Hospitals, contracts and the happiness stakes

Got into work early today as I had to go to see the original (nice) consultant at 9.40am. So that was a hugely early lunch hour, when all’s said and done. Anyway, she’s moved from the clinic back to being full-time at the hospital now, so I had to face the joys of the Royal Surrey. Not what you want on your first week back. While there, I had another CA125 blood test to see how things are going after the op (hope to be able to get the results from the doctor late next week). Meanwhile, the consultant is happy with me not being on the Metformin or the HRT patches, but is pleased that I'm using the oestrogen gel twice a day now. Alongside that, she wants to put me on a low dose of progesterone to balance everything out and keep the endometriosis under control, so she'll be writing to the doctor to see if he'll prescribe that one. Let’s hope he doesn’t object, as I don’t want to get involved in another medical stand-off. Not after last year, groan … The only worry is that the progesterone might set me back in the depression stakes, but if the dose is low enough it might be okay - but I have to keep an eye on it. That part of it does niggle at me, I have to admit – I’ve been doing so well on the feeling happy levels lately (famous last words, eh!). I know it’s necessary for medical reasons but I really don’t want to be any worse off than I am now. Still, I’ll have to wait and see, I suppose. And she's booking me in for another scan later in the year. Goodness me, it’s all go, eh. No wonder I’m tired. Still, there’s one good thing: apparently my Body Mass Index is wonderful. Good-oh. I can add it to the positive side of my health list, alongside the generally amazing state of my liver. Hurrah.

For the rest of the day, I’ve been annoying the boss (who’s just returned today) with all the stuff I’ve been storing up to ask him over the last few weeks. I bet he’s glad he’s back, eh … This includes the nightmare quality document task I haven’t been able to get my head round at all, so it’s been fun and games for sure. I think quality admin has that effect on me – the brain disappears and I have absolutely no idea what it’s for, apart from minimising our humanity. Ah well, this is presumably why I’m not Vice-Chancellor then … A fact the academic community are of course hugely grateful for.

I’ve also been super-efficient and remembered to bring my mobile phone recharger in so I can wind the phone up. I so rarely use the darn thing that it’s a mystery every time. Mind you, more people – bizarrely – seem to be texting me these days, and really I have no idea why it’s so popular. It takes me ages to reply – it’s much quicker to type out an email or just phone – and I really hate it. And yes that’s true even if 90% of the time my reply is one word only. It’s such a bind. As well as being all I can manage before boredom kicks in. If I ruled the world, I would ban texting. No appeals.

Tonight, it’s part two of the Anne Frank series on TV. I caught most of last night’s, which was a real eye-opener. I read the book so long ago that I’d forgotten half the details, I think. It’s all very poignant, but also very strong. If you see what I mean. Oh, and there’s also Country House Rescue, which I am now utterly hooked on. That Ruth who presents it is scary but good. Much like me then, ho ho …

Ooh, and my signed contract for Painting from Life has arrived from Eternal Press so that's good news. Am looking forward to the edits at some point.

Today’s nice things:

1. Not being V-C
2. Remembering to recharge the phone
3. TV
4. Getting my contract.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - wondering about her happiness levels ...