I have sadly broken the Jerry Seinfeld chain and my New Year Resolution to do something career related every day. On the other hand I have on several occasions carried out two or three tasks so I could use those days to compensate. Last night my body decided that it wasn't playing any more so I stocked up on various medicines and went to bed at half past seven determined to sweat it out. Apart from waking up around half past ten (and wondering if I was well enough to do some work and keep the chain going, before deciding against it) to drink another Lemsip and take more tablets I slept right through. I was a bit groggy in court today and at one point my left arm went numb and I had pains down my left side. This prompted me to do something I haven't done for a long time, I went to see the doctor. Actually I went to the walk in centre because my doctor is a nightmare to get seen in. Straight after work I kept an appointment with Lee for a drink and a discussion about Saturday and then I met Mandi as she wanted to accompany me to the doctor.
Part of my problem seemed to be my determination to fight through and carry on with life rather than malinger, I thought this was a good thing to do to build up strength but apparently I am not doing myself any favours. The left arm business was a result of stress (not a stroke as I worried it might be) and my intake of cold cures was a pointless exercise because I don't have a cold, I have a chest infection.
The doctor checked my blood pressure (perfect) and my heart and lungs (also perfect - bizarrely) and prescribed me a course of antibiotics with a terrifying list of side effects including diarrhoea with bleeding, because sometimes diarrhoea just isn't enough. I also have vomiting and yellowing of the skin to look forward to so if someone is looking to form a Simpsons tribute act in the next seven days then I'm your man. If this was written in the 1970s I might have taken the yellowing of the skin reference down a different path but we live in more enlightened times now.
Two things struck me as strange during this visit, the first being that at no point during this episode was I asked if I smoke. Usually this is the first thing a doctor asks you regardless of the reason you are visiting. Maybe he took my perfect lungs and heart as a sign that I couldn't possibly be a smoker, or maybe he just wasn't that bothered. Secondly, there wasn't a single person in the waiting room with a saucepan stuck to his/her head or a bath tap on a toe. Are these things not everyday occurrences any more?
Listen to this week's edition of The Sunday Alternative here.
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March housekeeping
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