Monthly Donation

One thing I've noticed more than anything in this year I've been off work and life is that there appears to be a huge market for charities convincing you to give them money. 

For example, there are a lot of "we know you don't like funerals, so when your loved one dies they can organise it all so you can do something nice to remember them afterwards" which kind of makes sense.

Within this group of adverts there is one where a (quite clearly not) 50 year old lady is playing hide and seek with her granddaughter. "I'm 50 and a non-smoker" she tells the people down the phone. Now, I've been teaching myself to be kinder these last few... well, I'm not sure how long, but long enough. She is quite clearly not 50, more like at least another 10-15 years older. It isn't even dubbed so you can't blame that route either. For a parallel, I dislike this advert as much as the 'On the beach' one that was on every single ad break in the summer. 

Cars. Lots of "you won't lose your no claims with us" sort of ads. 

Then there are the next lot of adverts. Free wills with cancer charities. Possibly a bit close to home right now but something that needs looking into. Mainly as Shaun won't have a clue what to do with all my rubbish. Another thing is a Power of Attorney - having used ours with mum a lot I can see this is very important. 

Then, there are the animals that need help charities. Donkeys, horses, cats, dogs, rabbits,  oh just name them, they will be covered somewhere. I've noticed these charities encourage you to donate £5 - I'm assuming a month, but I don't actually know. All I know is the animals look like they need lots of love and I hope someone is able to do it. 

Finally, there are the children in poorer countries who can't afford doctors/hospital treatment, encouraging us to donate. I can't remember how much, just how sad the children seem. I'd donate money to most of these but right now we need every penny we can get. So instead I'll watch and wish. 

Bleh.

Well I can't type up anything about my hospital visit. Mainly because I need to email a lot of people first. I can see views on the posts on here now, only small numbers but they could be anyone - including people I know. 

But yeah, things are moving again. 

Not Using the F-word

So we're all more than aware how little my head retains. It's irritating, especially when the teen and husband tell me about a conversation we've had the previous day and I have zero recollection. 

At first I wondered if there was a parallel universe where these had happened with another me, which would explain why I don't remember. But that feels way too complex. 

Nope, it's happening, I don't retain it and then I feel like my life is confusing. 

So if I then accept the conversation happened, do we move on? Nope. We talk more about it until I get tired.

Side Effects Update (3)

Shall we?

Skin - generally okay, though I can see where new hairs are growing how it pushes a kind of small spot-like bit of skin out, giving me the appearance of an oddly dandruffed woman. MooGoo cream seems to fix that thankfully.

Hair - no flakes. I'm sure they'll be back, but I now have a scalp massager so I'm hopeful I can keep it away.  No hairloss either. 

Diabetes - I'm still sitting in that middle range blood sugar reading place where I'm not concerned if they're a bit higher, though I need to watch myself in case I eat something I shouldn't.

Eyelashes - oh they're beautifully curly in a way they have never been before, and don't seem to have straightened in any way. With the adverts on tv and the kids who are now blind because of an eye thing they've picked up I guess I probably should have minor alarm bells ringing.... in a 'just in case' way.

Leg muscles - they're getting heavier feeling again, a common steroids side effect. There isn't much I can do about it other than keep moving around. 

Sleep - I'm sleeping. However, I do wake up early every morning (sometimes even around 2am in need of the loo). The bonus with this is I get snuggles with the teen while her dad makes her some breakfast - assuming this is after 7.30am of course! 

Appetite - it's back at the moment, we'll see if it sticks around or whether I stop eating again.... 

Stick - I'm still using a stick when I am out walking, often I need it to help get me moving, other times it's there as a support. It's used every day anyway. I did go through a short phase of forgetting to take it out, but always remembered in time. 

Blood Thinner

Oh the joys. I took my two plasters off last night after the cannula fitting I'd had earlier in the day. 

I was greeted by these beauties. My photos do not do them justice. 

The nurse who tried to put in the cannula said "oh I think I felt it pop?" which wasn't at all worrying. Okay, it was. 

Cough

Had my MRI. I had a cough brewing as I lay down to start the scan, and let the radiographer know.

"It's okay, just cough in a quiet bit" she helpfully advised. I wasn't convinced.

They injected me with dye mid-way through as usual, and back under I went.

To then do a fairly good cough as the MRI was going. I pointed it out to the radiographer afterwards, thinking we may have to do that bit again.

"Oh it'll be okay" she said. 

SIGH. 

There's Tiredness and There's Laziness

The teen helped at Brownie camp this weekend so husband and I had the house to ourselves from late on Friday. It was a bit weird, the quietness - though I was used to it with madam always taking herself off upstairs to do whatever it is she has planned (which is hopefully homework....)

It was like the old days - we could keep the tv volume up, we didn't need to close doors to keep it quiet for the teen and generally we had a different kind of freedom. This wasn't then helped by us both falling asleep in front of the tv though. 

I set aside a time to go and have a shower, but it wasn't to be. Strictly started and I wasn't going to miss Angela Rippon doing a routine to 'Do-Re-Mi' from The Sound of Music. Marvellous it was too. 

So I was left in a happy place in my pyjamas (and new Oodie) while feeling a bit lazy with it all. I was tired too, but this was definitely more on the lazy side. To make up for it I had an early shower today. I'm not sure if the gods of cleanliness will care though. 

Yesterday was also a year since I first went to A&E. That was a weird milestone to pass.