My Review of the Year 2019

It's been a pretty good year for me in terms of walking and my days out...and my health.

Healthwise, my only problems have been a bout of the flu which provoked my acid reflux oesaphagitis cough for a couple of weeks , and recently I had my ears syringed for the first time. I'm getting more enjoyment from walking now that I'm able to hear things much better.

A couple of my friends have been good to me this year; Damo, from Leeds, got me a voucher for a free trip on National Express which I used to go to Lichfield for the day, and Justin, my friend who lives locally, paid for the two of us to go to Blackpool on the train.

My annual allocation of a hundred hours for trips out with my support worker was renewed again. I used it to go to various open gardens events, to Beverley and Hull, to a couple of agricultural shows, to Beningbrough Hall near York, Lincoln Christmas Market, to the tulip festival at Pocklington, and to the antiques centre at Hemswell near Gainsborough when it was a rainy day.

I bought a couple of pairs of secondhand walking boots from charity shops and  managed to extend the areas I can reach to go walking. I was walking in Staffordshire for the first time this year.

My definite highlight for the year was my walk which took me to Longnor in Staffordshire, visiting Upper Dovedale and passing close to Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill - I didn't have time to climb them though.

My Medical Conditions And How They Affect My Walking

My main medical condition, and the reason why I'm classified as being disabled and have been given a free travel pass and allocated my support workers, is my Asperger's syndrome. It doesn't really affect me that much when I'm walking, apart from the occasional abuse hurled at me because of my unusual posture and gait.

I also used to suffer from acid reflux oesophagitis which meant that if I bent down stomach acid would spill out and burn my throat causing me to cough for the rest of the day - since losing a lot of weight this isn't a problem now though.

Since my diagnoses of severe vitamin D deficiency nearly eighteen months ago and my subsequent treatment and recovery I've been feeling a lot better but there has been long term and permanent damage to my bones and muscles and so I need to be careful when I'm walking because the consequences of any accident will be far worse for me than for the average person.

Also in 2016, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes; the only issue this presents when I'm walking is that I always need to remember to bring my tablets with me, which I need to take every time I eat a meal.

Overall my physical health is good at the moment, probably the best it's ever been, which is pretty impressive for a man of 55. I wish my social wellbeing was in such a healthy state though; I'm lonely and unfulfilled in my life. Walking, taking photographs, and writing for the blog does help though by giving me some sort of purpose in life; additionally I've joined a Facebook group for people who are over forty and are planning to walk over a thousand miles this year - so far I've only managed to log seventeen miles on two walks. The group should be good though; we'll be able to report on our progress and provide support and encouragement for each other.