It’s Saturday morning and I still have not made any attempt to join the world of the living. Instead I’ve opted to eat two slices of soda bread, sip on a cup of Rooibos tea and climb back into bed and crawl under the covers. I’m quite tired (I know, same old story…) and I just do not feel like doing anything that requires much in the way of mental and physical effort.

This week has has some intense moments. On Monday I was on an interview panel. In this new world, these events are for the most part online, and this was my second time being taking part in something like this. There was a lot of reading to do and information to review. It takes a great deal of concentration and focus to listen to the candidates and process what they have said and then work out if it sensible and sane! All the candidates were good and totally appointable but there was only one post. It will be interesting to see what our new colleague makes of the role and our department. Exciting times are afoot.

The autism conference was on Wednesday morning. I realised, after the fact, that I had been carrying a great deal of stress about it. This despite the fact that I had asked another consultant colleague to join me and two other speech and language speech and therapists. This did make the whole thing more manageable as in previous years, I did the whole presentation myself. This year, one some level I was more relaxed, as I much less to do and say. However I was still worried about tripping over my words and sounded flustered. I hope I did OK. It is recorded so I guess at some point in time I can watch myself back and set off another round of self-criticism!

On Friday, I got to work insanely early, just before half seven, to try a make a dent into my backlog of reports to dictate. I did manage to get some reports dictated. I even managed to dictate both reports from my Friday morning clinic. I even managed to correct one of the reports. I managed a mini-induction with one of the locum consultants, who is joining us for a short while. I plowed through the on call tasks and emails, and then by quarter to five, I ran out of steam. I just could not do anymore. So I packed up my things and drove to my mother’s house for my Friday night dinner.

So somewhere in the intensity of the week, I was able to cook and spend some soothing time in the kitchen. On Tuesday, between Triage meeting and the clinical team meeting, I attempted to convert the coconut chicken curry recipe to a fish curry. It was not as tasty, but it made for a filling lunch.

On Tuesday evening, I made another Irish Soda Bread but this time with sultanas and flaked almonds. This was an improvement on the original!

So that was the week that was…