Start as you mean to go on? I hope not

So, I've been a bit slack about writing in this blog since we've returned.
Not just because we've arrived back and have 8 years of gossip to catch up on with good mates. Not just because it's Christmas & New Year's and the busiest time of year.
Not just because we have a million settling-into-a-country jobs to do.
Although, of course all these things have played their part.

But actually because I've been in hospital...I was diagnosed with acute/severe anaemia. Not quite the homecoming I'd had planned.

At first when they did they blood test and I had a haemoglobin reading of 5.4 they thought there must have been something wrong with the test (normal is above 12) as I was clearly still standing up and conscious and functioning. So the second test resulted in a reading of 5.1 which is serious enough that they had to give me a blood transfusion. I didn't really understand all the fuss until one nurse told me that the next step for me was a heart attack as the oxygen would soon be cut off from my major organs... (what?!!) Yeah, sure I'd been a bit tired, of course getting a bit out of breath going up hills, yeah sometimes a bit dizzy if I stand up too quickly. But I'd put all these symptoms down to lack of fitness & travelling for near on 4 months.

So, 2 nights in hospital, 4 units of blood later and I now have a reading of 11.8 and an obsession with blood pressure and haemoglobin readings ((Twilight stars eat your hearts out). Everyone is asking if I feel better but I think once someone official and professional tells you that actually you are quite unwell then you can't fool yourself any longer and you do actually feel unwell!!

But at least we have a name and can work towards getting better...