Tuesday, 4 August 2015

'Tell me why I don't like Mondays....'

I do know that it's actually Tuesday
But I'm in Monday mode
As yesterday was a bank holiday
So doctor day was today
The weekend was not great
I I over indulged in my meds during the week
So I was left with two days meds to last me four days
I guess I could have spread them out
But where's the fun in that?
This morning couldn't have come soon enough
Even though we are in August
And the height of the summer
The weather here is woeful
As if it was the middle of winter
The dogs usually wake up between 5am and 6am
So I get up and let them out
And go back to bed for an hour
Before getting up properly at about 7 30am
We headed in to the doctor for 9 10am
Me, my mum and the two dogs 
Mum usually brings the dogs for a walk while I go to the doctor
But it was so wet and wild this morning that no walk was to be had

I arrived at the doctor on time
Checked in at reception
Found a half decent magazine to read
And settled on a seat in the circular waiting 
My favourite thing to do when waiting is to play 'Guess the ailment'
I scan the room 
And try to guess what each person is there for 
There were a few oldies
It's always hard to guess what they are there for 
It could be anything really 
From a sore throat to piles to deep vein thrombosis 
I suspect a lot of them come to the doctors as a social outing

Next
A young guy came in and sat down opposite me
He was wearing a hat with a marajuana leaf on it 
Then his mother came in and sat beside him
She looked none too happy either
I suspected she might have marched him in there because he had a substance misuse problem
Obvious choice
But it was a safe bet

Various other people came in 
And I diagnosed a bad back
Flu 
And a sty in the eye
It kept me busy as I waited to be called

Twenty minutes later 
My name was called
I followed my doctor in to his room
And sat down in my usual seat
He apologised for keeping me waiting 
He explained that he is the deputy coroner
And had a pile of paper work to fill out
I don't think I've mentioned it before 
But after my doctor increased my methadone to 36mls
He promptly reduced it again
Over the period of about a month
To 32mls
I fought it all the way
He wanted to reduce it every week 
To get me back down to where I was
But I am a difficult customer to say the least

So today he asked me how last weeks reduction went
I told him it was ok
He said he wouldn't reduce it this week 
But would next week
I asked him if he would wait until I got back from Turkey 
(Did I mention I'm going to Turkey next month)
He asked me when I was going 
I told him the end of next month
He laughed
And said not a chance
So I compromised 
And suggested reducing it once a month
Which he agreed to
He filled out my script 
I thanked him
And left 

Next stop was the chemist 
It's a short walk from the doctors surgery to the chemist 
But I got thoroughly soaked in the mean time
I arrived in to the building
And my script was now a soggy piece of paper
I handed it in
And sat to wait
My usual pharmacist is on maternity leave
And there is a very nice guy in her place
I wasn't too fond of the woman pharmacist 
But she was efficient
And never made mistakes 
The last two weeks the new pharmacist hasn't given me enough tablets 
And when I was on the way home 
I realised he'd done the same thing this week
What a pain in the....

Anyway
I had one more stop before I could head home
I wanted to pick up a battery for my scale
Which I keep forgetting to do 
So I braved the rain again 
To head to the supermarket 
After wandering go around the shop for a while 
I finally found them by the check out
I chose the right ones
Paid 
And ran back to the car

I was glad to get home
I put the kettle on
Went to the privacy of my bedroom to weigh
I fitted the new battery 
Stripped
And tentatively stood on the scale 
The numbers flashed 
And settled on a number 
I've lost about 3 - 4 pounds since I last weighed 
And I have it in my head that I want to lose 5 more
I know, I know
That is dodgy territory 
And sounds absolutely daft
It's like asking an alcoholic to have one drink
I'm not naive 
I know it's dangerous to try and lose weight
I just feel I look and feel my best when I am 5 pounds lighter than I am now
I have my reasons 
I have a big family do on the 16th
And also my holiday next month
So I want to look and feel my absolute best 
I want to be confident
Wear what I want to wear 
And just feel comfortable in my skin
I mean
I don't want to be super skinny anymore 
I don't want to be sick and underweight 
I'm kind of ok with my body
I am curvy now 
And that look is growing on me
But I would still feel a lot better if I was just that few pounds lighter
I know 
It's hard to put the brakes on when losing weight 
But I feel confident that I can 
Watch this space I guess 

