Monday , or more precisely Jab Monday. As ever I have chosen to go early for my 28 day jab. A bleary eyed and quite timorous me gets dressed and head for the GP clinic. I have preloaded with my morning meds and a dose of paracetamol to fight the side effects. Once masked up and in the GP surgery I go to sign in but the screen is not working, fortunately the receptionist recognises me and books me. I wait until called by a nurse I do not recognise. Following her into the clinic room I wonder if I need to have the “lumpy stomach side effect” conversation. In the end I deicide not to, I’m not sure why, I think I just want to get in and out as quickly as possible. She injects me and tells me the system is not up for my next date and that I will have to book it nearer the time.
I leave ripping the mask off my face as soon as I can and head for home. On a good day I might have gone to get a paper but today I just want to be home . Once home I have hot water and my partner makes me toast. I spend a lot of time from then on bending my credit card to finish my Christmas shopping. I am almost done when the garden guy turns up to do the regular tidying. As everyone else is either resting a broken limb or at work its down to me to make him coffee and pay him. We chat for a while, he’s a lovely bloke but can chat for ever, as we chat I keep noticing things in the garden that need to be done so I set to and start doing stuff as well. In the end I spend a good two hours moving things around and filling feeders. I end by draining the water butt again to ensure my gutters can cope in the coming wet weeks. It feels like its been productive time.
On my return to the lounge I find post and a voice message. The plumber has rung back and left a message. I immediately ring him and arrange a day for him to come and look at the defunct shower mixer. My faith in plumbers is renewed. In the post is a card from my cousin in Scotland with note inside acknowledging my letter to them. They have just moved and will contact me in the new year to help with their side of the family tree. While I am doing life admin I write a brief letter to the people who have sent my sister a Christmas card. I explain her death and hope they remember her with fondness. Before I know it I am skipping to the post office to send my letter and to buy our guest more dark chocolate for its potassium content. On my return I start to read Pooh and the Philosophers, a present from my book gifting friend.
I take a nap, I know I take a nap because I wake myself up snoring and its dark outside. I drift in and out of sleep as I feel my injection site getting sore as time goes on. This is how it happens, it will get worse before it gets better and will last a couple of days along with acute tiredness and a lack of motivation to do anything. Then three things happen all at once. Tea is cooked and served by my partner, an email from the solicitors raises real issues over the estate and Tesco deliver. Its a juggle but of course the food gets devoured, the new food gets squirrelled away and the there is a flurry of WhatsApp messages as things get sorted, or sort of sorted. By the time early evening comes round I am beyond much other than watching TV, taking my night meds enhanced by more paracetamol. I look at my dairy and I am relieved there is nothing in it, I will need a free day to recover from my jab and regain some balance. At least I am done with the jabs now until 2024.
