2007

I started with best of intentions, but it's well over a year since my last post. Lots of stuff has happened, and there's no way I could possibly capture it all. Why try and start again at all? Well, to give a potted history, K finally went to the doctor's and was diagnosed with depression. She's also receiving counselling. So am I. My cousellor, R, thinks it would help me to write things down, and this has given me the impetus to log in again. So here goes.

2007 was pretty horrible. As well as all of the relationship stuff, it was also a tough year at work. I won't bore myself with the details but 'CE' should be enough to remind myself of the horror!

If that weren't enough, my nagging neck and shoulder pains were diagnosed as being due to a "misplaced vertebrae" in my neck. The bones are pushing out the disk material which inpinges on nerves that run through my shoulders, down my arms and into my hands. I get weird aches, pains, pins and needles, numbness, coldness and occasionally, twitches.

But that's not all! I also have osteo-arthritis! This apparently accounts for the swelling, stiffness and pain in the joints of my little fingers, some of the pains in my hands, and the pain I occasionally get in my left foot.

I've been on various medications - Diclofenac (laterly as Voltarol), Paracetamol (now Cocodamol), and been attending physiotherapy sessions at St Luke's in Bradford. It's a bit depressing to have something that is so associated with old age, but Mum says that she started with arthritis when she was not much older than me, so I guess it's not a total surprise.

Over the last year I've been getting a lot more exercise, mainly due to using public transport to get to and from work. It's certainly had an effect, I can take on any peak in the Dales you care to mention, without really feeling any adverse effects the next day. I've actually put on weight however, and have crept back up to ~15st, and so have recently embarked on a diet. The plan is to keep up the exercise, eat less (possibly avoiding carbs) and see how it goes.

That's enough for now. Will try to write at least once a week. How hard could it be?