There are other things that I need to work on at the moment
I have not been to a meeting in two weeks
Which is not good 
I want to go back
I really do
But I feel like such a hypocrite 
Abusing my meds
And going in and pretending to be clean and sober 
I know first I need to get my meds under control
But it's just really hard 
Me and reality just do not mix well
I find day to day life boring 
Monotonous
And endlessly tedious
I mean
I get through one day
Only to start another
I get through one year
Only to find myself back at the beginning of another
And time is flying by at an alarming rate 
I really want to press pause
And stand still for a moment 
I overtake my meds 
To keep myself in a state somewhere between being awake and asleep
I love to sleep
Or at least to be sleepy
I love that feeling of being so tired that I could fall asleep at any moment
I hate being alert and wide awake
Is that my addiction speaking?
I think so

I guess the main thing is that I am ok
My health is ok
My mental health is ok
My weight is ok
My mood is ok
I am ok 




Monday, 3 August 2015

Things that only bloggers understand.....

I was inspired to write this post
After seeing a similar post on Izzys blog
I used some of her ideas
As well as some of my own
Let me know if you can think of any others
 
When you wake up in the morning
And the first thing you do is check your comments, blog reader and other blogs

When you ask your friend/partner/family member to take a photo of you when you are doing any thing remotely interesting

When you have to take said photo ten times as you try and find one that you approve of and that is blog worthy 

When you take photos of every meal you've ever eaten 
And won't let others eat theirs until you've taken a photo of theirs 

When you are immersed in your phone/laptop for X number of hours a day blogging, updating and reading 

When you suddenly get an amazing blog post idea and have to excuse yourself to write said ideas

When you pick the user name that you wished you were really called eg Ruby
I know some of you know my real name and it's not a million miles away from Ruby but I still prefer Ruby
Also Ruby Tuesday is a nod to TheRolling  Stones song as I am a huge RS fan

When your online social life is more active than your real life social life

When you are closer to people on line than you are with those in your real life

When you have a complete and utter melt down when there is no wifi 

When something happens and you think 'That will make a great blog post' 

When you pour your heart out in blog post at 3am crying, mascara everywhere, glass of wine in hand 

When a parcel arrives in the post and you know it's from one of your beautiful bloggers 

When you hit the Publish and that sense of satisfaction that you have completed blog post no 856

When your phone pings that you have a comment, you get excited every time 

The sheer frustration when you spend ages writing a post and blogger decides to eat it 

When you read another blog
And it puts in to words exactly how you are feeling 

When someone leaves a comment on your blog that makes your whole day

When someone tells you that they feel that way too and you don't feel so alone 

When you are away with no wifi and you go in to blogger induced withdrawal


Sunday, 2 August 2015

Bouncing Back

The last couple of weeks have been difficult
And I'm finding it hard to get back to myself 
It's been over a week since the whole date fiasco
And I'm still wondering what I did wrong
I mean
This guy pursued me
He obviously liked the look of me 
Enough to ask my neighbour for my number
He contacted me
Suggested the date
And followed up
I think back over the date regularly 
Trying to figure out where it all went wrong 
I wonder was it when he suggested going to his house for tea
And I asked if there was anyone there 
Not because I wanted to jump in to bed with him
But because I wanted fore warning if I was about a gaggle of housemates
I wonder was it because I asked too many questions 
Maybe it seemed like I was interviewing him
Maybe it was when I told him that I don't drink 
Although he didn't seem like a big drinker either
And then to baffle me further 
He bloody well pounced on me!
As I said in previous posts 
He went from zero to sixty in jig time
But even when his hands were wandering under my shirt 
I still thought he was a nice guy 
But it baffles me 
I mean did he pounce because he really liked me?
Or was he just chancing his arm for an easy lay?
I mean 
I can't imagine sleeping with someone that I didn't like
Just for the sake of it 

Then there is the question of the girlfriend 
Who he had just split up with a couple of weeks previously
Was he on the rebound?
Was he just looking for a bit of fun?
Who knows 
And lastly
The phone call the following day
Saying that he didn't want to take things further
Was that because I wouldn't cave and give in to his antics?
Even if it was
I am glad I stuck to my guns 
That is just not my style at all

