... I think.

On Friday I turned the corner (says she, full of cliches..) in terms of my back. A much relieved and happier girl visited the chiropractor, who gave the go-ahead for swimming that night (without kicking hard), and bike riding on the weekend. I swam and felt good. And I got up at 5 am and went to the community ride with my mountain bike. I rode in the slower group, and felt good after that too. Yay!

I walked around the shops with kids on Saturday afternoon (in between car shuttles to drop people off and pick them up at various places around town) which probably didn't help. And Sunday I sat/stood for over an hour at a concert in which Alison was playing recorder - which I'm sure didn't help!

Saturday night I got this weird pain in my chest. To the left. But I don't think it's my heart. I wondered if it was what I imagine indigestion (as 'heartburn') to be, but as it's still vaguely there, I don't think it's that. So, I don't know what it is - Marc thinks it sounds like a pulled muscle. How I would have pulled a muscle there I don't know. Just one more for the list of niggly things I'm running through. Got to try everything it seems. It has gradually eased, much like a pulled muscle, so I will go with that theory unless it gets worse, at which point, yes, I would take myself off to the doctors.

On Saturday I finally visited Ali's friend's mother in hospital. I hadn't met her before - she lives in ICU. Permanently. She has some type of muscle wasting condition, and has a tracheotomy, attached to tubes to breathe; talking comes out as not much more than a whisper, which requires something like 80% lip reading and a lot of concentration. Apparently I did really well - much better than most at picking up what she was saying! I was blown away by her courage and cheerfulness, in the face of a life which is only made worthwhile by the joy, pride and love she has in her daughter. I intend to visit her again - without the girls so we can talk about them like mothers normally do! It was, though, a sobering reality check. We do so need those from time to time to help us put our own lives in perspective.

I have spent today sorting out minutes and paperwork for the netball AGM tonight. In the search for the rough notes from the AGM from nearly a year ago, I have half filled the recycle bin with waste paper - so at least it has achieved something positive. I was just about to switch from an unusually calm and collected (for me) 'Meh - it'll turn up' approach to a frantic, ranting tearing-my-hair out lunatic when I finally found what I was looking for... Phew. That only took about 3 hours! As I get all that typed up and printed and filed I am feeling that heavy weight (the one called "I'm pissed off with being Secretary") starting to lift from my shoulders. When I finally do get to hand it over to my successor, I'll be floating on air!

And who knows, that might be a good thing for my back.

Labels: clean ups, daily, reality checks