This past year has meant changing my life in numerous ways. The biggest of which is learning how to deal with changes to my health.
Long covid has not only left me with dulled scent and taste. I notice the texture of food more and slimy food like pasta are off my list of foods to eat, so is pizza because that texture is terrible too. Sorry Italy! I still can’t recognise flavours unless I know what it is. Although sometimes a dulled sense of smell does have its advantages!
The biggest change is it caused Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which has meant I need to take time out and recharge my batteries all the time, which is frustrating when I want to be out living life!
However, because all my energy during the week is focused on work and weekends I spend at home recouping that energy, I end up not going out at all. At the beginning of this year I realised I hadn’t stepped outside in over two weeks. I felt rubbish but not leaving the house is not helping!
At that point the Keeper joined a gym, something I’ve not managed to have time for for years and I felt I was missing out. Now I spend more time at home and the lockdown years have passed, the time was right. Whilst I can’t do vigorous exercise, I need to move so I joined up just to use the swimming pool. It gets me out the house and moving.
And you better start swimmin’
Bob Dylan
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
I have to admit, whilst I still feel constantly tired, it has done me the world of good, I feel better within myself. And this is where the dulled sense of smell comes in. Before covid I used to hate the smell of swimming pools but now it doesn’t bother me too much.
So times are changing for me, some bad but there are also some good ones. Hopefully, very slowly and whilst monitoring myself carefully, I can learn to embrace these new changes and feel better about me again. But I will never lose my fun streak and finding places to take some cheeky images.