Tag: FND

Here We Are Again!

It’s been over a year since my last blog, and my last declaration of getting myself together and focussing on my writing. That, obviously, did not happen. This time I’m not making any promises to myself but I will endeavour to maintain my writing and start moving forward with the plans that have been circulating my brain for quite some time (I think we’ve heard that before!). So for now a quick catch up; true to form I am struggling with my health again at roughly the same time of year as the past few years, at least it’s something a little different this time…

Unbeknownst to me it all began with a blister that appeared on my finger. I didn’t think much of it as, the night before the blister appeared, a friend of mine had kindly leant me their gloves and they were a bit tight, so I put this down to the cause of said blister. Then around ten days later, and my first day of annual leave, I awoke with one rather large blister, and one smaller one on my arm (for those who are not overly squeamish please see pics). This was a couple of days before my my 39th birthday, Happy Birthday to me!! The GP placed me on a heavy dose of anti-viral tablets and antibiotics with instructions to go to straight to A&E should anymore blisters appear. It’s now coming up to two weeks since the second set of blisters graced me with their presence and thankfully, so far, no more have appeared.

I used to have a full on zombie survival plan, now I’m resigned to the fact that I will probably be among the first infected.

For the first few days I didn’t feel terribly unwell, I was sleeping more than usual but I was on leave so catching up on sleep is a given. I cancelled most of the plans I had for the week though as my arm was very painful and I was concerned about the blisters bursting. Towards the end of the first week I started to feel unwell with rib pain and intermittent pain behind my eyes. This past week has been worse, struggling to get out of bed with severe fatigue and generally feeling unwell. Cabin fever is starting to set in and literally all I’m doing is sleeping and walking the dogs for as long as I can manage. I went back to the doctors this week and, as usual, they’re not quite sure what is going on but have said it is likely to be a viral infection and advised lots of rest and fluids. It’s frustrating as I’ve been back on shift work for just under a year now and, although it’s been a struggle at times, I am glad to be back.

This current bout of illness has got me thinking though; I am happy to be back to doing my job, albeit with some restrictions, but it has got me realising how little I actually do out of work. When I’m on shift I literally work, sleep and walk my dogs. On my rest days I may venture up the road to one of my local pubs but that’s pretty much it. My world has indeed become very small. A few weeks back my sister brought my niece and nephew to visit and we had a couple of days out in London, I absolutely loved it but I was in agony. On the second day Carys and I had to leave them in the Science Museum to buy codeine and heat patches and find somewhere to sit and chill out because I just couldn’t cope with the pain and standing. This really made me think about just how much my life has changed and yes I work, but how much do the shifts and the nature of my job impact even more on my life now? It’s something that I’ve been asking myself more and more recently.

The large blister as it looks now it’s nearly healed.

Anyway, it feels good to be mind dumping here and I know there are a lot of people in the same situation. In my next post I’m going to be talking about attending Glastonbury last year and how we coped, what went well and what didn’t go quite as planned.

Chronic Illness and Covid Round Two

I have been saying over and over for weeks; I must get my blog started again, I’m going to write a blog post today, I need to get my ass in gear and other various half ass attempts to start writing again. It’s hard to say why I’ve been quite so demotivated recently and maybe it doesn’t require analysing, it just is what it is.

Anyway, so here we are still trying to navigate life through the delight that is Covid. This week I was supposed to treat my Mum to her Christmas present from her three kids; I was going to meet her in Crawley, see the family and then head to Brighton the next day for a meal and to see James Blunt, someone she was very excited about seeing live. However, as luck would have it, on Monday both Mother Hen and I tested positive with Covid, over 160 miles away from each other and having not seen each other in months. Seriously, you can’t make this shit up! There’s been a lot of chat about how mild this variant is and how many people are barely symptomatic, so I thought I’d share my experience. It sucks monkeys balls!

