86.2kg Thursday

I'm shopping on my own, cooking, vacuuming without a problem. But my visions gets weird, almost like I am right on the brink of going cross-eyed, out of focus a fair bit...mostly when I bend down and come back up again, but at other times too. My eyes prefer natural light to artificial light. I can walk around the shops (like Myer and DJs) but my vision suffers after a while. My hands are still tingly, tend to get pins and needles while I sleep, and are shaky...sometimes my whole body gets shaky if I am standing for more than 10 minutes.

I'm doing alot around the house. Monday I went to Chadstone, did a thorough look at Myer and DJs and Tuesday went to the shop then to the fruit and veg shop, then to the dog park, then to the bank, then to the post office to pay medical bills and to the bank, back to the post office (I forgot to put enough $ in my eftpos), to the butcher...and realised I had done way too much. So I am taking it easy, but my vision is a bit worse today. Seeing the Neuro on Monday.

Tuesday 30th March

Yesterday I made a lactose free milk smoothie, but it made me feel icky - just lke the milk one did. So that is not good because it was a great way I planned to start each day - egg, milk, banana, yogurt, psyllium husks. Now I don't know what to have for breakfast again.

Spoke to my neighbour who had meningitis years ago and he said yes he too had the shakes. He said the whole nervous system gets so affected, and if he remembers correctly it took 2 months to go away. He took valium to stop it, especially at night because he was shaking so much he could not sleep.

Have not started swimming yet.

85.8kg Monday

Yay, the 85's are peeping at me. We had chilli/blackbean mud crab last night. Visited some family yesterday which was nice, but no-one so far has noticed the weight loss. I must need to lose more! I am trying.

This morning I had a lactose free milk smoothie with half a banana and a whole egg plus some psyllium husks. Easy to make, easy to go down and healthy. I think I might make smoothies a regular breakfast, its nice and easy for work days.

Sunday 27th March - Doing ok 86.6kg

Doing ok. Maintaining weight, not reducing, but exercising every day and now doing 2km not 200m - in 2 weeks, I'm pretty happy about that. My hands still tingle, but less than they have been. Yesterday was talking to a neighbour and she remarked shocked at how I was shaking - and I was, and I was just standing in her driveway chatting. That was disappointing. But I can cook and do all chores around the house. sometimes my head gets woozy, but not often and it is not disabling.

Blood pressure is ok, unless I forget a tablet. so I am learning to remember to take them at good regular times.

Tried on some clothes that are in the spare room and I fit into them perfectly...some things are too baggy. I have a need for clothes now - I have baggy stuff to wear to but nothing fitted and some of the baggy stuff is a bit ridiculously baggy.

Some days I get bored and a bit blue but mostly I have heaps to do. I think I miss human interaction. But I am also pushing away people who want to see me and I need to stop doing that.

Overall, I'm doing pretty well. if I could get the shaking to stop I'd be happier. And reduce my weight!

86.6kg Friday

I need to focus on my weight, I need to get under 85kg. I am maintaining in the 86's. Not good enough.
But I walked 2.3 km this morning in half an hour. First time I tried a significant walk since hospital. I got a bit dizzy ,just a tiny bit and my sight got a bit wonky, only a bit. I felt ok though :)

86.3kg Monday Things are ok

I have to watch my weight, need to get under 85kg.
Getting rather stir crazy, but have not completed all the things I need to do around the house yet - so I will focus on that.
Went for a walk to the local park again.
Starting to think about starting swimming soon.
I remind myself that no matter how I feel or what I am going through, I need to focus on feeling as fit and healthy as I can - my body is something I have some degree of control over.
Need a routine, like ... get up, breakfast, walk dogs, 1hr online course, lunch, swimming, walk dogs, prepare dinner, dinner.

85.8kg Sunday

Maintaining weight, BP steady and ok.
Woke up today feeling rested and good.
Main issue is hands keep tingling and they get the shakes. The tingling is increasing since I left hospital. The shakes is the same, gets worse with increased activity but sometimes they are shaking when I spend all day inactive.

For the first time I went to walk to the park on my street. I did not have the courage to try it a week ago and today it was pretty easy. Took me 11 minutes.

