A Long Covid Crash

 On Monday 22nd May I had an appointment with the Long Covid Service which necessitated a 45 minute one way drive and a 90 minute appointment.  By the time the appointment was over the muscle tremors and pain in my legs were horrendous and I struggled to drive the car home.

That appointment could have been conducted via a video call, for the healthcare worker went through the answers I had given via an online questionnaire a few days earlier. There was nowhere for me to lie down and being upright for that amount of time caused blood pooling in my legs and feet. In addition the ventilation in that room was very poor and the whole hospital department was full of air fresheners, which exacerbated the MCAS problems.

As a result of that appointment I spent the remainder of the week pretty much stuck in bed - as soon as I attempted to walk just a few steps the tremors and spasms would kick in, followed by horrendous nerve pain and blood pooling in my legs.  Every time I moved it felt like I was wading through treacle :-(

Despite all of that I did manage to be as productive and purposeful as I could and the 'Bed-Kitchen' was swiftly put into use 😁. I did a lot of the food prep and Dave and Pip were the Gofers.

Whilst all of this was going on I also had an issue with my wisdom tooth - I was having intermittent pain in that tooth and on Friday evening it split in half right through the nerve 😳. I must admit for a good minute or so the pain was horrendous and then good old adrenaline kicked in to counteract some of the discomfort!  Thankfully I was able to access an emergency dental appointment on Saturday morning, which did necessitate a 40 minute drive and so the remainder of the day was spent horizontal trying to counteract a crazy heart rate from being upright and having a medical procedure.

This week has so far been a bit more stable and I seem to be back to a baseline of being more upright around the home with plenty of sofa moments or outside on the zero gravity recliner in between.  I did also offer some constructive feedback to the Long Covid Service which was taken on board, and as a result of my being so unwell, I am now assigned one-to-one access with an Occupational Therapist via online appointments.

The Bed-Kitchen in action, adopting the 'problem is the solution' permaculture principle!  

We also had 'Bed-Picnics' and Pip quite enjoyed sitting at the end of the bed with her tray 😊

Head Nurse Poppy was not far from my side, she has been a constant companion since this Covid debacle.

Pip single handedly ran the home - fetching and carrying, making drinks, helping with meals, sorting out the laundry, all whilst dealing with her own health issues and trying to study for end of year exams.

On Sunday I finally made it to the back door and Dave and I enjoyed some breakfast in the sunshine.

On Monday in between resting in the recliner, I managed to sit by the raised bed and plant out a courgette plant.  Micro actions consistently done propel us forward and this recent crash has made me appreciate the premise for my Permaculture Design - a disability friendly garden ❤️

I have continued reading throughout the month of May.  I enjoyed all three of these books, although don't ask me for a thorough review - thanks to brain fog and memory issues, I frequently forget what I have read.  It's not unusual for me to read the same thing over several times 🤪

 Frances Brody is my favourite crime writer and not one of her books has ever failed to disappoint. This book, her most recent was gifted to me by a long standing Green Parent friend, we 'met' on the Forum when our kids were small.  

 If you haven't heard of Raynor Winn or read any of her works (Landlines is her third) I would highly recommend you do so.  Her first book The Salt Path was written amidst the backdrop of homelessness and a diagnosis of a very serious degenerative brain disease for her husband, Moth.  With very little money in their pockets and a rucksack on their backs they decided to walk  the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.  That path changed their lives in ways they could never have imagined.

The last book 'Afloat' is another story of life changing moments born through adversity and crisis.  I have my Dad's wanderlust spirit but sadly not the health to carry such adventures through, but I do love reading other people's stories, especially if they also charter a significant life change amidst it all.  I think it's the humanity portrayed within those tales that provide a comfort to my soul.

Well, I've managed to make a May posting on the very last day of the month, I wonder what June will hold?  Sending hugs if you need them xx