Holiday time...

Quick post as tomorrow I go on holiday. Feeling absolutely wiped out, had so much to do this week & didn't realise how much stuff I would have to pack.  Clothes were easy, it was all the accessories that women (or this woman!) need.  Make up, jewellery, hair stuff, meds, nail polish bla bla bla!

Plus my little girl also seems to have loads of stuff to bring, wonder where she gets that from ;-)

I have wheelchair assistance booked for the airports & have always found it brilliant before so hoping the same will happen this time.  I only use the wheelchair for the airport as I hire a mobility scooter when we get there.  Beware of me people of Majorca is all I can say!

I am really not looking forward to travelling, any sort of travelling totally wipes me out & by the time we've checked in I am usually ready to lie down!! Planes aren't the most comfortable of things either. I have my heat pads to stick on my back, eye mask, ear plugs for when the noise drives me mad & lots of snacks.  I have been struggling with low blood sugar this week & been having dizzy spells so need to remember to eat!  Then we have the transfer to resort, but have to wait for everyone else to land & get on the coach, before eventually arriving at our hotel. Think I've just put myself off going!!

But once we're there & wake up to beautiful sunshine, unlimited food & drinks & not needing to do much at all then I know I will relax & hopefully get nice & brown in the process!  We are going to the same hotel as the last 2 years as it's really good for accessibilty, entertainment & food.  It is a few minutes from the beach too, which has wooden platforms with a covered area so I can get on really easily & park up!

My friend has done some brilliant blog posts about travelling with chronic illness here & I have used some of her tips. Who would have thought pill boxes made perfect storage for jewellery when travelling?

Anyway time to sleep now.  See you when I'm back! :-)

Painting nails!

I talked about my hobby making jewellery in a previous post here but one of my other passions, and I suppose you could call it a hobby, is nail polish.  Or all things nail related in general!

I am quite literally obsessed.  I have hundreds of different ones, various effect top coats, nail art pens, glitters, crystals. You name it I probably have it.  My favourite brands are probably Models Own (who do the most amazing glitters as well as every colour possible!) & Ciate, who do amazing kits as well as polish.

Nails without polish for me is like being naked!! I actually bit my nails badly until I was about 25 so think I may be making up for it these days.

Having M.E & lack of energy/concentration can make it difficult to do them. However I find it really relaxing and, like when I make my bracelets, I really enjoy it.  If my hands feel shakey I don't always get the best finish!  But I use cotton buds dipped in remover to clean up the edges so they look as neat as possible.

I am really quick at doing them & people always ask how I do them so neatly. Answer is I'm not sure! I just start with one coat down the middle then at the sides. I do a thin layer first otherwise it gets too gloopy & doesn't dry properly which makes it smudge or come off straight away.

I let it dry & repeat the process.  Usually 2 coats is enough but some polishes need 3.  I always use topcoat unless I have used a glitter over the top as they sometimes act as one.  If you don't have cotton buds you can put a bit of cotton wool around an orange stick (for cuticles) then dip in remover. Or wait until the next day & when you shower/wash hands it should come off from around the edges!  Or you can just use another nail to wipe off the excess ;-)

Some people with M.E have a high intolerance to smell & a lot of polish/remover does smell rather potent.  I have heard the Aldi one smells really fruity so will be getting that to try next.  The nail remover pads are also good & the remover pots where you put your nails in are a good quick way of removing without much effort.  Glitter is a whole different story though as it is a nightmare to remove! Cotton wool pads soaked in remover applied to nail with foil over top does the job...bit of a pain but does work.

I keep most of my nail stuff in a set of mini draws which I have next to my bed.  I feel like a kid in a sweet shop every time I open it!!

My only problem is that I get bored of them very quickly & despite having made my nails look beautiful, usually after a day or so I start picking at them!  As soon as I get a chip in one that's it, I will pick it all off. I went shopping the other day with my carer.  My nails were gorgeous, painted in an amazing sparkly pink.  But I left the shop with nearly all the polish off.  There was no doubt a trail of picked off polish on the floor where I had dropped it from my wheelchair.  I love the thought of leaving a trail of glitter!!

My friend & I send each other pictures of our nails all the time when we've done them, then another picture the following day when they look a disgrace.  It has become a bit of a joke between us!

My daughter also loves me doing her nails, she can't wear it for school but at weekends & school holidays she always wants them doing!  I have been doing Frozen style nails for her & her friends seeing as they are all obsessed!  It is nice being able to chill with her doing nails, a nice low energy activity. And she loves having her nails matched to mine ♡

Is anyone else as obsessed with nails as me??
xx

Friendships

It seems so poignant that I am writing this post now.  I had already planned to do it about friendships but as I write, my heart is aching for a friend who tragically lost her husband 2 days ago.  She is heavily pregnant with her 2nd baby & I am hurting for her so much. I am dedicating this post to her & her boys.

The last few days has proved how important friendships are.  So many people have come together in support for her & my own friends have been there for me too, providing support when I have really needed it.

