2108.29 PUPDATES AND EXHAUSTION

I think I underestimated the effect getting a puppy would have on our household. Magnus has turned our lives upside down.

2010.13 LOOOOOONG COVID

It's difficult not to talk about coronavirus these days. It's on every news channel and is even seeping into dramas, only a matter of time before they make a movie about it.

1807.05 HAPPY BIRTHDAY NHS

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A British Institution, often maligned and taken for granted, this week this pillar of our society turned 70. I thought I'd look how this amazing organisation has touched my life.

1706.20 TEN YEARS LATER

Ten years ago today was the longest day of my life. It was a day of waiting... and waiting. A day of fear and did I mention waiting?

1701.25 KILLER TOAST AND NIGHT OWLS

These days when we are all trying to keep as healthy as possible (well most want to) we find ourselves juggling fitness and diet. It's difficult since foods that are good or bad for us seems to change almost weekly. If fact this week we are being told that toast is a potential killer!

1701.05 NEW GLASSES DAY

This happened just before Christmas but it was difficult for me to squeeze the post in. It's the most exciting thing for a glasses wearer.

1611.03 IT'S NOT M.E. IT'S YOU

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a long-term (chronic), fluctuating, neurological condition that causes symptoms affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems. ME affects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK, and around 17 million people worldwide.

Morticia has suffered from ME for around 10 years now, it's a condition that has completely affected her life and the life of our family. The condition is sometimes referred to as 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' (CFS) but I feel this term doesn't do it justice. It's still difficult to get medical types to take this seriously and we've encountered some very close minded and judgemental GPs in our time.

My attention was peaked when I saw this on the BBC and initially thought that finally the NHS was rolling out a treatment/therapy. Then my heart sank a little when I found out it was about a 'so called' landmark chronic fatigue trial could treat two-thirds of children who suffer with ME.

The problem with this treatment is that they are suggesting a psychological treatment for a neurological disorder, that's like applying ointment on a severed limb and hoping it'll grow back. Suggesting that ME is 'all in the mind' is detrimental to the many who suffer from this chronic, fluctuating and varied neurological condition that affects sufferers in a variety of ways.

The only positive from this example of frankly lazy journalism is that it's given the whole issue some exposure even if the facts are wrong. I guess any exposure about this - often swept under the carpet condition - is good and it has facilitated some discussion. I'll take this small positive from it.

1609.27 THE VOID

Since 2012 I've lived with the darkness. It's always there like an unwanted stalker forever traveling with me. Back in 2012 I had a breakdown, since then I've had this companion who occasionally pushes me into a dark place, a void, a dark corridor full of locked doors. I have to traverse the whole thing to get back out into the light. But what if this time there is no light this time? It's this making sense?

Yesterday I almost deactivated my blog. I thought about deleting my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I came really close. It could still happen. The only reason I think I haven't was the words of my previous therapist who advised me to share my thoughts and that blogging was beneficial to my mental well-being. That's why I'm rambling on like this.

Hopefully I'll see you all on the other side. 

1609.16 OVER 40s CHECKUP

I was rudely awoken this morning at 5:20 by a violent thunderstorm. I had to come downstairs to let Angel the cat in, she was grateful and I headed back to bed. The weird thing was that as well as the thunder, lightning and heavy rain there was also traffic outside which was unusually heavy for the time of day. Had the storm awoken these people so they'd decided to go to work early? The storm dissipated and so did the traffic but with an alarm set for 6:10 not much more sleep was available.

So today was the day I went for my "over 40s check up". I've been a little apprehensive about it mainly because of my family history. The males in my paternal line all have cardiovascular health issues. My uncle was only a couple of years older than I am now when he died suddenly of a heart attack.

The check-up was pretty basic, performed by a Healthcare Assistant called Joanne. Height, weight, blood pressure and blood tests. Add the lifestyle questions to which I pretty much passed and it was over pretty quickly. I fell below the threshold to be tested for diabetes but since I have a family history she's going to test for it anyway.

So now I wait to see if the bloods reveal any problems, apparently no news is good news so if I hear nothing I'm clear.

Morticia had the same check up directly after me but hers isn't as straightforward as her chronic illness causes other lifestyle issues.

The weather looks like it's going to dry up before I cycle to work. However with all the surface water it looks like I'm still going to get a bit wet!

1609.13 EAR SPA

I've never had my ears syringed before so at my appointment yesterday I was a little nervous. I was also excited at the prospect of having my hearing restored (you might remember my hearing loss on my holiday).

My nurse was Jodie who put me at ease and explained the whole process. The loss of hearing was like having a speaker on full blast with nothing connected - I could hear the sound of the air rushing through (all the time).

I have to say it was having a jacuzzi in my ear!

The warm water flushed out a candle sized lump out and suddenly my hearing returned, it was like having the sound un-muted. It was a little inflamed in there so Jodie put a bit of cream. I have a repeat appointment to check on it in a few weeks.

When I stepped outside it was like hearing full on THX stereo sound, I was in awe! I then felt for all those poor people who suffer with hearing loss.

I'm left with a little bit of earache but I can hear the world properly again.

1609.01 DOCTOR WHAT?

As I mentioned in my holiday post I managed to get myself an ear infection whilst swimming in the sea during my stay in Wales this year. The discomfort soon went away after a few days but I'd been left with a reduction in my hearing in my right ear.

It was starting to clear up but it got to a point it just wasn't getting any better. I thought I'd better go and see my doctor. Getting an appointment can be difficult, you have to ring at 8:30am and try and get through to the receptionist before she hands out all the appointments to the local hypochondriacs. I managed to get through and got an appointment that was before I had to go to work.

I don't visit the doctor often, something Dr Patel mentioned as he scanned my notes on his computer. He had a look in my ears with the thingy for looking down people's ear holes. Nothing to worry about, the infection had cleared up and left a load of wax behind so I'd need to get an appointment with the ear clinic to get them syringed.

While I was seeing the doctor he noted that because I was over 40 I should had had an 'over 40s check up'. I reluctantly agreed to this.

So I get my ears syringed in 12 days (earliest appointment they had) and I get my full health check just 2 days before I'm supposed to be cycling up Holme Moss. Until then I'll just have to put up with not being able to hear properly, at least it's only temporary. 

1608.29 THE LAST DAY

Today is Summer Bank Holiday and is also my last day off after my 2 weeks off. Tomorrow afternoon I go back to work.

It's been a great couple of weeks with the first one spent in my favourite place on the planet and the second one spent relaxing with my family at home. I've pretty much eaten and drank what I wanted but all that ends today.

Yesterday I got back on the bike (at least I got on the turbo trainer) and began my lifestyle of watching my food intake and exercise stats. Still found time for a beer or two in the evening though.

I've started hearing the rumblings of Christmas spoken on social media already. I'll save my thoughts on that for another day.