These last two days have seen me start to establish myself on the routine I set myself 2 days ago. It wasn’t an easy start. Just yesterday as I was practicing the organ my brain became completely muddled and when I tried to get my fingers to move up the keyboard they would move down the keyboard and vice versa. It was actually quite scary as well as being immensely frustrating. It felt very much as if some other force had taken control of my fingers but sadly one that couldn’t play the organ. It was a bit like the hand from the Adam’s family that just wouldn’t do as it was told. I felt completely disconnected from my hands and unable to talk to them but I persevered and after another frustrating 10 minutes the fingers started to behave and recognisable tunes could be heard emanating from the beautiful instrument that is the organ in St Modoc’s.
Later I spent a wonderful afternoon with Heather in Stirling. She had a meeting in town and then we spent the afternoon shopping. It was like having my own personal shopper as I hunted out a new pair of jeans and some vests (not string ones!). Heather was, in fact, so brilliant that I agreed that we should have lunch wherever she wanted. McDonalds!! I have to admit that I did not in any way protest. I am after all a big child and really loved the idea of a quarter pounder with cheese meal with fries, an apple pie and a strawberry milkshake. So we did, except that there were no milkshakes. So disappointed! But it was a lovely lunch spent talking, just talking. And then we were back out to do some more shopping as I grazed on my vegetable pick and mix bag that I had made that morning and brought with me under a suspicion that we might not be having the healthiest lunch ever. I was, of course, getting loads of advice on Christmas presents for family and friends and just generally being swept along on a tide of excitement about Christmas. A wave did come in and wash over me as we strode around the Thistle shopping centre but while it is uncomfortable and concerning it did not materialise into a seizure, instead just washing away as fast as it washed in much like a wave sinking into the sand and seeping away. I thought I had got away with it but Heather told me that she had noticed but wasn’t concerned because she knew what to do should it materialise into a seizure. She then linked her arm into mine to steady and comfort me which made me much more comfortable as we continued shopping. So to celebrate, thank Heather for being there for me, and to get rid of the nasty metallic taste in the mouth left by the waves as they wash in we went for a lactose free, decaf mocha partnered with a chocolate chip cookie. It was a wonderful afternoon that finished with James joining us for tea at the flat. A Jamie Oliver classic of Asian Sea Bass poached and served with a dressing for the fish made from fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, red chilli, spring onions, limes and soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil with the rice cooked in coconut milk and the greens consisting of steamed asparagus, bok choi and sugar snap peas with a dressing of olive oil and lime juice. Another nutritional powerhouse of vitamins and minerals but not only that, it got a thumbs up from the children. Awesome.
Today was the first day of the hard routine that carried me through treatment, possibly helped me to heal, and that might now help me to sit firmly on the beast until such time as we can confirm that I have actually beaten it.
So today has seen:
3.41 miles walked up 110.23 feet and
1.99 miles run up 71.19 feet while also
doing 66 press ups,
176 sit ups,
and moving 5kgs over 66 metres or 660 kgs over .5 of a metre.
It has also seen morning and evening prayer with cognitively sound organ practice and lots of administration done while receiving a tearful hug in the Doune Information and Heritage Centre after I told my story and how brilliantly it seemed to be turning out before then receiving a most wonderfully warm hug of congratulations from Kate as I picked up a sneaky decaf almond milk mocha from the Buttercup café. I finished the day with Arrabbiata tmade with fresh red chilli, olive oil, garlic, dried chilli flakes, tinned chopped tomatoes and wholemeal pasta with a little parmesan on top to make it one of my vegetable only days. So it has been a great first day breaking back into a hard healing routine but needs to finish with some ironing! So good night.
Yours aye
Archie
BtB!