shake, rattle and. . .

. . .

for the last few days I have had the most awful shivers and shakes and have felt utterly exhausted and weak

I assumed it was withdrawal symptoms (now, apparently, renamed "discontinuation syndrome") from coming off a drug which I've been prescibed/taking for seven months, even tho one is only supposed to be on it for a maximum of four-six weeks

today I've felt as if I'd been run over by a bus, every bone in my body aches, my chest is tight and I have zero energy

I'd promised Mini-Teen a bikini buying trip (she's going on her hols next week) and I didn't want to let her down; I was in so much pain that I thought a hot bath would help before we went out, so I had one

it took me half an hour, lying flat on my back on the bed, to recover

M-T had waited patiently all morning, so we set off just before lunch with a plan to eat in a cafe near the shops; I made it fifty yards up the street before I just knew if I took a step further in the wrong direction I'd faint

she let me lean on her on the way back here

I phoned the CitC team - to double check that these really were withdrawal symptoms. . . NO! not withdrawal symptoms: they recommended a trip to my GP, only I can only barely walk down the corridor; I arrange a lift and go

first question the GP asks is "do you have a temperature?"
.

I explain I have shivers and shakes and feel very very very very wobbly and trembly and everything aches like I've been crushed, have no energy and I can barely breathe. . .

. . .she sticks some thermometer gizmo in my ear; checks my chest and glands

no glandular swelling, no chest infection, I do have a raging temperature, something in the region of 39+ degrees - altho weirdly I don't feel hot - it's a viral infection, flu, that is why my bones ache; I can barely keep my eyes open as I sit in her office and feel like slipping off the chair and dropping to the floor

once back here again I take paracetamol (and am reminded of that dreadful joke about why there is no fever medication in the jungle? cos the parrots ate 'em all!) and drink masses and fall asleep (a sure sign I'm ill, as I never sleep in the day)

.
. .
I have another silly thing going round in my head
(I blame the witchy one!):
"time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana"
.

and it make me think
why do I like the view and/or how I am like the view. . .

.

(. . .in this case the visual view, as opposed to the opinion)
.
. . .of the river, from here:
.
the tide goes relentlessly in and out,
the river fills and empties,
.
sometimes it is like
a beautiful wide silvery sparkling ribbon of light
stretching gloriously between the buildings and parks of London Town,
.
othertimes it is like
a thin viscious jagged contorted twisting twisted hurtful hurting scar
which cuts the city in half

.
the paracetamol begins to kick in and feel slightly better than I have done for days: despite my physical state, my mood lifts

:-)