Hello everyone! This is my first post on this my new and improved blog and i'm excited and nervous to share with you whats been going on with me on my chronic illness journey! I wanted to create and honest blog that basically talks about the real life realities of living with a chronic illness, without a filter! I hope that my posts might make you feel less alone or let people who aren't in the the chronic illness community get an idea of what we are going though and create a little understanding of what it like to live with a chronic illness. Especially if its invisible.
So this week I've had a bit of a flare up in symptoms. My pain levels are worse than usual, this has mostly been in my joints but I've also had some muscular pain where my joints have been overworked trying to keep everything in the right place. The pain has mostly been on my right side with pain in my shoulder arm and (quite severely) in my wrist. I have had to wear my wrist brace but even then its been bad. I've also had my joints doing a lot of clicking and cracking as I move which has been sore. Fun! I've also really been struggling with acid reflux and nausea and am finding it hard to keep food settled in my stomach and find that most foods are causing me nausea and regurgitation. (Yuck!) I think this possibly has something to do with the change in my meds. Yesterday was interesting as i was doing okay, but after about 20 minutes in the supermarket I went down hill quite quickly and crashed. My pain levels went right up and the fatigue hit bad. I started slurring my words and got super foggy. Just making it back to the car with the support of my boyfriend without being sick I was pretty much written off for the rest of the day, which was a shame because I wanted to help with the cleaning of the flat and have a nice bath. I realised that what hadn't helped matters was the fact that I had missed my meds the night before and hadn't really eaten enough that morning. After eating some rice, drinking a lot of water and resting (and taking my meds) I felt a little better. I watched some Netflix and boyfriend cooked me a lovely dinner. However after I ate I immediately became drowsy and passed out on the sofa! It often feels really hard when you have days like this and you can't quite do the day you planned. It can be upsetting and frustrating and its okay to feel like that. Comment below if you've had similar experiences. it would be lovely to hear from you!
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Here are my top five helpful things for when you are in a pain flare... 1.Heating pads! When I’ve got achy muscles or joints a heading pad is my go to. I really love wheat bags, because they heat up in the microwave and it’s a bonus if they smell like lavender! Here is one with a lovely pattern from the blue badge company. It is lavender scented and can be heated up in minuets in the microwave. Here is the link to a lovely wheat bag and many more lovely products: https://www.bluebadgecompan.y.co.uk/garden-bird-lavender-wheat-warmer.html 2. Mobility Aids. There is absolutely no shame in using mobility aids. It doesn’t matter if your young or old, if it helps you use it! I use my walking sticks on days where I might have trouble walking because of pain or fatigue or if I am having dizzy spells and are prone to falling. Mobility aids can also be used as preventatives. If you know that walking from A to B will cause you fatigue or pain then use it if it helps prevent this. I love to customise mine to my outfits, because why not! If you’re going to use a walking stick let it give you confidence and choose a pattern you love. Here is a lovely butterfly walking sick from amazon: Here is the link to this butterfly walking stick: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Handbag-Sized-Folding-Walking-Stick/dp/B01ARYL0DO/ref=sr_1_77?keywords=walking+stick&qid=1557470817&s=gateway&sr=8-77 3. Supports. When I’m in a flare I find it helpful to use supports to help control the pain. I often get pain in my wrists and I really find it helpful to wear wrist supports. Again, this can be done as a preventative. If I know I am going to do a lot of typing I will use my support to prevent pain occurring. I find this Neo G Wrist-Thumb Support to be really helpful on painful days. This wrist support can be found at Boots: https://www.boots.com/neo-g-wrist-thumb-support-small-10172518 4.Heat and Freeze creams. I find it really helpful to put heat or freeze creams on my joints and muscles when they are really sore. I always keep some in my handbag and in various places all over my home. I use a range of ointments, creams, and gels but one I find really useful is Biofreeze. You can find Biofreeze at Boots: https://www.boots.com/biofreeze-pain-relieving-gel-118ml-10049870 1. REST. The most important thing for me is rest. If you are in a flare take time to rest and practice self-care. If I find that I have even fewer spoons on flare days so it is important to conserve my energy and look after myself. Hello everyone and welcome!
