Category Archives: health & happiness

getting my head examined

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in health & happiness, hospitals

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head examinedAbout three months ago I got a wicked sinus/ear infection that just wouldn’t go away. In fact, over a month after it originally hit me I ended up taking some crazy scary anti-biotics to try and get rid of it, which didn’t work and left me with a sun-sensitive rash all over my arms.

Finally it was decided that I should get my head examined! Well, that I should have an xray done to determine if the eardrums were being blocked from the other side, in which case I would need to have some sort of operation. Great. So this morning I went back to the health centre for both a head xray and a hearing test. I’m happy to report that the xray showed that my passages weren’t blocked anywhere anymore, and the test results were better than expected – it turns that my hearing is well above average.

So then why are my eardrums still crackling and why do they still hurt?

Nobody seems to know. Though the doctor today said that my sinuses were much clearer than last time so maybe it was just a question of time and he said that I should keep using the steroid spray he’d prescribed earlier (that I keep forgetting to use).

I mean, I’m thrilled that they didn’t find something scary in my head – as usual I was worried it might be cancer-related – but it’s actually not very comforting that nobody seems to know what’s wrong. Well, perhaps the sea air will help?

in case of plague…

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in health & happiness

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1-sinuses-001Had an appointment with the ear-nose-throat specialist this morning. It was mostly just the usual going over until the doc put a tube with a light on the end up my nose and shoved it around my various facial cavities. Not painful exactly but not particularly comfortable. And so I apparently have a very serious sinusitis that the last two courses of antibiotics did nothing to erradicate. Sounds like this new stuff I was given is a bit more potent…

  • Treats infections that are caused by certain kinds of bacteria. Also used to treat and prevent anthrax infection after exposure. Also used to treat and prevent plague.

Plague? Anthrax infection? Sheesh. I got a little freaked out about taking this as the doctor asked me more than once if I was allergic to this particular antibiotic to which my reply was – I don’t know! Then I read about all the possible side-effects – never a good thing to do. I was also given some steroid nose spray to use nightly FOR A MONTH. You should see the possible side-effects for that stuff. Not looking forward to this, but also can’t stand having blocked ears anymore. Sure hope this works.

And how are you guys doing?

happy feet 2013

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by in health & happiness, shoes, shopping

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happy feet 2013This is one of my happy-looking feet enjoying a dip in the Med during one of my summer trips to Málaga. But the truth is, this foot was less than happy – despite happy red toenails – because its owner (ME!) continuously failed to provide proper footcare over the summer months and, just like most years, by the end of June the heels were in shreds and other bits weren’t feeling or looking to great either.

But not this year! Why not? Well, unlike most winters when my not-so-happy summer feet have had time to recover, I ended up developing calluses because of the shape of the insoles of THESE SHOES, which kind of rode up on the sides and rubbed the edges of my feet until they defensively built up a whack of hard and quite painful deposits. And well, too much is enough already. I can’t have both cracked and bleeding heels along with crazily painful calluses.

So I have purchased all kinds of magic creams and exfoliants and have started lavishing attention on my usually neglected tootsies. And I think they are quite enjoying this! But I wonder why it took things getting way out of control (pain-wise) before I took action. Though it is oft said that our feet tend to be ignored until they kick up a fuss. How about you? Do you take care of your feet properly?

another day off!

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, friends, health & happiness, home, hospitals, life stuff

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a bit bigger
I’m going to have to stop taking days off … they’re too exhausting. As it turns out, today is my only day off this week as I have tapas tours booked from tomorrow until Sunday (eep!). So of course today I had to GET THINGS DONE. This started off with answering a few emails (yes, work related stuff, but when you’re freelance these things need to be done) and then I decided it was a good time to wash, iron and rehang all the floor-to-ceiling white living room curtains.

That done (they look fab now!) I scooted off to the gym, thinking I’d have just enough time before heading over to the hospital for the monthly chemo port cleaning. Which I did. Just.

After that I walked over to Pablo’s to see the kittehs since he lives in the general vicinity of the hospital and I hadn’t seen the wee darlings for a week. As you can see, they are a little bit bigger now, though what you can’t see is that they are much more wide-eyed and frisky and checking things out. But it was feeding time when I arrived and they were less than thrilled about me “unplugging” them so I could hold them and take a closer look (still can’t decide which one is MINE!). By then it was lunch time so Pablo and I headed out for a nice tapa lunch in his barrio, handily a place I’d been wanting to update on Sevilla Tapas for some time, so okay, that was kind of work related, but it was also lunch.

After lunch I decided to walk home, which took a good hour or so. A lovely long walk past the park that I hadn’t done in ages. Then I stopped off at the Flamenco Museum to book and purchase tickets for one of Peter’s tours, which yeah, was kind of like working. But it was ON THE WAY and anyhow was a lovely afternoon and perfect walking weather.

Finally got back home and dealt with a few more biz emails (yeah, yeah I know!) before heading out to get my hair cut. And (just like my curtains) I look fab now! Then I had to pick up a few summer lingerie essentials and also had a quick look around to see if there were any nice summery clothes in my SIZE that I liked. There weren’t. So it was back home again to feed the cats, change my sheets (it’s Monday!) and have a second shower after all that running around.

And now, if you don’t mind, I think I shall pour myself a lovely chilled glass of rueda and put my feet up. Cheers!