suits me quite well as I like eating what I have, Which is a foot long Salad subway for lunch and a bowl of cereal for dinner, and my two treats are two packets of low fat crisps a week, and getting to eat whatever I fancy on a Sunday… Like I say it seems to work for me.

Im trying to think what else has happened….. Oh yes, I got myself a new car. Ive turned in to an (old) boy racer LOL, A Skoda Fabia VRS…

I have professional Matt to thank for this, Not only for having one and letting me have a go, which in turn made me want one, But for coming with me to buy one as I know nothing about cars….. So um.. Thanks!

Well I think that will do for a non bus update dont you think?

Oh and heres a youtube video thats doing the rounds at the moment, It made me smile

Well last Friday fifth birthday of my blog, Who would’ve thought I’d keep to actually doing this for five years! LOL

So what’s happened in that time?

I’ve worked at Arriva, MK Metro, Parcelforce, Arriva, Centrebus, Transdev/London Sovereign, Arriva, MK Metro….

(No one is allowed to comment on my Work History ROFL)

I’m into year 3 of my IVA, and am much better off because of it…..

In the five years I’ve not found one bank account that does everything I want it to do. (Lynne/Dreamy River just loves the ongoing banking saga)….

I’ve worked for myself and sold the business on….

I wrote my first Ford Focus off on a concrete block….

I started a “MobLog“….

I’ve blogged about the Weather SIX times (!!)….

I have never won the ARRIVA Employee Photo Competition LOL….

My Psoriasis, in the grand scheme of things neither gets better or worse….

My Liver has gone from 100% to apparently 12% damaged and unrecoverable, back to 100% fit again :-S….

I’ve spent more time Driving the MK Bus Route 200 then any other….

I’ve changed mobile numbers god knows how many times….

I’ve made more friends through my blog than I ever thought possible!….

And I think the question I’ve been asked the most is “Where does the Bus to Luton go from?!”

I’ve posted a few months ago about these tablets that I’m taking, Cyclosprin for my Psoriasis.

Well now I have a stinking cold and raging sore throat which is a big no no while taking these, So I’m now off to the hospital for an “emergency appointment”

Been to the Hospital today for my Three-monthly review. Been given another new set of tablets to try, Cyclosporin, Which is another type of Immune System supressing medication. All the usual side effects, But this time instead of affecting the Liver (Like MTX did to me) this one goes for the Kidneys. Also have to keep an eye on my skin as it does give me a “Higher risk of Tumours or other malignancies, particularly of the skin”… Nice!!

Oh, and back to swapping shifts with people all over the place again, Gotta have blood tests and blood pressure checks every week and hospital reviews every fortnight. I’m thinking permanent lates might be the answer! :/

Quite possibly the most boring video you’ll find on Youtube, Bits of my Sunday glued together into one video.. and No, I didn’t win anything….

Now into my third week at MK Metro, and it’s my first week out on my own without a trainer…. All going fine I think.

I’m still missing the friendlyness of Aylesbury depot, I find Metro, and especially the Bus Station a bit intimidating, But since starting here I’ve noticed my Psoriasis has started to slowly clear up, Which proves my theory that working all those hours on the 200 for Arriva wasn’t doing my health any good.

The problem being of course that my skin was at it’s worst when I started at Metro. I did plan to try and at least get my hands clear with steroid cream, But it hasn’t happened. This hasn’t helped with getting to talk to people as I can see them staring at my skin which then puts me on the defensive. :/

Oh well, I’ve only been on me own for 2 days, So we’ll have to see how it goes, At the moment I’m 80% certain I made the right decision to transfer.

Another 5 second video now, This bus must hold the record for the most annoying indicator sound! LOL

My this sounds like a nice drug that I’m supposed to be starting shortly for my Psoriasis (If the liver function test comes back okay)….

Acitretin
What is it?

Acitretin is a type of medicine called a ‘retinoid’ Retinoids have a structure similar to vitamin A and it is involved with the production and growth of skin cells

How does it work?

Acitretin is taken by tablet or capsule form once a day and normally with a meal It is best to try and take it at roughly the same time each day Prescribed amounts can vary, but it is usual to start on a lower dose and have this increased as and when it is necessary to control psoriasis clearance Some people get excellent results on a lower dose, others need to have their dose upped frequently The lowest starting dose is approx 10mg per day and the maximum is usually no more than 75 mg Be careful when taking your dose – check you are taking exactly the right amount!

What are the side effects and contra-indications?