Smoothy 10am. LF Milk, 1/2 banana, 4 strawberries, teaspoon honey ,3 TBSPNs natural yogurt
Zuccini sautéed lunch

Sat 85.8kg

Morning: Starting to feel bored. Starting to feel bad for not walking the dogs yet. But I am really shaky yesterday and today,
Trying to get in the mindset of cooking healthy food. I seem to grab convenience food, and quick hits that are not good for me. I'm getting there. Weight is staying steady, need it to go down, but if not at least if it does not increase for now - that's good since I can't do much exercise. BP is steady.

Evening: Was shaky all day, even though I did little. Getting sick of being on the couch. tried to go to shops but that did not help - felt really sick and bleh all day. Back hurt, tummy aches - not a great day. Did not get much done around the house either. Did buy some smoothie ingredients.

86.1kg Friday 18th March

Been home a week. Not increasing weight but not reducing it. Need to focus on eating healthily. I've had quite a tough time adjusting to how weak I am, but I am getting there. I have persisted in doing things around the house - the laundry, the dishes, trying to cook some simple things, sorting out clothes. It was hard work and I had to slow down sometimes,but I feel it helped me rebuild strength.

I have not tried to walk to the park or go to pool (have not tried driving yet). Maybe next week.
Need to get under 85kg.

Hair a-ok :)

Today was ok. Got driven to the hairdresser, now I don't feel like I look horrendous - a small luxury and one I thought of in hospital more than once or twice. I was there 2.5hrs and it was hard, felt too much, too long. I also felt guilty indulging my hair when Japan is in such a crisis. Hard to watch TV, the devastation on their faces and in their voices just brings me to tears.

Today I was only mildy dizzy. I keep getting a burning feeling in my tummy, and mylanta is not always helping :( Need to fix that somehow - it stopped me sleeping last night - that and a vocal cat of mine. Weighed 86kg today. Have not slept much in the last 48 hours - not during the day and not well at night.

Its been a while. Back from hospital - Monday 15th March - 85.9kg

I started the year just a smidge under 100kg. Now I am 86kg. On 21th Jan 2011 I got sick with the flu, on 4th Feb I was admitted to hospital for 2 weeks - high blood pressure, weak, migraines requiring morphine via a drip, vomiting. Suspected that I had meningitis or a pneumonia virus, got sent home to rest and recover. I got seriously worse, 25th Feb admitted to a different hospital, vomiting, headaches, incredibly weak, losing vision. After two lumber punctures confirmed I had an unusual case of meningitis, inflammation around the brain. Suspected a complication of my flu. Spent 5 weeks in hospital that time (Total 8 weeks since first getting sick and going to hospital), had a 14 day course IV treatment. Sent home, ETA best case 4 weeks minimum to recover enough to consider working part time. Recovery may take a month or 12 months. Cause of my meningitis is not known, suspected a virus, but I broke all the rules and so recovery time is unknown. treatment was for the HSV Virus caused meningitis that I did not have, but it seemed to help me. Am on medication to keep blood pressure in check. Got home 11th March - Friday.

Went to supermarket with someone, so weak, too hard. Fell over a warning buoy and sent it flying. Tried to vacuum the floorboards, could only do a tiny bit and had to stop. shake when having a shower. Tried to cook a simple meal, shook, weak, sweating ,had to keep sitting down. Seems I can make a tea, put some clothes in the washing machine and that is it. Frustrating. Does not make sense to me. 8 weeks being in bed, they say I have lost muscle and this causes the shaking (like Parkinson's sufferers). Went and had coffee, went to put some of the foam in my mouth and the spoon shook so much I could not do it.
yesterday walked a bit around local shopping centre with walking stick. Got tired but did ok. Felt stronger Mon than Fri.

Today is Monday.
Had a shower, made my bed, fed the dogs and cats, put a load of washing on, made a coffee, found my finance book, started this blog. Its lunchtime.
Have not tried to walk to local park yet
Have lost a fair bit of weight since earlier in Jan
Can walk from car to Greek restaurant - maybe 150m.

I think I am improving already. Was not as shaky drying myself after my shower today compared to two ays ago.
Went to the supermarket with someone, and was not as weak as I was when I went on Friday.
Made a curry, had someone cut up ingredients for me - I did all the cooking, stirring, peeled 4 potatoes and cut them up.
5pm, tired but have not slept during today.