Spring, kiwis and Masai Warriors

The last month has been a hard one mentally and physically seeing two stints in hospital and time off work. There seemed no way forward and no way out, I was bathed in gloom. But as I have been told EMBRACE every day as no one day is the same and with the signs of Spring so comes my health – for now at least.

Taking medication for pain can sometimes be counter-productive, giving you worse side effects than the pain itself and with me that was the case. Every medication was tried to alleviate the pain while giving the least amount of side effects. None seemed to work and the nausea especially was awful. So they were removed and paracetamol was my back up.

Now I don’t know about you but when I can’t sleep EVERYTHING seems so much worse. Normally I could be be seen on the sofa at 2am watching anything from SKY to NETFLIX and by the time the sun was rising I was ready to go to sleep.

So it was on one of these nights when I was downstairs that that I came upon The Truth about Sleep on BBC1 and the presenter Dr Michael Mosley who himself is an insomniac. I think he was willing to try anything and at that point so was I, so he took 3 people to take on some scientific challenges and with the power of google to see which were the most popular things people tried he chose 4 things (he was guinea pig for one)

So without going into too much detail – watch the show for that – I will tell you where the kiwis come in. One guy was asked to eat 2 kiwis a night for 7 nights and his sleep recorded. Kiwis – you are having a laugh right? Well they are rich in serotonin and antioxidants which makes you fall asleep quicker and longer. After the 7 days it was rewarded with a 7/10 and a resolve to continue with it.

So biting the bullet I went out and bought 2 days worth, in for a penny. And guess what, whether its psychosomatic or it is their magic juice they do work. I am getting at least 6 hours sleep and proper sleep. I wake up refreshed. I wake up positive. And now I am back at work I feel ready to take on any challenge.

So last night/this morning deep in sleep I was woken with someone saying my name – no not Molly but my Sunday name. Jumping up everyone was asleep and I could reflect on my very weird dream.

This involved a car crash although not involving me and no-one was hurt, travelling on the A65 from Coniston to Settle with an ex and 2 other people getting to Long Preston to leave the car alone in dark awful weather to walk home. Lots of people, fire, burnt grass and spears on the ground -hundreds from Masai warriors. Didn’t get to Settle because of being woken up. Has the kiwi fruit anything to do with it?

So as we go into Spring – my favourite season, the promise of things to come – new beginnings. The trumpets of the daffodils heralding the warmer weather, well OK not so hot here in Yorkshire but better and the little lambs in the fields. I still can’t eat lamb when I see them in our local fields so cute with their tails bobbing.

In the next couple of weeks I am having my garden done by my brother-in-law Stephen and nephew Richard (couldn’t wait for Mr Titchmarsh) a bit of fake grass and a patio will help make this my oasis while I am not allowed to travel after I have been called in for my Gallbladder op in April.

Even though I have to isolate from April 1st for 14 days meaning my haircut on the 13th has had to be cancelled (so gutted) I am optimistic for the future as it stands at the moment. Won’t look too far ahead, keep with me on this journey.