As with all systemics, there is a long list of possible side effects Similarly, some people suffer no effects, others a few on the list and a few unlucky people cannot tolerate it at all

· Peeling, dry, itchy, scaling, cracked, blistered, sticky or infected skin
· brittle or weak fingernails and toenails
· dandruff
· sunburn
· abnormal skin odour
· excessive sweating
· hair loss
· changes in hair texture
· dry eyes
· loss of eyebrows or eyelashes
· hot flashes or flushing
· weak nails
· chapped or swollen lips
· swollen or bleeding gums
· excessive saliva
· tongue pain, swelling, or blistering
· mouth swelling or blisters
· stomach pain
· diarrhea
· increased appetite
· difficulty falling or staying asleep
· sinus infection
· runny nose
· dry nose
· nosebleed
· joint pain

Acitretin can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) even in patients who are not diabetic. If you have any of these symptoms, eat or drink a food or beverage with sugar in it and call your doctor immediately; symptoms of low blood sugar include:

· thirst
· dry mouth
· tiredness
· flushing
· dry skin
· frequent urination
· loss of appetite
· trouble breathing

Contra-indications for Acitretin include:
Pregnancy – absolutely essential good contraception is used for the duration of its use AND for two years afterwards.
Do not take MTX, tetracycline antibiotics or any vitamin A supplements. Make sure you tell your pharmacist that you are taking Acitretin when you have any prescription filled at the chemists, as there are many other drugs that interact negatively with it.

Be aware that Acitretin can cause ‘night blindness’, therefore be careful when driving at night. It can also make the wearing of contact lenses uncomfortable.

It is best to avoid over-us of alcohol whilst taking Acitretin.

Acitretin can cause the cholesterol count to rise, therefore checking your diet for food high in cholesterol and limiting it may be necessary if the regular blood tests show a need.

Some or all of these tests will be required on a monthly/bi-monthly basis. Careful monitoring can indicate the potential for problems before it becomes one.

…It will have been 4 weeks tomorrow since I took my last Methotrexate tablet for my Psoriasis.

I’ve gone from 98% clear “normal” skin to what’s below in just 4 weeks…

Just 4 weeks for it to start covering me again. I started taking the tablets last September. They gave me headaches, Made me want to throw up at least once a week and sometimes for days at a time, Made me so tired that I wanted to permanently sleep, But they cleared my skin. What I had been wanting since I was 14.

How quickly I’d forgotten the Pain & soreness that I put up with 24/7, The constant itching and scratching, The never ending hassle of applying various creams and moisturisers. But now it’s back, New red spots appearing almost daily, back to covering up again even when it’s hot & sunny, Back to having people stare at my arms, Seeing in their face that they either are dying to ask me what it is, but won’t, Or thinking they should get away as quickly as possible and avoid me as I may be contagious….and my Specialist wonders why it gets me down and why I have so much trouble making friends/Talking to strangers!!

For all the side effects those tablets brought upon me I’d take em again if I could.

This post is quite special… No I’m not shutting the blog down so you don’t have to read my dribble anymore or the fact that I’m giving away free money to the first 10 people to ring me up and say “Guitar Caravan” (which I’m not)… But the fact that this is the 100th post to this blog.

There has been more than 100 blog posts of course as this is the third blog I’ve had.

To celebrate this fantasical moment in history I’m going to post post some bits from previous moments in time….

(my comments about the posts are in bold)

First Posted: 02 January 2005 20:20:16 o’clock GMT

Not really sure what you can reply when you receive this picture in an email….

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First Posted: 13 January 2005 21:01:25 o’clock GMT

“Well, I had my interview at Metro, and was offered the job there n then. With the terms and conditions they were offering I would have been stupid not to accept.”

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I lasted 9 weeks at metro! I have ended up back at ARRIVA via a 2nd spell at Parcelforce LOL and now, Just to complete the Circle I’m being borrowed by MK Metro as they are short of staff at this very moment.

First Posted: 07 September 2006 23:12:32 o’clock BST

There is a Meeting for all the people I owe money to to vote if they accept my IVA and I can work at getting out of Debt, Thats what’s going round my mind at the moment…. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

Oh and some nice person has given me a cold over the weekend so I feel like Poo and its not doing my Psoriasis any good either :/

(I’ll stop moaning now)

Oh and I had this Text’d to me this morning.. I know some strange People!

This woman has now moved to Aussie Land. My IVA has been going fine ever since that day (apart from a minor blip) and I haven’t stopped moaning

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First Posted: 30 September 2006 21:21:30 o’clock BST

[youtube VXS2QPn6tU4]

Still my all time fave video on youTube

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First Posted: 19 Oct 2006

“Instead I have found something called a Terrimundi, A Terrimundi is a little urn-shaped piece of pottery with a small slit in it to fit coins. The enclosed card says that tradition states that you should make a wish as you insert your first coin, and then you must “feed” it coins until it’s full, When you have to smash it open to get at the money inside. This is my kind of saving as I can’t get to the money. I know that i’m not earning any interest on what’s inside, But Feeling it getting heavier keeps me motivated. I have one that i’m filling with only £2 coins, and it should hold around £800

I also got myself another one arrive today to fill with just general silver but things haven’t gone according to plan, I opened the package and found…”

I’m still annoyed that this arived smashed.. and I never got a refund or replacement!

———-

First Posted: 13 Nov 2006

“Well I’m glad I had finished my duty half an hour before this all happened..”

“Haven’t found out what happened yet, But sources say that the driver was under the instruction of a supervisor who was guiding him round the Ambulance that was there for a previous incident. As you can imagine most of Harrow came to a standstill, So if anybody was waiting for a bus in the area, Now you know why it was late last Saturday Afternoon.”

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What an exciting few years it’s been huh?