Trying

I give thanks for a ray of sunshine lighting up a yacht sail in the grey of the bay this morning. For trying to be well, maybe not a ray of sunshine, but at least not reasonably good natured through a rather trying day.

I give thanks for getting my mp3 player on and soothing chanting flowing into my ears before my driver got stuck behind two separate bin lorries and steam started coming out of his! To be fair I wasn't in a hurry as I knew despite a designated time of arrival there's often some hold up before treatment begins, while he had another job to go to. For remaining philosophical when the delay was an arduous hour long...and also throughout the first half a dozen machine alarms and uncomfortable needle adjustments...and during the first of the blood pressure drops...but after a lot more of the same, plus a rather rough 'take off' and painful squeezing of the poor bruised spot, I wasn't at all amused by the driver home having our illustrious leader blasting at full volume on the way home. Did I mention how grateful I am for my mp3 player and downloaded soothing chants? Haha, yes I think I might have!

I give thanks for ordering some new earwear to try this week as I broke my best set last year and am struggling with two old pairs neither of which is quite right. Oh and a new tablet for similar reasons. On treatment days when I'm not horizontal and half conscious like today a half decent bit of kit for entertainment and distraction makes the afternoon less of a challenge.

I give thanks for overhearing that they are offering psychological help for dialysis patients again having withdrawn it for lack of funding some time before I started. I've also overheard a number of patients say how down they are feeling with the current restrictions on top of the ongoing ones we have, and I hope there's enough support to go round, and soon enough, and that they find it helpful. I said to the matron, when she did her stint of fiddling with my niggly needles, that I thought I could manage my own mental difficulties myself and she agreed I seemed to be doing OK, especially considering all I have going on. I explained about the power of a long term gratitude finding, and offered her a link to the Science of Wellbeing course and was grateful she seemed interested in both...and maybe even trying the second one herself!