Free health check....

I've been a bit quiet of late pending the outcome of a free health check courtesy of Macclesfield General. We were up at Mac the weekend before last when I was taken over all funny during the interval of a pantomime we had gone up to see put on by our friends at Titherington Family Worship.

Turns out I was hyper-ventilating, triggered by a rush of adrenalin, although I had no inkling how it started and still cannot remember a time when I was breathing over actively. Even the paramedics didn't recognise that I was doing that...but that's what it was. The symptoms manifested themselves like those associated with a heart attack or a stroke so I was rushed to the general and put on the machine that goes ping for a few hours. In time I was brought back under control. The chest x-ray (where I had to hold my breath) helped quite a bit - they didn't tell me when I could start breathing again so this probably did wonders to restore my blood carbon dioxide levels. I was duly declared to have a young person's heart, packed up with a new night shirt (sans sweat) and sent home at 11.30pm. We were staying at a friend's in Mac, house sitting. Fortunately we had a chinese meal sitting back at the house which we had not had time to consume before going out to the panto.

Since then I have undergone all manner of blood tests and everything is normal. They reckon that I must have taken on some additional stress in recent times, and the events associated with mum's passing was like the straw on the camel's back. I am consequently re-evaluating how I do everything, and getting much more sleep. The bottom line is I now feel quite healthy again and am back to being my old self. In fact, I feel better than I used to. All those growing old pains and fears about bodily deterioration as we age have been swept aside, such that I am now ready to take on some more exercise and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Still, it was a bit of a wake up call. Hope everyone else has been fine. I love this family so much, I really couldn't face leaving you all yet. Nice to know that the doctor's have given me the all clear with the added postscript thatI take it a little easier on the stress front, and do what I can to make my lifestyle healthier. I have to say, teaching is pretty stressful, so if push comes to shove that might ultimately be something I consider giving up.

Love to all

Pete