Week 10: Making Progress

Busy, busy week, but feeling better all the time.

Saw my doctor and he agrees that where I felt better when I started taking iron supplements, iron deficiency was/is likely the problem. I am going for a blood test, will continue the supplements for 3 months, then get another blood test. Hopefully at that point, all will be well.

I think I really am starting to feel more like myself. I went to yoga at noon today and it was so much better than it has been in a long time. Lately I'd go, but it all felt hard, and it was hard to catch my breath, and I'd end up with headaches...Today was good.

And I planned to go to Zumba after work as well. I actually wanted to go! It feels like it's been forever since I could say that, I was starting to think I had imagined that whole "I love Zumba" phase. I didn't end up going, because Husband called, so I spent the time talking to him instead. It was way early for him, he was awakened by a phone call and couldn't get back to sleep. 

Got a second hearing aid on Friday. I had forgotten what it is like when you first get a hearing aid.
A person with normal hearing is constantly filtering out background noise without realizing it. When you start to lose your hearing, one of the first things to go is background noise.

Then you put a hearing aid in your ear and suddenly you are hearing everying: paper rustling, plasic crinkling, your own footsteps, keys jangling, change rattling around your wallet, the turn signal when you're driving your car. Everything is loud. I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from the audiologist and the background noise in the store almost drowned out the voice of anyone who spoke to me. When I went out on Saturday to finish my shopping, I ended up turning the new hearing aid off after a while. I'm finding that having the radio on my car irritates me at the moment. It's all rather overwhelming, but it should get better eventually.

While we're on the subject of hearing, and the lack thereof...If you are speaking to someone and they say they are deaf or hard of hearing, and could you please speak up; do make an effort to raise your voice and maybe even ask if this level is okay - can you hear me now? So many times I have told people that I can't hear them, and they say oh right, then keep right on talking at a low volume. It is frustrating and it makes you feel stupid when you have to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

Sorry, that little rant just came out.

Anyway, as I said, busy week. I have no new photos because I didn't take any this week. So, I thought we'd revisit Japan! This time last year, Husband and I had just returned from our trip; and Husband is there now, so it's been on my mind.

We tried to cram as much as we could into that trip, and took a lot of pictures. It's hard to choose, but these are some favorites.

View of Tokyo from Tokyo station

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Kyoto

Landscape Gardens at Himeji Castle

Arashiyama Bamboo Groves

The Golden Pavillion in Kyoto