(no subject)

[galadhir]

Ugh, been feeling steadily more and more fatigued for a couple of weeks now - got blood taken yesterday and sent off for tests. I hope the tests turn up something because today I'm finding it difficult just to sit and draw, and standing is a five-minute affair or less.

Last time I felt like this is was anemia. My fingers are crossed that it turns out to be anemia again, because that's just a case of going back on the (doctor prescribed massive doses of) folate, and then in two weeks I should be getting better.

If it's not that, then who knows?

On the plus side, I've finished recording another chapter of Last Of Their Kind, which I will get edited before Friday.

I've also made the pattern for my mini shop-fascia, which is the project for module 7 of the signwriting course. I'm supposed to be transferring the design onto some kind of aluminium fascia board, ut I don't know where to get any, and it's a bit expensive to be buying serious hardware just to practice my sub par skills on. Maybe I could get some plywood instead - when it was painted it would look the same

Comments

[theladyscribe]

Fingers crossed it's just anemia and can be dealt with swiftly!

Also I'm intrigued by your signwriting course! Will you post pictures once it's done?

[mistressofmuses]

I hope it's anemia! Finding an actual cause + something that has a comparatively easy solution is definitely preferable to testing yielding a giant *shrug*.

Fatigue is no fun.

Bleh, I always dread the part of some hobby or the like that starts to necessitate very specific materials (that I will have to buy). It's not that I'm unwilling to spend money for quality or invest in the things I like... but I am typically broke as fuck, lol, and it's hard to justify purchases like that.

Though maybe plywood would work, as long as it's very smooth?

[galadhir]

Thank you! I'm currently dithering about when to phone the doctor and ask if the blood tests have come back. I should bite the bullet and do it, but I think the surgery is probably closed for lunch now :)

I will post photos! The main trouble is that it's so long that it won't all fit into shot!

[galadhir]

Sadly it turned out not to be :( Which means I need to go to the doctor with nebulous fatigue and chest pains and hope they take me seriously :(

Heh, yes. I did find a source of the specific board suggested, who can provide it in the size I would need, but it would be £28 for the actual board, and another £20 on top for 'small order surcharge.' I am not spending £48 for a practice piece!

I'll go to my local hardware stall and see if they can cut me some plywood. As long as I paint it with a gloss coat first, it should be similar enough. (And sometimes you have to sign-paint on brick walls or untreated wooden planks, so any texture will be good practice.)

[mistressofmuses]

Ugh, dammit! I'm sorry to hear it wasn't something with such an easy solution. Having to go to a doctor and get them to take that sort of symptom seriously is such a frustrating process. I hope they do take it seriously and can help find something to give you some relief.

Ooof, yeah, that's definitely out of my price range for hobby practice!

I think a gloss-coated piece of plywood should have a similarly smooth texture. Maybe not exactly the same as metal, but I would think it would be close enough for the purposes of the technique. And it's true - there's a LOT of variety in materials that you could wind up working on, so anything is going to be good practice.

[galadhir]

I was worried they wouldn't take me seriously, particularly as one of the doctors in the practice told me I have fibromyalgia, and one of the symptoms of that is fatigue. But actually I talked to a lovely doctor who was all "oh no, we don't treat the blood tests, we treat the patient. I want to rule everything else out before I go that way." So she's sending me for an ECG (as I have chest pain as well as the fatigue.) Don't know when that appointment will be, but at least they're taking me seriously :)

Hopefully I'll get to the hardware store at the weekend, and then I can get started on the actual painting.

[sunlit_stone]

Oh, shit. I hope you feel better soon

[mistressofmuses]

I'm so glad they're taking it seriously! That can be such a struggle, and it's horrible to have to fight against it. I'm sorry you have the chest pain and fatigue things, but I really hope they can find out what's going on, and it's great that they're actually trying to figure it out.

[galadhir]

Thank you! I do not feel as dreadful today as I did on Wednesday, so that's something :)

[galadhir]

Thank you! I'm surprised to find out that I would rather have moderate pain than the fatigue. But perhaps I'll learn how to cope with the fatigue as well in time :)

[sunlit_stone]

I'm glad to hear it!

[mistressofmuses]

Fatigue is really rough and so pervasive. Pain certainly can be too, but fatigue is often very difficult to find relief from. I hope that you don't HAVE to learn to cope with it, and that instead you find something that helps. Though if you DO have to deal with it, I do hope you find ways to cope well.

[watervole]

Have you tried asking around for scrap timber?
We have a local Facebook group for things like that, and it's amazing what you can pick up for free while helping other people clear space

[galadhir]

Oh that's a great idea! Yes, I'm in various freecycling groups, and while I've never seen scrap timber come up yet, it may be because no one knows that there would be people out there looking for it. If I put out a call, someone might have something I can cut up and use. Thank you!

[galadhir]

I am certainly a bit better than I was midweek, so that's something. Now I think the problem is to try and increase my activity level without overdoing it and ending up exhausted again. I did go out today, so that's something :) Thank you!

[mistressofmuses]

That's good! I'm glad you're feeling at least slightly better.

I always struggle with that - I feel better from something, and want to do All The Things, and turns out that's a bad idea when trying not to overdo it! I'm glad you got to go out today, and I hope you keep finding (gentle!) things you can do to slowly work up the activity level.