Things to be Grateful for.

I'm feeling more like myself - No longer Covid positive.

I have had very good care from the NHS despite the financial & staffing problems facing them.

I have been given 4 really helpful aids to remain independent by the Occupational Therapist.

I'm gradually returning to what passes for "normal".

I have a lovely, caring family & really good friends.

I have lost over a stone in weight - although there must be easier ways!

I'm aiming to be able to return to swimming & my usual activities next week. (But I will take it easy).

I have a home of my own & am financially secure.

I'm really lucky. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

But, all is not well in the world. We are facing serious issues at home & internationally. These will not be solved easily. It will require everyone, not just politicians, leaders of industry & wealthy philanthropists, to work together for the good of everyone & the world we all live in.

Self interest will not work. We in the developed world need to be prepared to make significant changes to our lifestyles immediately. We need to be grateful for what we have. We need to get things in to proportion. 

There is poverty everywhere, but the poverty in the developing world is far in excess of anything here. We have food banks, but we are not in a famine or starving to death. There is discord in the UK, but we are not involved in a war at home. We have access to clean water. Energy costs are very high, but we have heating & electricity. We have homeless people, but not in the numbers of displaced people around the world. All our children have acces to a free health service & good education.

Hitherto we have taken these things for granted, as a right. Now we have a responsibility to be more aware & share more equitably with the rest of the world. It isn't right that where you are born determines your life chances. It isn't right that decisions we have made are destroying the world we live in.

We all have to be grateful & be prepared to do something about the situation some of us have created.

 

 

 

Covid Misery

I have had all but the latest vaccine & I've had Covid mildly. I have shielded & been careful when restrictions relaxed. I take Covid seriously. But I got Covid again 16 days ago.

I have been quite ill when travelling abroad with sickness & diarrhea, but this was a completely different order of illness. A blinding headache which had me climbing the walls, nausea, retching, not eating for days on end, a day of dreadful diarrhea, so weak I could barely move, muscle aches & pains which meant I couldn't be comfortable in any position, utterly exhausted because I couldn't sleep in any position without being in pain, breathless at any exertion even speaking, unable to do anything except listen to the radio a bit. Just completely sedentary & dozing all day, every day & trying to drink fluids.  

So now, although I don't have Covid, it looks as if I have long Covid. The virus seems to have affected the muscles of my left leg which was bruised badly when I had a bad fall. An Occupational Therapist is coming today to assess me. My lovely Osteopath is helping a lot. I need to be mobile. I need to be able to look after myself. I need to be independent.

I have had really good care from the NHS. Not from my GP's, but 111, Paramedics & AAU at the JR Hospital. I have had batteries of tests, exhausting, invasive, but necessary & informative. A designated Covid team who phone me every day to check on progress, or lack of it. 

Dealing with being so ill & disabled when you live alone is difficult & quite frightening at times. My daughter is wonderful & has kept me going physically & emotionally. But she is a teacher & has a family to look after. I've been a carer for my parents & parents in law. It isn't easy, especially when you have a demanding professional job.

Today I actually woke up & didn't feel sick. I felt well enough to have a shower - only the 3rd shower in all this time! I wasn't able to eat a whole bowl of cereal, but I think I will fancy a sandwich for lunch & some chicken for tea.

Progress of any sort is welcome. It's a pleasure to start feeling something like my normal self.  

Anyone who thinks Covid is over is deluded. If you haven't experienced what I have you have no idea how ill you can be. I was aware that hardly anyone wears masks, distances or sanitises any more. So stupid & ignorant. Why put yourself at risk rather than do a couple of simple things to protect yourself & everyone else?

I'm going to make myself my first cup of real coffee now. I hope I can enjoy it. 

PS

The O T was amazing & will deliver everything next week. I am going to be given a variety of aids to help in the house & outside. All I hoped for was a shower stool, but there is so much more available. I'm not proud, I don't have a problem with being elderly & needing help. I am just really grateful that the NHS has such skilled professionals who try their very best to help people in need. 

It is just shocking that they have to put up with complaining & even abusive patients. We should all be very grateful they continue doing a very difficult job.