My girls keeping me company on a Friday night

I started with a very sore throat and painful ears, and then progressed onto heavy cold like symptoms and what I can only describe as a heavy lethargy, my eyes just want to be closed but I can barely sleep. it seems to come and go in waves; last night I was feeling pretty perky and thought oh good this must be the end of it, then I woke this morning feeling like hell again and struggling to move out of bed. I’d describe it as worse than a heavy cold but not as bad as flu. It’s currently day five so I did a test anyway and it, of course, came back as positive so early release seems unlikely at the moment. On the plus side though my Mum’s test was negative today so hopefully that means she’s on the mend, as she’s been feeling pretty crap too. I am triple jabbed and thankful that the symptoms are not a lot worse, I am also thankful that so far, somehow, my partner has avoided contracting it.

I initially caught Covid at the beginning of January 2021, so it’s been just over a year. January/February seems to be when my immune system just gives up, if I’m going to get ill it quite often seems to be in these months. In the year since having Covid I have struggled more and more with severe fatigue, it’s hard to know whether this is a consequence of Corona Virus or whether it is to do with my diagnosis of FND in December of 2019.

How can you not smile when you get these cuddles?

What does concern me now is the recovery time from this second bout and the effect it will have on my body and other conditions. It’s easy to forget how long I was out of action last year, and it’s only really the Facebook memories that remind me what a slog it was getting back to work and trying to get back to ”normal” I question what normal is for me now on a regular basis, but I will address that more in my next post.

Sleeping Poochy pic because, well, why not?

On a positive note it seems that being ill again has motivated me to restart this blog and now I’m determined to continue blogging with all the things I’ve wanted to say and have been swimming around in my head for the last six months. I’m annoyed at myself for letting it slip but trying to give myself some slack. We find ourselves in strange times, and on top of that we have our normal lives and worries to contend with. As such I think it’s a case of do what you can, when you can and lets try not to put too much pressure on ourselves. With that in mind, and the fact I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, I shall leave it there for now and endeavour to get my next blog post up in a more timely manner.

Feeling Somewhat Lost

Well once again there has been a big gap since my last blog. I guess I’m just constantly all over the place at the minute and continuously searching for motivation.

Bala Lake, so lovely to swim in. The views from out in the lake were amazing.

I started writing this blog two days ago and got as far as the first two sentences. Since then I’ve been thinking a lot about why I have this website, why I blog, and what purpose it serves. Ultimately I think the purpose is to highlight invisible disabilities and try to convey the impact they can have, but also to try connect with others who may be in a similar position; if I can help some people along the way know that they are not alone and give them comfort in some form then that would be mission accomplished. It has occurred to me that maybe my posts can come across somewhat self indulgent and personal, however I can only write from my perspective and I aim to be as open and honest as possible, so maybe personal is not a bad thing. What I’m learning about chronic illness and my disabilities is that they are ever changing, and I don’t mean physically, although that often is the case, but more so for me is the mental aspect of it all; sometimes I feel like I have everything under control, I’m ok with where I am and what is going on and sometimes not so much. I think the latter is where I am now.

Wales red sunset

I feel somewhat lost. Even as I type those word I am wondering what I mean by them, I shall do my best to try and make sense of my thought process surrounding this. I don’t know what the future holds, yes I know that no-one really knows what the next day will bring but there are normally some solids that are more than likely to happen. I have worked for the same company for over fourteen years, and was fairly confident that I had built a solid career. Now I am unable to complete that role, I have discovered another role which I enjoy and is actually a welcome change however, I have no idea how long I will be able to continue doing this current role and what future employment will look like. In my last blog I discussed being able to see my family and how much that meant to me but how the weeks after leaving Somerset were difficult, adjusting back to London life when I just want to move on now, yet for various reasons we are no closer to making that a reality. We have recently returned from Somerset and again that feeling rings true. Previous to our week in Somerset we had a week in Wales, and it was so lovely to escape the city, to be in rural Wales and indulge in a hot tub with amazing scenery and beautiful sunsets, and yet, somehow, I didn’t feel refreshed after that week, I just didn’t feel how I normally would after a holiday.

