Keeping Busy.....

Well I can't say the good effects of the holiday lasted very long, I've not been feeling too great. I realise I may have been a bit premature in my thinking with regards the HRT. I've had insomnia this week, a lot of liver pain, a bit of a vague chest infection, lacking in any motivation whatsoever and sadly, a friend of ours died too. As there is so much going on for me right now, I cannot be sure if the insomnia is because of the HRT or not, I'll give it another week, if things deteriorate further I may consider jumping back on the HRT programme until treatment ends.

For those who may be interested I was taking Livial HRT, this type does not contain any actual hormones, it contains a substance which the body breaks down to produce hormones.

In terms of the virus, after reading many blogs and information sites, the full implications of having genotype 1b have hit home. Bummer. I find I can identify my physical, emotional and mental state with those who are already on tx, and that is a bit unnerving.

I have also set myself up a bit in terms of work. I wanted to have my summer activity programme organised before I go off for treatment, and I have done this mostly, but because I've not been too well, I find I've got behind with a few details and I've been very forgetful. I now feel I am under pressure to tie up a lot of loose ends, and I'm coming to realise that maybe I shouldn't work at all the week I go into hospital, which means finding cover, and even less time to tie up loose ends.

My nurse called me to ask if I knew my weight so she could write the prescription for my treatment, I am 53 kgs, so believe I will be on a lower dose of the stuff.

One of the fun things I did this week was to go to see Snoop Dogg with a couple of our friends, I had booked this in the after holiday euphoria. I'm not really a big hip hop fan but I do like a bit of this stuff. I did enjoy dressing up, and our friends picked us up in their mercedes convertable, so we made a proper gangster rap style entrance.

I'd forgotten that main acts don't come on stage until quite late, we got there at 7.30pm but Snoop didn't appear until after 9.30pm! I have to admit I was yawning a bit by then. I'm not so keen on all the American chanting stuff - everybody in the house say bow, wow, wow, - but hey I'm just like that.

Today one my partner's brothers is coming up from London to stay overnight. He's coming to say farewell for a while as he and his wife are going to India next week. They have a lovely life, spending half the year in India, tucked away in the himalaya with a yoga master and the other half in Thailand where the wife teaches yoga and he teaches diving.

There is another brother, who also teaches diving in Koh Samui, he's been in uk for a year and has decided to go back, he too leaves next week with his wife and son. So its hello goodbye weekend as they will visit us too.

Well they may all be going to the far east, but next week, we and some friends are going on our annual camping barn weekend to Clitheroe! Actually we stay in a beautiful village outside Clitheroe and it is lovely, far away from busy roads, with walks from the door, beautiful scenery in all directions, including uninterupted veiws of Pendle Hill.

We usually do this in August, but I have brought it forward this year because of the tx. One of the things I most enjoy about these weekends is the fact we can build a bomfire in the field outside the barn, its great sitting around the fire. We have a bbq on the Saturday night too. I just hope it doesn't rain, we have got some canopies though if this does happen.

I finally worked out how to access the forum Ron, it is really interesting, I've had some very touching personal messages from there too, and it appears I really helped someone. How cool is that.

Some of you may have noticed I tried to set up links to other blogs, for some reason I can't work out how to get these in the side bar. I think may be because this computer is only windows 95, it may restrict me accessing some of the features. I'll still keep working on it however, but for now the links page has gone back to draft.

One of my best friends is getting married in Ibiza on 1st October, I'm a little concerned about how I might be. I will be on week 8 of tx by then and I don't feel confident to go ahead and book a flight or anything. I remember Tink had a bit of a problem with blood counts one time when she was about to go on holiday. I suppose I will just have to wait and see. My friend asked me to be maid of honour, I've explained to her that she may not be able to rely on me to take much on in the way of duties, but she says she just wants me to be there, as I do myself.

I slept last night, so I feel a little more balanced today. I'm going to get myself washed and brushed up before our guests arrive, oops, too late, they are at the door.