Talking Turkey

My trip to Egridir was memorable for a number of reasons.

The two hour queue to drop of my solitary bag. Thanks to Gatwick’s “system failure” – like they have one…
The child sitting on mamas lap in the seat behind me in the plane, kicking the back of my seat every 30 seconds for 4 hours..
The rather unorthodox manoeuvre the bus drivers used in changing driver while the bus was doing 70 kph.
Osmens Pension in Antalya what I have now stayed at two nights and been charged variously 38 and 70 Euros -----

Now I really have to say here that Turkey is full of lovely folk, but seriously guys, you’re going to have a very big problem if you don’t make your mind up which currency you’re going to use. Getting charged in Euros at some arbitrary exchange rate and given change in sterling, Euros and Lira is extremely confusing and I know I’ve been “had” several times. Yes only for a couple of Euros here and there, but it adds up. And will piss people off.

Anyhow…

The conference was fantastic. I’ve met a heap of lovely folk and met up with a very (old) friend.

I’m going to post a lot more about this. I know I did a few stories on Facebook, but I got a pile more.
Let’s hope the flight home works out.  Else you’ll never know

Depressingly familiar….

Although I’m sure there are many who disagree, I’m not stupid. I know that what we refer to as “feelings” are simply the result of electrical impulses and chemicals in our brain and I know that the hormone therapy was acting on the pituitary gland in my brain. So to me it’s clear that the chemicals in my brain have been intentionally altered.

My friendly doc tells me that it will take “months” for the effects to wear off (Yes, I came off the therapy because I found the side-effects unbearable) and he has given me yet more chemicals to stop the violent mood swings. 

He also tells me (it was him who put a name 4 years ago to the depression I have) that I should have been warned that taking the hormone therapy whilst having depression would likely amplify the side-effects. But of course in this dis-connected world that calls itself the Health Service no-one talks to anyone else. At least I would have been forewarned.

Now, I’m not saying that the Health Service doesn’t take mental illness seriously.  I’ve received treatment; 6 hours of counselling and tablets. But of course the Health Service is made up of people. And people seem to have no end of prejudice when it comes to mental illness.

People who know I have cancer are real nice. They do walk on eggshells quite often. But with cancer it’s something they can understand. They care.

But even people I’ve know for years, who have seen the effects depression has had on me, especially mood swings and behavioural changes, insist it isn’t the effects of chemical imbalances controlling how I feel,. but that somehow I am inherently “bad”.  Or in some way defective.

I hope the head doctors do find a better way to treat mental illness. But I’m probably not alone in having part of me wishing that people who don’t know about it, or have never had it, or are simply gainsayers about it could experience it for one day.

Because you don’t need to have cancer to empathise with someone who has.