Woken up early and feel very dizzy and sick. I must eat immediately or else I will be sick so there's a store of ready cooked rice and peas ready to heat up in 2 mins in the microwave. Even trying to get down the stairs is a nightmare as I feel completely drunk and dizzy all the time.
Other food which really help are Jacobs crackers, Rich Tea biscuits, toast, rice and peas and the magic tablets... Polo mints! The only thing I want to drink is water because besides the acidity of anything else the numb feeling in my mouth means that I can't taste anything. I've tried to drink some Lucozade but I can only get a hint of the taste in the left of my mouth. When I move it to the right all I can feel is a mouthful of frothy water. No flavour at all. Strathmore flavoured water was a good option a few days ago but now it just churns up the stomach acids and tastes of nothing.
One highly recommended practice is to use Germolene ointment on the ear sores. Scabs, lesions and blisters seem to heal in a fraction of the time and almost leave without a mark. Even better is its ability to all but eliminate itching.
Towards evening I'm feeling much better but am still very unstable on my feet to the point where I'm walking with my arms stretched out in case I fall and also because I need them to balance. This is taking the Mickey now.
My mum and sister came over in the afternoon and I think this really did lift my spirits. It felt as though I had something to aim for and to look forward to. They brought loads of little gifts to cheer me up and best of all some home cooked food.
Conjee is a Chinese meal which is made out of 'overcooked' rice in excess water. It is savoury and has the consistency of a thick soup. You can make it with meat or other ingredients but look it up online because different people have different tastes. Essentially you boil half a cup of rice with about 3/4 pan (about 8inch saucepan) of water and throw in say some bacon ribs for flavouring although chicken is good too. Simmer for about 1.5 hours stirring every 15 mins so it doesn't stick to the base. A bit of flavouring like salt / pepper enhances the taste but the amount is up to personal preference.
The other magical meal she brought over was Scouse. Essentially a stew which has been cooked so long as to turn the clear soup into a thick mush! Ask your gran and she will tell you about it. If you want to make it yourself try 1lb shin beef, 1lb lean stewing beef, potatoes, carrots, 1 onion, salt + pepper and 2 sticks of celery. Chop up the beef and onion and simmer for an hour. Add some salt and pepper and then throw in your chopped up potatoes, carrots and celery. Leave this to simmer for another hour or so. If you prepare it the night before the flavour really does marinate through the whole meal. Heat it up the next day and you will have a truly mushy bowl of Scouse. Brilliant for people like me who can't open their mouths at the moment.
She also bought me an intra-sonic face massager which has a few different heads and a variable speed setting. This is supposed to be useful for stimulating the nerves but for now my face is a little swollen so further agitation isn't really recommended. I've got a hot water bottle to lay on to relax the face but this has made me sleep almost immediately and I nearly missed the rest of my many doses of medication!
One other major advancement is that I have been able to sit at the PC and type. Only a few minutes but at least I have been able to help with the work.