Rabid Heather!

A week and two days to go and I've got ants in my pants! I'm pacing about the house all the time, partly because of exam thoughts but largely due to excitement and impatience. It's not been an easy few days though; just in time for the really big serious life deciding exams I got my final rabies vaccination (it is a course of three jabs). I reacted very badly, not just the arm pain which was bad enough, but I was sick too. For days. So much so that I had to go to the hospital on Sunday to get anti-emetics. It's amazing how I forget everything I've ever known when I'm ill. Not only did I forget I needed to take electrolyes in an isotonic solution, I also forgot that I had some sitting in my rucksack in case of Delhi Belly. In fact I have an entire travelling pharmacy for such an event. But could I get my brain to string together a decent thought and get them out and drink them? Erm, no. I'm very grateful to friends who saw an internet moan I posted who phoned me and nagged me to not die, get sorted and pass my exams. The first two I have managed. The jury is still out on the third.

Loking forward to Monday when I am going to get my visa. Its all coming together now!

How many sleeps?

It's beginning to feel very close! It's just a couple of weeks until I go now, and I'm trying not to get too excited. Not least because I have exams in the meantime and all my energy should be diverted towards them. It's definitely brown undies week, these are very important and I'm very scared. I'm doing my best to give it 100% whilst wanting to disappear into the hills with a tent, my fishing rod and the dog. You know when it all just feels a bit much? Well that's this week. My Auntie died on Tuesday of cancer, I saw her on Sunday when she was very ill, but still able to hear us. I am lucky, I got the chance to tell her I loved her. So it's been a turbulent week, but I'm back focused on my goal.

I've collected so much stuff for the hospital in India that I can't carry it, so I've sent some things on ahead, and some to one of the staff who is currently in England but going back out in a week or two. Apparently the compounders have been getting jealous of all us Glasgow students wearing surgical scrubs - they don't have any. So I was delighted to recieve a donation of ex NHS scrubs that were getting binned. The salvageable ones are coming out with me for the guys. I've even got a couple of scrub dresses! So thankyou to the anonymous donor, and also to Lindsay McFadyen for donating out of date medical equipment, especially sutures. Donkeys don't seem to mind if things are out of date.

I suppose todays message is one I learned from an undertaker. He says to tell people that you love them whilst you can, because he's seen too many people crying "I should have told them when I had the chance". He's right - don't be one of those heartbroken people.

Acknowledgments

Things are picking up in the planning department, I've confirmed the flights, car transfers, which hotel I want, all my train tickets and various other little bits. Tomorrow it will all be finalised and paid for (hopefully by the fairies).

I wanted to post a brief acknowledgment to some of those who are supporting this project.

• Intervet for a donation of £150
• Hills for a donation of £50
• Schering-Plough for a donation of £50 and some rabies vaccines
• Royal Canin for a donation of pens for the surgery and an offer of raffle prizes
• Fort Dodge for a donation of antibiotic tablets
  
• Glasgow Royal Infirmary for collecting out of date sutures for me to take

I'm very grateful for all the help I've been given, with a bit of luck I will be able to add to this list in a few days. All donations have gone directly to the animal hospital and will pay for treatments for the animals. The charity is run by volunteers so there are no admin costs to pay. Every penny raised goes to the hospital, something of which I thoroughly approve.

I've been getting all my bits of kit together (makes me feel intrepid) and sticking them in a bag to stop me playing with them too much. I am now the proud owner of a silk sleeping bag liner, made by a Dundee company. They are called Scottish Silkworm and a third of the price of any of the equivalents in outdoor shops, free next day delivery. And in pretty colours too! I've also got (not quite so proud) rehydration salts, mozzy repellant, ration packs of all day breakfast (in case I can't handle any more chillies) and a brand new toy which my Mum would love - a Buff / Buffera. It's a sort of balaclava/scarf effort, a tube of material with no seams anywhere so you shouldn't get itchy. It's dead versatile, UV repellant and makes me look like a funky pirate. What more could a girl ask for? I'll get back to you on that one.

Intro

I have never really thought seriously about blogging, and have thoroughly mocked those who do - who's going to read it? Why don't you talk to the cat, or just find something better to do with your time - but I have been persuaded into starting one to keep in touch with friends over the course of my stay in India, and for life in general. I'm one of those people who means to do things. I do honestly mean to phone you/write/email/meet up I just never quite get there. So to salve my aching conscience I'll just stick it all here and then it's up to you to check, and I am sneakily absolved of any blame (good, eh?).

Credit for the title goes to my friend Anne who has been doing a counselling course, her new favourite question is "What are you going to do with your wild and precious life?". Hopefully this will be a space where I can show her.

Now I feel I should say something profound, so I'm going to go and sit down until the feeling passes.

(Don't you have anythig better to do with your time than read about me? I'm really not very exciting, it's just an illusion created because I flap my arms about a lot.)