Tag Archives: health

time to get walking!

06 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in health & happiness, home

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I’m usually pretty good at walking every day, though during the summer heat it’s more difficult to reach that 10,000 step goal (and even then it’s mostly strolling, not WALKING). After I moved I stopped going to the gym because there isn’t one close to me here, and I’ve really been missing some sort of daily exercise. And so this morning I decided that this was the day to start serious walking again. By that I mean doing a proper fast(ish) paced uninterrupted walk for an hour each day.

To be honest, I’ve been planning to start doing this for ages, and thought that having most of August off would be a good time. But in fact I used August to learn how to sleep again, giving myself “permission” to get an extra hour or so in after feeding the cats first thing in the morning (anytime between 6-7 am). Which also means I’ve got better at falling asleep again after being woken up, so more sleep for me!

I’ve worked out a nice morning walking route along the river that is similar to what I used to do on my bike, but it finishes in the city centre so if I need to do any shopping or errands I can get that done after the walk. Perfect! Not quite the Camino de Santiago, but it’s a start.  🙂

blood!

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in cancer, casa azahar, home, hope, hospitals, sevilla

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WARNING: although this looks like a Jackson Pollock (it’s actually BLOOD!) the rest of this post might be a bit TMI for some of you. Nothing gross or anything, just, you know, perhaps somewhat more info than you may want to know about. So you have been warned. And it’s totally fine if you don’t want to carry on reading…

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tied up in knots

26 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in health & happiness, home

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It was a normal day. I was working on this and that, spent most of the day at home thinking I would go out in the evening for a walk. Made a healthy “fridge forage” lunch that had plenty of fresh veg, some chicken and noodles. Then I relaxed a bit late afternoon, and then… OMG.

Suddenly I was hit by serious sharp abdominal pain, though not the same as what I experienced last week. This was way more intense. Thinking I could maybe “walk it off” I headed out to buy some ink for my printer, at the new shopping mall over the river. Halfway across the bridge I thought – uh oh, this isn’t normal – but then the violent cramps subsided and so I kept on. Bought my stuff, headed home, almost vomited in a public bin on the side of the street, but somehow made it back. And then it got much worse.

I crawled into bed, scared and in PAIN… it was so bad that I was actually crying out. Like all my insides were tied up in knots, like I was being turned inside out. I was so afraid I would end up back in emergency. Finally I fell asleep and when I woke up again in the middle of the night I drank some water (kept it down) and things seemed okay from then on in. But you know… WTF?

on travelling (and living) with anxiety

23 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in cancer, friends, getaways, health & happiness

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crossing bridges…

As I put together the posts for last week’s London Getaway (done after I got home) I realised I was almost enjoying the visit more in retrospect than when I was actually there. Don’t get me wrong – it was wonderful meeting up with my friends, and going to the Spanish Embassy party was an amazing experience. And Nicola’s apartment was lovely. But when I wasn’t with friends or otherwise occupied I felt quite stressed and anxious most of the time. In fact, this anxiety started about a week before I left, since I am actually terrified of flying. I was lucky that Peter agreed to stay over while I was gone to take care of the cats, as that was one less thing to worry about. But still, I was very nervous about my trip to London, even before I got there.

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prepping for london

02 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in london

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So I not only get NERVOUS about travelling, I also get a bit panicky about GETTING EVERYTHING DONE… to wit, got my hair cut! Though as you can see by this selfie taken in the lift at my house yesterday, still have to touch up those grey roots. Also need a pedicure, have to sort out wardrobe (thinking it won’t be so warm there) and organise all the work stuff re: tours, etc. I’ll be taking my little travel pc notebook with me, but hope to have the most important things taken care of before I leave.

I’ve been almost at the point of cancelling the whole thing a few times, thinking I’d only lose the airfare, then could focus on work, since I’m not really financially in a good place for a week abroad. Of course staying at Nicola’s is what makes this even remotely possible, but London is an expensive city and blah-blah-blah…

But the REAL reason I’m hesitating is that I’m afraid of being afraid… remembering that day in Trafalgar Square a few years ago when I was hit out of the blue with a full-blown panic attack. The first I’d had since CANCER. Because frankly, when you have cancer, panic attacks can go fuck themselves. So it not only took me by surprise, but it also took over a bit. I got scared about going out, in case it happened again, that vicious circle that almost guarantees it WILL happen again.

So far I’m still going. Updates as they happen…