I guess I just chalk this one up to experience
I mean
What are the chances that my first and only date in ten, yes ten years would work out like a fairytale?
Where we would fall in love and live happily ever after
Slim to none I would say
But still
I had my hopes up
Maybe that was my mistake 

But of course 
There were yellow/red flags 
The fact he didn't want to meet for coffee
Did he not want to be seen in broad daylight with me?
He didn't want to see what I suggested 
In said cinema
During the movie he made a couple of pretty racist  comments
And we definitely didn't have the same sense of humour 
He was a typical country boy 
Not that that's a bad thing 
I mean despite all these things
The date was ok
Up until a point 

You know when you go an exam 
Or a job interview
And if it didn't go well 
You can request the papers or feedback to see where you went wrong 
Well I wish you could do that with dates
Like send them a questionnaire with all the questions such as

How would you rate this date out of ten?

Why did you deducte points?

Why do you not want to see this person again?

Please give a detailed answer and use bullet points if necessary 

You know?
I just want to know what did so wrong that he never wants to see me again
It's hard 
Because everyone around me seems to be finding someone 
My sister has met someone
My friend always has some guy interested in her 
I just want to know why?
Why people, whhhhyyy?

What I should really be doing 
Is focusing on myself and my recovery 
And putting boys out of my mind
But it's human reaction to want to meet someone 
To have a partner to share life with
I suppose it's like waiting for a bus
None come for ages
And then three come at once 

I don't know 
Boys just don't seem to be in to me
Even at meetings 
I feel like a lot of them avoid me
Or have no time from me
Maybe I'm being paranoid
And that is entirely possible
As I am not adverse to inventing scenarios in my head 
As you are well aware

Anyway 
I will do as I always do
Keep putting one foot in front of the other
And keep going 
Keep ploughing away at this thing we call life
And try to make the best of things 
I would love to hit the big self destruct button 
I would love to just unravel completely
Fall apart 
Crumble 
Go back to disappearing 
Go 'Back to black'
Sometimes I don't know why I am holding on 
And suspect that a lot of the time 
I'm doing it for other people 
I don't enjoy life ninety percent of the time 
I numb myself with meds 
And on the one day a week that o don't have meds 
That day is the most mind numbingly boring and tedious day 
And I just can't wait for it to be over

Take this week 
It's a bank holiday weekend 
So there is an extra day
Therefore I have eight days meds 
I went to town on them during the week
So I had no meds yesterday 
And I have none for tomorrow 
I could space out today's to last two  days 
But I want to get out of it today
How sad is that?
Very I suspect 

Anyway 
Please don't worry after reading this post 
I am ok
I'm not going to do anything silly 
I repeat 
I am ok
Just having a bad day 
A bad week 
A bad year 
A bad life....

Saturday, 1 August 2015

Hangin' with Honey and Lea

I feel like I haven't posted any photos of Lea and Honey in recent times
This year they both turned ten
But you really wouldn't think it
They are both still a bundle of energy and fun
They continue to be a source of great joy in my life 
We are closer than close 
Last week they went to the doggy hairdresser
And got brand spanking new haircuts 
So now they look super cute and fresh and clean
Here are some photos of us this morning 











Friday, 31 July 2015

New blogs?

As you know 
I love to read
Whether it is a book
A blog
A newspaper 
I love being a part of blogger
To follow the stories of the wonderful ladies here
I don't really use any other social media
I'm not in to Facebook
I don't have Twitter or Instagram
For me
My blog is where I document my life
My thoughts 
My ups and downs
Every little thing that happens in my life is carefully recorded
My memory is not the best these days 
So when I read back in my blog
It's like it all happened to someone else

I follow quite a lot of blogs
And I'm always on the look out for new blogs 
So I'm wondering what are your top 3 blogs?
Have you found any new blogs recently that you would like to share?
Maybe you have just started writing 
And would like to put your blog out there for more people to read?
I always love to find a new and exciting blogs to read 
And I must stress 
The blogs you share don't necessarily have to be about EDs or addiction
They could be about absolutely anything 
As it is more the way it's written that concerns me 
Your blog could be about train spotting 
But if it is written well
Then I will read it 

This is an invite for you to get in touch with your blog 
Or to share someone else's 
A blog you think is funny
Or poignant
Or moving 
Or interesting 
Or so ridiculous that it makes no sense
I want to hear about them all
So do get in touch
I'll look forward to hearing from you....

