Argh

[littleheaven]

I wish my damn stomach would stop hurting! It hasn't been this sore since the great colonoscopy adventure of last year, something which I am in no hurry to repeat. Painkillers don't seem to have any effect whatsoever. It's quite exhausting being in constant pain. Not to mention depressing.

It's been a sucky couple of days, actually. Yesterday morning one of our staff members collapsed in the team meeting, and ended up in the cardiology ward at Auckland hospital. Poor Ron, the boss, felt guilty because he'd just given this guy a whole load of work. Then I left early because of aforementioned sore guts, and on my way home a stone hit my windscreen and made a bloody big crater in it, with cracks radiating out in all directions. So I am sitting here waiting for the glass repair man to show up. No way I'm driving around waiting for the screen to shatter at any moment.

The weather is grey, grey, grey. It's like England. I get very depressed and lethargic in this sort of weather. It's amazing the effect sunlight (or lack of) can have on a person. There's even a name for it - SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Maybe I should move to the Pacific Islands. I think I could put up with the occasional total distruction of the whole country by a tropical cyclone in exchange for long long hours of laying in a hammock under a palm tree...

Comments

[astridv.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll feel better soon. In the meantime, maybe this can improve the mood a bit :o).

As for the SAD, my mom got one of those daylight lamps for it and it works wonders. I tried it out when I visited her on one of those dreary westphalian rainy days, and I could practically feel the inner dark clouds lifting.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmmm, Angel!

Oh, I want me one of those daylight lamps! Where do I get one? They must be available online, right? I can't believe the difference in my mood on grey days. I don't mind when it's pouring with rain and love it when it's stormy, but it's that flat, grey, drizzly stuff that bums me out!

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Here's a UK-based online store as an example: http://www.ishop.co.uk/ishop/1013/shopscr310.html
The prices seem rather high to me; my mom paid around 150 €, I think. Anyway, you could probably ask at a drugstore for sources.

The good thing with the lamp is that you can just switch it on while going about your business, like during breakfast or reading. Some of them look not altogether hideous, and they do create a really pleasant light. /sales pitch ;o)

I've heard in Scandinavia you can get them for free, on prescription. I don't understand people's fascination with the polar circle, I couldn't live in a place where it's dark 20 hours of the day. It's bad enough here. In the winter, the sun sets at 4pm.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks for the link. I'm going to ask around here - not sure if we have them in New Zealand, but I could always buy online.

[damnskippytoo.livejournal.com]

Sorry your tummy is going loopy. I don't have stomach pain, but other constant pain so I can empathize.

I'm probably going to wish I never asked this, but I'm going to get a colonoscopy next week. Is it horrible? *gulp* I know they don't put you out, but make you woozy. How long were you woozy?

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Aw, you poor thing. The worst part is the prep - all that goop you have to take. Make sure you drink heaps of clear fluids so you don't dehydrate. I was asleep for my colonoscopy, which was just fine by me, but I was too woozy to drive for the two days after the procedure, and a bit light headed for a couple more days after that. I'm very tiny though, so it probably affected me more than normal. Drinking lots helps flush the anaesthetic out of your system afterwards. Good luck, I hope it goes well.

[damnskippytoo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up. I wish they would put me out, but here they want you awake in case they poke you wrong and there's pain. Really looking forward to that possibility.

Yeah, I'm not happy about the no eating thing and taking the goop. Blech.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you'll be fine. I'm really pleased I had mine done, just to rule out some of the more nasty things that I'd always wondered if I had (and it turned out I didn't, which was a relief!).