Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A Little Story With a Happy(ish) Ending


This photo was taken in 1995. It was the beginning of what was, without doubt, the worst year of my life, and having this hideous flu has reminded me. I was 27 at the time this photo was taken, and I was on the cusp of hitting that slippery slide downward that only occurs with a life spent in excess.

I was in Coolum Beach (Sunshine Coast) on a break with my then partner, she is in the background (just) of this photo. We had moved to Coolum to escape the temptations of Sydney. Our hobbies were:

a) Watching/playing live music

b) Boozing and drug taking to excess

c) Sleeping off b)

d) Repeat all steps infinity.

We broke up in this year, after 4.5 years, I was heartbroken and managed to contract Epstein Bar Virus from a hotel (severe, prolonged, flu) this led to chronic fatigue syndrome, which led to a mild depression, which became full blown depression, made worse by all the booze and drugs. I won't tell you the depravity and humiliation of that year, but know that there was laughter and tears, but not in equal measures.

I look back at that year with a shudder but I feel really lucky, and I chuckle when I think of the dickhead Doctor who told me that the CFS was all in my head!

These days my hobbies are much more productive, and I always have a little smile when I put on my favourite sewing pini (you know the type, retro, flowery with big eff-off pockets at the front for bobbins) to sew up a storm for my Little P.

5 comments:

Victoria said...

Thanks for sharing. I am amazed how much persecution I have seen people with chronic fatigue syndrome get, still.

blackie said...

is'nt it amazing how much things can change? sometimes I look back at myself 5 years ago and I swear it's a different person. ps: doctors that tell you it's in your head...i've had that too. the cheek of them!

joanne said...

oh what a bugger! I have never even heard of that flu - thank god that year is long gone!!!!!

Stomper Girl said...

That does sound like a crapulous year. You did well to come out the other side because that was a lot of bad stuff to be going on at the one time!

Corrie said...

what a year you had! I lost one of my best friends to CFS...well she left school in year 10 and it felt like she had left the world...it was hard for us to understand and I can't imagine how hard it was for you! She ended up having to go to another school to finish year 11 and 12 as she was behind us by a year!

what would we do with our sewing heh!