Here’s how our 6 day road trip panned out.....
Coleraine to Larne
Larne to Cairnryan by boat.
Cairnryan to Dumfries
Dumfries to Pooley Bridge (and Ullswater Lake)
Pooley Bridge to Kendal
1 night in Kendal
Kendal to Morecambe
Morecambe to Manchester
2 nights in Manchester
Manchester to Marsden
2 nights in Marsden
Marsden to Glasgow
1 night in Glasgow
Glasgow to Ayr
Ayr to Cairnryan
Cairnryan to Larne
Larne to Coleraine
7 days, 6 nights, 694.8 miles.
Why? A number of reasons really...... my sister and husband were having their third (yep, third!) wedding party. Considering they moved their wedding to Coleraine to accommodate the little princess, it seemed only right we make the effort to go to their party in Manchester now that I’m a bit fitter. Plus we wanted to see the house they’ve been renovating and spend time with them. And finally, we deserved a break! We wanted time away together, away from work and having some fun. A holiday.
But why not just fly?? Oh, I don’t do that, remember?? I pity the fool! Honestly, a change in air pressure due to weather can cause me a headache...... there’s no way I’m getting on a plane. Thankfully, hubby was up for a road trip and we made a vague plan. Very vague. Then we just followed our noses.
Worst bits?
- The drive from Cairnryan to Dumfries was grim.
- As a Glaswegian, I’m ashamed to say it, but the night in my hometown won’t go down as a great time. Mostly my own fault. I’d done way too much and was struggling quite badly by our last night. My joints were so swollen I was miserable and my back was agony from bumpy roads and too much walking around in hilly towns. Plus I only booked it a couple of days before and there were cycling timetrials on in the city centre so all the roads were closed and it took over an hour to get to our very expensive hotel...... where we were put in a tiny room with the most uncomfortable bed, on the top floor, at the furthest away point. Literally the last room! So Glasgow wasn’t a huge success. Learning from past mistakes, I even had to walk out of a shop and deep breathe for a minute......I reckon it was the closest I’ve come to a seizure since March, which would’ve been a massive backward step. But I’ve learnt my lessons and I didn’t play the hero. Hubby patiently helped me back to the hotel and endured a night of me tossing and turning. Not to mention a few tears. It was unpleasant but I also proved to myself that I can remain calm and that it’s ok to admit if I feel vulnerable to a turn. Ever the comedian, I got a song in my head and indulged my dark humour (until hubby told me, rightly, to stop it because it wasn’t funny...); ‘The South’ by Cadillac Three “This is where I was born and this is where I will die”. Yep, hubby was right. Not funny.
Best bits?
- The ferry. Odd choice I know, but it brought back memories of childhood (minus the four hour journey and vomiting that we used to endure!)
- I loved Morecambe. Purely for Eric’s statue. I’ve already blogged about it so I’ll not repeat, but what fun that was!
- Time with my sister and brother in law at what I’ve now named ‘Badger’s House’. Again, I’ve already blogged about it.
- Ayr. We stopped there on the way back to the boat and were pleasantly surprised. The sea air seems to just be my thing! It clears my head. Ayr reminds me of what I imagined Port Angeles was like when I read Twilight by Stephanie Myers. There are lots of little side streets with quirky shops. The best of all worlds; sea, river, lost things in quirky shops down unexpected alleyways. Imagination fully engaged... Ayr gets a big thumbs up from me.
So all in all, a wonderful trip away. Tiring but I’m home feeling like I’ve taken another big step forward. Refusing to be beaten but learning from past mistakes of pushing too hard.
As of Sunday, I’m down to just 1mcg of steroids a day. Titrating down continues to be tough going, but if all things remain equal I’ll take my last one in 4 weeks time. For me this is really important. I don’t like taking medications and I’ve no interest in living my life high. The other side effects are awful too - weight gain, fluid retention, mood swings, and other stuff that’s not for a blog! Plus I never know when I might actually need them again in an emergency situation. They’ll be far more effective if I’m not already totally dosed up on them.
Overall, a big week on a long health journey. Another milestone. With my amazing family at my side.
Living with......
“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
Winnie the Pooh, by A.A Milne
No comments:
Post a Comment