Well, having huffed and puffed and moaned about how my physio perhaps is not working for the last twenty years - I have found out that it was working after all. For the last three months it has been virtually impossible for me to do it daily, and my physical mobility is definitely worse. I have done it, but have kept having to stop. There has been no lack of trying with this - it has simply been eclipsed by either infections, badly behaved hormones or having no sleep and looking after poorly children, several frightful things have sent me forcibly to bed. However I shall use this comparison to drive myself back onto it again. I am one size bigger and much less physically able, I shall be finding some energy from somewhere to try and get around that one... although as we all know... chronic fatigue from either hypothyrodism or lupus or anything is medically documented, but still people think, if they have not had it... that it is the same as being tired from being busy...! we just have to ignore such attitudes... I would love to have the energy to be busy and hold down a job and be tired from that, not that I am not busy in other ways.. I am currently quite busy wittering on.
We bounced toward Christmas lurching from one crisis to another with ailments and medical appointments... I never did manage to go Christmas shopping, but did do well on line and with other people being sent as runners. I also taught one of my children for a couple of weeks - although they mainly just get on with the work when off school.
I also pushed my man out to various gigs and parties which I could not go to, I did miss going, but was not up to it this time around. In fact one night he rolled back on his bicycle to find himself completely locked out. As he stood puzzled in the early hours in the garden stroking his beer tummy, he decided not to wake me... in fact I would have been awake, but he is generous of spirit..and slunk off to sleep in a room over our garage. Yes it does have a bed, and something unusual called a heater in there,... which of course he could not put on, as it was not cold... no it was freezing.. I suppose this was to counteract the various fan heaters left on maximum in our conservatory for hours on end, forgotten about. It transpired that my youngest son, had snuck downstairs to check everything was ok for the night and had locked up, forgetting that his father was out at the local pub doing some bellowing and playing various instruments. There was a mournful doorbell ringing at 8.30 in the morning and a sheepish hello dear etc.
I have noticed that I have put on weight without my exercise, this combined with naughty Christmas eating, which seemed to start a month before hand. Make no mistake I eat properly.. and also have not cheated once on gluten free.. but my delicious snacks conveyor belt seemed to go on some sort of automatic overdrive, that combined with wine.... My only two nights a week rule of four glasses maximum over a week, has been defiantly ignored in a style which would put most rampaging teenagers to shame.
So as I limp towards New Years' Eve tonight - and I say limp... as I have been forced into bed with nasty broncihtis and lupusy styled lungs... which came on gradually... as I said to visiting friends... if I went to the GP with every huff, puff, throb, itch, sore, inflammation, etc etc. I would have to perhaps think of having a camp bed at the surgery. Mind you I might have to resort to this, as it appears that my favourite GP is going to retire, I had plans for him to stay on for at least another 35 years, and did send him this, in the hopes I could pursuade him to stay there: telegraph.co.uk/science/sci... Hopefully it might sway him to stay on.
It came on suddenly in end, could not get my breath and had a pain in my back and tell tale signs.. according to my husband I was whistling and wheezing like the bellows of one of his multiple accordians that needs mending due to an air leak. The Out of Hours service came out to me. As usual I am now in full allergic reaction to the antibiotics. I will lose the use of my hands and feet soon, as they are swelling like large blown up rubber gloves and will soon go through a range of changes more suitable to Hammer Horror - I am normally left with a couple of working finger tips, this can go on for up to four months.. but if I can tap away that is at least something. My feet will do the same thing, but luckily I don't use those for typing...also having cracked a bone in my toe, due to packing at high speed wearing slithery flip flops. I can't kick anything either.
We did have a very jolly time in the West Country for Christmas, we were spoiled rotten, I did not go anywhere else.. I hung out with the children, at one point my man went off to see his old university friends who I have really enjoyed hanging out with over the years.. apparently they were all behaving as if still teenagers, if not worse behaved, he was most pleased to find this, as I was to hear about it!
The very kind and friendly visiting GP was treated to a full scale cat fight during the consultation in my sitting room, terrible hissing and dual boxing of furry ears took place, they then retreated to op positional cushions. He was clearly a cat lover....and tried to sooth and stroke my elderly tiger.. who responded with growls and flat eared hissing and despicable cat language, I explained that she was a local adviser to the PCT and was most put out at the various cuts going on locally, and had heard that three out of hours hubs had been shut in our area, Funnily enough after I had explained this, she then warmed toward him and he was treated to some elderly royal purring.
So half a day in bed, then this afternoon I will enjoy myself cooking a menu for my visitors tonight....minus a pudding as I am too fat! The jaws being wired together can wait until tomorrow.
My friend Hairy Legs moved in the day we got back from Devon and has been here playing music and generally cheering things up and being hilarious, various tummies in the house have got bigger and some afternoon gentlemen's naps have been taking place. Yesterday he lit the fire for me, as i am rather shivery at the moment and clothing is not ideal in the state I am in, at least heavy duty things beyond tee shirts etc. I was most amused at his reaction to my husband's weaning chair - my man immediately proudly announced his mother had fed him on, this was made worse by the dawning realization that Mr Hairy Legs was in fact straddling a minute and fiercely uncomfortable family milking stool, whilst prodding the fire. (Not an heirloom from my side of the family I might add), it is hundreds of years old - we are not sure as in Hairy Legs and myself whether we are keen on either item, but any mention of them in the negative brings on family paternal dismay.
This conversation set off sniggering and the evening panned out nicely with the watching of a most bizarre gypsy film from eastern eruope involving a pet turkey, at the time it was strangled for the pot I had had enough of trying to work out what was going on, and who was to be strangled next, however I did particularly like hearing my husband;s account of a 21 day walking holiday through The Himalayas - wearing shorts which were stared at 24/7, a scratchy vest and some canvas slippery soled Chinese slippers - which made the whole thing a total nightmare in terms of ease of walking etc.
Now it is time for elephants bath time again... after which I shall glide down the stairs in Margo Leadbetter style, no doubt to descent into Waynetta Slob later - I can never maintain appearances.....youtube.com/watch?v=GBogWsf...
I am inspired to make roasted butternut squash soup with chili and thyme!
AND a big AND ...... After New Year, and this wretched infection and antibiotic fuss out of my system.... I can start my LDN... it is here in the house, looking suspiciously foul...so it must work. I can't wait to get my mitts on it.: I just need to wait a few days...then I may slowly turn back into something more resembling myself.
HAPPY NEW YEAR is on the way...
Mary F