Thursday 28th June: Yep this is the first time this week I am able to write something, the Lupus had taken hold, looking back I can see I was on a slippery slope I just didn’t recognise the signs as they are different to the last, and only, flare I had. I knew I was in trouble when I started getting pins and needles in my right hand. I had attributed most problems to the virus that both John and I had but with Lupus once the immune system has finished fighting off any attack on the body, it starts on the body itself, healthy tissue as well, it’s a bit like a frenzied fox attack, the job is done but the attacker can’t stop. Anyhow I am now back under the care of the doctors and rheumatologist and back on a short course of steroids which will hopefully knock it into touch. Needless to say I have not done anything except get myself up and dressed (which was hard work in itself) for the past 4 days! Thank goodness then for my amazing family 😀 John, who has worked every morning and evening shift, worked in between AND had to do his Mum every night as his brother is away, Sam, Shelley and Charlie who have done household chores, made lunches and dinners, run me backwards and forwards for blood tests and doctor appointments, cleaned out animal cages, watered the garden, the list goes on. Mum for coming over and planting, watering, weeding and worrying about me 😘
Steroids are not really the way I like to control the Lupus but sometimes you just need the extra bit of help, it’s five years since my last flare so not bad at all and since I am now on them I will be making the most of them 😜 Last time I took them I was like superwoman! I would go to bed thinking about what I would have for breakfast in the morning and running through a list of jobs to do, I was extremely active until well into the evenings, cleaning out cupboards etc etc, so if they react the same way this time I will be able to get all those jobs that are piling up done in no time 😀
I started taking them last night and even by this morning, although there is still pain, it’s not so acute. Once the painkillers kicked in it was a perfect morning to get some watering done, well soaking actually as it’s incredibly dry out there, though the bits of mulching I did have been doing their job really well so I need to get more of that in place, it is the same as yesterday, overcast but I’m sure the Sun will appear with great ferocity at some point. I did manage to pick about 7 heads of broccoli lol, they needed picking quite quickly or they will begin to go to seed and at the moment they are just perfect. I made some broccoli and cauliflower soup, with a bit of lovage and onions from the garden, it was very tasty, all from the garden and highly nutritious what more could you want? I had a power packed salad for tea time, mackerel, oranges, spinach and black grapes with a yoghurt and lime dressing, I have now got to fill my system with all the nutrients I need to get back in top form whilst making sure I don’t add extra weight from taking the steroids, so lots of potassium as well.
Wednesday 4th July: Posting few and far between because I’m still not well enough to maintain a full day or even half a day for that matter!
Most of the time I can give has been getting up with the daylight, and going outside to get the watering done as it is very desperate and I don’t want to loose the work I put in at the beginning of the year. We are now out of tanked rainwater so I am down to main hoses making the job longer because the pressure only enables one area of the garden to be worked at one time 😜
I have done some little bits, picking raspberries and gooseberries and making jam, picking blackcurrants to make syrup and jellies 😀 I have made some rosemary cuttings and hoping they will strike, I have done a bit of mulching which has helped no end but there is plenty more to do.
Yesterday I had a delivery of fresh fish straight off the boat from Cornwall, I like fish but I like it fresh and was put off from supermarket fish when the polystyrene tray stuck to it and was left on there, though I did wash it off obvs. So I have fresh mackerel, mussels, sea trout, hake, scallops and it smells amazing, we are as far from the sea as you can get so it’s a real treat.
My loofah plants didn’t grow, well it was a difficult year for the normal things so no wonder, but I have been introduced to the online ethical supermarket and have ordered loofah for washing up and bathing, to get rid of the sponges and the bloody plastic scrubby thing that John likes to use 😜
After I have done a few early hours in the garden I mostly then lie down and rest/sleep until later in the day when I have built up enough reserves of energy to go again, more watering in the evening, I try and do the bottom half, which gets the sun first, in the evening and the nearer half in the morning. This morning, as I received some free smoked salmon with my order, I had scrambled egg, smoked salmon and coffee as a treat, delish 😋
I will try and write a bit more as I get better, but living with Lupus, especially when it’s not behaving itself is difficult and tiring.
frieslandfarm (flowers) 