I have been thinking a lot recently about how much my friends mean to me.  Some I've known for a long time since being tiny & have literally grown up with.  Some of my close friends with M.E I met online years ago on M.E forums.  I have other friends I met online via forums before I had my daughter, who I've known a long time despite some having never met in person. Some are fairly recent friends who I met when my daughter started school.  Some I met on Twitter not that long ago, the M.E community on there is fantastic.  Some are people I know from school or work.  Of course I have my family too who I am lucky to also call my friends.

One thing I know is if I need them, they are there.  I have some friends who make me laugh even when I don't think it is possible to. Some friends make me see sense when I am trying to push myself with the M.E or have mummy guilt about not being able to do stuff & they become my sensible head. Some friends I talk to about the most random crazy stuff!  Some, I know when I am feeling particularly bad with the M.E, I can talk to & they just understand.  I also have normal conversations with them too! Although they can quickly turn silly :)
I don't often speak to people on the phone as my concentration is poor & I get fatigued very quickly so instant messaging & my phone is my lifeline in a way.

Having online friends is a huge help too when you have chronic illness.  Whether you feel happy, sad, silly or you're not even sure how you feel then through social media you can pick your phone up & just know someone will be there.

I have got through some of my darkest days with support from my friends.  They have been there to provide shoulders to cry on, made me see positive in negative. They do little things that mean so much like sending cards or gifts.  Or just sending lovely messages or pictures can sometimes be all it takes.

I know some people don't have many friends & I feel very lucky that I have mine. To all of you who I count as my friends, thank you xx

Hobbies

I have never really been one for having a hobby.  Before I got ill I used to go to the gym 3 times a week but never had any hobbies as such.  I never thought I was creative, if you'd seen my self portrait I did in school you would see why!

However when my daughter was starting school last year I wanted to find something to do for when I felt upto it.

I tried a few things, adding crystals to stuff was one of them but I was no good at it. Then my sister was having her second baby & I decided to make her a bracelet for her baby shower with various baby related charms on, so I ordered some stuff.   Being a total novice I didn't know where to get things from or how much I should be paying but I got some stuff & made my first ever bracelet!

My sister loved it & I loved that she did.
Maybe it would be something I could do, I thought!  So I embarked on a bead buying venture! My friend had bought me a large storage box for when I was experimenting with crystals so I put the beads in there!

I started making stuff for friends & family & using them as my guinea pigs!  As I started making more I realised how much I enjoyed doing it.  And also how despite being in pain or feeling exhausted I could manage to do a tiny bit as it almost took my mind off my symptoms.

Since I first started I now have to make my bracelets symmetrical!  I look back at ones from the start & it makes me cringe ;-)  I have a large case full of various storage boxes full of supplies.  I happily sit for ages surrounded by my sparklies!

I have made loads of stuff for family & friends & often send things to people to cheer them up. Sometimes people I don't really know who I have seen online having a rough time, I will make stuff for.
Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK's) make me happy :-)

My little girl loves sitting with me & looking at it all.  Suffice to say she has lots & lots of bracelets that I've made her!  The latest craze is the Disney film Frozen so I've been making lots of those themed ones for her & her friends!

This illness takes so much away from us so if we can find something that we enjoy then we need to grab on to it!  When I'm feeling rubbish & my M.E symptoms are annoying me I just get all my stuff out & try focus on that for a while.  In fact I will no doubt be sitting in a sea of beads while you are reading this...

Sunny days

I wasn't sure what to write about this week. With the M.E I constantly feel rubbish so sometimes it's difficult to think past that or write about stuff that doesn't come across as depressing!

It has rained all week which is never good, but today we have beautiful sunshine.  It is around 23 degrees which for the UK is pretty HOT!

I know a lot of people with M.E find the sun makes them feel worse but for me personally it makes me feel much better.  It also helps my muscle pain so the more the better!  I would move abroad in a shot if I could.  I love the sun on my face & always seem to feel more energised despite it being draining too..if that makes sense!  I think when I see sunshine, it automatically makes me feel brighter & want to get up & go outside.

Having a child when we have good weather is lovely too.  Easier entertaining them, while sitting watching!  My daughter will happily play in the garden on her slide or kick a ball around for ages. She will make her own games up & last year I remember she made a snake up from pegs then said it was a catwalk & proceeded to walk around it like a model, only stopping to pose!

Today we went out for lunch.  We are lucky to have some lovely local places & ended up at one of our favourites.  She had an ice cream after, obviously it was the largest possible one & mainly went all over her face!

We came home & she wanted to go in her her paddling pool but instead we got the sprinkler out.  She had so much fun running through it, declaring it was the best day ever!

I love being able to chill on my lounger, watching my gorgeous girl & listening to her giggling.  I love music & for me, sun & music is a perfect combination.  I have to make sure I still go & rest regularly but I honestly would change the weather to this every day if I could.

Sunny days = happy days.
And fun memories :)

How do other M.E sufferers find the sun ?

ME Mummy A xx