Thursday 25 August 2011

A Day In The Life

Inspired by my friend Dave and this post, I thought I'd give a few snippets into my daily life, and the choices I make.

Firstly; wake up? Or stay in bed? It takes me about half an hour to actually get up on a normal day. Sometimes I manage to leave the bed and get as far as the sofa, or even into the shower, in less time. But if I do, I'll be stopped for longer later. I always want to stay in bed, there is no day I wake up looking forward to greeting the world. I always feel like I need a few more hours sleep.

Shower or smell? There are days when my energy is low that the extra 20 minutes in bed that not showering will give me are justified in my mind against the fact that it makes me a grubby bum! So, sorry world, I'm afraid I will smell.

Which tube station? It sounds daft, but I live equidistant between two tube stations. One is up a hill, the other requires me to walk across a footbridge and therefore climb steps. Lately, I've been choosing the hill because I've been leaving with my partner and he prefers that station!

Which train? Trains come to the station from two ways, one the main line, the other a single station up. This means that the trains from Mill Hill are always empty; I'm guaranteed a seat. However, they don't go via the correct branch. I have to decide every morning whether I need the seat for most of the stops or the convenience of not having to change and wait for trains at Camden. Usually, being able to sit is what I pick.

Bus or walk? My office is a 15 minute walk from Kings X. Easy enough to do, yet most days I choose to get the bus because that 15 minute walk can be enough to tire me out for hours. Of course on the bus I have to suffer the glares of people who are pregnant or slightly older because I'm sitting in a seat, especially if it happens to be a priotity seat. They are for those "less able to stand" and trust me, I am less able to stand than most people! People seem to think that unless you have a wheelchair you're not disabled (but that's a rant for another time!)

Stairs or lift? My offiice is only on the second floor, and when I get in the lift, people give me funny looks for pressing floor 2 and some of my colleagues laugh at me. But, using the lift rather than the stairs each time helps me save just those little bits of energy that help me make it through the day.

By this point in the day my head has usually begun to pound. The low grade ache I always have has become a continued thud and I reach for the painkillers. Which leads to the next question; to codeine or not to codeine? The codeine does more to remove the headache than OTC medications, but it's also highly addictive. I have to bargain with myself about when I'm alllowed codeine.

I struggle through my day at work, often spaced out, sometimes barely able to keep my eyes open. Coffee and energy drinks are friends, if not always effective.

Then comes the time to go home. I have all the same issues as the journey in before I'm finally home.

Once I am I have to decide rest well or actually see my fiance? Some days, like the past 2, this is no choice. I get home and fall into bed, yesterday I nearly didn't have enough energy to make food (a sandwich with shop bought sandwich filling). But most days this is a choice I have to make. And a horrible one it is too.

Then, I sleep, the alarm goes off and it all begins again.

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