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...  

The Bare Necessities.

So the house move is underway. Two days to go and still quite a few boxes to pack. Understandably it's pretty stressful and so I've decided to lighten my mood by identifying 'the bare necessities' in my life. Not basic needs, more luxuries and in no particular order (apart from my boy of course)....

1. My boy 
2. Chocolate
3. Meditation
4. My iphone (blush)
5. A relaxing bath
6. Clothes
7. Music
8. Freshly laundered sheets
9. Fluffy towels 
10. A night out every two months
11. Magazines
12. Books 
13. Sunshine 
14. Warm house
15. Films 

Everything will be alright

So I have a hospital appointment soon regarding my iron levels which is encouraging and in terms of fatigue, I'm pleased to say that my energy levels haven't been too bad.
I've been away in Mallorca on a family holiday which was lots of fun but busy, so I've definitely not been pacing as much as I should have been and although my diet of fish, salad and grilled veg was healthy, I'll admit to the odd glass of wine and quite a few desserts....
Although the meditation hasn't been as regular as I would have liked, I have been relaxing every day and am still tuned in to how my body is and responding by moving my activity levels up or down a gear.
The house selling situation is still quite stressful as the sale has not been concluded and we only have two and a half weeks to go - crikey! We have found a rental however and are in the process of organising removals etc. so everything is on track and the main issue for me is to try and keep it as stress free as I possibly can.
I have a journal by my bed side that's titled 'everything will be alright' and I'm confident it will be.

A hopeful time

Eeek! I hadn't realised just how long it was since I had last written.  A lot has been happening, as you may have guessed. 

Firstly, we accepted an offer for the house four days after it went on the market. So we were both very surprised but pleased. Unfortunately issues with the missives mean it is taking a lot longer than anticipated to tie everything up and there is still a chance it could all fall through... I'm keeping hopeful though.... 

Secondly, my GP has advised me that the result of my genetic test for haemachromotosis or HH (iron overload to the lay person) have returned positive. He is adamant I don't have ME and believes that the build up of iron in my body may have been causing a lot of the symptoms over the last ten years. Very frustrating that it hasn't been picked up until now and also I'm keeping open minded as a lot of the symptoms that I believed to be ME don't seem to fit with HH. Anyhow the treatment is blood letting, so fairly straightforward given that I used to donate blood and I'm keeping optimistic that this may help to improve how I function. 

Unsurprisingly the daily meditations have fallen to the wayside and I need to get back on track with that but in general I have been continuing to think positively. With regard to exercise, I have started to lift cans of beans and use these as weights. My husband laughs but  'better something than nothing'... 

In terms of diet, I'm seriously going to have to think about reducing my red meat intake and alcohol - not that I was an excessive user of either of those foodstuffs but I wonder whether they had an impact on my health. Time will tell...... 

Spring Clean

I've been doing little bits around the house for the past few months in anticipation of putting the house on the market however its only in the last few days that I've realised actually how much needs to be done to make the house look pristine for the photographs. So I've been dusting, sweeping, mopping and frantically cleaning the house while my husband sorted the gardens. As a result, I'm now feeling quite worn out and think I maybe coming down with a chest infection. There's a lot to be said for pacing and keeping stress levels low!
In saying that I've been managing to keep doing my daily meditations and hope that I can continue this as I'm finding it very beneficial. I've also been reading a lot about mindfulness and 'being' in the present moment which definitely sounds like it would be of value to me. I'll let you know how it goes...