All good, then not so good

Yesterday I started to think that this blog wasn't going to be all that interesting. This is because in the last few weeks my joints have behaved themselves and pain has been almost non-existent.

That changed a little over an hour ago. My left hip gave a sharp sting announcing its presence. It occurred when I was sitting on the couch with my laptop on my lap. The sight of me with a laptop on my lap while on the couch is common particularly in October. October is always about splitting my time over a bit of out-of-office work, a bit of exam revision, a bit of reading, and a very little bit of any number of projects I have going on the side at any one time.

I was sitting half reclined with my legs stretched out and my feet crossed on the floor. There was nothing bizarre or pretzel-like about it. As I drew my feet closer to the couch and sat up to reach forward, my left hip shouted ‘Allo. Remember me?' and from that moment on my hip hurts each time I move it. The good thing is that if I sit still, it is not painful. I can stand up and no other part of my body feels affected right now.

One of the things I reflect on at these times is the fact that I picked up on this factor with my ankle years ago after I starting keeping a log of the pain I was experiencing. It was so confusing to me back then yet it is so obvious now. If I regret one thing about that period it was that I never asked Dr Flowers about it. I asked everyone else, but not my General Practitioner. Yet it was Dr Flowers who sent me straight to The General in December when my hip flared so badly.

So if there's a lesson to be learned, it is that once every so often, we should all put into our schedules an appointment with our GP, even when we are feeling well. We should and use that visit to talk about ourselves in more general terms. We hear it all the time, but we rarely do it and we all use same book of excuses. 'This isn't the week to be sick' and 'I'm not dying and I can't be arsed’ are two I commonly use. The only times I tend to go and see Dr Flowers is when I have an infection bad enough to snuff me out completely. Dr Flowers will always scold me before handing me a prescription for an antibiotic and the obligatory medical certificate. When you’re in such a state, your face resembles a glazed donut and feels like it’s been stuffed with marshmallow, so the thought of lingering conversation with your doctor and exploring any nuances you have ever been curious about since your last visit, is the farthest thing from your mind. At least it is for me.

If I ever start taking my own sensible advice, I'll let you know. In the meantime, all this talk about glazed donuts and marshmallow has put me in the mood for something sweet.