Lockdown Life!

The weather wasn't too great today, but I decided to go for my daily walk nevertheless. Once again I explored a part of Portsmouth I haven't been to, walking to Milton Lock  on the coast. There were very few people about  and it was nice to just take a leisurely stroll, without having to walk in the middle of the road, to avoid hoards of people.

Since stopping my medication I have been feeling a lot more energized and motivated. The blood pressure meds did make me feel rather sluggish at times, and I was tired a lot of the time. Today my general sense of well-being has improved dramatically. Of course, it isn't safe for everyone to stop taking, what are essentially life saving drugs, but with advice and encouragement I am pleased I have been able to curtail their use for me. My long term aim is to stop all the medication I currently take and lead a drug free existence. This is easier said than done, and I am still experiencing some chronic flank pain, which just seems to linger and linger and eventually I need to get to the bottom of what is going on. With COVID still taking centre stage, it will be awhile before I can book the tests I need, until then I just have to keep living a healthy and active lifestyle.

On Wednesday I had an appointment at the Doctors surgery in Lake Road. This was the first time I had attended since this pandemic began, and I was literally in for a shock. The building looks and feels like it is in lockdown. When one approaches the entrance, one is greeted by warning signs, telling people not to enter unless they have an appointment. I banged sharply on the door and someone eventually came and let me in. If my first impression was rather off-putting, then my apprehension on walking inside got progressively worse. The interior was unrecognizable, there were barricades up stopping the public getting too close to staff and all the fixtures and fittings have been removed, leaving two crosses on the floor, for two patients to stand on and wait before they are called. It was quite an eerie experience, made even more disturbing by the nurse I saw, wearing full PPE and face shield.

I understand the need for such measures, and if I hadn't had to go for a blood test, there is no way I would be in there. My GP insisted I needed the assessments in order to find out why my infection markers were so high when I was taken to Hospital a few weeks ago. He told me not to worry too much, since they weren't sufficiently elevated to cause major concern for serious illness, like cancer, but raised enough to promote investigation. Of course as a sufferer of health anxiety, I just panicked even more, as soon as the dreaded C word was mentioned. I should get my test results back within a week, then my stress levels should come down with a bit of luck.

After returning from my walk, I managed to speak to my husband in Western Australia. I do envy him at the moment; Western Australia has had no deaths from Coronavirus and remains closed to the rest of Australia let alone the rest of the World.  We have both realised we probably won't see each other for another year, while this Pandemic continues to disrupt all our lives. It is particularly unsafe for Darrell to travel to the UK presently, especially with his Mother being so ill. If he did pick up COVID whilst in Britain, it would be devastating. I am however allowed to travel to the Australia, as Darrell's immediate family, but with a two-week quarantine period in operation, it is not practical. We can at least still talk to one another as often as we like and with the rest of the World also in lockdown there are many more people in the same position as us, which is a bit of comfort at least.

Life continues very much as it has before and as all of us try to get used to the 'new normal,' we are able to spend quality time with our own thoughts. I am enjoying this period writing, walking and taking time out from the rather hectic life I had before. When the World eventually returns to normal, I may, just may have a little nostalgia for the way things are today, an age none of us will ever forget!

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