In Which Carys Has A Migraine And Freycat Is Not At All Helpful!
This has been my most difficult day so far. Every night, I write tomorrow’s List before I go to sleep in order to retain some sense of normality. I set an alarm (an hour later than when I’m going to the day job, because I struggle with early mornings at the best of times). All fine so far. Unfortunately this morning I woke up with a crashing headache over my left eye and nausea. Logically, I knew it was a migraine. I get them fairly regularly, though thankfully they’re never very bad. This one, however, had clearly combined with my underlying anxiety and thus it was that by 10am I had convinced myself that death was imminent.
Awesome Housemate came and sat with me (ignoring the 2-metre rule for the first time) and managed to convince me that I was probably going to live, despite the headache that painkillers hadn’t touched. Freycat asked to come in. I let him in, whereupon he immediately threw up and asked for breakfast. I cleaned the floor and fed him. He ate the proffered cat food and, realising he was now on a high surface, decided that now would be the perfect time to throw up again. Carefully, he took aim and this time managed to hit the table, the slightly-open drawer and the floor again, all in one try. Impressive…though that isn’t what I said whilst clearing it up.
Next,
I decided that I really needed to get on with some work. Despite the fact that the painkillers had had little effect I attempted to listen through the latest track versions. Through headphones. With a migraine. Need I mention that this did not end well..?! Not to be deterred (or perhaps because I can, on occasion, be quite spectacularly stupid) I then turned my attention the to day job. More accurately, the one thing I am currently able to do from home as a school science technician, which is a spreadsheet of all the chemicals in the department. Today, I successfully completed the letter B. However, the migraine persisted.
And so it went on.
By 11:30 I had given up on all semblance of normal activity and was dozing uncomfortably on the sofa. It wasn’t until 2pm I finally had the sense to take more painkillers and retire to bed, where I remained for the next 3 hours…
I discovered that although the headache had subsided, I really didn’t feel any better. But, as I’ve already said, I’m far too stubborn to admit defeat so I came downstairs and… Um. Had a psychological meltdown about my imminent demise. Awesome Housemate again came to the rescue, though she can do little about my food anxieties. Lest anyone should worry, I don’t have an eating disorder, never have. But I do periodically have days or weeks when I’m scared to eat certain things because my brain insists I will be poisoned and die. In 2018 I spent Cropredy festival eating only food I’d brought with me, namely cheese slices, crackers, cherry tomatoes, apples and…nope, that was it. For 3 days. Now we’re isolated, I’m grateful that I’ve got a good supply of pasta, tinned tomatoes and sauces (which I always keep a stock of in the cupboard). Pasta is “safe’. Potatoes are “safe”, as are tomatoes and cheese. There is no rhyme or reason to any of this, which makes it all the more annoying!
Anyway,
Awesome Housemate once again came to the rescue by offering me some of her cooked pasta. Literally within seconds of the first bite I began to miraculously feel human again. I then phoned Sophie (who is playing whistles on several tracks) and remembered that talking to people is A Good Thing. As I write now, it is now just after 9pm and I shall be having an early night shortly, having written most of the day off. However, I did manage to listen and make notes to everything on The List… AND I’ve written the longest blog post so far this year. This is definitely a success! Tomorrow I intend to record a few remaining vocals lines, and venture into the garden as I haven’t been out for 2 days!
This seems to have turned into an unexpected foray into my anxieties and how I’m coping. Or not coping as seems to have been the case today. Ah, well. Tomorrow is sure to be better!
Stay safe,
Carys xx