Achievement unlocked: office sorted

This is me in Kings Gym a while ago. (c) Carole Edrich

For the first time since I had cancer ten years ago my office is tidy and clean. With one tiny, very tidy exception everything is sorted and ordered, and either filed or ready for scanning. Emails are all written and scheduled and my snail mail is done. The wall calendar is up ready for some serious forward planning (scheduled for next week) and I’ve started working on the next most important thing, which is simulating iOS on one of my Windows machines to better test the DanceGRiST app.


Misha the cat, who is getting on a little and doesn’t appreciate change is not so happy. Her favourite place to curl up and snooze has changed from my office chair to the floor in the hall. Not sharing the chair means I can go back to sitting cross-legged which is better for my back, posture and bum.


I’ve wanted to do this for years, but the prioritisations forced on me by the long-term side effects of chemo have made it impossible. As it is, the entire process has been done when I’ve been well enough and over an elapsed period of about five months.


So why am I writing about it here, on my blog? Firstly because it’s a really big thing, and I want to commemorate it.
As far as I know the cancer is fixed, but that doesn’t mean that I’m better. Chemo left me with a collection of problems including chronic fatigue and a long term reaction to simple sugars (that isn’t diabetes) along with various other bits and bobs.


I prioritise my work because creating an organisation to help dancers earn more is something that drives me, and because it’s nice to be able to eat more than cheese and to go out when I can. After that comes my family. Then exercising, because I’ve learned that exercising enough keeps the fatigue at bay. However, since I’ve not yet built back the strength for an intense workout, I have to make sure that the duration is sufficient instead.


I’m back in the gym, which is brilliant and I’m hoping to get back into dancing regularly this year too. It’ll take a while of course, but I’m looking forward to when I’m well enough to take a dance class without feeling ill. When I do, I’ll share it with you.