Feeling normal again

Have now been back to work for a couple of days, and it has massively helped with making me feel like a normal person and not a 'sick' person. Hurrah!!

Have also been extremely fortunate in that HR have approved an exception regarding my sick leave entitlement and given me 3 months leave entitlement at full pay. I'm only supposed to get 1 month in my first year of employment (which ends in January), and was very likely to go over that before the end of December even if I used all my remaining holiday instead of sick leave, so it is very generous of them. No worries about any days at only half pay now. Phew!!

The team has been coping well at work - which I knew they would - but I also do feel as if there are some things they need me for here and there!! They keep things ticking along well, but my job is to move things forward and help with the decision making, clear up oddities in policy and procedure etc. I managed to delete about 200 emails, and just have a handful now to still read in detail and respond to.

Yesterday, G and I first of all went back to the hospital in Cardiff: me for a scan and him for, ahem, providing a sample. My bit was easy, but my dosage was increased so it looks like they are a bit concerned things aren't growing as quickly as they want. Biggest egg was 10mm, and they want them to be at 20mm. Another scan on Friday morning to check progress, but I don't know how long they keep going before they decide it isn't growing enough and have to abandon... the consultant is very matter of fact, but perhaps a bit casual about it, so I didn't think to ask everything and she didn't seem bothered either way!!! I felt terribly guilty as well - I had dropped one of the needles on Sunday so it had to be thrown away. I confessed to the consultant and she joked (I hope!) "Oh well, just as well you're not paying for them!". How bad did I feel!?

G's sample had to be given in a different department.... suffice to say he hadn't been looking forward to having to do it in a room where lots of men had done the same thing over the same magazines (yes, apparently the pages were stuck together!!!), but he managed it! At least he only has to do his thing twice - once to be tested for quality, and once for the real thing (if we get to the stage where the eggs are big enough!). They should be fertilizing the eggs and freezing them as embryos, as apparently they freeze better in this state.

Luckily, we had something nice to look forward to after hospital, which was picking up the new car. Took bluddy ages!!! The salesman had forgotten to ask the accountant to prepare the invoice, so he was pee'd off to be doing that at 5pm in the afternoon, and then someone else had to come in and try to persuade me to buy GAP insurance, tyre insurance, special interior scratch resistant insurance, break a fingernail insurance.... etc etc. I am an "insurance averse" kinda person (yeah, yeah, I know. I'd have had my mortgage paid off by now if I had had some kind of life/critical illness cover...) so I wasn't going to sign anything there and then!! We eventually got the car, and it is totally lovely. Cruise control, Bluetooth, 6 speed gear box, 6 cd changer, aux input for ipod, electric windows, chairs, 2 sun roofs... so easy to drive. I just have to learn how to park it now!! It has front and rear sensors, but none on the side. Rubbish!!! ha ha ha!

It is SO nice to have my freedom back, as I can drive this car really easily and am actually more comfortable in the drivers seat due to where the seatbelt falls.

Tuesday has been a normal day. Work, food shopping, and then a visit to friends Hannah & Patrick (to give their daughter her birthday present and meet their new kitten - so lovely - bonkers and friendly, just the way we like them!), and then popped in to see Charlotte & Marcus to see how their house renovations/extension building are going (they found a water main leak and the plumbers still haven't switched the hot water back on - its been off for more than 2 weeks!!). Oh, and to show off the new car!!! Well....

Righto, got to read an article on green laning, apparently, in the Land Rover International magazine that G bought. See ya'll again soon. xxx