Reconnecting With an Old Love

 Oblivion concept art.

Oh my! Has it really been a whole week since I last posted? I knew I was getting a bit slack here, but that’s a tad ridiculous.  The reason for my absence is equally pitiful too, so much so I even thought about inventing a more acceptable excuse to peddle. I couldn’t bring myself to lie to you lovely people though, so here’s a wee brief history to put my shameful story in context:

 

 Once upon a time, in the days before I discovered the wonderful realms of blogging, Flickring and Tumblring, I had another technological romance. My first true love in the computerized world- gaming. Yes folks, I was a bit of a gaming geek. In years gone by I would spend hours on end conquering ancient civilisations, exploring medieval castles, governing mega-cities, or building rollercoasters that would make your eyes pop out. It was everything a master procrastinator could wish for.

Over time this passion waned somewhat and I managed to wean myself off what I eventually came to regard as one of the most unconstructive pastimes imaginable. “They’re rotting your brain!” I’d chastise myself, “Go read a book instead!” And so it was that I was able to reclaim enough free time to pursue other endeavours such as this blog.  At least until this week, when, in a moment of weakness, I succumbed to my addiction once more and rekindled an old affair with possibly the greatest game this world has ever known- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. 

 

It was himself who’s to blame; he was wandering around the house one day humming the main motif from the game’s breathtaking soundtrack and the next thing I knew I was rummaging through my desk looking for the disc. Since then I’ve spent my evenings traversing the wild and varied landscape of Cyrodiil; visiting it’s walled cities, joining it’s guilds, foraging it’s woodland for rare fungi and elusive medicinal plants. I’m now as handy with a blade as I am masterful at all schools of magic; as good an armourer as an alchemist; and as devout an occultist as I am a pious pilgrim. Oh, just talking about it makes me want to cut this post short and get back to it!

No. I have to control myself! I wouldn’t mind only this will be my third  time playing it through. You’d think I’d have bored of it by now but nope, it really is that great. I can’t even use the auld ‘better off reading a book’ mindset to dissuade myself either, for Oblivion really is the closet you could ever come to actually living inside one. Honestly, the whole thing is like a well written and fully interactive fantasy novel. The story lines can change depending on the decisions you make too, and the virtual world is so vast and detailed it would take an eternity to tire of it.

Anyway, there you have it- the reason why I’ve been so anti-social online this past wee while. Pretty pathetic excuse really, isn’t it? Well at least I’ve recognised the problem now and can nip it in the bud. Wouldn’t want this particular obsession taking root again, especially not when I haven’t even started on the Christmas presents I’d planned on making. I’m extra poor this year and  really have to take the DIY route as far as I can; I’d bloody better get round to it! I’ve managed to gather up a list of other things-to-do a mile long over the past week too and catching up with all your blogs is high up there on it. So from Monday on there’ll be no more questing for me for a while.

For now, though, I need one last night with my cute but feisty little dark elf avatar. She’s sitting in there, all bored and lonely in my pc’s frozen memory banks, waiting for me to come and take her adventuring. How could I deny her one last outing when I’m going to be abandoning her for who knows how long? Poor wee thing… ;)

Well folks, hope you’re all having a lovely weekend and that it’s more productive then my own is promising to be. I leave you now with a short clip from the game’s intro, in case any of you wanted to get a little taster of what the hell I’ve been babbling about.  Or maybe you’re thinking about a gift for that gamer in your life? If you are then just make sure it’s someone you don’t want to see too often because if you buy them this they’ll likely disappear until July!

Your Five-A-Day, Crocheted!

Before I do anything today I really have to first say thank you so much for all your kind comments on my last post. With retrospect it really was all a bit whiney, so sorry too. Thanks and sorry! That’ll be the end of the medical chat for a while anyway, don’t worry.

Right, on to more pleasant subjects! Like these adorable crochet vegetables from Japanese artist jungjung. Maybe I’m a wee bit brain-dead today ’cause I’m finding it hard to put into words exactly why I love these delicate little beauties so much. They are just so cute and lovely!  Knowing they’re from Japan really adds to their appeal too, at least for me. There’s something about that country that has mesmerized me since childhood; their language, their culture, even just the fact their islands form the shape of a seahorse. Thinking on it, I’m surprised I don’t post more Japanese-related stuff here. A plan for the new year, me thinks!

A Wee Bit of Snow, But Some Yucky Stuff Too

More snow photos on my Flickr page.

Hello! How’s everybody tonight then? I hope all you British Isle-anders are enjoying this unexpected winter wonderland. And to think just last week I was explaining to an American blog buddy that we never get snow at this time of year. In my face! It’s the best blanketing we’ve had for ages too; because we’re on the coast the salty air usually prevents us from getting more than an inch or two but at the minute there’s a good half foot of fluffy white powder out there. Just lovely!

