Gold Star

This is actually me.

I did the thing. Actually, I did the things. I am still deathly afraid of being more than five metres away from home (well, the bathroom) and also deathly afraid of not having an hour to spare at thirty seconds' notice, and of abject misery for that entire hour. But I am healing, slowly but surely. And somehow today, I managed to get my car MOT'd, dropped a Secret Santa gift in at work, and even went shopping at the Big Supermarket and then walked on the high street.

One of my supervisors asked how I was, asked if I could manage stairs ok, then remarked that I looked terribly pale (the look on her face said that she expected me to collapse at her feet or perhaps roll head-first down the staircase). I will admit I felt quite light-headed and a bit loony. But I did it. 

I came home feeling like a Cheshire Cat, but with far less energy. I am half exhausted and half beaming with pride. I was a fair bit more alert after the walk through town. Being upright was good for me. Things are looking good for a return to work in three days.

I managed to write 17 Christmas cards today for my workmates. I also bought a couple of small gifts and some treats for myself - which in hindsight weren't necessary, because I opened my Christmas goody bag from work and it's full of yummy things.

Speaking of yummy things, I am not going nuts with Christmas food this year. The main reason is that I am presently barely eating, I've had a few "ready meals" of late and my habit is to save half for the next day. Otherwise I am just nibbling dried fruit or the odd cracker. I am trying to have a protein shake every day. But it's hard to find your appetite when eating results in mega pain. Still, this shall pass.

Yellow stickers: bag of chopped onion 9p (into the freezer!), two bunches of broccoli for 20p, 30 Christmas cards for 50p, sweet & sour chicken dinner £1.71.

Necessary stuff: small card game for a friend, Secret Santa gift, chocolate cake for Christmas Day (spending the afternoon with work bestie), a kilo of sugar-free gummy bears (they're a laxative!), my MOT (£35). Praise be to the MOT god who found nothing wrong.

Spendy McSpenderson: Christmas socks, beanie, jumper and snood (£11 all up!), and chocolate coins which should probably count as a Christmas necessity.