It’s Friday again, and the first time blogging with the new laptop – the previous one passed away taking 3500 unsaved words with it (sigh). How was your week? Are you already plotting gifts/food/how-to-survive Christmas? This coming weekend is supposed to be a cold one in London, so time to break out the flannels (where did I store the winter bed sheets again?) Maybe time to make those big-batch breakfasts so that we don’t have to freeze in the kitchen making breakfast in the morning, or – alternatively – finally crack the timer on the boiler (either way). Or make the giant sweet potato latke for breakfast that one just has to warm up in the oven – that also sounds pretty good for a cold Saturday/Sunday morning. Don’t you think?
Browsing Tag
invisible illness About ten days ago, I read on feemail’s Instagram that she was having a flare-up, and I remember thinking how bad things can become and how unfair life can be. I also thought how lucky I was to not have had a flare-up in a long time. And then, of course, it hit me last Monday with all the unfortunate symptoms in the book. Compared to some I’ve experienced, it’s not a bad one: my room is only partially dark, I can still take the dog the to dog park (and then collapse on the bench at the park, and subsequently collapse again in bed when I get home), but other simple tasks that require more concentration (going over my data, trying to restore the 3,500 words lost by the sudden death of my laptop, or even simple phone calls) completely flatten me. If I try, I pay with migraine and nausea, my teeth start shattering, and then my limbs follow.

Gtalked about the day after phenomenon from the outside perspective – I thought I’d add mine and how it feels to be in it.
The day after – in non-medical terms obviously, in medical terms it’s called post fatigue or post exercise malaise. A combination of words that always invokes the image of a fragile women in a regency dress lying on a chaiselongue with a damp cloth over her eyes. (something like that, plus the damp cloth, don’t ask about the visual…)
The day after always hits after an exiting day, no matter what you do, whether you did well or not, whether you wasted time or energy or used it well. Specifics don’t matter. You did something that drains your energy levels way below the allowed level, so you will pay for it. There is no escape, no bargain you can strike. Obviously, you will feel a lot better (mentally and emotionally) if you did something you feel was worthwhile rather than not.

So, it’s the day after the conference presentation. M gave a very good presentation (in my humble opinion) at the Escom 2017 in Ghent (Belgium), together with our friend and consultant Psychiatrist D.
And today is the day after (retrospectively posted since the Escom was at the beginning of August, but we then traveled to Germany/France/Spain without time to post this…).
Now, usually and for most people, an academic conference such as this one is a good opportunity to share your latest research, network with other specialists and academics in your field, listen to other people’s findings and presentations, and come away inspired and with lots of new ideas and energy as you re-immerse yourself into your studies at your home university or institute. You might be a bit nervous having to present, and you might be a bit tired from travelling and having to mingle/represent (and perhaps also from late night drinks with colleagues), but the experience is – mostly – energising, if it’s a good conference.
Meet the gang
Hello, we’re two expat friends (aka Tournesol and Tigerduck) and a dog (Micro-the-Dog, aka “the boss”). After living in London for 18 and 16 years respectively (or 5 years in the case of Micro), we’ve just made a leap of faith back across the channel and are building a new life in Munich. Thank you for reading our musings about the world, life, living with CFIDS/ME, music, crafts, dogs and other observations.
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