Now I have high cholesterol and, for the first time in my life, high blood pressure, though that has to be monitored because it may have been a blip. Unfortunately, I can’t see the nurse for blood pressure (Covid restrictions) so I have to buy my own machine. I refuse to turn into a BP fanatic but I know me - if I get a machine, I’ll be reading it every day ‘just in case’.
My medication pile has grown, with the additional statin now which I “have to regard as lifelong.” I tried statins BBC (before breast cancer) and stopped them because they caused muscle pain. How ironic that I can happily take statins now because I have so much muscle pain, I don’t notice a bit of extra. I am not a great fan of this ageing process. I can’t keep on laying everything at cancer treatment’s door. But what next? I may have the answer in that the GP wants me to check in in 6 weeks time for a cholesterol test to ensure levels have dropped, a blood pressure check and... a check for diabetes. I guess we’ll be adding that to the list. Oh, and the doctor suggested a referral to the Opthalmic Clinic for my eye and the Lipid Clinic to check my genetic predisposition for heart disease. I declined. I have two referrals I’m still waiting on. I will continue to squint with a cholesterol-swollen eyelid:
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| Accidental selfie! |
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| Apparently there’s a landmark mast in the distance. But I’ve no idea what is is... |
So here is proof that I really am trying. We went to Surprise View on Otley Chevin, from where you can see over Wharfedale, as far as York in one direction and Lancashire in another. That of course is on a very clear day and with spectacular eyesight. Parking was a tight squeeze. If I’d been wearing my other parka, I doubt I could have got out of the car without clonking the car next to me! Then it was a nice flat walk, a few steps and a gentle slope to the view. It was a glorious day but so cold, I really thought one of the reservoirs below was iced over. Turned out it was birds.
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| A bit of outlying Otley, a reservoir and a lot of Yorkshire grass |
The place was surprisingly busy. I guess everyone was trying to get their outdoor exercise - the odd jogger, quite a few pockets of young men who didn’t look as though they had an purpose (maybe they are furloughed and bored) and of course the perennial senior citizens. Since the paths are uneven, strewn with boulders, puddles and odd patches of grass, we weren’t able to walk far. My feet couldn’t manage it and I couldn’t have walked the short distance I did without relying on Dennis for balance. But what a lovely change from exercising indoors (that is not going well, so I’ll keep quiet on that).
What else? I got fed up and cut myself a fringe. Being so grey/white, you can’t tell how uneven it is but it covers my receding hairline rather well and I no longer have to keep flicking my hair out of my face. It’s great news that the hairdresser’s and the gym/pool can reopen next week but I’m not sure I’ll feel confident about dashing off to either immediately. It’s like the last lockdown. Spend all that time without contact with the world and basic immunity must be down to minimal. I’ll build up exposure to colds and coughs gently, I think. Good god, what’s happened to me?? HOWEVER, I have booked myself in for reflexology and reiki in 10 days time. Bliss.
Meantime, I continue to be utterly depressed whenever I look out of a window or go to the side of the house. I feel like I’m being gradually squashed by these enormous houses. Honest, they were just little rectangles on the plan and that was alarming enough but the reality... I need an emoji or two here! Anyway, this is as far as they’ve got:
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| Add caption |
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