A bit more reflection on some of the things going on in my life at the moment, and things I need to commit to memory before the grey cells decide they have had enough and pack in the game completely.
Since coming out of hospital just over a month ago I feel that things are improving somewhat in my life. I am more settled and less agitated and angry than I was, I am more even tempered and calm, so that has got to be a good thing.
I spent all day yesterday sat in a lecture theatre without windows from before nine in the morning until five at night. Normally that would have driven me to distraction, but other than having occasionally to get up and walk about because of the operation scar aching a bit, there was not a single problem. Good news.
On the slight down side I have not slept well for two nights and am feeling tired more than usual, but maybe this is because of a cold and the fact that several days ago I stopped taking the last of the painkillers which I have been using for the polymyalgia since early last year.
No doubt it is going to take time for the last of the residue to clear out of my system, but it already feels better that I am no longer taking the cocktail of pain killers, hormones, sleeping pills and god knows what else which I was taking. So perhaps this slight lack of energy might be connected to the withdrawal of the pain killers? Who knows. I am not going back to see the GP to ask the question. I do not have the same level of pain I was having as late as November last year, so I can cope with that. Not a problem.
If you are interested in polymyalgia (and I can think of no reason on earth why anyone who does not have it should be - but there are some sick people around), then click on this link to read some more about it.
I have cut and pasted from the linked site above to show something which just about sums up my life and its lack of good luck at the moment.
"For reasons that are not fully understood, the rates of PMR are above average in the east and south-east of England, and below average in the north and north-west of England."
Just my bloody luck to get something which is uncommon in the north west of England!! Not to worry, that's life!
So, onwards and upwards, the cancer treatment starts in the middle of May, the Oncologist would not permit me to start the treatment until the aneurysm operation was totally settled, which despite my frustration is a good thing. She knows best, though last time I saw her she had a red nose and a cold to go with it. So what else is new? Physician - heal thyself!!
Oh yes, one of the really nice and positive things happened to me at the weekend. I have been playing the saxophone for a few months now and have had seven lessons, the last one just before I went into hospital. My teacher, Melanie, is wonderful and full of praise, but I am so unsure of my own abilities that I am never too certain if she is being kind because she is a nice person or if I am actually playing quite well. So, a couple of weeks ago I asked for a second opinion from someone who used to be very close to me. The reaction I got was,"Well it shows you have only had seven lessons". Not too encouraging, so last weekend I went to see my daughter who is head of music and drama at a secondary school, and a bloody good musician herself (plays in an orchestra in her spare time).
Her reaction was good, she did point out a couple of points which she felt might have been due to the fact that because of the recent operation my diaphragm was not yet operating on full power, but overall the reaction was honest (did not expect anything less from her) and favourable. So, I am pleased.
I am plodding on with the playing almost every day, in fact every day, and still really enjoying it. Even if some people think it sounds very amateurish, I like it.
