Frazzled mind (can't think of a title other than... an update?!)

Hello everyone!!!

It's been a while since I've updated this blog so I'll do it now before my mind completely shuts down... The online support I get is a real blessing as it's a totally different story in the real world so I like to keep in touch with as many people as I can but it's sometimes hard... I've spent the past half hour or so responding to messages from back to last Saturday as I just haven't had the energy to do so before now. My mind is frazzled (I think that's a proper word). You get the gist anyway so I'll try to make as good sense as I can with what I say now...

SOCIAL

It was during April that I last updated the blog and a few things have happened since. If I remember correctly, last time I posted there was quite a lot going on and everything seemed to be going wrong for me. The situation with the person I feel strongly for is no different. I don't expect us to be in contact again and it's become easier over the past few months but I can't help how I feel... especially considering I'd had those feelings for 3 years. I'm feeling more isolated now really, but I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I am partly to blame for that. Talking about friends in general now... if you asked me if I'd like to be back in contact with a lot of the people who I've lost touch with then the answer would be no. I felt trapped in a way with so many negative influences around me that I didn't enjoy meeting up anymore. I think other sufferers can read in between the lines here without me coming across as a little tactless. So that pretty much covers the social side of things...

Since April, I've had my new book published about my journey with Asperger Syndrome. I've shared it about on social media but I've really not had the energy to do lots of researching what magazines I should be contacting etc. It's still something I need to do, it seems a bit of a blur actually.




DOWNLOAD

Anyway, let me explain what happened the other night. I'm still feeling the effects now and some of you will have noticed that I've been very quiet these past few days. Download Festival at Donnington Park has been and gone this past week.... I was dropped my brother off as he desperately wanted to go. It was 2 hours plus drive either way and I would never entertain the thought of driving for that long but the reason I did it was for the reason given above. My mum had also agreed to take him but she's not safe on motorways and has never been on one on her own. Practice makes perfect but she shouldn't have been doing that journey, that's the bottom line. I would have been worrying all night if I hadn't gone in case anything bad had happened. So... I ended up doing the WHOLE journey bar 5 minutes before we arrived at our destination. My mum took over for 5 minutes and nearly crashed so I had to take to the wheel again. I wasn't happy but I wasn't going to let her continue driving either, she didn't want to after that anyway. So... after a bit of going back and forth and not sure what was happening, my brother was dropped off and me and my mum were on our way back home. Soon after we'd set off back home the engine light had appeared on the dashboard. There was obviously something wrong so I pulled up in the hard shoulder and opened up the bonnet. I was nearly falling over due to the cars driving past at very high speeds. I came to the conclusion that the engine was overheated so I filled up the coolant cap with some water as I thought that would cool it. After over 30 minutes the light was still there and I decided to just risk it and go to the nearest services. After a while at services the light was still on but I decided to keep driving as I had no breakdown cover and didn't want to pay for them to come out. The same thing happened after the 2nd services and so I started driving again... this time I was so tired I was swerving off the motorway into the hard shoulder. I got flashed so had to stop again. Anyway... after 3 service stops and a trip to the garage it somehow ended up that we got back home at 9:30 am the previous morning. We'd been out for 13 hours... I wasn't able to sleep though because I had a medical at 11 am...

MEDICAL

This medical was about an hours drive away from where I lived so I had very little time at home before. I was nearly falling over and felt so ill. The actual medical was for PIP and I don't think it went too well... The woman I saw didn't ask me anything about my Aspergers and kept asking about what happened when I was first diagnosed with MECFS. She also got me to perform different arm and leg movements which we all know has nothing to do with this illness at all so it was a big waste of time. No doubt I'll end up having to go through another appeal process. Having said that, I didn't have to appeal this time for ESA which was a massive relief.

PAST FEW DAYS

I've literally done nothing these past few days. I've been sleeping mainly and I'm still recovering from the all nighter! Hence why I've been very quiet.

OVERALL

Overall, I'm still struggling a bit... I'm not afraid to admit that. I have my mum who is a massive help and I'm a Christian which helps me... but there's a void and that's friends... I have a firm belief that I will meet the right people sooner or later... I've been surrounded by the wrong people for far too long. I've never felt I could be completely myself and it's only this past year where I've felt like I've been a lot more like who I am. It's not going to be easy but patience is a virtue. I'm focusing my attention onto study now, I have an advanced nutrition course and a theology course too that I need to get stuck into. I also have a singing exam this summer so I need to get practicing for that!

Hope this all makes sense and I'll try not to leave it as long next time before I next post!

Barry