What a strange few months it's been for all of us. Following recommendations from their kidney consultant, the boys have been shielding since schools were closed at the end of March. It's been really tough for my eldest. At 16 he's more independent and wanting to get out and about under his own steam. His GCSE exams were cancelled this summer and his social life has been a complete non event. Not what you want when you're 16.
None of this has remotely bothered my youngest. By his own admission he's a happy homebody who finds social interaction stressful. No school for several months is something of a dream come true! He's done online school work, but he's loved having a lie in every morning. It'll be a shock to return to real life school in September...
I've read about how people with mental health difficulties have struggled during the lockdown. I must be an exception because generally speaking, I've been ok. That's not to say I haven't had my wobbly moments, but I wouldn't say it's been any more than I'd have had under ordinary circumstances.
One area where I've really struggled though is sleep. This is important for me because ongoing poor sleep often leads to a mental health relapse. I fall asleep ok, but then I'm awake just two or three hours later. And when I say awake, I mean wide awake and ready to get up. Which is pretty inconvenient when it's 2 or 3am. Obviously, the next day I'm absolutely knackered. My psychiatrist referred me to an online 'sleep hygiene' workshop (yuck, I absolutely hate that term!) It was a couple of hours of them stating the obvious and suggesting I do what I already do, so it wasn't exactly helpful. I was given the grand total of 3 Zopiclone tablets last time I asked for chemical help and they don't work particularly well for me anyway. So yes, sleep is an ongoing battle, but apart from that I think I'm doing ok.
The boys are generally well. They haven't had a kidney appointment since January so we don't know how they are fareing on the renal front, but their hearing is holding up ok. They are soon to be getting fancy new hearing aids as well, so that's good.
Kuro had the grand total of 25 teeth out at the vets last week. Poor lad, he's been through quite a lot in the two years since we adopted him. He's doing ok though, he's eating fine and doesn't seem to mind being a toothless wonder.
I lost two friends during the past few weeks. One was an ostensibly extremely fit and healthy 50 year old woman, the kind of person who runs marathons and jogs up mountains! So learning that she had died suddenly was a massive shock. Her name was Roxanne.
My other friend, whose name was Tom, had been ill for some time with glioblastoma, a rare but deadly kind of cancer that affects the brain and spinal cord. Tom was married to a very dear friend of mine and although we knew he was terminally ill, his death at the age of 30 was still a shock to the system. Thankfully I haven't attended the funerals of many young people, so it was an extremely sobering experience. It may sound trite, but I'd say if you love someone, let them know because none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.
That's a very sober note on which to leave you, but I suppose my friends' deaths have made me appreciate people all the more.
Love to you all and I'll see you soon x
