Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Monday, May 15, 2006

The Nature of Freedom

I am learning that Freedom is beautiful, but transient. This makes it a metaphor for life itself, I guess.



I was released from Hospital several days ago, but yesterday afternoon saw me strapped to a bed there, again, undergoing a 5th round of "platelets" transfusion. I was not very thrilled with that idea, even if it is potentially life-saving treatment. Does that make me ungrateful? Probably not, merely human.



I am so weak, that even walking about 60 metres from the car to the front door, made me puffed, yesterday. I confess that I managed 200 metres on flat ground today, and sat for a while, then managed the same distance back again. Progress - of a kind. For someone who likes to take regular exercise - one might say, take it for granted - this is really quite shocking.



My white cell count is rocketing up the charts, which is good. It needs to increase just a bit, and then hold it for two consecutive days, then my white cell count will be good enough to quit the "blood doping" GCSF medication. When that happens, my platelet count should then start to regularise itself (as the blood doping stuff fights the platelets, apparently).



Here are two photos which Zoe took today, at the end of our 200 metre stroll today - am optimistic male Black Swan (a Cob) which came up looking for a feed.

When it was denied a free feed, it took out a bit of Swan Rage on a female of the species. Testosterone fury is universal, I am afraid, Ladies.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Welcome out into the fresh air of freedom, Denis. Who can count the loss of prolonged illness? There is the illness itself but then there is the life interference, the time spent being ill that can never be recovered and the things that pile up and, in an unwell state, one can feel the pressure to pedal twice as fast just to stay in a steady state. I hope there are not too many trips to be strapped to a bed to remind you of the difference between constraint and freedom. Viva liberte!

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Miss Eagle,
Nice to hear from you again. I experienced the loss of a peony growing season, last Spring, but I hope not to do so again this year. Yes, I am wanting to pedal too fast, already, but that will settle itself. I became quite philosophical about time and seasons lost, last year. But I am certainly hoping to recover some lost time (ground) this year.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Denis