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Sunrise
Sunrise

I haven’t felt this good for a very, very long time. I woke this morning after a straight 6 hours sleep. My first 6 hours in many many months. I have had to work hard at getting my sleep pattern back. Getting the body back into the circadian rhythm that enables undisturbed sleep. It has taken much discipline over not allowing myself to sleep during the day. Hard, very hard. As well as discipline over bed time and reveille time being 2300hrs and 0600hrs to enable 7 hours rest, as well as meditation practice in the middle of the night, and much deep breathing practice as I practiced mindfulness as well in order to try and stop the brain whirring so jolly fast when I wake. It has also taken a significant amount of adjustment to my fluid intake, in order to work out when to stop drinking fluids, in order to ensure that I do not have to get up repeatedly for a widdle in the middle of the night, while ensuring that I am not waking dehydrated. Dehydration can be a contributory factor to a seizure as is tiredness, so this was especially important. But last night I did not need to wee in the middle of the night. Not once. A first, I think since treatment began in July 2014! So this morning I woke feeling a million dollars. I was up and straight out the door for a 1.62 mile walk along the ridge in Doune Ponds, climbing 41.99 feet, while litter picking to keep training the cognitive and motor coordination function in the brain. The morning was cold and frosty, my breath visible in vapour and the leaves crunchy under foot while I also had the luxury of enjoying the beginnings of the most beautiful golden sunrise visible through the trees held in dark silouhette. I then did an upper body circuit back in the flat that saw 5 kgs moved over 66 metres or 660kgs moved a metre. Then morning prayer, then breakfast, then a packed lunch of tuna mayonnaise sandwich with spinach, rocket and watercress salad and a veggie pick and mix bag made before doing some more admin and then heading down to the information centre to laminate my upper body exercise cards. Ro was in the information centre and clearly it was the perfect opportunity to catch up. I was armed with a lactose free decaf mocha made so jolly well by Gregor in the Buttercup Café so, as the laminator warmed up, I brought Ro up to date with the tumour situation and the wonderful story of Allie. That earned me another teary hug in the information centre. Wonderful. Laminating done I was back up the road and onto the bus to Callander.

Ben Ledi in the distance
Ben Ledi in the distance

Lunch time was physical training time so I was heading to the McLaren Leisure Centre for a heavier Upper Body Session. Off the bus I walked the ½ mile up to the leisure centre climbing 43 feet in the bright sunshine. I was welcomed so wonderfully by Lindsey who almost burst into tears as she told me how the story of Allie and I had moved her to tears when she read it. It was another warm embrace and most welcome as I discovered that my membership card had expired. They are going to chase up the manager to see if my sponsored membership can continue in support to the challenge but for today, they allowed me through. Thank you so very much guys. It was a good session that saw another 33 press-ups, 88 sit-ups and 10kgs moved over 66 metres or 1320 kgs moved over a metre as well as a mile cycled and 500metres rowed as a warm up. Back down in Callander I sat in the bright sunshine studying the snow-capped mountains and enjoyed lunch as the town’s Christmas tree was erected in Ancaster Square.

Once brought back by the bus there was time for a little bit more admin and activity planning before heading back out for a short .86 of a mile walk around the cricket pitch climbing 98.1 feet on the way back while enjoying a golden sunset before heading back into the house for a further 33 press ups, 88 sit ups before moving 5kgs over 66 metres or 660kgs over a metre.

Sunset
Sunset

Then it was time to cook tea. Crackin Crab Bricks. Another Jamie Oliver special from his 15 minute meals book. With a preserved lemon, spring onions, fresh coriander, brown and white crabmeat and harissa paste all chopped up then mixed together then wrapped into a filo pastry parcel to be fried in olive oil before being served with a salad of caraway seeds, couscous, sun-dried tomato puree, fennel, fresh mint, lemon, extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate seeds (which were enormous fun, if not a bit messy, to beat out of the pomegranate). This was then complimented with a salsa of tomato, ginger and lemon. This was a protein powerhouse coupled with all the wonderful vitamins and minerals also abundant in the dish. I was dubious about the filo parcels and how they would taste but they were fabulous. It would appear that Jamie Oliver knows what he is talking about!!

After tea it was evening prayer and organ practice and my goodness everything was working as it should. So with 5.1 miles walked, cycled and rowed while climbing 183.73 feet and 99 press-ups done, 264 sit-ups done, 20kgs moved over 198 metres or 2640 kgs moved over a metre as well as a teary hug and a teary confession, two cracking sessions of prayer and organ practice and lots of administration and planning done, it has been a wonderful day.