Saturday, 18 May 2013

28. 17 May 2013 (2) A long drive

We didn't set off from Bristol until 7.20pm, and it was 10pm by the time I arrived at Mum and Dad's.

It was my fault we left so late, as I did the classic thing of telling my boyfriend the opposite of what I meant. I meant, I'm exhausted and stressed, please would you help me get us on the road as soon as possible. What I said was, "I've just got back from the gym, and still need to shower and pack, so there's no mad rush, so have whatever you want for dinner honey." A. and I generally have fajitas on a Friday, and it's one of his favourite meals, so that's what he cooked and it takes a while.

Driving was a strange experience. I simultaneously felt free, light and in control; and exhausted, like I was keeping going by force of concentration and my grip on the steering wheel. The tiredness of treatment is not like normal tiredness. It's similar: I want to lie down and go to sleep and the sleep makes me rested; but the more I do the less tired I am and the brighter and more awake I feel.

Keeping going when I wanted to stop, keeping driving, made me feverish, croaky, bunged up, deaf, and generally flu-y, but less depressed and demotivated. I got there! I did it. And really there were only a couple of moments when I noticed my driving was a bit off: pulling away from a roundabout I took an angle closer to the curb than I would normally; and every now and then I couldn't remember how far along the (very familiar) route I was.

Mum and Dad welcomed me in and we were up chatting until 11.30pm. Dad's been ill recently, so we were comparing notes and pills. I was so pleased to be there, and not to have to miss out on it because of the treatment.

No comments:

Post a Comment