Day 45 has consisted entirely of Mochas, Bacon Rolls, a few flapjacks, veggie pick and mix bags, hard work and more kindness shown. For this weekend has been rolled in to one day to make up for the day spent in hospital last week and has been entirely dedicated to volunteering with the Doune Cricket Club, who have been so incredibly kind to me over the cricket season while I fought through the treatments and tried to find a way back in to living life. A brand new, and first ever, cricket pavilion is getting built for the club and I thought I would get down there and lend a hand.
What a brilliant idea because I could walk there with Georgie, it was active but also excellent cognitive and motor function coordination training as I was taught how to fulfil a certain task with wood, a pencil, a saw, some nails and a hammer, which I somehow managed to bend!! to reinforce some of the standing structure. Today was also about cleaning up recycled wood from nails and screws that could be dangerous and get in the way of further building requirements and then laying it all out in such a way as the team could find the bits they needed; so a sort of a 3D puzzle.
I did have a bit if a fight today though as the beast tried to emerge in the form of a partial seizure. I was feeling so jolly good because I had had my first seven hours sleep straight in a couple of months. All that trying to force the body back in to a sleep rhythm seems, perhaps, to have paid off. Lets see what happens tonight but certainly last night was a step forward in the sleep battle. So I was surprised to suddenly find the very strong taste, smell and disorientating sensations of a partial seizure bubbling up very strongly inside me. There were no hives of bees under the skin or swarms on the head this time but a growing and very strong feeling of nausea. For a moment I thought of calling for help as I felt trapped inside the maze of woodpiles I had been creating. As I stood looking around me things were appearing a little wobbly and seemed to be swirling around me like I was stuck in a house of horrors. I nearly sat down on a wood pile behind me as the sensations grew stronger and the floor spun faster but then I grew lucid enough to realise what was happening and determine to beat it. I stood tall and breathed deep, ignoring the sensations and trying to force them out of my head and as I did, Mark from the building team came around the back of the pavilion and asked me how I was. SNAP everything stopped as fast as it started and the nausea subsided quickly. ‘Fine,’ I replied, ‘I have just beaten the beast!’ Mark looked at me quizzically so I gave a brief explanation that I had just managed to push away a partial seizure so all was good. I decided not to try and describe it as it had gone. I was feeling a little dizzy but then Scott came round the back too looking for some wood and back to work I went. The cricket club provided a nice treat of a bacon roll and a tea or coffee each day which was great but chased down with another veggie pick and mix bag which led to a great attestation on the power of broccoli from Ken as he caught me with a piece of tenderstem hanging out of my mouth as I chewed on it like a farmer on a stalk of Barley. His two dogs have reached a far older age than expected for such a breed from a diet containing significant quantities of broccoli!! I knew it was powerful, and I know that I am not a dog, but that is a pretty encouraging reason for tucking in to the broccoli, carrot, tomato and red grape pick and mix bag every day!!
So all in all a great weekend in which I took great comfort from not only working with such a great team on the pavilion but from the fact that I found working with wood surprisingly satisfying and maybe even soothing. Helping to build something out of wood gave me great pleasure. Comforting perhaps because of the very person whose example I have been led to follow and his connection with carpentry – who knows?
This morning after Church I learnt of further kindnesses towards the challenge. As you know the Buttercup Café is having a charity fundraising tea in support of the challenge. This morning, a man walked in to the Buttercup Café and handed Lorna £30.00 for the challenge. He couldn’t come to the tea but wanted to support the challenge so please give this to Archie for the challenge. Amazing and to the gentleman concerned thank you so very much for your generosity. When I next see you in the village I will come and say thank you personally but thank you.
The tea is on November 22nd and I have heard that tickets are going for the tea so if you would like to and can come please get in touch with the café on 01786 842 511 to reserve your ticket or even book a table. I’ll be there!!
I very much hope you all had a great weekend. Time for tea and preparation for tomorrow’s adventure before the X Factor. I know, I know, I’ve admitted it publicly but I do quite enjoy the X Factor!!
Yours aye
Archie