Has anybody started a hobby since diagnosis?

Hello,

I’m pretty new to all this and getting use to my new norm.  I have booked into a beginners calligraphy workshop in a couple of weeks and I am really looking forward to it.  Writing Christmas cards might take me awhile this year! 

Hello , calligraphy that sounds interesting, my normal handwriting is a bit scruffy as I always seem to rush instead of slowing down and being neat, that could give something to concentrate on.

Where did you find your workshop ? is it through a local college, or local hobby shop, or perhaps a Maggies centre? I’m getting ideas now, the local library once had a poster for a book folding workshop, unfortunately the workshop was full before I saw the poster. 

Thank you

I'm not much use to you here as it was just luck.  A friend was telling me about this place near me which runs art therapy mindfulness sessions - no good for me as I am so unartistic it would just cause me more stress but I looked to see if they did anything else.

But Google for all its faults is a wonderful thing for this sort of thing 

xx

Ah I’m much the same no artistic talent. It would be interesting to hear how you get on with the calligraphy. 

Hi there!

I had a stem cell transplant 10 years ago now and I've quite enjoyed getting to know a new me! Here are some of the things I have done since then, which I had never even thought of before!

Went to shamanic drumming groups

Made my own drum and beater and now have a monthly gathering at my home to drum

Felt making: made a fox, rooster, unicorn, dragon, hare and about to start a highland cow. I do this through a lady who puts video lessons on youtube. If you are interested, better contact me directly as I'm not sure about advertising on this page

I attend meditations group,s but I've always done that

Started and completed the Couch to 5K walking/running NHS thingy - I was 66 when I started that and achieved 3 x 45 minutes runs a week :-) I had never run before!

Took some short but fee online courses through FutureLearn. OU do some too

I also have a dog and live in the country so go for two walks every day. Nothing like being in the country to ease the mind and balance the mood :-)

I hope you find something you love to do :-)

I will let you know! It's 2 weeks today x

Hi suedenim, oh that is so clever I’ve just realised pseudonym. Thank you for taking the time to post, shamanic drumming I had to google as I’d never heard of that it conjured up thoughts of my childhood watching old black and white cowboy films.....oh no wait that was cos back then we only had black and white TVs duh. Do you find that it’s a fun thing, a tension released or perhaps both ? 

Felt making, I don’t sew but you did say you did things you hadn’t imagined before, I think I need to open up to new ideas and things to do when I can’t get out for walks. I’ll have a think about that one too. 

I think I was thrown into early retirement not prepared for it due to cancer and I am not sure I’m comfortable with that yet. 

When you did the short courses did you do that when you felt well or in a getting there phase ? I’m just curious, or procrastinating not sure which ! 

Hello again.

Shamanic drumming is a good release for energy but if you really get into it, it is a fabulous kind of meditation! Try it. Most groups have spare drums so there is no outlay while you are giving it a go.

The felt animals - i waited until my brain was more in gear, I had never done anything like it before and I really enjoyed it. Very therapeutic and soothing.  The lady I do it with sells the kits and then outs up short lessons for you to follow at your own speed. She also has a facebook page where members share questions/answers.

I went back to work after 22 months of treatment/recovery at the age of 59. I managed around 18 months of 3 days a week and then retired as I was making mistakes and realised my very supportive employer deserved better. I love retirement! I do charity work for Marie Curies and a small local charity. I volunteer two days a week for a couple where the lady is bed bound and so I just sit with her and the husband can go out for three hours and play golf or whatever.  I meet friends, I drum, I go to meditation,I walk by dog. I visit family (I have no children of my own, but adore the two generations below me). Life if full and pretty good. not perfect, but enough :-)

Re the short courses, they are free so start them when you want to and dont finish them if you can't! I looked at nutrition (I thought that would be useful) and metal health in the young - a very big problem at the moment.

Take your recovery a day at a time and dont try and get back to the old you. There is no old you now. You have to develop your new 'normal' but who wants to be normal anyway!!!!! Everyone reacts/recovers so differently anyway. Go get it!

I have a table cloth embroidered with names that I bought in a charity shop. I have been spending my time trying to find out who the people were who wrote their names on it and why. I find the research fascinating and can do it for as long or as short a period as I can concentrate. I have found out quite a lot. And it has been interesting nosing in to other people's lives. I now know it was embroidered before 1897. 

As a result of this, friends have asked me to help with their research and questions. So I've found out all about a doctor who went on a tour to Scotland in 1832. Now working on a Russian photo album. Don't speak Russian but have managed to establish that the pictures were taken by the Russian Court Photographer. 

I live alone, and my days are very long but this involvement with other people's lives does take me out of myself.

Wow! That sounds wonderful!!!