A memory resurfaces. I am standing in a blue-curtained booth in A&E. A young nurse or doctor walks in and asks me where the patient is. I am the patient. I am here. I am leaning on something. Probably medical equipment – it’s got wires and bits sticking out of it. There is nowhere toContinue reading “Lacuna”
Tag Archives: chronic pain
Beatling along the road to recovery
Recovery from an operation is about as linear as a cat’s favourite ball of yarn. After a few weeks of disproportionate ups and downs, tangled up with some minor but disruptive post-op symptoms, I’ve had to force myself into a ‘slow and steady’ mindset; not an easy task for me. I’ve returned to daily walksContinue reading “Beatling along the road to recovery”
Agency and inevitability
Let me get this straight: I am not one of those ‘filial duty’ types. I do believe that every human being should live with respect, kindness and dignity. I do believe in being an agent and a catalyst for these; but not for the sake of guilt, conscience, pride, reputation or reward. I don’t believeContinue reading “Agency and inevitability”
An apology to my husband
Thank goodness for synthetics. I am of course a big fan of the natural world, but some man-made things deserve a special mention nonetheless; such as chocolate, chewing gum, dentistry (probably in that order), fleecy blankets and flip flops (again in that order), synthetic hormones, digital technology, and PU leather. I have synthetic hormones toContinue reading “An apology to my husband”
Adumbrations
I’ve said this before: memes are great. They help you make sense of the world. Or make fun of it – an arguably more helpful exercise in these polarised, unpredictable times. A meme I’ve seen recently features a naked baby sitting on a waterlogged seashore, a puzzled expression on his chubby face. He looks likeContinue reading “Adumbrations”
Billy
Billy Joel was 43 when he graduated from his high school, having submitted the requisite essays to the school’s examinations board, in lieu of an English exam he missed as a teenager. I wonder why he wrote those essays? He was by then, and still is, one of the best-selling singer-songwriters of all time. HeContinue reading “Billy”
The Division Bell
A division bell, helpfully defined by Collins English Dictionary, is “a bell rung in a parliament to signal a division.” Hmmm. Nope, that still doesn’t help me understand the reason for the Pink Floyd album title. Thank goodness for the band’s David Gilmour who, in a 1994 radio interview*, explained, “… it is a bell thatContinue reading “The Division Bell”
D-Day
I don’t know what I was expecting from today, my D-Day, the day of my first Decapeptyl injection. I was just nervous. Not so much about the needle going in; more about how I would feel afterwards. At precisely 0857, I arrived at my local GP surgery, complete with loose clothing and an upbeat mannerContinue reading “D-Day”
Menopause is
Having to concentrate really hard in the mornings so that you don’t pour boiling water on your breakfast cereal. Stumbling around the house looking for a lost phone before realising that the cat is standing on your keyboard. Saying “What?” when there is a gap in the conversation that you forgot you were part of.Continue reading “Menopause is”
How do you know when you’ve married the right man?
Bear with me, dear reader, and I’ll explain. Alternatively: TLDR? – ok then, skip ahead to the last paragraph … I’ll just assume you’re not a Guinness drinker. Years ago, not long after I’d quit teaching full time, I bought a (humiliating admission time … deep breath …) fitness DVD. I just needed my mojoContinue reading “How do you know when you’ve married the right man?”
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