This was the start of my first 5 day week. I had agreed with my boss that I would continue to build my hours up steadily and this week I would start to do 5 days a week, 6 hours a day. I also changed my shift pattern slightly so that when my team are on day shifts I do 10-4, when they are on late shifts I will do 12-6. With my team being on lates I would be doing 12-6 this week however Harry was still at the vet on Monday and Friday so I chose to do 10-4 these 2 days.
Monday went without a hitch, the car was due for MOT so Lel dropped it on the way to work and collected it on the way home, fully passed so good for selling!! Work was normal and at the vets they were very happy with Harry's nose which was good.
Tuesday was my first 12-6 and by 5 I was exhausted and ready for home. I kept going till about 5.30 when I packed down as my brain had for the first time, turned off properly and when people were asking me things, I wasn't even hearing words any more, just sound. Lel collected me at 6 and I went home and just sat. I was wiped out. It's funny what the extra 2 hours later at work does for me, I'm clearly so much better in the mornings and this is something I need to be aware of when I extend my hours, which way works best for me.. I definitely won't be able to work after 8 for a long time!! Sandra mentioned to me that it took her 3 years post chemo to feel normal again so figure that if I need my shifts changing then it can't be a problem and occupational health should be able to sort this for me.
Wednesday I felt a bit better and more able to work until 6, I'd had a nap before I went into work so could work through and was better able to concentrate on what I needed to do. I was fine again on Thursday and Friday worked a 10-4 as we had to go to the vets again for Harry.
We had a quiet weekend in, the first one for a month given Otley show, 2 trips to get the camper van and then Swansea and we both needed the break. We ordered a bench for the garden and a tree but other than that, I have no idea what we got up to!
Monday was a week of 10-4's, still with trips to the vets for Harry's bum, on Wednesday I went over to see Sue as I felt I hadn't had a session for some long time and I was a bit worried about my ongoing weight loss and my peripheral neuropathy. She is so good to build me up and remind me that I'm doing things right. She always reminds me of my 'good pot' that I put things in, even the most basic things can go in there, things that make me smile and laugh so when I have a slightly less good day then I don't feel too worn out.
On Thursday we had a new system go live at work, this was a complete change with computer and phone systems changing and had been planned for and training had been going on for this since before I went off last year. It was a huge change to how we work and we had all been prepped to expect things to go wrong!! As it was, things went as smoothly as could be expected.
Friday I was meant to be on on-line work however it always happens that you end up doing duty when the team managers are doing it as they always wander off on the phone, usually it wouldn't be a problem however when learning a new system this was a bit trickier and made me a bit frustrated. I was convinced the piece of work I had done would be sent back as it was submitted in a rush but seemed to be all ok. We were back over at the vets for our last of 2 checks per week, seeing them only once the following week for our final laser session
The bench had arrived during the week and I had tried to put it together and managed to get 2 huge blisters, Lel had take pity and bought a new ratchet screwdriver to make it quicker. Between us, me reading the instructions for the first time ever and them being wrong, we put it together the wrong way round.
Saturday I had offered to go to the Manchester Museum with Oliver as Jayne was having her hair cut. It ended up with all of us going which was fine. We had a fantastic lunch at the cafe next to it then Oliver went to the loo and saw the dinosaur skeleton in the entrance hall. At that point he didn't want to go in as he was scared by it. I told him that Lel and I were going in, and soon after Jayne brought him through into the shop where the wonderful lady on the til told him that there were frogs and got him all interested in these. We headed up towards the vivarium then managed a look at everything else on the way back, as well as looping round to the space area and the T-rex skeleton. No wonder he was always so grumpy, his arms are too short to clean his teeth!! Well I found myself funny! Em was staying that night as she was at college and brought a curry from Sanskruti. We were both a bit full having had a piece of cake at 3.30 before leaving the museum cafe. The GF, VG chocolate cake was too much of a temptation for me to refuse!! And it was amazing, tasted just like dairy milk... I can never resist a Sanskruti curry though...
On Sunday morning, having re-done the bench, we went and bought some paint for it. I wanted bright, Lel wanted muted however, on one occasion having said to her that she usually gets her own way on decorating things, and this has clearly sunk in, she's very aware of it so repeated this back to me. We spent most of the day painting it giving it a good 2 coats of bright blue paint and allowing it time to dry. In the evening we put it outside, the grass was too wet to cut with the strimmer and our new lawnmower so I got the garden shears out and cut it. It was so much fun and I laughed at myself the whole time! Think Lel did too, mum talks about cutting a lawn with scissors, so glad I had shears. I was quite proud of the end result. We also planted the tree - a weeping Cherry Tree that had also arrived during the week.
I was back on 12-6's this week therefore was happy to have a nap in the morning on Monday before I went in to work. When I got in, the duty manager was very glad to see me, always nice when that happens and it was good to do a full shift and be useful. The systems were still causing problems and everything taking twice as long as before however I was getting my head round them and trying to correct any errors or send it back if it was significant, however I know how fraught people currently are and having work sent back doesn't help this, people are trying as hard as they can, and some find systems really tricky. I'm lucky, I don't, I'm happy with them and don't get stressed by it. Tuesday and Wednesday went relatively easily, I could feel I was getting tired so spoke to my boss and asked for Friday off. She's very aware that I have to look after myself and knows how hard I've worked this week and doesn't want me to get ill. By Thursday evening I knew I'd done the right thing as I was so tired and frustrated I nearly cried in front of a practitioner, time for a day off! We headed to the vets where Harry's chemo was prescribed to us, and the vet agreed we could start it as soon as we want. Lel and I want his bum to be totally healed therefore we will wait till next week when the wound has hopefully gone.. He has no idea there is anything wrong with him, he's so happy and full of life which is how we hope he'll stay.
So that takes me to yesterday when I cleaned, cut the grass, did the washing and had a lovely day relaxing and now to today, Lel is in Chester at a 100year celebration of her school with all her old school friends. I'm just doing this and washing today whilst having a disco via phone with Iona who is cleaning. I love days like this, they re-charge my batteries and put things in my good pot.
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