Back to the Grindstone

After a solid week of sleeping, I finally ventured out of the house for the first time on Saturday. I felt okay, but was glad Tony was with me to pick me up in case I fell. And to keep me on top of the handwash. Anti-bacterial handwash has become my best and closest friend. I have to say, there is a reason for this. It is amazing how many places you can pick up the most innocent of bacteria. As if any bacteria is innocent. And, as you can imagine, my hands are so very dry. Which I hate. But it's keeping me healthy and away from infection, so I'll pay the price. So my second best friend is now hand cream. And the stronger, the better. So to the coffee shop we went.  I wasn't game enough to have coffee though when my anti-biotics have also warned me off caffeine, so a hot chocolate was my treat. 

Sunday was another walk to the coffee shop. And I managed a little bit further again, being a quick visit to Tesco to pick up some groceries. Staying away from people in a supermarket is so much harder than you would think.  The worst ones being the ones who are sneezing and coughing, without covering up. This was my first day of being able to have a coffee in a week. It was only a weak flat white, and after a week without it, tasted divine. 

Back to work in my home office on Monday morning bright and early. After two weeks of not having to be up for the alarm clock, this was a little bit of a rude awakening. Unfortunately the come-down from the steroids has also set in, so sleep hasn't been all that forthcoming when going to bed. As you can imagine, getting up early after two weeks of not having to be, the added issue of coming down off the steroids and not sleeping, waking up Monday morning was a bit of a tough call.  Hello! full strength coffee. Large strong Americano come to me! 

Over the past few days, I have noticed a couple of little twinges of different things which I'm not sure about. Although the steroid taste has finally gone, my tastebuds seem to have changed slightly. My sense of taste feel like they have diminished a bit. Having a strongly flavoured chilli (I am cooking again as well) the other night, and it tasted a bit bland, whereas Tony thought it was fine. The only thing I can really taste are strong mints. I hope this doesn't last. Food won't be the same if this keeps up. 

My legs are achy as well. This used to be a thing which happened after walking too far or exercising. But at the moment, this is a constant. And worse when I am trying to get to sleep (one of the factors of not getting to sleep at night). Sitting, standing or lying down, this doesn't matter. Again, this had better not last. I didn't sign up for that when I said yes to doing this treatment. It's meant to be helping the legs work properly again, not make them worse. 

The next one, I'm not sure is happening because of the treatment, or I'm getting old. My eye sight has deteriorated in a huge way since the start of the treatment. It had deteriorated a bit before I started, but it's got so bad now, I'm using a cheap pair of Boots Chemist readers to read books and my iPad. I have to turn my phone to landscape to read things on it. Am sure this is age... 

Today wasn't as bad as the last two days, and I do actually feel really good. I don't feel sick. I don't feel like I can't travel, go near people who are ill, eat potentially listeria infected food. I feel like myself. And I forget I'm going to be like this for a few months. At least the food diet should get better in the next couple of weeks. But I don't look or feel sick. I even went as far to offer to travel for work next week, then realised there's a reason I'm not meant to. And was reminded of this by my Project Manager. He's got my back, even if I don't. 

I spoke to the M.S. clinic last week. I am going in to have a chest x-ray this week. Once we have the results from this, and fingers crossed the pneumonia is a distant memory, I can get the last two days of treatment. So keep everything crossed for me I can continue on with these and the last week of no coffee has been worth it. 

So there it is, I'm back, I'm happy, but I am still infectious; infectable?