Tales From The Crypt - Thursday 16th September 2021

Thursday starts off the same, but with a slight difference.  I now have a probable cause for the nauseous feeling and associated abdominal pain I've been experiencing since Tuesday. One of the carers, on the first call of the day, said what about the change to your medication, have you looked at the side effects? I said I hadn't as the thought hadn't crossed my mind, and, after my first walk, I took a look at the leaflet in the packet.

Lo! and Behold!  It says that one of the side effects of coming off Mirtazapine is sickness and this all started the morning after I took my first 15mg tablet after being on 30mg for three and a half years. It also explains why the symptoms slowly ameliorate after I take the 15mg tablet in the evening. Essentially what I am experiencing is a mild form of 'cold turkey' (without the pleasure of having enjoyed hot turkey first), which hopefully will subside during the two weeks I'm on 15mg.  Fingers crossed that when I drop down to zero in a fortnight, I don't get another bout. Either way it seems like I'm going to have to put up with it for a while longer.

Despite the background 'noise' of withdrawal symptoms, I've got stuff to do and have to get on with it, starting with a quick trip to the post office to send the compilation CD I finished yesterday, beginning a list of jobs I must complete.

The post office trip proved to be more involved than I had imagined: when I arrived at my regular post office (within a newsagents) I was told the PO was closed 'until further notice'.  This meant I had to go the post office (also within a newsagents) in the precinct,  en-route I discovered that the road I'd normally use to access the car park was closed, so I had turn around and go to a different car park.  Finally I managed to get to the PO and post the parcel, after a mini-odyssey that I'd not expected when I left home! 

Work dominates the day until the evening when it's time for the regular Thursday Idler drinks session.

Today I've started wearing my new technology contact lenses which I trialled a week or so ago.  They really are much more comfortable to wear, especially after a long day, not to mention the improvement to my reading vision. 

Tonight's guest speaker is the children's author, Lauren Child.  I wasn't sure to what extent I'd find this interesting, but as happens time and time again, it was really interesting and Lauren had some great perspectives on creativity and her sources of inspiration as well as her working methods.

After the talk many of the regulars were missing - presumably at the Good Life festival near Hawarden in North Wales - in fact Tom was speaking from his room in Gladstone's house nearby as he's attending the festival on behalf of the Idler, nevertheless there was a brief chat afterwards, which was good.

Three of us at dinner again tonight but in a different combination: son #2 is out for a meal with his work colleagues - the first time he's met any of them in real life!  Hope he has a good time!

Meanwhile we're eating Chinese food while watching an episode of 'Inside No. 9'...

...until it's time for sleep.

Jethro Tull / 'Driving Song' / 'Stand Up'

[[This song is doubly appropriate!]]

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