Weekend away

So it turns out that although I have haemachromatosis, my iron count is fine at the moment so I can carry on eating red meat and basically enjoying life. It wont be until my later years that I may start to have problems but it will be closely monitored. Back to the drawing board.... My GP has now referred me to the 'ME specialist' so it will be interesting to hear what he has to say.

We have been away camping over the weekend to a lovely place in Fife called the Pillars of Hercules http://www.pillars.co.uk/ (an organic farm with a tasty cafe and a chilled out vibe).

We spent the day at St Andrews where my little boy ran wild on the beach and was even allowed to go out for a little while on a canoe - cue very excited 3 1/2 year old!

We also checked out the local ice cream shop which had a whole array of ice creams - spoilt for choice! We ended up choosing sky blue (marshamallow flavour) and butter pecan mmmmmm....

It's lovely to get away for a weekend, especially in the nice weather. It did feel like a proper rest.

 Just what the Doctor ordered! 

Taking control

For a few days my mood started to dip again. I think it was due to feeling so run down with fatigue and headaches caused by sinusitis and hayfever and these recurrent mouth ulcers I've been having for the last six months. What was annoying was that I've been very disciplined the last week; going to bed early, eating well, no alcohol and pacing better so it was rather frustrating. Then I decided yesterday that only me could get myself out of that negative head space and so I've been incorporating mindfulness into my day when I can. Leading on from the ten ways to make yourself happy in my last post, I've also been more considerate towards others; letting other people in front of me when I'm getting on the bus, letting cars out at junctions (which I tended to do anyway but sometimes was so distracted by my own feelings that I forgot). I have to say that it feels good and has helped to shift my thoughts into a more positive frame of mind. I realised the last few days, I was being quite self-pitying. I came across a post on another blog which really helped put things into perspective:

http://currankentucky.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/reluctant-acceptance/

The author talks about coming to terms with living with me/cfs and how although the condition has no cure (yet!)  the control lies with the individual i.e. if you're not looking after yourself then you are only going to feel worse. I believe it's really important to nurture both your physical and mental health as they are interconnected.

Funnily enough today has been a much better day....

Happy city living

So I'm now a city girl and so far I'm enjoying it. Maybe because I know it's time limited. It's great to be able to step outside and have lots of nice shops, delis and boutiques on my doorstep oh and it's a 20 minute commute by bus to work, which after my last hour and a bit commute is blissful! On the downside,  it's expensive living here and I miss the garden, plus the shorter commute means I don't get as much reading time to myself. However the flat is smaller so less cleaning and tidying to do and I have a size-able kitchen which I is amazing after the boxy kitchen in the last house. There's also a lot of green areas around. The photo below was taken after a fifteen minute walk from our flat. You can see over the whole of Edinburgh.

Health wise, I knew I would be struggling a bit after the move and so I've been resting more which thankfully seems to have paid off. I have my initial haematology appointment next week so feel a little apprehensive but am keeping positive. I continue to do meditation although for shorter times and usually before bed, which isn't always the most restful time to do it but I still feel it's beneficial. I've also been more aware of my thoughts and actions and practising mindfulness, something I would like to explore further.

I came across an interesting website http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living  which lists the ten ways that have been proven to make your life happier and more fulfilling and how you can incorporate these into your daily life. I'll let you know how it goes...