According to the “experts”, yesterday, Monday 16th January was officially “Blue Monday”, the most depressing day of the year. Something to do with distance from Christmas, debt levels, etc. I was feeling anything but depressed. The sun was shining, I’d had a lovely weekend. But I did have a tired day. Maybe I’d overdone things at the weekend, but I don’t really think so.
I didn’t sleep all that well on Saturday night and ended up sitting up and reading for an hour at around 5am. On Sunday evening I had a couple of brandies in the Grapes, and then took some Night Nurse before I went to bed. I’m pretty sure it says to avoid alcohol, so it’s perhaps not surprising that I felt quite groggy all morning and tired for much of the day.
I can’t complain. I’ve done really well so far. I think it’s the steroids that I have to take for the first three days after chemo that throw me out. I spent much of the morning sat on the bed writing my blog and doing some work. Then it was time to shake myself off, have a shower (a much quicker enterprise without all the hair to wash and dry!!), and get dressed.
Put some washing on, opened the garden door to let in the gorgeous winter sunshine, and finally got myself out for a walk. I ventured down to the river and up to cafe Brera at Canary Riverside, where I bought a cappuccino and actually sat outside, enjoying the air and the sunshine and reading my book. I’ve already discovered that it’s important to push yourself out, if only for a while, however tired you are feeling. It’s always beneficial. This certainly was.
I sat until the heat of the sun started to wane and I could feel the cold starting to seep through my many layers of clothing. I wandered home, feeling, if not on top form, certainly much better.
Refreshed, I was ready to make some calls for work, which, now that Christmas really is over, proved quite productive. I managed to file a story and have some more material for today too, all of which made me feel better.
After yet another tasty and healthy meal, lovingly prepared as always by my husband and wonderful chef Martin (who has been an absolute trooper from the moment we first suspected something was wrong), we sat and watched the latest Pirates of the Caribbean. Why? I’m not really sure. We’ve signed up for a trial of Lovefilm, and Martin quite likes that sort of thing. Watchable nonsense, but as it required no brain power, it did the job last night. In bed by ten,read for a while, laid off the Nytol and Night Nurse. I did wake up at around 2am and stayed awake a while but was determined not to get up. I also realised that the thing to do was NOT to look at the clock. So I got a not too bad night’s sleep and am hopefully raring to go today.
Have already this morning written a poem for our eldest grandchild, Eve, who turns 13 on Thursday! She actually asked me to do one months ago, and of course I couldn’t possibly have refused!
I’m intending to get to gym today. Some abs and Pilates, methinks! Bye bye Blue Monday!
