Monday 30 July 2012

Doctors orders.

I had to visit my my GP today just to get a form signed (you have to see a doctor in person for this particular one otherwise I wouldn't have taken up his time believe me!) and find out the dates of the last four admissions into hospital I've had in the last year for another form. Yesterday I was feeling pretty poorly in that my balance wasn't particularly brilliant, pretty out of it felt a little drunk in a way I suppose and ended up just sleeping most of the day. While I was there he asked if I was feeling ok and said I looked pale and tired. I just told him I felt a lot better today but yesterday I wasn't feeling so good. He checked my blood pressure and said it was on the low side but given I was feeling better today he said it shouldn't be anything much to worry about just to rest up a bit for a few days. I did however leave with strict instructions to get in touch with him if I felt bad again. Fun stuff. 

I'm lucky actually that I haven't got to much to worry about for the next few days other than an interview tomorrow so lots of chilling out reading and watching various TV programmes it is :) especially recently discovered Parks and Recreation I love that show!! 

Saturday 28 July 2012

Gallery interview

I have an interview!!!

I applied for a volunteer position at one of my favourite local and very popular art galleries not so long ago and yesterday they asked me to come in for an interview on Tuesday. I'm SO nervous as I know that a good few people will have applied for the same position but lets just see what happens. They asked if I had a disability of any kind on the application form, of course my answer was yes, I'm sure it will come up in their questions on Tuesday so that'll be interesting what I/they will have to say. I need to swat up on some arty goodness and get my head in gear, especially as along with volunteering in a beautiful place with a brilliant creative atmosphere there is also the prospect of a future job with them. This is such a rare and fab opportunity I really am hoping it goes well!

Fingers crossed!

Sunday 22 July 2012

Seizures and chat with nurse

I had a chat over the phone with one of the epilepsy clinics nurses Friday afternoon, she was lovely and chatty which always brings a smile back to my face. We talked through some stuff, seizures, seizure management and care plan etc. She told me theres still a while to wait on the waiting list for video telemetry I don't really know how to react... I don't want to spend any more time in hospital than I have to (obviously) but at the same time if it means they catch something on the EEG and it leads to some answers for now and the future then I want to get it done as soon as possible. I'll just try to put it to the back of mind for now though. we also spoke about life in general I told her about graduating and she was very pleased which was nice to hear. Now though it's the prospect of trying to find a job suitable which won't be easy but the nurse said she and my neurologist would be there to support me and provide any help they can. 

This morning was horrible. I woke up feeling utterly drained and so oddly strange in a frightening way I could have cried. I knew I must have been having seizures during my sleep. I went to stand up to get my daily meds from the other side of the room and I felt like I was stuck in another world, completely spaced out. I took the pills hoping I'd feel better once they'd kick in but it didn't happen. Instead I felt even more peculiar and time flew by at odd intervals, a little to quickly which is another sign for seizures occurring that I'm not aware of. Eventually though I grabbed and took some rescue medication and fell back to sleep for a couple of hours. That stuff knocks me for six and sleeping was pretty much all I could do but waking up feeling a thousand times better and no seizures is so so good! :) 

Hopefully I'll have a much better night tonight I have a train to catch in the morning for over 3 hours to visit a friend :D I can't wait!

Friday 20 July 2012

Not much going on

So I've just been bumbling through life recently nothing much has happened just the odd thing here and there. Travelled up to my dads for the weekend to travel with them to a family party which made for a nice afternoon :)

The rainy grey weather that's been hanging over most of Britain is finally easing and we're having a little sunshine breaking through which is much needed! It puts a lot of people in a bit of a low mood when the drizzle drags on for so long but to see the sun resting on the rooftops across the garden yesterday evening was a good feeling. 

I have literally (before sitting a typing this) just sent off a volunteer application for a position at a gallery here in Cardiff. I suspect there will be A LOT of people applying for it but I'm still holding out some hope that I'll get it. The experience would be AMAZING it really would, and well who knows what might happen while being there, opportunities sometimes rise at the most unexpected of times. Anyway I'll have to forget about it for now, it's all sent off with nothing more I can do it's just a matter of wait and see.

I got my hair cut this morning too. It's VERY short but I like it and will be able to leave it for a while before I have to find the money to get it cut again. 

So not to much going on in life really for now, I like it like that though, time to rest for a bit, just eating lots and sleeping even more whether its 12 hours a night or long naps here and there :) 

Monday 9 July 2012

Back on the asthma meds.

I've been living here a week and I'm already on first name terms with the pharmacist!

I had some rubbish news this morning. I went to visit my new doctor for a medication review as the repeat prescription for the Keppra was about to run out. We talked over a few things and he ran a quick few tests, you know blood pressure that sort of thing. I asked if he could recommend some medicine to take for my hayfever thats blasted back into my life. I told him how bad it has been over the past month or so and he prescribed me with some medicines that will hopefully relieve it at least a little :)
While we were talking through the allergies he listened to my chest and said I sounded a little "weazy" which shocked me slightly because I felt perfectly fine... so a peak flow test it was and low and behold the three readings were well below the average. Unfortunately it confirms that my asthma is becoming a problem again :( I had it as a child and into my teens needing to be on regular inhalers and my mum suffers badly with it, but I haven't needed medicine for it for years and assumed I'd out grown it. 

So that's yet another set of drugs to pump into my body. To look on the bight side though I did have what I thought was a mild asthma attack a couple of weeks ago when I was particularly poorly with allergies and it did scare me a little at the time so at least I have an inhaler to take in an emergency! Phew! 

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Cosy retreat

Well as per usual it's pouring with rain outside. Typical British summer.. you wouldn't believe it was July if you looked outside with people walking by in winter clothing with umbrellas and boots dashing through the puddles. I'm cracking on with a mammoth task of little teeny annoying jobs on my to do list, you know that list that seems never ending?... I've done pretty much all I can without going out in the rain for now though (Everyday this week I've been out and about learning my way around the streets here to get stuff done in certain places and returning looking like I've just walked out of a river!!) So I thought a day inside out of the rain wouldn't do any harm. 

But that's not to say I'm not a little bored so I thought I'd take a few snaps of my new abode and super cosy room.

Ahhh my own little nest :) I've always been one for creature comforts and since I have to sleep and lay down a lot, my bed is my ultimate comfy retreat. Obviously precautions have to be taken in that I'm very likely (and have done many times with injuries to prove it) to hit myself on sharp/hard edges and objects while seizing in my sleep, so my slight obsession with cushions comes in very useful to pad out edges! I have to have my bed along a wall to prevent me falling out and when I sleep I put cushion along the other edge to help to but that doesn't always work... I also have an anti-suffocation pillow in case of seizures ending up with me face down. 

I LOVE my books, they are the pride and joy of any space of mine <3 Believe me this isn't all of them... Just my extra precious ones made readily available to reach for. Perhaps my most important book of all... my note book, I always have one with me! This one is sitting waiting for me to scribble ideas and notes down usually when I'm trying to sleep.


Sunday 1 July 2012

Official resident of Cardiff

Today was my first day living in Cardiff and it was spent unpacking all my belongings and settling into my new home. I'm already finding it strange getting used to where everything is, for example where to get a pint of milk from... but I know it won't be to long before I'm a full on local :) I know the centre of the city pretty well (especially where all the arty goodness is) but where I'm living now is mostly new to me. 

I'm so tired at the moment but I'm hoping it's just because it was a long and sickly week last week, with any luck I'll wake up tomorrow with a half decent amount of energy. My mission for first thing in the morning is find my self a new doctor's surgery and book myself an appointment with a new doctor, that should be interesting!