June 2010

June 1st Day179 - June 30th Day 209

We went off to Scotland for a week to stay in the beach hut we go to every year. It is an old fisherman’s hut but has been extended to have three bedrooms. It is still very rustic though and only 10 metres from the sea so ideal for kayaking. We had quite a few outings getting to know our new boats and going further than we had done on previous trips.

I found that my arms were a little tired after the first paddle but I quickly settled into a steady pace and by the third trip had no problem at all. We also did some cycling, a real pleasure on the empty back roads of the south of Scotland. I even took in some off road cycling though some would say it was cheating a bit as I was taken to the top of a hill by car then cycled 12 miles back, pretty much downhill all the way, to the shore. Although the weather was kind the sea was still rather cold so I didn’t get round to swimming.

On our return from Scotland I spent a lot of time in the garden, digging a new flowerbed in the lawn in the back garden, preparing it and planting it. I must admit to Nick doing most of the heavy digging but I did do my fair share of moving tubs of flowers around, all the time being careful to wear gloves to avoid the possibility of picking up bacterial infection.

Around this time I had my first attempt at cycling “the loop”. This is an eleven mile route which, over the years, we have cycled regularly and it takes in three significant hills. It was whilst attempting this route in the spring of 2008 that it became clear to me that I was not well because I could not manage to pedal up the least of the three hills. It was therefore a bit of a benchmark. I did manage the first hill but had to dismount about three quarters of the way up the second hill and struggled on the third hill, gasping for air at the top. However I had acquitted myself better than expected and felt pleased with the result.

Another short trip to Scotland towards the end of the month was to meet up with two friends from college and my sister. We hadn’t really spent time with each other for probably thirty odd years. However, we walked and talked and laughed and cycled and the high point of the break was when two of us had a go at zorbing.A local farm had diversified into adventure activities including grass ski-ing, archery and zorbing. Before being allowed to take part in the activity we had to fill in disclaimer form, detailing our state of health and listing any medication. My form required extension paragraphs and I was rather concerned that I would not be allowed to go. However, they read it over and waved us on – we had after all absolved them of all responsibility.

“Zorbing” involved the two of us appropriately dressed in swimming costumes, climbing into a huge transparent plastic ball about 15ft in diameter which already had a pool of water sitting in it. Once in, with cameras strapped to our wrists, we were pushed downhill while the water sloshed around and we sloshed and tumbled around in it. My sister took a video of the ball rolling downhill and the screams and laughter emanating from it could be heard loud and clear. There is something faintly surreal about two women in their fifties being pushed downhill by three young lads. The ball came to rest at a grassy bank and we were helped out by these same three lads. I don’t know what it looked like but the emergence, plopping through the plastic tunnel into the outside world felt like being birthed.

Blood levels at the end of the month were more or less the same as they have been for some months with minor fluctuations. Haemoglobin was 108, White blood count was 3.0, Neutrophils 2.1 and platelets 214. As a reminder the normal levels are Haemoglobin 110 - 140 , White blood count 4.5 - 11.0, Neutrophils 1.8 - 7.7, Platelets 150 - 450.