Interlude
Phew. I'm pretty sure that it is just a gap. Its now December 2006 and I've had some lovely NHS treatment and some cardiac rehab and I've restarted climbing hills and generally walking about. There will now be a short intermission - 'til July when the diary will resume - that is, provided nothing else dangerous happens in the meantime. I promise not to make any more jokes about what I want to be when I'm dead or anything like that.
Actually, the prospect of my own demise doesn't seem to bother me all that much, in fact I surprised myself by my attitude to my own potential end - and, basically, I couldn't get all that worked up about it... You'd expect that, given an imminent "fight or die" situation, when you fight like buggery to stay alive, the actual prospect of penking out a bit earlier than you'd have ideally wanted to is more sad than scary. Just something I learned from the NHS there for you. In fact, my attitude is (should you be concerned by the fact that I did, actually shrug off this mortal coil before finishing the account) - that I was more concerned about living without hillwalking. It's your relatives who are more bothered by your finishing end - and this makes you concerned because you don't want your kids to cry. But, readers, we all have to go. Lets not get too worked up about it, shall we? Just try to avoid going anywhere before you've finished your book, or whatever it was you were dying to do. As it were...
The other thing is, other than I'm so bloody chuffed about being able to go walkies again with my little dog (the dog seems quite pleased too, by the way) is that it was almost worth having the problem in the first place. I am sooooooooo smug and happy about the whole thing that it's ridiculous.
I'm not quite the same as I was, though. My heart rate is now a mere 40-ish beats per minute, as opposed to 90-ish last June - and when I'm resting it actually goes a fair bit slower. (I once managed 25 but the wife was going to ring for an ambulance unless I got it going again, so I had a little Kylie fantasy and managed to get it going a bit quicker) I can't seem to quite get going uphills as briskly as before. I also, sometimes, wake myself up having forgotten to keep breathing, which is a bit scary. But bugger it - I've not been stopped.
I'm also quite pleased with my friends - principally the ones mentioned previously in this work. Alan was the first, really to drag me off the sofa out on to a "proper" walk - in this case, a circuit of Haweswater. Brian has been a regular on the phone and in emails finding out how I am - and we've had a few little trundles out around Alston Moor. And Mike Dawson has been supportive in an emaily sort of way, and was there when I tried out my hill legs for the first time since early July on Penyghent - and the following day on Cosh Knott. So I am really very grateful to these lads. This thing took 13 weeks out of my hill-walking activities. It wasn't very long really but without these blokes, I suspect that it could have been quite a bit longer.
There will now be a substantial intermission for refreshments. Treat yourself to an ice-cream from the wee lassie in the corner, or have yourself a pint at our bar. Normal, Howgill-type activities are likely to resume in or around July 2007.
I'm off for a little lie down.
