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Graffiti. #10yearchallenge
18 Friday Jan 2019
Posted in cancer, health & happiness, home, hope
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Graffiti. #10yearchallenge
19 Monday Nov 2018
Posted in health & happiness, hospitals, sevilla

About a month or so ago I went to see my GP Agustín because I had suddenly developed floaters in my right eye, accompanied by flashing lights in the right hand corner (only noticable when it was dark). So he put in a request for an appointment with the ophthamologist and said they would get in touch. Then I started getting those flashing zig-zaggy prisms right across my eye, though they didn’t last long. But the point was that things weren’t getting any better and I still hadn’t heard from the specialist about my appointment.
The reason I wasn’t super worried about it was because this very same thing happened to me almost exactly 9 years ago. And I got it checked out and it was nothing, and eventually went away. But after having mentioned this here, and also to a couple other friends via email/whatsapp I was suddenly being pressured (in the kindest way possible) to GET IT CHECKED OUT. Because the threat of retina damage and vision loss is actually quite a real one. So I checked again with my GP this morning, and he agreed I should go to Emergency, so I hopped into a taxi and found myself once again at my least favourite place in Sevilla.
17 Saturday Nov 2018
Posted in friends, health & happiness

Health, eh? We tend to take it for granted until something goes wrong. Which of course I learned big time back in 2008. These days I am much more cautious about thinking I am HEALTHY. Especially this year, having had 1 PET scan and 3 CT scans so far because they can’t figure out what that mysterious “cloud of inflammation” is and – so far – don’t want to cut me open to get a proper look.
Meanwhile, I have also developed a FLOATER in my right eye, similar to one I had about ten years ago. Same flashing lights, etc. My GP has requested an appointment with the eye specialist, but I am still waiting to have that confirmed. Likewise I am still waiting to hear when my next oncology appointment will be to get the results of the latest CT scan (taken 10 days ago). But one thing I do know! My blood pressure is perfect.
This surprises me, given that I am overweight and have had problems with tachycardia since I was in my mid-twenties. And so it also surprised me when skinny pal Peter’s @SVQconcierge recent medical check showed that his blood pressure was high enough to warrant daily medication and regular BP monitoring. This regular monitoring was getting to be a pain, so when Kate @sledpress recommended a wrist monitor that she uses I placed an order for it on Amazon. And well… immediately the readings were higher than those at the doctor’s (mine included!) but they will have to be taken over time, and in different situations, and then also at the doctor’s again.
My point is…. had I not been going in for various this and that anyhow, and if I hadn’t suggested that Peter get a check-up while I was there, then he wouldn’t have known about the blood pressure issue. And so boys and girls, if you haven’t had a full general check-up in the past couple of years… do it!
09 Friday Nov 2018
Posted in casa azahar, health & happiness, homecooking
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So this morning I did a trial run – going to the supermarket and back – to see how The Leg is doing. Because after a couple of housebound days it was actually feeling better, though of course shuffling from room to room isn’t the same as actually WALKING. Anyhow, after about ten minutes the pain was back, but more localized, basically in the AAAAARRRGH area that the doc found on Tuesday, rather than random shooting pain all over the place.

Luckily Peter did my Triana Tour today, so I didn’t have to cancel it. Because it was clear that there was no way I could have (or should have) spent five hours walking around town. And I got so sad because DAMN it felt good to be outside again.
Anyhow, I picked up a few things to make a nice comfort food lunch. It started off as pollo al ajillo, but then I added some baby spinach leaves and made some peppercorn basmati to go with it, and then topped it all off with some chopped toasted almonds. Bit of a mash-up, but a delicious one.

What did you do today?
08 Thursday Nov 2018
Posted in casa azahar, cats, health & happiness, home
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So after two whole housebound days I’m kind of going crazy. The good news is that The Leg is actually feeling a bit better. Not so good news… I came down with sudden nasty cold complete with killer sore throat and ALL the mucous. Seriously, where does this stuff come from? Anyhow, am going to give myself one more day at home, though I might go out and do a bit of shopping tomorrow.
It’s helped that these past couple of days have been cold and rainy, so not as difficult to stay in and curl up with the cats. In fact, have spent quite a lot of time Netflixing with Morcilla. I’ve also got a lot done on a couple of work projects I have going, so that’s good. And it was lucky that Peter was able to take my tours out. But it’ll be nice to get back out in the world again. Let’s hope by Saturday I’m able to walk again!