IT'S CHRISTMAS

Afternoon all! I was up very early after sleeping for nearly 15 hours last night. I've not been feeling great this week in the build up to the end of term and I took the opportunity of finishing early at 3:15 and Adam going out for his work Christmas meal to go to bed at 5:30 - tragic I know but I needed it. Even though it was a chilled week and we've been doing lots of fun Christmassy activities, when you're feeling like death, even sitting making Christmas cards with a bunch of 5 year olds can drain the life out of you. My body is in need of a good rest, I've been in a lot of pain the last few days, particularly in my arms, wrists and hands which has been hard, I try and stay away from the tramadol but I have needed them twice this week. They really do help with the pain but make me feel pretty spaced out so it's weighing up the options!

I went for a meal with the rest of the staff in our phase on Thursday evening which was lovely. I felt horrific but I pushed through and had the meal. Most of the team went bowling afterwards but that was out of the question. My hands felt like claws, they were so stiff and painful and all I needed was to cuddle up in bed. I was home by 9:15 and in bed by 9:30 so I was okay. It was a lovely evening but I get so exhausted that even having conversations is draining but it was lovely to spend time outside work with people and I enjoy just listening to people talk which isn't as tiring.

Fatigue-wise, I've been feeling slightly more energetic this last week, I'm still beyond exhausted and going to bed early but have felt a little more human. My headaches have been noticeably better since I got my glasses which is good and makes me think I have been straining my eyes with driving a long way to and from work every day. I woke up with an awful awful awful headache this morning where I could barely open my eyes but I think that was just from sleeping a bit too long and not having dinner or anything. I feel a bit better now but am starting to feel ready for a nap.

Pain-wise, I've not been great. As I said before, my arms, hands and wrists are really playing up which is frustrating as I can't even rest them properly. My hands and fingers are very stiff and painful.  I'm still feeling very weak but I have two weeks now to get a good rest in. I'm so excited to relax, catch up on TV, maybe even do some knitting if my hands loosen up a bit as I haven't done any in ages. Right now I'm making my way through the many boxes of chocolates the children in my class bought me, drinking lots of tea and watching Fifty Shades of Grey - with lots of breaks of course because my brain can't focus properly on films.

I even started my Christmas shopping today!! I bought presents for 3 people and only have a couple more things to get. I want to go into town but it's impossible to park and walking there is out of the question so I'll have to find a way to get to the shop I need. Christmas will be different this year as it's the first time I'm not spending it with my mum but we are going there for Boxing Day and having another Christmas Day then so at least now I get two days of celebrations.

It's been a good week at work, I passed my first NQT assessment with good comments which I was really pleased with and we have been making lots of Christmassy things, watching films and having parties - I truly have the best job in the world.

Over the holidays, I plan on getting as much rest as possible and meeting up with my lovely friends who live all over the place. I am determined to switch off from work and really enjoy the break. I have a doctors appointment to get my MRI results. I've been told over the phone that the results were 'satisfactory' and that I need to discuss with the doctor, I'm not really sure what this means. I also have an appointment with Occupational Health in January to discuss how I'm getting on at work and see if there is anything that can help me and to make things a little bit easier.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and a lovely break if you have two weeks off too!! xx

My yummy Christmassy snack