Thursday, 30 July 2015

Something wicked this way comes.....

For a while there 
My ED was in the background 
It had never fully gone away
But it wasn't the main focus of my life
And it had gone somewhat underground 
I guess because now that I am a healthy weight
People who know no better presume that I am recovered
Fixed 
All better 
When the truth is that I am still struggling 
People are just relieved that I am not underweight anymore
And I am too
The thing is 
I don't want to be super skinny anymore 
I don't want to be sick
And I don't want to die anymore 
I really don't
I want to live 
For the first time in a long time 
I actually want to live 
And more than be thin
I just want to feel ok in my skin

My eating is still very disorderd 
I don't eat regular meals and snacks 
I graze through out the day
And if I do eat a meal 
It doesn't stay down
Granted 
I don't binge and purge the way I used to 
It used to be constant
From the minute I woke up 
Until I fell in to bed that night wrecked emotionally and physically
I was purging up to 20 times a day 
Every day I promised would be the last 
But then I would get up the next morning
And the whole horrid cycle would start again
It was relentless 
Unforgiving 
A living hell
But just as quickly as it started 
It stopped 
Just like that 
Not completely of course
I still purge
But no where near as much as I used to

It was around the time that my meds were tweaked 
In combination with my being utterly sick and tired of feeling sick and tired
It was also around the time I took a 'half hearted' over dose 
I just couldn't go on that way anymore
It was killing me
Killing me slowly 
It came down to a simple choice
It was either recover 
Or die 

The past couple of weeks have been tough 
And my resilience has been pushed to breaking point 
It's funny how when things go belly up
We go back to the things that comfort us
That quell the anxiety 
And ease the pain 
My mental and physical health have suffered recently
I have been to a meeting in two weeks 
My ED has been back in the driving seat
And I'm constantly looking for ways to escape
I feel hurt and used 
And I feel let down by people who should know better
But that's life I guess
There are bad people out there 
I've just had the misfortune of meeting more than my fair share of them 

I was Googling something this morning
And a weight calculator popped up
It was one where you enter your gender
Your age 
and your height 
And it tells you the healthy weight range for you
Being 5'4
It told me that my ideal weight range is 116 pounds to 145 pounds
I'm in the lower range of this range
And I was glad about that 
But I have to say 
That the number doesn't mean as much as it used to
I used to have a visceral reaction to seeing the number
But now 
I feel very little 
As long as my clothes fit me 
And I feel ok 
I am good 
But there are some behaviours that are so ingrained 
I don't know if they will ever change 

There is still the question of whether I am starting my course in September
I think I wrote about the fact that my disability benefit will most likely be cut when I start the course
But Mary found out that if I got a letter from my doctor and my consultant  stating that the course would be of therapeutic value 
Then hopefully they wouldn't cut it
So I have the letters 
And I have accepted my place on the course 
I just don't know if I'm ready
I mean 
In a lot of ways it would be good for me
Getting out 
Getting an education
Meeting new people 
But another part
The part that is afraid and full of anxiety 
Wants to stay home 
Watch tv
And drift in and out of sleep 
Because even though I am loathe to admit it
That's what I'm doing at the moment 

I don't know guys
I know I can't go on like this forever 
And it's no way to live 
But it's comfortable 
It keeps me nicely numb 
I don't have to worry about anything 
And the truth is 
That everything is easier when I am slightly out of it 
More bearable 
And there are none of the negative effects of using illegal drugs
I don't have to worry about money 
Or where I'm going to stay 
Or how I'm going to get the drug
It's all written down on a script
That is given to a pharmacist 
And then handed to me over a counter
I don't even have to pay for it

And I must stress 
That this is the case 
Even when I don't misuse my meds
When I take them as prescribed
I am still on the nod 
Still sedated 
And sleepy 
And God forgive me for enjoying that 

It's down to me how things go from here
I can either lie down and let my ED and my addiction kill me
Or I can stand up and fight
I'm just so very tired of fighting 
So tired of having to pick myself up 
Again and again 
But I will
It's not my style to give up 
So I won't 
And that's a promise 

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

Sick

Apologies 
Just a quick post today
I've been up since the early hours with s funny tummy
Think I might have a bug
So back to bed for me 
And plenty of fluids
Hopefully normal service will resume tomorrow