Two days after coming back from a warm, sunny, and downright spectacular vacation in Greece at the end of September, Jessica and I found ourselves oddly toasty—even though Dutch weather was chilly. A quick test with the COVID kits we had lying around revealed we’d brought home an unexpected souvenir we hadn’t paid for: Corona!
While we didn’t feel as sick as we had on previous rounds of COVID, I still spent my birthday sniffling and coughing. Fortunately, we’d celebrated early with family while my dad was visiting in August. So, instead of a big party, I settled for a slice of pie, a cozy blanket, and some TV time with Jessica.
The real dilemma was what to do with my birthday money. My family were kind this year, so I’d saved my gift money for a spectacular present. For a while, I thought I’d go all in on a Steam Deck, a console that lets you play digital games handheld or on the big screen. But after finding out it wouldn’t run one of the games I already owned, I had a change of heart. A PC seemed like the way to go.
Finally feeling more human as COVID faded, I was ready to get back to livestreaming. But I had to push things back a bit, not just to wait for the new PC and set it up but also because life had a few curveballs in store.
For starters, some pesky back problems popped up, making it tough to sit still or move around. I had a couple of sessions with the physio, but most of the work was up to me. Physio can straighten me out, but I’m the only one who can build up my strength.
Then I got a flu shot, which came with another grand tour through Snot Land, and a series of other appointments kept me busy.
One of those appointments was a fascinating meeting with folks from Humanitas, a volunteer organization that helps people who need support. In my case, I need a buddy to help me get out and do fun stuff. Humanitas had paired me with someone before, and that turned into a solid friendship. But as friendships grow, so do great opportunities, and I encouraged my friend to pursue hers, which means we meet up less now. So I reached out to Humanitas for a new buddy.
My new buddy and I have met up once so far since our initial meeting. We had some good laughs over old-fashioned board games, and I’m looking forward to more fun with her.
Speaking of strength and fun updates, have I mentioned I’ve been managing my own morning routine for the past two months? If you’ve read my Community Care Train blogs, you’ll know the home care team used to come by every day to help me shower and dress.
At the beginning of the year, I started focusing on my physical health—motivated by the looming threat of extra meds. I’ve lost a lot of weight since then, and though I’m not at the finish line yet, I’ve gained more control over what I can do. Now I’m managing my morning routine myself! I still have my trusty ‘station clock’ (the Medido that helps me remember my meds) and my personal alarm system if I ever need a hand, but it’s been empowering to do more on my own.
Before my new PC arrived, I squeezed in a livestream with a fellow streamer, ChubbyishBunny. We organized a snack swap challenge where I sent her Dutch treats, and she sent me some tasty British goodies. We unboxed our snack packages on stream and tried them live. Were there smiles or scrunched-up faces? Well, you’ll have to re-watch to see which snacks scored and which ones…well, didn’t. (Link at the bottom of the blog).
By the end of the month, I was finally back at the day center. I got to jump into some creative activities, and the coaches even helped me lead a Sign Language workshop. The visitors were so enthusiastic about learning to sign, that the sense of acceptance was huge. Not only am I feeling support from the coaches and visitors, but it’s also helping me accept myself—what a confidence boost!
Then, at long last, my new PC arrived! I spent a couple of days setting it up so I’d be ready to stream. While the basics (plugging in, turning it on) didn’t take long, I had to install some apps and games to get it stream-ready. I finally went live on the 30th with some Stardew Valley shenanigans. But, because Twitch decided to keep my viewers in the dark, we had to herd everyone over to YouTube for a live picture. Despite the tech hiccup, the stream was a blast!
November is kicking off with a few more appointments and some exciting streams planned. Want to know what kind of mischief I’ll get into? Stick around for my next blog update!
Until then, be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful!
Watch the Snack Swap stream: Here.
Written By MustLoveDon. Edited with ChatGPT.
Image created with Designer, made possible with Dall-E 3.
CRS Life 