Still struggling along...

 

 

I've written up a list of health complaints to take with me to my doctor's appointment a week Friday. I'm allowed one thing to present with, so I've written ONE list. I'm happy to attribute a portion of this list's complaints to menopause, but not all of it.

 

I don't particularly want to make 16 different appointments to take care of the list, but if I have to I will. Surely one or two things can be checked off with, say, a blood test? The NHS is a frustrating place to navigate. A very broken system with employees who are doing the best they can with it. I'm sympathetic, but still frustrated.

 

I am pondering what I need to remove from my diet to moderate how I'm feeling: dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, carbs, etc. I'll be sitting down this week and making up lists of food I need to focus on.

 

I also discovered this morning that all that coconut I've been inhaling the past several weeks (about 3kgs of it now) is both terribly fattening and sweet - even though it's raw, unsweetened coconut. This is why my work pants, which fit me Friday, don't fit me this morning! I did walk to work - housesitting this week in town - which took me 45 minutes, so that's something. I plan to do it all week, weather dependent. It's direct and quite pleasant so I'll take advantage of the mild weather and do a morning walk. It's half-term so the roads are much quieter, too, which is nice.

 

As one of my complaints is shortness of breath (attributed last year to anemia), I won't be walking back in the evenings as it's all up hill (although a very long, gentle hill) and I would struggle. One thing at a time. I felt great this morning for doing it, so that's a start.

 

I've sat at this place before (they have three cats) and wondered about their little garden annex, which they now use as an AirBnB flat. I was asked to put some milk in the fridge for the new guest who arrives on Tuesday, so took the opportunity to snoop. It's very tiny - just two rooms and a bathroom - but quite bright and has everything necessary (including a small outside garden space off the bedroom) for a comfortable stay. They used to rent it out and I may ask later in the year if they're considering doing that again, as I would be very interested. I believe the last time they rented it, it was £680 'all in', which is highly unusual. As I'm not in a position at the moment to really do anything about it, I'll leave it, as I say, until a bit later in the year. It costs nothing to ask, after all.

 

It would be really nice to have my own place again, even a tiny flat. I don't dislike living with my cousin, but I've said from the beginning that ultimately I want my own space again. It seems to be taking me an awfully long time, though! Ah well.