social whirl

Crazeee -- this rehab is hard work!

I've had a very busy weekend meeting various internet friends in various guises this .. nine of us went out for a Turkish meal on Saturday, then more ppl joined us to make it 13 for Sunday Lunch .. (btw I can recommend the Carvery in The Victoria on the Square in Hanley, sadly no website yet!) Then on Monday a few of us met at Trentham and moochd about there for a bit and then a select few gathered here for the old-faithful cocktails and Chinese Supper ..

Very nice ..

Yesterday was an anniversarty for B and I - we've been a couple for FIFTEEN YEARS now .. so we celebrated that together by having a few cocktails and a lovely meal at Blanc Brasserie in Manchester --- we went on the train! haha .. It worked in well cos B had a meeting in Manchester, and I joined her there in the afternoon ..

and now I'm whizzing off to Dorset ..

Phew

Work

I went into college for an hour yesterday and met one of the supply teachers who has had to pick up an AS language class. Felt good how the old brain kicks back in to remembering some of this stuff .. so thatI can support her , tho my short term memory still feels / is very shakey.

I am surprised how stressed I get when I have to do anything outside the littel routines I've been doing for the past 15 months .. so this is what rehab is all about .. gradually getting used to day to day stresses!

rehab

phew - this doing things is really tiring .. I saw my nana on Tues for her 93rd birthday. It was a substantial drive for me, on the motorway and I was glad to stop over in Coventry with my brother and family rather than do the drive back all in one day.

Had a nice time with them, and got hooked on Luke's Play Station FIFA game... haha! never played anything like that before .. I don't really NEED more time-wasting gadgets in my life, but I think B would enjoy the football one too!

I went to Sheffield Uni yesterday, also a long drive, but not so stressful cos the weather was lovely and scenery on that "over the Peaks" route via Monyash, and Bakewell is really stunning and made me very happy. While I was there I learnt about UCAS applications for English courses, and I think this is the first totally work-based thing I've done in ages. Enjoyed it.

I am very tired though. I guess it's a bit frustrating now, where I feel quite a lot better but I'm not really better!

Mrs Hall

We went to see my surgeon on Saturday to discuss the reversal. She was quite re-assuring about it, but agreed that I need to pencil in at least 12 weeks post-op for getting total control over my body again .. I think it is worth it now.

I don't know yet when she will do the operation, it will be end of Jan or Feb sometime - she has to look at her other commitments and work out her holidays as well!

express train

whhooooo
that feels a bit fast suddenly .. went to see "boss" yesterday .. and she was lovely and we discussed what I might be able to do by way of getting my feet back under the table. It won't be much, esp bearing in mind I could well be having more surgery after Christmas ...

Anyrate b4 you even CAN go back to work you have to get the all clear from your GP, so I popped in to make an appointment, and there was one for that very afternoon .. so I've seen my GP and she thinks doing a bit will be very good for me.

So now I've got to see Occupational Health..

Then I found a letter from my surgeon asking to see me on Saturday .. so it's all coming together a bit "fast" now .. and I was awake very early today thinking about it all. Yoiu hear some real horror stories about reversals .. but then, do ppl having an OK time of it write it up on the internet?

Exertion

I have been up-dating my fitness blog quite regularly. I have had a decent week with quite a bit of walking, a 10 mile cycle and a reasonable food intake (albeit supplemented with a WRIGHTS PIE at the football on Sat!!)

That was the first sports event I've been to in over a year. They could have made more effort to mark the event, it was a dismal display from Stoke and if they don't buck up we wont be rushing back. The rest of the population must be feeling the same cos the gate was only 13,000 - the lowest I've ever heard in there ...

I'm going to the gym now, well for a fitness assement, one step at a time! Then I am going into work to meet the principal tomorrow morning. Trying to rebuild and establish some of my old life again.

cancer in the news 2

I did post quite a rant here about the latest "news" about thing that can pre-dispose you to cancer ... in the end I decided not to post it, but I was mad ... really ... GRRR

cancer in the news

Dina Rabinovitch died this week of breast cancer, aged 44. She was a Guardian journalist who blogged her experiences and wrote in the columns of the paper. There were some extracts in the paper yesterday. It made sad reading ... especially the bit about how her son has stopped asking her if her cancer will get better. How hard that is for mothers to be dying with young children?

In one of the entries she admits to feeling jealous of mums at the school gate who don't have cancer. It's not a proud thing to admit to, and I must say, I know what she means. I have felt that too, at times. You hate yourself for thinking it, but it creeps up on you.

I wonder now about Ann, the woman at hospital whom I made friends with, whose bowel cancer spread already. Sho has had to have chemo for a very long time. If I went to see her now, would she welcome me, or would it be hard to bear?