Followers

Saturday 13 May 2017

Empathy....

This whole thing remains such a journey, I can probably empathise with so many conditions now.....
  • Altzheimers 
  • Parkinson's
  • Mental health conditions such as anxiety and stress related issues
  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Diabetes
  • Alopecia / male pattern baldness 
To name but a few! Yet I remain so grateful because I know things could've been so much worse. I'm not in pain (headaches can be sore and there's obviously discomfort from radio and the surgery scar, but it's all bearable), I have cancer in one place and have a treatment plan. Some others are given short timescales and I can't imagine how terrifying that must be. Plus often people have a number of different things going on at once, particularly older people, For me, right from the start, there was a treatment plan to hopefully let me get a life back and live normally. After 2 major surgeries and 3 weeks of radio, my symptoms still are still manageable, of a little miserable st times..... though the miserable ones are often the most minor, like feeling a bit dizzy or slightly nauseous. 

I sometimes feel a bit stupid and forget stuff, but that's hardly the end of the world. In fact often it can be a confidence issue and I'm getting better at that! I don't doubt myself so much now. I know I'm not stupid and forgetting things or getting a little disorientated happens to everyone, whether unwell or not.

I get tired but I go to bed early and fight through the tiredness during the day. I have to be a little careful of that as I can be guilty of doing too much. Today I was up at 7am, showered, breakfast, dog walked and into town for the shops opening. Hubby was getting a hair cut so I did a bit of shopping alone for the first time since my hobbit style journey began. The main objective was to get some hats and headscarf type affairs. I think this was pretty successful and I was able to come home with a number of new looks. I got some great soft cotton headscarf type things...... kind of like the neck things you get for hill walking. They can easily be fashioned into a headband/ mask/ balaclava...... I'm going with the headband and a sort of pirate/Amish style look....... perfect for covering the rather unattractive bald patch at my hairline... and the others when I find them! I hope not to have much need for a balaclava, but sometimes you just don't know what could happen when you're out for a pint of milk...... ah come on now, that was funny..... admit it!!........not aimed at any person or group, just a little N'orn Irn dark humour...... I'm sure you'll forgive me that....!

I'm still able to do things for myself, I just need to do it at a slower pace......  I have to be careful I don't get dragged back into the real world too harshly..... I'm a floaty, stress free hippy now don't forget! Although I did have to upgrade my phone today. A bit like myself, the memory is just a bit overwhelmed! I get so many messages/photos/emails etc so I've gine for 125gb (or is it mb??) this time. I love getting all the support and find it so frustrating when I have to keep deleting stuff to make way for new!  I spent much of the time in the shop saying 'I don't really care. Whatever.' Probably the easiest sale they ever had!! Hubby went with me for that one...... I'll admit to having become a little bit careless with stuff like that...... I do a lot of shoulder shrugging rather than having to make a decision. I do far too much random online shopping now too..... stuff I often never look at after it arrives!! Especially books. Lots and lots of books. A charity shop has just opened down the road from me...... I'm quite sure I have a few 'like new' items I could contribute! That'll be a job for when radio finishes and I'm trying to find a new routine for another wee while. 

Random conversations with strangers is another issue...... though truthfully I always did it and generally seem to pick pretty well! Today I met an older man who's waiting for a knee replacement. He suggested I give him one of mine...... I've agreed and told him to get his people to call my people to set it up.....I don't think I have him my phone number, but it's a possibility!! I know I have it to a fellow ambulance/minibus passenger the other day.... she' was an older lady and asked for it. She doesn't live a million miles from me so I'd happily help her if she needed it.  Talking to strangers remains a source of great enjoyment for me. I find you're usually drawn to warm people anyway, and it often becomes obvious very quickly why you were 'meant to' talk to them..... When your world slows down, you see a lot more....

I've stopped being funny again (though I did get a couple of decent ones in there...) so I'll stop writing and go back to relaxing and drinking herbal teas. Peace out!! Xxx

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