Sex and Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll...

Me shooting Ros!


Sex? Ok...maybe not the sex part. Sex? What is sex anyway? It sounds good! Am I missing something? I have heard about it...seen pictures etc...Anyway;)...But the rest...oh yes! Lots of drugs...as always plenty of drugs. I don't even think about them though. The automatic swallowing of my drugs come natural to me. As does the shooting up of my Factor VIII and my nightly painkillers. They're keeping me alive right? Nuff said! Swallow em...inject em and stay alive...so I do. And plenty of rock...Not Brighton rock either. Or your granite sort. More of your musical kinda rock. I am always listening to my music...in the bath soaked in sweat...at my desk where my trusty apple mac is at...cycling around Richmond Park or some such similar place...and in my car...especially in my car. Nice and loud...heavy & quiet...soft & dark...short & long...angry & sad...happy & uplifting. That's my music...what rocks me baby!
So we come to the roll. Ok, I had a very nice roll for lunch today and know doubt another roll for lunch tomorrow...sausages with dijon mustard or ham & turkey with cranberry jam. Very tasty...very rolly, but not the sort of roll I am talking about in the title! Have you guessed yet? Ok I will tell you. Last night (Thursday) I executed...that's right, I executed my first ever kayak roll (eskimo roll) ever in the whole wide world! And I didn't even plan on doing it. It was my fourth time in the pool in four weeks and only the second time that I had actually tried it. The second and third visits to the pool in Ealing were just mucking around in the water going round and round all the others who can do rolls and thinking how Lovely it would be to do an eskimo roll myself one day. And then along came yesterday. Daisy was there...she was assisting me on my first real roll too. Waiting in her boat, ready to come over if I needed rescuing. I did too a few times...and from Lee and Ian. But then something clicked. Ian had finished with trying to show me and helped Lee instead. I managed a few 'Almost' rolls, but still not a roll! Daisy & I were alone now and instead of just mucking around in the pool, I decided to try again and again and again...sometimes three attempts before I whacked the bottom of my kayak to signal to Daisy to come rescue me. I was almost out of breath but Daisy was there when I needed her. I had taught her only the week before how to perform a rescue on someone in this way...what sort of things to look out for etc. She was brilliant and utterly trustworthy.
And then it happened! I did one! It was just after a few 'almost' rolls and two where I almost rolled onto the side of the pool! Dasiy was there waiting to come over and another kayaker was watching too. I said that I did one and he said that indeed I did. Then I told him that it was my first ever one. He congratulated me and said the drinks were on me. Daisy was smiling and knew that I had done one too. Lee & Ian missed it as they were practising together still. It's Lee's turn next...he's getting there too and it is only a matter of time before something clicks with him. Then I reckon Daisy will have to have a go.
I was elated from that moment on. I had about an hour left in the pool (out of 90 mins) and went off with Daisy & the others and tried to perfect it. I did around 10 in total and three of those were in a row...straight over again...upside down, then back up again. My shoulder hurt and one end of my paddle snapped off! It still worked ok, but I will need a new one. I must have wallopped it on the bottom of the pool...or on the side? I found the missing piece and kept it as a little trophy:) I'm not too bothered about the breakage as this gives me the perfect excuse to go and purchase a wonderful brand new Andrew Ainsworth paddle...the man who designed the Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet & armour:)
The real test will be to see if I can still do one next Thursday. I am pretty confident and keep doing the roll over in my head. Daisy, Lee & Ian will be there just in case I drown;)

Thursdays roll wasn't the only first that I have had recently. I had another one at the beginning of the week too. I was staying with my dear friend Ros for a few days up in Kidderminster. We both have 'Funny Blood'. She has vWd Type III (severe) and I Haemophilia 'A' severe and we took it upon ourselves to inject each other our Factor VIII (not at the same time if you were wondering;) Something we had never done before to another person. We had always wondered if we could do it...be alright...not kill them or fill them up with air bubbles and give them the bends or dig the needle right through the vein, elbow joint and into the table beneath. And the answer is yes we were fine:) It was a very special moment! First time in the vein and no air bubble insertion either. A first for both of us:) Her vein was much smaller than mine was. Mine is more like a leech compared. I was afraid of hurting her...she says that I didn't. I never felt a thing either. She sat down with her five pieces of kitchen paper and her dead straight arm and I stood up in the kitchen by the sink...Perfect shooters...the pair of us:)
I had a bloody wonderful time up there with Ros & her Hubby Ade. Did a bit of cycling too. They made me feel very welcome...Thanks guys:) Also Ros & I made some tasty cakes just before I went home again on Wednesday (chocolate & date Rice Krispy cakes), and I ate a couple just before I went into the swimming pool with my little wedge of orange that is my kayak. They must have helped...I like to think they did anyway;) Thanks Ros:)

So on to the photo...I don't have a photo of me doing an eskimo roll or my sausage baps, but I do have one of me injecting Ros her Factor VIII. I hope you don't mind me using it. It is a little wonky I know & I managed to chop the top of your head right off along with your Lovely hair;) (Better the hair than the air eh;) but I was busy concentrating between the air in the syringe, the look on your face for signs of the bends and what the camera was doing;)

So there you have it...a fully fledged Eskimo and a highly trained couple of phlebotomists:) The world is our oyster Ros;)


Jason...May the fourth be with you...






(C) JPT.........1329.69 miles.