Its been a while since I last posted. I’ve been focused on uni and have moved into my first flat. I’m hoping to start posting more regularly as I do find it helps me to write about my experiences and hopefully help others. I last posted in November last year and since then a lot has changed! I’ve finished my second year of my counselling degree and have moved into my first flat with my partner Shaun. Since living with Shaun my mood has improved a lot as he is really helping me out around the flat and is brilliant at cooking! It’s also been nice to have some support on the not so good days. I’m hoping to share a little more of my personal journey than before on this blog so where best to start that what’s going on with me fibro wise at the moment. I’m recovering from quite a bad flare up which I think was partly caused by the fluctuating changes in weather we have hear in the UK at the moment and also eating gluten and dairy over the last couple of weekends. Because of this I’ve been experiencing bad muscle spasms in my back and ribs, severe fatigue and also fog. I also for a couple of days felt very unwell and was having hot sweats and had a flu like feeling. I’m starting to feel a little better however I’ve been working some extra hours which has impacted my symptoms. I’m resting today which should help in some recovery. Tomorrow I’ve also got a MRI scan of my head as I’ve recently been experiencing new symptoms with my eyes and with balance. This scan is to check for Multiple Sclerosis. This is just precautionary as many fibro symptoms do overlap with MS symptoms. Honestly I am feeling very nervous, but it is good that this is being done as often I find that doctors tend to put new symptoms down as fibromyalgia. I will update you on how it goes. I’m hoping everyone is doing okay at the moment! Sending you all lots of spoons! Fatigue for me is one of the hardest symptoms to manage, while we cannot combat fatigue completely there are things we can do to try to maximise the benefit of our sleep. Sometimes getting a good night’s sleep can be hard when your in pain and even when we do sleep it has been found that fibro suffers don’t get enough deep sleep. In light of this I’ve collated some tips I find helpful when getting zzz’s:
1. A sleep routine I find that going to bed and waking up at the same time is really important. When you stick to a routine your body becomes use to it and you may find it easier to drift off. 2. A bedtime ritual Something I like to do as an addition to my sleep routine is to wind down before bed. About an hour before bedtime I like to get ready for bed, put some comply pj’s and sit with a book in bed. I make sure all phones and devices are away from the bed and on silent to avoid distractions. The soon find i become to sleepy to read any more, turn off my reading lamp and I’m out like a Light! 3. Magnesium! I have found taking a Magnesium supplement an hour before bed has really increased my quality of sleep. I found this one to have a nice fruity taste: http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/floradix-magnesium-mineral-drink-60071190?skuid=071190 4. A comfy sleep environment For me one of the most important things is a comfy bed. Minimise any extra pillows when it’s bedtime and invest in cotton sheets. Memory foam mattresses are fantastic however getting a memory foam topper is just as good and Cheaper! Make sure there are no distracting noises in the room such as a whirring computer, and try to get a comfortable rooms temperature as this will really help with restless sleep. 5. A body pillow In addition to a comfortable bed investing in a body pillow was one of my best sleep decisions. 6. Cutting it out Cutting out caffine 6 hours before bedtime is ideal as it was have effects on your ability to drift off. Drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or eating a heavy meal to close to bedtime can also hinder sleep. 7. Speaking to your GP: If your still finding it difficult to sleep or are finding fatigue unbearable it may be time to speak to your doctor as they may be able to find a solution for you. The most important things to remember is we all have off days and sometimes we forget to do these things or have a late night with friends and that’s OK! Don’t be hard on yourself. Invest in your sleep after all we spend a good proportion of our lives doing It! I hope this helps and happy sleeping! 🌿 Hello im back!
I haven’t been writing for a while as I’ve been recovering from a bad flare. I thought about saying sorry to you all and then I thought that that was silly as it’s important to take a break when you need to! Sometimes you need to switch off and focus on other important things in your life and that is OK! We shouldn’t have to say sorry or feel guilty if we have to say no to people sometimes or take sometime for yourself. This has become apparent to be recently as I ended up taking on too much and burning myself out. Sometimes you have to prioritise what’s important to you at that time and accept that you can’t do anything. In other words use your spoons wisely! It’s also OK if we get it wrong sometimes too! I hope everyone is doing okay and I will publish some new posts soon! Big hugs and spoons, Charlotte 🌿🐘🦄 Morning everyone, Self care is important for our physical health as our mental health. I’ve found a lovely little list of self care ideas to try when you have the energy. Lots of spoons, Charlotte 🌿Hello everyone,
Today I wanted to talk about it how it’s OK if we are not OK. If we are feeling down, upset or anxious we must try to not to be hard on ourselves for feeling this way. It’s also OK to feel angry at your chronic illness from time to time, this is completely normal. Many people can feel ashamed about their mental health but it is just as important to take care of as our physical health especially because stress can often make symptoms worse. So if you are feeling not your best mentally know that it’s OK to feel like that there is nothing to feel ashamed about. Remember self care is important so take some time to yourself and ask for help if you need it. Charlotte 🌿 This morning I’ve woken up with a horrible Cold! I don’t know about you but having a cold with fibro feels a gazillion times worse than before I had fibro, so it’s really important to rest. It’s also important to remember to forgive yourself for resting and not to feel guilty for having a duvet day.
So I’ve got my blankets and pillows taken some cold medicine and am watching Moana! Moana is one of my go to feel good films and just puts me in a positive mood watching It! I’m allowing myself a duvet day and am going to make my favourite cold remedy. I like to mix 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs of honey and a slice of lemon in a cup of hot water to soothe my sore throat. I hope you all have a relaxing day. Charlotte 🌿 If your muscles are aching, your stressed or just need some me time a relaxing bath is always a good idea. I find a warm bath does wonders for pain relief and unwinding. For a relaxing bath I always use Epsom Salts as they relax my muscles and ease my joints and are worth a try if you haven’t already . I like to also use a lavender bubbly bath for extra relaxation.
A prime time to have a bath is if you have time for rest after as many people with fibro can find temperature change difficult. I find that it especially makes me very lethargic and tired so I always make sure I have a bath when I don’t have anything to do after. I always put on a comply pair of pj’s and for me there is nothing better than warm pyjamas! Charlotte 🌿 Recently I’ve been trying to find a book that has everything fibro-related in one place. After looking on Amazon I stumbled upon The Fibro Manual by Ginevra Lipton, MD and today it has Arrived! I’ve had a little look and so far so good. The author herself is a medical graduate who also has fibromyalgia so I’m very excited to give it a read once my fibro fog subsides! Let me know if you’ve read it and what you thought!
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AuthorHello i'm Charlotte and I am the author of this blog! I myself have chronic illnesses and I wanted to create a blog that others could relate to! Archives
October 2019
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