I didn't sleep well, due to half a dozen interruptions to empty my bladder, but woke up just before nine. Ten hours in bed, six hours sleep. At least my thinking not so foggy. It's still overcast today. I wish it was brighter. One of the consequences of the stroke is that in low light I can't distinguish dark objects in a shady place as well as I normally can, but I think my distance vision is a little sharper today.
The cease fire in Gaza is holding. Hostages taken by Hamas are being exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held since Gaza was invaded. There's great joy and celebration in Israel today as families are reunited after two years of captivity.
Trump is convening a conference in Egypt of international political leaders and stakeholders to discuss the future of Palestine and the rebuilding of Gaza. The way ahead is not yet clear. There are many problems to solve - feeding and rehousing a starving and destitute population of two million, establishing the rule of law and civil government without Hamas, disarming insurgent groups and militias. The involvement of the Palestinian Authority in running Gaza.
There's a lot of good will and desire to bring the suffering to an end and establish reliable security from which all can benefit, but it's such a complex set of problems to solve with new challenges emerging as time goes on. The Israeli military may well withdraw and be replaced by an international Stabilisation Force to counter the threat of anarchy that could hinder the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
As I write, I notice my hand-eye co-ordination is better, Not so many typos to correct! Another thing I've noticed in past weeks is the persistence of a small class of typos that may relate to left handedness or the way the eyes glance ahead in the direction of the text, so I'll swap the order of vowels between consonants when writing a word. 'Paece' instead of 'Peace' for example. Arnor's word processor back in the '90s had a key press combination you could use to correct a word under the cursor. A manual version of auto-correct!
I noticed today's use-by date on a pack of pork steaks in the fridge that Owain bought for me, and resolved to stew them slowly with apple juice in the pressure cooker. This meant a trip to Tesco's for juice, and a few other food items. It's getting easier to navigate the noise and the rush of the streets without distraction or confusion. My head is clearer but not perfectly clear. I don't push myself, but need to recover after any spell of activity, physical or mental.
Clare cooked a stir fry with smoked mackerel and rice for lunch when I got home. I pressure cooked the pork for future consumption, a protein alternative to chicken for a change.
I called the MSDEC virtual ward team before going to the shops, to query repeat prescriptions, as a couple of meds I'm being treated with are running out in a few days time. I had a reassuring call back from a doctor after lunch and have arranged to pick up repeat prescriptions when I go to UHW on Thursday. It's a relief to have got this sorted out.
After a rest, I walked in Llandaff Fields. I'm walking further each day without pushing myself. My legs are stiff, they take time to warm up. When I was in hospital I went down to just a few hundred steps a day, but have added more each day during the past few weeks of recovery. Ten thousand steps for the first time today since the stroke on 14th September. I'm thanking God for the gift of walking in the fresh autumn air!
Clare went out to a community choir practice in Conway Road Methodist Church after supper. I wrote a few update messages and then watched a couple of episodes of 'Rocco Schiavone' before bed.
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