Keep on running

OK, third time lucky hopefully.  I've started this a couple of times in the past few hours and got stuck. Let's see if it flows a third time.

I'll start with the bad.  Thursday sucked.  In fact it went beyond sucking.  Or at least the afternoon sucked.  The morning was actually quite a lot of fun...

I was working from home, and then I had a kick off meeting with the partner company for my major project this year. We had a good chat about how we want to do the communication for the project and what the plans are for the various companies that I will be working with.

Seeing as I am supposed to be the central contact point I decided to tell them that I would be having a heavy operation that would mean I was not available for a number of months, and how we are planning to handle the project at that point.

"Ah, would the be the last operation"

[tilt of head and wry smile]"Ah... You know my history then?"
[smile] "Well, one of our developers worked for your company about 5 years ago and you have a very rare last name. We thought maybe you had a brother, but the chances of that happening in the same company and with that name have got to be so very rare."

I have to smile at the conversation, and their reaction :)

But then I went to the hospital, and that sucked. Firstly I had to get the paperwork from the plastic surgery clinic and take it to the anesthetist pre check. There was a misunderstanding with the rest of my file thought that meant I had to go running around the hospital.  Hohum, it can happen...

So, I was told to wait for the pre operative check.  This was at 11:50.  No problem I thought. Followed by an hours wait, watching the waiting room fill up and empty. At 1pm I checked to see when my appointment was going to be. There is one person in front of you, and we have three doctors working so not long.

OK.  Waiting room fills and empties. At just gone 2pm I was actually seen.  That appointment went really well, no issues and apparently I run a lot (I must admit I didn't class 3 * 7KM per week that much...) and as a result am in perfect condition for the operation.

They needed to take some blood for the transfusion service, so after eating (it was by now 8 hours since breakfast, and I thought that maybe getting food before going to have the blood taken was a good idea) I went there. No delay, but also not the best person doing it - it was on Thursday and I still have the bruise!

And then to the gender clinic to ask a couple of questions that could not be answered by the two other departments this week. I was seen within 10 minutes by someone who was either one of the plastic surgeons, or worked for them.  And that is when it went totally to pot.

I will not be getting a phone call over the next week for an appointment, as I was told on Tuesday.  I have not been on their waiting list for the last 6 months. I have only just *joined* the list (contrary to what I have been told until now).  They do not know when they will be calling me for an appointment.

WTF? So far the clinic has been so good, I don't get why this bit should be so disjointed and full of unknowns. It has really taken the wind from me and left me completely in limbo. I could be operated on  in 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 6 months.  Maybe a year. Basically there is nothing known.  Except for who my surgeon is going to be (that was in the system by the anesthetists).  And no one can understand how that can be in the system (which of the three it is going to be) and yet there is no planning for anything else yet.

And why the hell have I just done the pre-operative check for the anesthetists when they don't know when I will be operated on.  Worst case scenario that it is another year before the operation - anything can happen.  I can lose 10kg, I can gan 10kg - I don't want either, but it could happen! I could get a blood desease, or anything else that the people there need to know about. I just don't get it.

But, everyone has also said that I have to just accept this, that the operation will happen and whilst, yes, it would have been good to have more information, there isn't and I have to try and get on with life now.

So I have tried to.

Exercise. Actually, here I have decided to take a step back.  Monday evening I came in and was exhausted. I got changed and tried to do my workout, but 1/6 of the way through I could barely lift my feet anymore and had to stop. So I was working it out.  I do 45 minutes of running, three times per week and on Saturday morning I do my cardio workout (40 minutes). That is enough really.

So I am going to stop working out on Mondays and give myself a rest.

Lets see if that helps my energy levels, rather than pushing myself to collapse.

Work is "going"... I would like to have more time, but I have managed to say no to two new projects in the last week (after getting rid of two projects in the same timeframe I'm pleased with myself for not forcing new ones on myself!).  I also felt bad for saying no to people, but their response has been very good. When I sent an apology email I got an immediate response asking why I was apologizing, and saying that there was absolutely no reason to.

My other blog (picturesinpassing.wordpress.com) has been so much fun to do, and I spent last night digging through pictures to set up a theme for the coming two weeks.  That gives me some time to try and make myself find something new to take shots of and put on the site.

And, as long as the weather improves a little, I'm starting to relax in the garden. In the sun, reading a book for a couple of hours is just so relaxing.

So...  Crappy Thursday, really crappy Thursday in fact, but I am starting to try and do something to take my mind off of it.

Oh, and I have a new look as of Wednesday. I got my hair dyed again, and because it has been bleached by the sun recently we went two shades lighter than normal.  Wow, is it red!  I love it, but it is taking some getting used to (and has cost me 53 euros in eyebrow makeup - the set that I had was for brunettes and was completely wrong for the shade I have now...  Oops ;p)

Right, time to see if my dad will answer the phone for his Fathers day call!