Somerset landscape

A life is ultimately constructed of memories, of moments lived, It’s not built of material things but of experiences that shape us, help us to grow and evolve as individuals. The thing with chronic illness and all things associated with it is it’s very isolating, even if you are surrounded by loved ones I find it’s a constant battle within my head; do I talk it about it too much? Am I boring people? Am I still the same person? Are they noticing my tremors and if so should I address it? Oh good I can’t get my words out again! Honestly it’s relentless and frustrating and the good old anxiety makes sure to no let you forget about it. Actually as I’ve been writing I realise where a lot of these feelings stem from. While in Wales I had an assessment for PIP followed a couple of days later by a Rheumatology appointment. Not only did this mean that two of our days were dictated by telephone appointments but also that I was delving a lot deeper into the affects of my conditions on my life than I normally would. To go into depth about the effect chronic illness has on your everyday life and to acknowledge that, rather than using humour – my chosen way of dealing with things – is extremely draining and forces you to reflect on how things have changed.

Perhaps I’m just feeling as though I’m at somewhat of a standstill right now, an impasse if you will, this feeling won’t last forever and I do know that but right now it’s hard to not feel a little lost. I’m sure with how the world has been recently I am not the only one feeling this way, chronic illness or not.

Relinquishing Control

Well where to start…I think I will begin by apologising for my prolonged absence. I’ve been in a weird place lately; after the high of finally seeing my family for the first time in 18months, it was back to London and for some reason my writing motivation just left me, perhaps because I’ve been feeling particularly rubbish and have probably been overdoing it. In a way though, my rollercoaster moods fit well with the topic of this blog and the somewhat paradoxical notion that by acknowledging that you cannot control your chronic conditions you actually gain more control over your life.

Huuuuuuuuge head and so much hair!!!

I’ve been thinking about writing this blog for a long time, in fact since I cut my hair, but as I’ve said for some reason the motivation wasn’t there, and of course I start to beat myself up for not keeping to my self imposed schedule. Why do we do this? I think for me the answer is to have a sense of control over what I do and when I do it. So how does a hair cut fit into this? Well, for some people a haircut is no big deal, it’s only hair after all. For me it’s much more than that, it’s an element I’ve always been a bit precious over; I was teased and bullied about my hair from as far back as I can remember. When I was around ten years old an older boy chased me around the park screaming that I must be wearing a wig, whenever he caught up with me he would pull my hair so hard that I recall having a terribly sore scalp for hours after. The old adage kid’s are cruel is so very true and I wish I could have just chalked it up to experience and moved on. However, for me, it made me become almost obsessive about my hair, I would try and control it by pasting it down with mousse, I absolutely abhor people touching my hair, so much so I don’t think I’ve visited a hairdresser since I was a teenager. So shaving off a side of it was a big deal for me. As I’m sat here pouring everything out I realise why it may have taken me so long to write this blog, it’s like I’m bearing my soul but it’s also very cathartic.

I was maybe about 13 here and I would never dream of wearing my hair down at this point.

Anyway, it all started when Carys asked me months back if she could shave my head, I think it’s her payback for being sheared by me for so long, of course I said absolutely not, but after some time I eventually relented and allowed her to give me an undercut at the back, where it wasn’t visible. Wow, did I feel lighter, I have a vast amount of hair, but because I tried to control it so much no one other than those closest to me really knew how much. Anyway a long story short Carys was cutting my hair months later and I just said fuck it, shave the side, ”are you sure?” was the response, ”do it before I change my mind” and so she did.

Early 20’s hair
Me now 🙂

I let go, I didn’t need to be in control, I now allow it to go fluffy and wild and I love it. It’s taken 37 years but I actually like my hair. All of this got me to thinking about chronic illness, about letting go of trying to control everything, about how freeing letting go really is. I have very little control over what my body does, when it decides to freak out and tremor or spasm, when my speech suddenly stutters or stops completely, I used to try and hide this from people and it would embarrass me. Now I do my best to own it, I make jokes, try and make people comfortable with it and me. I still struggle at times, wondering why anyone would want to be around me never mind stay in a relationship with someone who has changed so much over time. These are however, less frequent intrusive thoughts and I’m working hard to acknowledge just how awesome I am and how very awesome the people I choose to have around me really are. In truth there’s very little we can control in life, and perhaps by acknowledging that we all become a little more free and a little more happy with our lot.

Finding Comfort and Tolerance in the World Around Us

Let’s always remember to have empathy, compassion, and humility.

