I spent a very unpleasant night with repeating, pointless dreams, and awoke after broken sleep to find i was a little better than yesterday, but not much.
As I rose and drove Julia to work I realised I was still in a lot of pain, and that she nagged me constantly. She won’t go to the doctor when she is ill, but it seems that I have to.
I rang from work, was eighth in the queue, but being on my own, was able to leave it on speaker as I packed the only two orders of the day. I waited well over 20 minutes, only to be told there was nobody I could talk to. However, the receptionist muttered something about the on-call doctor and, after a description of my symptoms, phlegm, coughing fits, torn muscles and a sound like broken bagpipes when I lie down and breathe at night, it was agreed that the doctor would see me at 11.40.
I now have antibiotics, steroids and confirmation that all my imaginary maladies (obstructed bowel, appendicitis, hernia) are just a few (painful) pulled muscles. Things are slightly better, and I am hopeful that Christmas will be OK.
Julia saw nacreous clouds on her way home from work. They are unusual in UK. She took photos, but when she sent them to me she forgot I’m not very technical and she needs to email them, not send them by SMS. I didn’t see them myself, as they had already passed by the time I left the shop.
The afternoon in the shop passed in a blur, as I was still in a lot of pain. I don’t want to take more time off as I’ve already been off a couple of times in the last few months – it’s my lack of immune system, I’m afraid. In the end, the main problem is not the cough, but the pulled muscles.
Ah well . . .
More sunsets . . .
I hope you’re on the mend quickly. I too have the even-more-dubious-than-ordinary-bagpipes sound when lying down to sleep, and am unsure what it is except am quite sure it is not bagpipes. See, there’s always something to be cheery about!
There is. The bagpiping has gone now, it seems more like snatches of distant conversation now. Voices in my chest . . .
It’s odd, but I’m a Spiritualist medium (hence barking but actually legit), and I get that too, the weird hissing/speaking/mystery noises in throat and chest when lying down. Maybe you can work up an act and hit the platform in the old-style Spiritualist churches–see if the voices give you messages beyond “I buried Paul” or other records played backward–
There’s a short series on Conan Doyle just being done – I think it’s on BBC I Player. I keep meaning to look it up – very interesting how he turned to spiritualism afetr writing about the world’s most logical detective. 🙂
Yanno, I was rereading the Holmes oeuvre lately, and there are threads through it that to me indicate the Spiritualist bits underneath. I find it a ton of fun (well, my brand of fun) to believe that the spirits do continue and can communicate with me and others. Harry Houdini was a sort of fraud-buster for a long time and then tried to find an honest medium and wrote that book about it–I rummage on shelves and can;’t find his but do find Sir ACD’s The Wanderings of a Spiritualist. I rather like the idea that some of the soap opera can continue, even if only in my imagination–but then I get tons of specific information about someone I have never met during a session, move and speak like the loved one in spirit, and tell the living person all kinds of stuff the loved one would have said or known that means nothing to me personally. No real idea how it’s done since I truly have no idea of who’s who before they show up to me, but it seems to be *making psychic connections with the spirit* as opposed to just being psychic with the person wanting the reading. Oh well–every time is different, and I do a ton of readings-exchanges to learn, and keep getting interesting experiences that mean something to the sitter. Mileage may vary, but it’s a fun trip!
I remember once reading that we all die twice, once when we stop breathing and once when people forget us. ACD is clearly still alive, as people remember him, and there is no reason why there aren’t all sorts of halfway houses in between.
Charles Dickens too–he just never goes away, especially this time of year–
That’s true, though someone recently said that all he did was adapt Washington Irving’s New England Christmases.
But didn’t everyone…? The Vicotiran christmas tree and St. Nick and all rather took front stage at a certain point. ‘As goes the populace, so goes the populist’ he would say to me right now if I could hear his comment!
🙂 To be honest, I’m glad it’s over and we can get back to normal.
When you can tell us what ‘normal’ is, I’d love to know!
That’s simple. I’m normal. 🙂 The rest of the world varies . . .
Thank goodness you keep a blog then , so we can all learn how to be normal too! ahaha!
I like to think of myself as a bit of a beacon . . . 🙂
Let that light shine out of somewhere!
🙂
Try to take care!!!
I will. 🙂
Pulled muscles are no joke, but better than other unnamed internal ailments. How is Julia at gentle massage?
I’m not sure. However, after seeing her knead bread I am apprehensive.
Thank you for the nacreous clouds link. I have bookmarked the site. I am glad you were finally given something to help you through your recent illness. I suspect you will heal up quickly now.
It’s improving but there is some way to go yet. 🙂 Cloud pictures now published.
Jackie had the same treatments for her recent lingering bout. Antibiotics and steroids did the trick quite quickly. Thank you both for teaching me about nacreous clouds
The nacreous cloud pictures are now posted. Glad Jackie is well. I am improving, so can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I do trust that you will improve soon enough
I’m on the mend, so am feeling more cheerful. 🙂 The doctor tells me they will now be monitoring me for COPD. Always the same, as I told her, I come for cure and they try to give me a new disease.
The best I got the other day was a doctor who said, John, you’re 80 !!!
I’m at the age when a lot of 70 year olds seem to be getting obituaries. 80 is definitely good!