Good grief, it's been nearly two weeks since my last post and it's taken me a bit of time to think about what has happened in that time. Sorry, but this blog will therefore be another biggie as I purge so to speak.
The march back to normality continues apace and my energy levels continue to improve. So as a one-liner, that's pretty good.
I've found that if I do stay at work beyond my self-imposed 4pm "curfew", while I can stay alert at work (and on the drive home), I suffer when I get home, invariably evidenced by falling asleep in the chair before 8pm. On the plus side, when I do stir again, the 'nap' doesn't impede my overnight sleep. Hopefully over the coming weeks, things will continue to improve stamina wise.
The current spell of fine weather comes with an unexpected sting in it's tail too. The heat means my throat dries out more quickly than normal, thus I need to drink more and I've found that I can't afford to go walking down town to get lunch without taking my water bottle with me. I've tried it on a couple of occasions and the gagging sensation from the dry mouth is simply very unpleasant. As with most such situations, when it gets dry and you know you don't have the water, you seem to try to swallow more and make the whole situation worse. It's a lot easier to take the bottle with me and if I don't need it, that's a bonus. But wait, there's more. Sometimes water just doesn't cut it, so I need a soft drink instead. No big issues with that, except yet again there is a balance to be struck. Just as water doesn't always work, too much soft drink sends things back the other way. The juggling act required loses it's novelty pretty quickly.
I'm also continually frustrated by the frequent toilet stops necessary as a result of the liquid intake. I'm not sure if the benefit I'd like most from some working saliva glands is the ability to eat those foods I still can't, or the ability to reduce the liquid intake.
Speaking of food, the menu options continue the now expected see-saw. I'd really love to chomp into a Burgelfuel burger, but two things hinder that. Firstly, the jaw isn't opening as far as it used too pre-treatment, so getting one of their fine creations into the mouth is slightly more than just a challenge. Secondly, the bread issue continues to haunt me. While sandwiches are back on the menu - crusts included (with some limitations regarding thickness of bread and filling), an attempt to eat a KFC burger last week was an unmitigated disaster. OK, so other burger buns might be different and I'll indeed continue to experiment, but this is looking like a long term issue. Never say never - and cutting back on such fast foods isn't a bad diet outcome anyway. Would just be nice to have the choice.
While on the subject of bread, toast in the morning (or anytime for that matter) only stretches to a single piece before the "gluginess' arrives.
So what about other foods? Kebabs - I'm up to maybe 2/3 of one, but still trying to find a consistent source where the meat is moist enough to compensate for my slow eating rate. Curry is still subject to the chef actually providing the mild sauce as ordered. When they get that right, a curry is manageable and enjoyable. Biscuits are another case of make the right choice. I'm not sure how you differentiate the different textures, but the soft biscuits can be eaten, but tend to glug quite quickly, whereas the crisper biscuits take longer to glug and aren't as much effort to eat. Sausages are back on the menu, but quantity is lower and texture remains critical. Fish and chips still pretty much a no go. The chips are so inconsistent that I don't bother now. Tend to have a sausage and potato fritters as that can be managed. Did however have a fish and chip meal at one of the bars in Wellington and the fish was lovely - nice and thick and moist. Chips were marginal though. At least I got to eat fish again though. The cuts I've been buying from the butcher (as opposed to from the supermarket) seem to be passing the test as well. Have had only a couple of "failures" with the majority being enjoyable, moist cuts. Pizza is a treat as opposed to a meal, chicken nuggets need to be battered not crumbed. Pies are basically limited to home-made bacon & egg (thanks Patty) because the pastry isn't as gluggy and the filling not supplemented with artificial fillers.
The weight seems to have settled down and I've had to buy some more jeans in a smaller size to compensate.
In closing, I'm enjoying my routine settling down and now have numerous occasions where I can actually make a choice as to what I do. For so long now, there has been little in the way of choice, but now I'm actually asserting some control over my actions and it is a wonderful feeling. I'm being more sociable and feeling more confident in myself, and it is great.
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