The past few weeks have been exhausting.
Little things can rouse the black dog: library books not returned, car overheats, can’t attend a friend’s funeral. He pokes and prods, clawing away at my carefully constructed armour. Before long he’s found that chink – a way in, allowing the smallest grain of doubt to niggle. And niggle it does. Endlessly.
The legs tick. The hand shakes. The heart thuds. With each quickened breath, the muscles stiffen and clench until the nerves complain. Pain spreads, first through the lower back, then through the chest. Grabbing. Spreading down the arm.
Worry is next. It’s inevitable. No matter how much I try to distract myself, try to convince myself it is all in my head, I fail. The pain lingers, spreads, intensifies. A sense of dread.
Deep breaths. Soothing music. An overdue scrummage in the medicine cabinet – to avoid another long, bumpy ambulance ride, the swinging doors and and fluorescent lights. Each time there is a sense of guilt for wasting their time, as the nurses poke and prod me and hook me up to the machine. I feel like Frankenstein’s monster waiting for the lightning to strike. Then, finally, the doctor says not to worry. All is okay.
There’s a final growl from the black mutt. Self-judgement follows. Why do I feel I failed?