Outdoor drinks on pier Prince of Wales
Friday 16th April
Day of meeting with EPIC’s student project at 2pm. Start writing blog about health and writing exercise 2 from Jessica Lourey’s book. Do 3. X 5 minutes sessions. Seems right as have been doing this diary, Luci app dreams and charting diet, plus my novel ideas have stuck around. Rewrite your Life has made them fit into place and highlit the relevance and purpose, which I wasn’t aware of.
Meeting with Ray and Toni went in direction of me telling students my idea and them making one-hour webinar for Long Covid Support group and donate £500 and students get £500. Didn’t see where to go next and will ask around. Went to Front for drink with Vicky and queued for about 30 minutes. 4 drinks. Balti, home and quiz. Had chat.
Saturday 17th April
Spoke to Pete about EPIC call. He says they are trying to rip me off. I’ve got to keep working on the book, done a mind map. Need to use “narrative non-fiction” to tell story of how I got there, experiences, lessons and info gained on way. Maybe “journalist” style with lots of footnotes a la What a Carve Up. Unpaid investigative journalist exposés. Go to St Mawes to Angela and Nicole’s. Put roof down and drain car battery. Leave car and windows down and take last ferry. Deap picks me up with Jessica.
Sunday 18th April
On Sunday wake 10am and lots of coffee. We talk about Andy, her relationship, getting him to talk etc. Say she could make talking a condition etc. She says he wants to try Rewrite Your Life.
Monday 19th April
Slept in, woke at 11am or 12pm. Texted Patsy to say felt chesty and couldn’t do swim at 9.30am. Did 3 bits of 5 mins writing and started a blog. Contemplated writing long post on food resources group. Pasted into blog and saved it. Mere fodder. Realised the person I was writing it for was someone like Patsy. As I’ve been through first stages, I need to write about them.
The bit about wanting to get up in the morning becomes going to start day with cup of coffee and do some writing. Wake up thinking second dose of vaccine not needed. I don’t want to muck up my hormones. Want natural immunity from recovery and think Long Covid could be reactions to medications and our bodies can’t fight artificial infections. Women get more reactions to vaccines than men.
Tuesday 20th April
Wake up at 10am and had better night’s sleep. Symptoms going. Less hot/cold and constipation. Last night watched lovely film and then Made in Chelsea. Watched Dr Jamina Raminez’s doc about Oseberg Boat. I never knew it was in Norway. I thought it was in Sweden and found in UK. Watched Westworld on Tuesday night. Spent afternoon trying to organise beach.
Vicky says can do 2pm onwards. I worry about being dependent on close friends seeing during lockdown and being disconnected from community. I set up meeting with Verity for Thursday at 11am and get email from Toni at EPIC to contact long COVID group. Reply to say have plans and would like to be able to stick to that.
Wednesday 21st April
I get up at 10am and bring in Riverford. Cook full breakfast with steak, pic put on Twitter. Then I check my email and messages. Had message from tutor from Fal Uni Anneke. Said could do Zoom call. Would be good. Toni at EPIC replied to set up a meeting on Friday to discuss next moves. Realise I have to get the whole story and process over. Plus how people would change, knew overall lifestyle will make them feel. Write quite a few pages then try and call Jessica. Replies to say night before went awry. Patsy suggests swim by Greenbank. It is lovely, don’t want to get out. Arrange to do beach on Thursday.
Thursday 22nd April
Woke 10am, did kitchen clear up. Plan to get to beach and swim with Patsy. Jessica texts to say Andy had resolved himself. Meeting with Verity. She suggests getting students and make webinar but only give info I’d like to. Cook breakfast and get picnic together. Cook chicken from last Riverford. Patsy text to say not drinking so like to be picked up. Take swimming stuff and we go to Gylly, really rough sea. Park at Swanpool Cold wind, rough sea. Go to Greenbank. Sit sheltered by wall in sun. Drink miniature bottle of wine. I go in, feels warm. Very choppy. Dry and change. Go and sit in shelter in sun. Have drinks in Working Boat marquee. Get food order forgotten. Come home, drink and watch sunset then eat picnic. I watch Dragon’s Den and This is My House. Bed.
Sophie Sweatman 
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