Hubbius made me a big steak sandwich for dinner last night. Potts rye bread, molto baby spinach, a piece of nice cheddar cheese (to melt onto the steak and glue the crumbly bits together) and a medium slab of porterhouse steak. Yum. I wasn't hungry until I somehow ate all of it, while he sat watching me with a look of smug upon his face. That's his way of dealing with the possible anaemia.

I did tell the doctor, and him, that I have never suffered from anaemia in my life. My haemoglobin is usually around 14-16. I guess it can start anytime.

There is a term for being difficult to get blood from. Next time I think I'll take a muscle relaxant or maybe one of the Xanax Hubby no longer needs. I can't find any evidence it will make it harder to get blood and it will help me. I also need to ask them to try a child-sized needles, to go in my child-sized veins. Or maybe a butterfly. I do recall that when I broke my arm they put in a bung based on how hard it was to find a way in... for which I was profoundly grateful. Negative experiences of blood-taking just make the anxiety worse. Well, duh! I have a bad experience at a rate of 1:2. I actually had trouble falling asleep last night because my fever spiked and I started worrying about the next time they have to take blood - whenever that is. My other idea is to tell my shrink so she can maybe hypnotise me out of it.

Have thrown out an exciting new symptom. Now adding occasional tachycardia to the mix.

So medicos - naturally - want more blood. Among other things, to check I'm not...

...anaemic.

At least I can have this lot of blood drawn at teh same time as the other lot. Which means tomorrow between doing presentations at a Conference, and visiting the Physio.

Such a giddy social whirl I don't think.

I did go to the pub with my staff tonight. It was fun. I had 3 drinks. I hope I cna get up tomorrow.

Feeling quite peppy - maybe that's the 3 coffee a day habit I've pioneered?

Drinking water like a fish (or don't fish drink water?) because hubby is off to doctor to see if they can get rid of his lingering cough. Since the pathology place is next door it seems like a time to get those last blood tests done. With my veins that means beaucoup d'eau unless I like having the vein collapse once the needle goes in.

Am very focussed on storage. Bought a hanging rail on wheels and some coathangers with clip attachments and have moved my fabric stash from inside 2 huge wheelie crates onto the rail. This means I can frot my fabric more easily.

My book: "Cut the Clutter" made this suggestion, and it seems a good one. I am becoming the queen of the anal retentive.

Having the fabric on one long hanger rack also told me I have enough neutrals: black, grey, grey-green and offwhite do predominate. (It's a Melbourne thing.) Hubby commented: "it's all a bit too bright, isn't it?" which earned him a sofa cushion to the head.