Another update (No 3)

Another week, another update on my health! I think this past week has been a case of one step backwards, two steps forward ... at the end of last week I had a couple of days when I was really really tired. Collapsed on the sofa all day, no thought of doing any yoga, finding myself falling asleep around 7pm (!!) in front of the tv...

But things started to get better over the weekend, and I haven't actually felt anything like as tired since then. Of course, when I re-started yoga earlier this week I did have to start from the beginning again ... Surya Namaskar B is still hard (energy-wise) - and I think I'm just now back at the stage I'd got to ... in other words, 3 x Surya Namaskar As and 2 x Surya Namaskar Bs ... Its going to be very interesting to see what happens when I get to some of the poses that I used to find challenging - eg UHP (balancing!!), and Marichyasana C - will I still be able to bind that I wonder?! Well, hopefully I'll find that out in the next couple of weeks!!

Next week is my last 2 rehab sessions in Tweed Heads - I definitely think they have helped me a lot. And then the following Saturday afternoon I'm having an Alexander Technique treatment which should be really interesting.

And the singing, the choir practice (of The Messiah) goes on, filling a lot of my day, happily. Today a friend is coming round in the morning bringing coffee and cake (!), and we may do some singing too ...


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US election, and Recovery update no. 2

Well, against all expectations, it's happened again!! To be honest I do remember thinking that if I'd got it so wrong after the Brexit vote then who was to say I wouldn't get it wrong again about the US presidency!! And although it did feel it was (way past) time there was a woman in the White House, I really did not like Hillary Clinton. Far too close to the 'establishment' and big end of town. Far too much of a sense of entitlement ...

And I have to say - my sense of dismay is much much less than after the UK Brexit vote! Maybe I'm a bit numb about it all, but ... No doubt many many horrors to come but we'll just have to wait and see!

Went off to rehab again this morning - I'm halfway through the program now. I am still pretty (very!) tired after I've been, and indeed also after I've been out doing a bit of shopping etc. but yesterday I remembered something an osteopath friend said to me. That after having a brain operation it would take at least a month before I stopped being very tired ... apparently a fairly common side-effect of such operations. But that this would definitely come to an end! So I was very pleased when I remembered that conversation!

The other great thing that has happened is that I've finally 'tapered off' the steroids I was on, and last night I slept for 8 hours!! Woohoo!!

My Thursday chauffeur, Beth and I went out for a nice Thai lunch in Tweed Heads after the rehab was finished. Then I came home and really collapsed on the sofa again - totally exhausted! Another friend (my other main chauffeur, Victor) had been going to come round to watch something from timelesstoday.com this evening but I had to put it off for a day or two!!

My wonderful singing teacher Ian, came round early this morning for a singing lesson. My voice is getting stronger again - hopefully it will soon be back to where it was before the operation. I've just started learning a new song by Gluck - O Del Mio Dolce Ardor ...

And I have also started my yoga practice again! I'm managing to do it every other day at the moment ..The first day I did 3 sun salute As. The next time I added in 1 sun salute B which nearly wiped me out! And yesterday I did 3 x sun salute As and 2 x sun salute Bs! Slowly slowly I will build it back up ...

My recovery update (1!)

Well it's Friday and I've been home from hospital since Tuesday of last week. I'm still taking steroids each day (as well as anti-epileptic medication) but am slowly tapering the steroids according to a program. I will stop taking the steroids next week - which will be a big relief! I'm still having problems sleeping although it's not nearly as bad as it was when I was on higher doses!

And this week I started 4 weeks of physio / speech therapy up in Tweed Heads. Twice a week (Monday and Thursday) for 3 hours each time ... so far I've been pretty tired after each of those sessions, but it should get better! On Monday I went with my friend Victor, who just went and hung around in a local bookshop for the 3 hours. On Thursday I got a lift up with Victor, but then an old work friend, Beth Cavallari who lives in Murwillumbah came and picked me up from Tweed Heads and brought me home - after going out for lunch! That was great, and she's going to actually do the whole pickup / drop off for the rest of the (3) Thursdays.

However, like I said, I was pretty tired after all that - came home and collapsed on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon!

I'm also hoping to re-start my yoga practice in the next day or two. Probably just start with some sun salutes, and then gradually build it up. I won't be able to go back to class in Byron for another 2-3 months (ie. until I can drive again)

But anyway - right now life is sweet. I am very content pottering around at home and in the garden, and being taken out shopping or to appointments occasionally. No doubt as my strength returns I'll get a bit fed up, but that too shall pass!

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