Whatcha been up to b'y?

 Well, not much, as a matter of fact.

Some of you may know my overall health was deteriorating slowly but surely. I didn't know what was going on. Now I have the diagnosis. I've had all these symptoms for what seems like months.

From the Mayo Clinic.

Hyponatremia signs and symptoms may include:

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Headache.
• Confusion.
• Loss of energy, drowsiness and fatigue.
• Restlessness and irritability.
• Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps.
• Seizures.
• Coma.

The condition is extremely low sodium for those interested. A very dangerous condition. I've had lab work today and yesterday. And more on Monday. A slight betterment today. I'll be seeing doctor on Tuesday for moving forward (it could be my drugs needing adjustment, it could be the tons of water I drink because of my kidney disease). She will consult with my other specialists.

Needless to mention, she warned me to call an ambulance if another bad bout of any symptom is evident.

None of us ever want the ambulance and emergency rooms. I wrote about my last experience here.

Still, it could be worse. 

I thought all of the above was curtains for me.

I'm truly grateful and amazed that I'm still this side of the daisies.

On a lighter note, this is close to where I live here in St. John's.

The village of Quidi Vidi *  is within the city of St. John's. Breathtaking, beautiful and still an active fishing village.

Photo at sunset by Ray Mackey. A friend and superb photographer.

*Pronounced Kiddy Viddy but some old timers call it Kida Vida, which I love.

My Beautiful City

 This is a photo taken by Ray Mackey of the city of St. John's, Newfoundland, at night.

This is the city during the day.

The harbour is spectacular and we have ships coming in from all over the world.

Nestled in the city itself is an active fishing village called Quidi Vidi which is beside where I live.

A photo, courtesy of Gerry Boland of Cabot Tower, which I can see from my window. This is the site of the first transatlantic radio transmission in North America by Mr. Marconi. The dog in the picture is Chief, a fixture on Signal Hill for many years, a gorgeous friendly Newfoundland purebred who sadly died a month or so ago from cancer. He and his owner will be missed by everyone.

Good News

I'm finally walking. I have a marvelous physiotherapist who's one of the few making home visits. Not walking far but walking. Getting the odd night, very odd, in my bed as I still wake up with pain and have to move to the recliner for any ease.

I had to really talk myself into going outside my apartment and walking. Agoraphobia had set in - a fear of falling, a fear of being outside without help, a fear of catching Covid as my building is not safe. 

I drove my car after months of not. I met a friend for coffee. We are super safe and joke we're the only two eejits wearing masks on the whole island. But elders are falling like flies here and very, very sick. And mortality rates in my age group are very high. 

I had a treatment today and he noticed I was very tense. A type A personality does not drift easily into old age and serenity. I am pain free for now after the treatment.

I'm working away on a memoir of a year in my life way, way back in prehistoric times. Creative non-fiction. I am startled as to how much comes back to me. It's really all coming to life and I relive the intensity of that long buried time.

As for the rest of me, still taking my - what feels like - 200 pills a day and marveling at the fact that I have outlived most of my friends. I will be 79 in a few days and at some point later in that day I will enter into my 80th year, my 80th turn around the sun. I am astonished. I lived hard and fast for many years and had terrible depressions and considered ending it all many times.

Looking back, in spite of everything (life is far from perfect) I am so very grateful to still be part of the human race, still full of curiosity and occasional joy, capable of sadness and delight, still full of wonder and awe at how beautiful this planet is, especially my little corner of it.

We have a fishing village, Quidi Vidi (pronounced Kyda Vyda by many old timers!), right in the middle of our city of St. John's. This village is right around the corner from where I live and has fabulous restaurants, a brewery and a whole building full of incredible artisans while fishing life goes on around them.