I’ve been struggling with my pain levels for sometime now. it used to be that I would have flare ups of Fibro, whereas now it seems to be a constant normal. One of the things that comes from this is that you slow down, you have too. I used to zip around everywhere, up and down escalators at work, I’d whizz around festivals getting us drinks, often zoom through a crowd in London leaving my partner buried amongst strangers, much to her disdain. However, I can no longer physically do that, I have to pace myself particularly now that FND affects my coordination and my ability to get up and down stairs. As frustrating as this enforced pacing can be, one of the massive positives of pacing is that I notice so much that would have otherwise passed me by.

The other morning I was taking my pooch for a toilet break when I saw this blob of white paint on the road; it’s little paw print shape created a big smile on my face. Such a simple thing, but something that can really heighten your mood. I loved it so much I had to take a photo, and it got me thinking about how much I must have missed when I was rushing around everywhere.

I went on to consider how important it is to take the time to appreciate, not just the natural world, but the people around us. Recently I was chatting with a friend of mine who works for the NHS. They were telling me how some medical professionals refer to Fibromyalgia as ”Fuckoffmyalgia” insinuating that they don’t see it as a real condition. This made me somewhat sad but didn’t surprise me. I have heard of some terrible experiences people have been subjected to, and the way that they have been treated is unacceptable. However, there are also a lot of positive experiences, where people are supported and receive whatever help is available. Unfortunately that help is somewhat limited when it comes to conditions such as Fibro and FND because, as my Neurologist put it, they are very complex conditions, and no one experience is the same. As frustrating and disheartening as it can be for us as patients, I do think that we as a collective need to be more understanding and empathetic towards others. I know this is going to be contentious and not everyone will agree but this is how I see it; When it comes to medical professionals they are used to treating what they can see; if you have a broken bone, they will do what is necessary to heal it, if you have a clear psychological issue hopefully you will receive the medication/therapy you require. So when patients have conditions that don’t easily fit under these brackets then it can be very tricky to know what the best route is. Yes, unfortunately some people will think, well there’s no physical cause for your pain so it must be all in your head!? My answer would simply be, isn’t all pain in our head? doesn’t it all stem from messages our brains and nervous system are sending? Therefore a communication breakdown between our brains and nervous system is completely feasible; the wrong signals are being sent and pain is occurring where it shouldn’t be.

To give another perspective, I have found some who suffer from chronic illness are full of negativity and, I hate to say it, self pity. Please don’t get me wrong we all feel sorry for ourselves sometimes, believe me I’m no exception. Chatting to others who have similar experiences can be fantastic for supporting each other and communicating with those who understand what you are going through. However, that doesn’t mean that we should stop empathising with those who do not suffer chronic illness, or should belittle what it is they are going through. I have heard people voicing frustration about others saying they are tired or in pain, making comments like they don’t know what pain is. I think it is important for us to remember that no one knows what anyone else is going through or feeling and we, as a ”chronic illness community”, need to not lose that humanity and compassion for others. There has been a lot of discussion about Long Covid recently and how a lot of the symptoms mimic that of Fibromyalgia. Rather than the posts I have seen, which are somewhat angry in tone suggesting that those with Long Covid get help yet those of us with Fibro are just left, wouldn’t it be great if we reached out to our fellow humans instead of creating a them and us divide and doing exactly what has been done, by some people, to those suffering from chronic illness. Shouldn’t we be offering empathy and support rather than exclusion? It may even end up helping to create more awareness of invisible and chronic conditions.

Look up, enjoy the view.

So yes it is tough, but please let us not get into this bubble where that is all we concentrate on. Let’s take some time out, look at the small things that make us happy. Take some time for a different perspective and not forget that everyone is battling something, regardless of the form that battle takes.

Chronic illness Corona Virus Covid Covid19 fibro Fibromyalgia FND FND awareness Functional Neurological Disorder letting go Nuclear Races Obstacle course racing OCR reinfection Rocket Race RRDW

  1. Love this sis (not that you’ve been unwell) but great your back blogging! Look forward for the next one 😊

  4. I relate to this whole thing so much. Never cause of hair but many other things. Mine wasn’t even as…