A Write Story...

Having been away on a lovely retreat and dipped my toes in the healing pool at the Chalice Well (try everything - you never know) I discovered last Monday I have got myself in a pickle of potentially writing approx 50,000 words in just over three weeks. Hmm. After some thought, I decided to go for it. This has been an interesting 'experiment'. Generally, sitting in front of the computer is classed as an 'activity' and I have to pace myself - limit it to so long and rest either side of it or at least after it.
I had wondered, since on the first night at the retreat I have one of  my 'night episodes' (shivers, burning up, palpitations and a stomach dump just for good measure) and was awake until about 4am with it, if things were backsliding. Had I actually achieved some credit in my health bank or had it been showing a false balance and I was about to lose it all again? I recovered rather well from it, even managing to attend the Carnival in Glastonbury on the Saturday and stand (leaning on my stick) for most of it (sitting on a doorstep of a handy charity shop in between). I had also that day managed to walk up and down the high street doing a bit of shopping. The following day I wandered round the Chalice Well and gardens and then returned to the retreat, sat in the steam room and them swam for a bit. Ordinary for some, but quite a degree of activity for me. I would previoulsy have expected to pay for it. Other than sleep being annoyingly disturbed this week by a strange patch of numbness on my left hip (a whole new symptom in case I was getting bored or missing the ones that have gone) which then turned into foot pain just for good measure, there were no other repercussions. I have managed to sit and type 14,000 words this week. I did have some reflexology yesterday (foot pain gone now) and give in and take an Amitryptiline last night, but only because I was out with a friend today and wanted to enjoy it fully, which I did.
So. I hesitate to suggest there appears to have been some 'permanent' improvement, but I am hopeful the improvement attained will be long lasting. I'll keep you posted!

Up up and...let's not get carried away.

Well. Interesting times have been had. Last Monday I went down with shingles. Again. Although there has been more than a 12 month gap this time. I decided to forego the usual antivirals route - with the thought that they would gum up my system with toxins and use precious energy to process - and go back to the homeopath instead. It was the homeopathic remedies that afforded me this year+ gap. Antivirals have never done that. Whilst the rash was plain nasty and sore then blistered and burst and bled (nice! - sorry if you're sqeamish) the 'experience' of shingles was none too bad. By that I mean, no worse than usual. This is very interesting for me, because last year when I kept getting 'fake' shingles (all the symptoms but no rash) I now know that was the CFS kicking off a bit. I can fairly safely assume, in lieu of other evidence, that repeated shingles - being viral AND stressing my system - was the preciptator of CFS. Therefore, I fully expected when I spotted the start of the rash to be floored as it spectacularly clashed with my CFS. But it didn't Okay it disturbed my sleep a bit more so morning have been a bit nightmareish, and it's made me a little more tired, but only a little. Plus, I felt well enough to attend a friend's firework's night (goe chauferred by super pals again) and drive to a loca family fireworks event the following evening, AND take the dog out for a slow but steady walk the next day. I had a phone consult with the CFS clinic yesterday and they were very pleased with me. I don;t have to report in again until January. If I were drawing a little chart the line would be rising, things do seem - dare I say it - on the up a bit. I guess time will tell.