A general update (Friends and Family)

I hope this post will be lighter on medical details than the more recent ones. Basically nothing has changed I'm no better but no worse either. The medical appointments continue and different specialists get added.

I'm still basically not working or rather not working at all. But trying to stay positive and succeeding (some of the time).

Olive (our cat) is a joy albeit sometimes an irritating one, when she wants food or attention but she makes my life so much better.

My thoughts are turning to the HHDs, but as I'm not working I don't have anywhere where I'm leading so will need to sort out some place to go to attend synagogue.

Back in June I had a very pleasant summer holiday with mum in Dunwhich and got to spend a little time with my big sister Rosie which was great because I don't get to see that much of her.

I'm paying more visits back home or at least trying to.

And this weekend just got I got to spend some time with Laura and her husband Stefan when they were visiting London, its wonderful to see Laura and great to meet Stefan who is lovely, witty and charming.

So this is an up-beat post, which makes a change from how this blog has been for the last four years. I'm still struggling health wise but if not getting better I'm not getting any worse. And am coming to accept the new situation.

I'm also continuing to study Talmud both Daf Yomi (and the regular (daily) study is certainly improving my skills) and with my two chevurta: Tina and Francesca.

So all in all. Even if things are still difficult I'm feeling more emotionally okay than I have in a long while.

Almost 8 years.

Talking about my health has been a theme of this blog not just recently but for quiet a while, which is unsurprising. As on Monday (July 2nd) was the 4th anniversary of my first major seizure. And each posting since has basically said how hard its been but that I am getting better.

Sadly I don't think that that's true.  Clearly I'm better than right at the start, well I nearly died so couldn't have got worse or stayed there really. But I'm still at the stage of 'just about managing' day to day life.  I've had to stop the very little amount of work I was doing, because I was simply not up to it.

I am looking for stuff to do on a voluntary bases because, put simply, if on the day I don't feel up to it then I can simple cancel. But not too much has come of these plans yet.  I also have a social worker who along with Emily is helping me out. And I am trying to come to terms with the idea that some (maybe a lot) of the changes in my life are going to be permeant, which I find a depressing thought.

I am still looking for ways to adjust and somethings have changed and are helping but its going to be a very very long process.  A bright spot is my talmud studying with Tina (as mentioned before) and having a second Talmud partner and new (or renewed) friend,  Francesca we also study talmud together (what can I say I love studying talmud) but we also do other stuff, she's one of the few people who can prise me out of my flat. In fact she's accompanying me back home to Stoke on my next visit. (This weekend).

I am really looking forward to that. I am also researching some voluntary work I can do, so I can get back out there, but also cancel at short notice if I'm having a difficult day when it comes to narcolepsy, epilepsy et al. But we'll see how things go.

Its coming up to eight years! since starting at rabbinical school (2923 days-but who's counting).

I think this brings this blog up to date, which isn't that hard because not a lot is changing and changes that are happening are happening really very slowly.