Pain, Poetry and Diary Management

A very early Blip today. I slept well but I’m in a lot of pain. I am taking a rest day. I did as many as my physio exercises I could manage this morning.

I got the electric heat pad out as usual and rebooked my practice nurse appointment for bloods, blood pressure, weight and a burn wound check for my foot. It’s continuing to heal. I’m still in slippers most of the time and trainers are still proving painful to get on and off but I’m grateful it’s healing and is hardly painful now in slippers or during the night.

I also booked a GP appointment with my own GP - first appointment available is two and half weeks from now but it’s not urgent so that will do.

I found out today via text I have another health review appointment next week so that has been added to the diary. At present, my diary is booked up until mid February. It’s a full time job being chronically ill.

I have decided to self-refer to the general physiotherapy department so have another phone call to make. My phone is totally dead just now and on charge, I have been on it so much. It’s not like me to not keep it at least 40% battery.

This afternoon, I am going to rest as pain and meds have me zonked. I am going to do my daily Duolingo German revision lessons as usual to fight off the fibro fog. I find it interesting to see what percentage I score when I am on meds for my fibromyalgia or on adjusted meds. I already speak German and Duolingo is just a free way of revising for me.

If I can get a hour or two nap this afternoon, I will. If AnnieB is reading this entry, please can you drop me your email address again and I will email you tonight re my meds? I’m sorry I have been so preoccupied that I have not got around to it yet.

I wrote a (kind of) Burns Night themed poem late last night as I battled painsomnia. It’s just the first draft, thought I would share it with you. 

My writing for pleasure (other than Blip) has severely fallen by the wayside since well before Christmas and I need to get back into it when I can find the time and energy. I have a lot of health appointments next week so pacing myself the rest of this week ahead of those as I don’t want to crash and burn.

Today’s Blip is an old photo of me which I previously shared of when I first started school aged four - I really did not want to go and cried incessantly about having to go. Ironically, I ended up adoring school (and university in latter years) after my initial anxieties. I didn’t make friends easily at school as I was painfully shy and was badly bullied at both Primary and Secondary for being a “swot”. I gained intense resilience and strength of character from those negative experiences.

I hope that brings a glimmer of hope to anyone whose children or grandchildren are struggling with nursery or school or indeed who have been/are being bullied.

Here’s my poem:

Academic Home Escape Routes

Born in Paisley
but it never felt like home.
Full of smack, smashed telephone boxes,
lurid, neon graffiti etched on metallic shop shutters,
they thought it was time to go.

I left the school with the saint plastered walls
for the Burns country of D and G.
No fashion designers here!
No nursery place, four years old and full of awe
for the countryside in my oversized uniform,
my accent was decidedly different,
not Doonhamer, I was mistaken for Glaswegian.

My loyalty to my adoptive region remained
but off to Stirling I fled.
All too soon I returned with heavy heart
too traumatized, bruised and broken.
Earned embossed pieces of paper in Dumfries and Ayr,
degrees awarded in the towns of Rabbie Burns,
absorbing knowledge my lifelong natural high.

Worked, worked, worked all over
my loyalty never repaid.
Where is my true home I quiz my soul
wherever I may make it.


I hope you’re all having a terrific Thursday. Thanks as always for all your comments, stars, hearts and ongoing support.

I will play catch up after Duolingo and a nap. Tonight, I plan to concentrate on showering and changing my foot dressing before (early view) Question Time and book and bed :) xx