h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Further to my last journal:

I'm still hauling myself back towards normality with regard to chronic fatigue. In the coming week I'm moving up to 7-hour workdays, and presumably to full normality in the week after that. Current thinking is that, although CFS has only just been diagnosed, I've actually had it for about 30 years already. This would explain a few things. Hurrah for medical science, which I believe to be still in its infancy even though it gave away the ideas of leeches and bloodletting some time ago.

Whatever the situation, I'm bloody tired. I can get through most daily activities without drama but every so often someone sneaks up and removes my battery and I slump into torpor. Not that this matters too much if it happens during a meeting because nobody notices. In general, though, I'm not far off what passes for normal in my experience. After all, it now seems that my entire adult life has been spent in this condition and I still manage to get things done and have fun along the way.

It's very easy for me to get some perspective on all this. One of my colleagues is on leave at the moment as a new form of treatment for her multiple sclerosis hasn't been beneficial. Who am I to complain about something as trivial as fatigue?

Also, I had some disturbing news earlier today. Another (younger) colleague wasn't feeling too well on Thursday and was admitted to hospital on Friday (yesterday) with an unspecified infection. This morning I was told that he's taken a turn for the worse and he's been airlifted to Sydney for treatment because Canberra doesn't have the necessary facilities or specialists. His parents are rushing home from India to see him. They've already lost the elder of their two sons. I can't begin to imagine what's going through their minds right now.

So I'm lucky. I honestly believe myself lucky.

I think I'll have a drink, purely because I can.

Ivan.

There is always something to put things into perspective. Just don't forget to look after yourself and your problems, too

lil x

"So I'm lucky. I honestly believe myself lucky"
Because YOUR a survivor my friendand there's masses of Yorkshire grit (in thought) heading down underto help out

Ooh, grit! I need some grit around the place, the paths are icy in the morning.

Sounds like a cue for an H2G2 researcher . . . IcyNorth

Wrong hemisphere - or is he on holidays?

Perahps he could be persuaded to make a special trip - provided he brings his own grit - whether Northern or not. Any extraneous laws about grit import into Oz?

Yes, lots of them. We're paranoid about foreign organic material and the grit it grows in.

It has to be True Grit!

My warned me against grits - since my cholesterol level is too high

I hope both your colleagues will be better soon.

It seems as if you're coping rather well, Ivan.

Does having a diagnosis help, even if it is very late in the day? Just take one day at a time, do what you can and don't worry about what you can't do. (I should take my own advice!)

Hope you colleagues recover and neither have anything long term or serious.

Take care,

Websailor

Having a diagnosis does help, even if it is one that doesn't require me to change anything at all about my life. Now when I have to have a rest it's for medical reasons, not that I'm soft or lazy, so the only real change is that the moral high ground is mine, all mine!

Mind you don't fall, it's a long way down

he's already down underhe can't fall any further or he'll drop off

drop off, turn on, tune in

News update:

My colleague who was airlifted to Sydney is to have surgery tomorrow. On what exactly, I don't know. It's all rather alarming.

Wishing good vibes to your colleagues