It’s not so great if you have to go anywhere, though.  Yesterday I’d a hospital appointment for 11 o’clock and I had to leave at nine to make the normally 35 minute journey. Nightmare. I wasn’t too pleased with what my doctor had to say either. I was expecting to be told I needed another operation for  an ongoing complaint which was fine- the sooner I get ‘the thing’ sorted out once and for all the better. I remarked as such to my surgeon who just smiled pleasantly, however, and informed me not to get my hopes up as there’s a high probability I’ll need another two or three after the next one! It’s really rather depressing to be honest.

You’re probably wondering what ‘the thing’ is. I suppose it’s about time I did offer some sort of explanation, but I must warn the squeamish among you to look away now. This is a tale only for those with a morbid fascination for yucky medical things.  It’s also pretty boring, with lots of self pitying moaning, so feel free to stop reading now unless you need some help falling asleep.

*****

Anyway, it all started last June when I got this sudden, excruciating pain in my lower back. When I say lower back, I mean my lower, lower back. As in the region which makes this a worthy case for that‘Embarrassing Bodies’ show on Channel 4. I’d absolutely no idea what it could be and when I went to my GP he told me that it was a form of muscle strain common in young women and to see a physio once the pain subsided. Fair enough?

Not exactly. As the week went on the pain became worse and worse rather than improving. By the weekend I was in so much agony I was actually screaming. I went back to my doctor who told me that was expected with the type of injury he thought I had and he gave me a painkilling injection. The relief lasted for about 15 minutes. That night I started throwing up and by the time Sunday morning came I had a fever so bad I was seeing things. I couldn’t even keep a sip of water down. Himself was away that week for his brother’s stag do,  he was the best man, and I really didn’t want to ring and worry him so I tried to ride it out. By the time he got home the next night, though, I knew it was time to go to the hospital.

It turns out I didn’t have muscle strain at all, it was something called an ‘ischiorectal abscess’. It’s similar to pilonidal disease, which I hear is quite common, though it’s occurs in a slightly different place and while pilonidal abscesses are caused by ingrowing hairs mine was caused by a normally unproblematic defect I have with my tail bone (technically I don’t have one).  Apparently these things these things are torturously painful though not too serious if treated, but because my one had been left to develop for so long the poison in the infected area had spread into my bloodstream and given me sepsis.

I had emergency surgery that night and spent over a week in hospital being pumped full of so many antibiotics and pain relief some of the veins in my arm packed in. The wound from the operation was so large and they’d cut away so much flesh that it couldn’t be stitched up so I was left with a huge gaping hole, inches wide and deep. Getting it dressed was almost as painful as the abscess itself had been and I was even given a can of Entonox (gas they give women in labour) for when they were working on it. I’ve actually been told that it’s worse than childbirth, and had this verified by one of my nurses who’d had the same thing herself as well as having two children.

After that I had twice then once daily home visits from the district nurse for several months. When I went back to the hospital for a check up I was told it was healing well, and for a while it all seemed grand. It never really went away though and I’ve since developed a ‘sinus’ which is basically a tunnel from the original source of the infection onto the surface of the skin. It carries all the badness away, from what I gather. In reality what it means is that I get a mini-episode of the agony from the first abscess about twice a month. It sort of swells up and gets sorer and sorer for a few days until it bursts, which releases the pressure and relieves the pain. It’s never quite as bad as the initial uber abscess, but it still hurts. A lot.  So much so that when it flares up it makes sitting/walking/lying/doing-anything-except-standing-completely-still very, very sore and uncomfortable.

This has been going on for over a year now, so you can see why I’m anxious to get it sorted. I knew the operation that I’m due to have in the new year would involve much of the same as last time- open wound,  regular agonising dressings, months of recuperation- but I was taking solace in the fact that once that was all over and done with I’d never have to think of it again. But nooooo. I’ve that bloody surgeon yesterday stuck in my head, sitting smiling that smile of pity and knowing: “I’m sorry to tell you, but it can often take several operations to completly excise the infection. Until then it’s just going to keep coming back.’ Thanks doc, you’ve cheered me right up.  You never know, he’s probably wrong anyway. Doctors get it wrong all the time, sure that’s how I ended up in this situation in the first place!

Well folks, sorry to any of you who actually made it this far. I really didn’t mean to write so much, once I started it just sorted of all came out. Do you know I’ve never actually explained any of this to most of the people I know? It’s quite embarrassing, not your run-of-the-mill appendicitis or what not. I usually just say I’ve a back injury or something, rather than explain the pain in the ass it actually is! It’s been rather therapudic letting it all out though. Thanks for listening and I hope I didn’t put any of you off your tea!