The day did not start off terribly happy. My ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) had flared up and I was struggling with fatigue. I did manage to get myself up and have my breakfast but it was a real effort and by 9am, the time I should be walking out the door on the way to work, I was sat on the end of my bed, still in my jammies finally facing up to the fact it was just not going to happen; I was going to have to admit defeat and call in sick.

Urgh.

I slept most of the day, finally getting back downstairs around 4pm for a very late lunch and thanking my past self for making up a batch of homemade soup that I could quickly chuck in the microwave and enjoy without too much effort.

As bad as missing a day of work is, and I do hate calling in sick, I also had the rotten task of letting my friends G and E know I wouldn’t be able to join them for our girls night out. * insert sad face *

We’d planned to go to a comedy club in town and grab dinner afterwards. And whilst this wasn’t necessarily an official “Galentine’s” night out, I’d be lying if our Whatsapp group didn’t have one or two Golden Girl gifs added to the chat. Tickets had been purchased and arrival times coordinated to ensure we grabbed a table early (I can’t be standing for any length of time, not with these knees!) and we are all looking forward to a fun night out.

I think the thing that really bothered me was that I just hadn’t seen this flare up happening, often there’s a couple of days build up or at least some kind of sign that I’m struggling before it gets so bad I can’t get to work but no, not this time, nothing!

And it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I might not make our night out either. Mostly when I agree to go somewhere there are many caveats attached to my acceptance, “I’ll need to play it by ear/see how I am on the day/book in some rest time before/after”, “I’ll need to arrive late/leave early/have a seat/get a lift, “Do you know what the parking is like/what the venue is like/are there stairs/is it going to be loud/busy” etc etc. I’m an absolute joy to invite out!

But this time I’d make arrangements and was simply assuming I’d make it. But by 4.30pm I’d cancelled. I was a bit sad but I knew I had to be sensible and that my friends would understand so that was it…

...or was it! * dun dun dah!!! plot twist *

At three minutes to five, my phone beeped and there it was, a message from my friends telling me not to worry about cancelling and that they might have already come up with an alternative plan for the evening, if I was up to it. The sneaky wee so and sos had chatted privately after hearing I was off sick and had decided that if I couldn’t come to the night out, the night out would come to me!

Well, I did what any mature, emotionally rock-solid together individual would do whilst lying on her sofa in her jammies on Valentine’s night hearing that her friends had sacrficied an already paid for night out to sit in my house with me, I cried.

I had not realised how down I really was about the events of the day until that kind gesture from my friends and as soon as I heard they were on their way to be with me, I was so touched and all the emotions just poured out of me. I was beaming from ear to ear, frantically typing messages saying THANK YOU! YES! at the same time tears were rolling down my cheeks.

So later that evening, G and E appeared at my front door with dinner and dessert, hugs and smiles ready to spend an evening in the glamorous setting that is my livingroom.

I’d been on strict instructions not to tidy up for them coming (they know me so well that they knew A) the house would be untidy and B) I’d immediately want to tidy knowing they were coming!). I was also banished to the sofa while they prepped dinner and reassured me throughout the evening that they could go whenever I got too tired and that I didn’t need to keep apologising for my silly brain fog which was making it challenging to form coherent sentences… even more so than usual on a Friday night!

So to my friends and not just the ones that gave up a night on the town for pizza and blethers on the sofa (food is not allowed on the yellow chair!), thank you. You always take such care of me, you are kind, thoughtful and I’m so incredibly luck to have you all in my life, I love you all.

Oh and a special mention to Izzy for bringing me a HUGE box of choccies on Wednesday, that was perfect timing and they were thoroughly enjoyed last night. After all, what’s valentine’s day without some chocolates from and with people you love!