Nourishing the Soul

Posted on by SingleRheum

As this is my first blog post in ages, hello! Combination of reasons which I’ll maybe touch on another time, but long story short the urge to write just came & it can never be ignored so here we are again.

This was inspired in particular by a twitter post from one of my favourite historians, Dr Janina Ramirez, who is a joy to watch on TV & follow online; she comes across to me as bright, passionate, quirky, kind, & beautifully her own person, & I admire her very much. Her post is below, I’ve also typed out the text in full for anyone using screen readers.

I’ve not been on twitter much. It’s a combination of things. Anxiety over the state of things. A Covid response & going more into myself. A loss of interest in promoting myself & thinking my own interests pale against the concerns of so many. But I still send you all love ❤️

Dr Janina Ramirez 28 August 2020 twitter

Basically what happened is I started writing a simple reply & realised I had thoughts. Lots of thoughts – In essence what I wanted to say to Janina was simply please do whatever you need to keep yourself as well as possible. It’s what we all should do. And if that means breaks from news or social media then of course that’s OK 😊 These are trying times for us all, when you are able to share lovely art it brings me & others joy, but I totally understand that has to be when it feels right to you & you have the mental energy & space to do so.

But I feel quite strongly that the second point Janina makes is a wider reaching conversation; namely “a loss of interest in promoting myself & thinking my own interests pale against the concerns of so many”. I’ve seen other people in the public eye (I hate the word celebrities), people who I believe are decent & kind people make similar comments over the past weeks & months. It’s totally understandable, 2020 has been a shitstorm of epic proportions & by direct comparison is sharing a piece of art or poetry or a song or a dance routine or a recipe or a fabulous cocktail important when held up against against Covid-19, BLM, or the state of Politics?? Definitely not, & at the same time Abso-fucking-lutely.

I believe when we stop feeding our souls we start to lose our humanity. When days are dark & times are troubled & we’re uncertain about tomorrow is exactly when we must make time to nourish the best part of ourselves, the part that can lose our eyes in a painting for hours, be it Picasso or Van Gogh. The part that allows music to transport us to far off times & places; poetry to allow us to feel empathy & connect; comedy to remind us to laugh & that life itself is often wonderfully silly; ballet where dancers take flight to tell stories with no words; history programmes that continue to investigate our past & allow us to learn & improve & have hope for our future.

Often it’s what might seem trivial in comparison to the “big stuff” that brings us our daily moments of joy & the strength to put one foot in front of the other & smile, if we can but pause to take the time to notice.

So to end, I would ask anyone, not just people with a large audience, when you feel able to please share your small stuff – the cakes you’ve baked, the photos you’ve snapped, the art you love, the stories you write & the music you rock to, & if it happens to be what you do for work please don’t apologise. If you bring even 10% of your viewers, readers & listeners a little joy & a smile to their day then I think that’s fantastic!

Namaste 🙏 💙

Disability Friendly Cooking – Tin Can Cook

Posted on by SingleRheum

Tin Can Cook: 75 Simple Store-cupboard Recipes

1 June 2019 Format: Paperback

This is the 5* review I’ve also posted on Amazon & Goodreads.

Anyone who follows me on twitter will know I’m a big fan of Jack Monroe & her recipes, this is the third cookbook of hers I’ve bought & it’s already loved!

So impressed with this cook book. Written in Jack’s inimitable and endearing style it was intended to help those living on food bank parcels or with very limited budgets to create simple, nutritious meals in a short time and it does this beautifully. Pitched at the novice cook but in no way patronising for those with more experience it’s a lovely read and I already know I’ll be using this lots!

For me personally it hits another sweet spot though, and that’s in spoonie friendly cookery. For those of us living chronic life, suffering from disability and severe fatigue, cooking is a massive energy drain and often impossible. With rheumatoid arthritis in my hands food prep itself is a challenge I could do without, even with years of experience as a chef.

As someone who’s spent years ‘cooking from scratch’ it’s been a big adjustment to buy pre-prepped food without losing control over what’s in it (see ready meals – useful but not every day!). So discovering Jack on Twitter a couple of years ago felt like fate was smiling. I now happily eat tinned potatoes, olives, mushrooms, lentils, chickpeas, fruit, along with frozen peppers, stir fry veg, and spinach. Often cheaper, nutritionally sound and so easy as it’s already peeled \chopped\sliced and often partially cooked, it’s helped me cut down on wastage and save pennies! I also make my own wholemeal seeded bread and pizza bases – with a stand mixer and a slow cooker bread is an effortless wonder.

Additionally as I’ve followed Jack’s books and picked up more of her vegetarian recipes I’m only eating meat a couple of times a week, good for the environment and my budget! Highly recommend this, a fabulous variety of breakfasts, breads, soups, meat and vegetarian main courses, plus desserts will not leave anyone wanting for variety.

I’d highly recommend buying a copy for your kitchen, & if you can afford to donate one to your local food bank too it will be very gratefully received, or you can donate the cost of a copy to Jack’s GoFundMe & she’ll get it delivered through the Trussell Trust.

Yes, This Hurts!

Posted on by SingleRheum

Some of you will already know that I’m losing my motability car on the 23rd of April. I’m incredibly angry as this effectively leaves me housebound. So I’m having to spend money I can’t spare on buying an ‘old banger’ so I can get out.

So why is this happening?

  • Because this govt don’t want people on disability benefits
  • Because in conjunction with the MSM they have wrongly demonised disabled claimants as scroungers
  • Because they’ve moved the eligibility goalposts to make it even harder to evidence disability
  • Because their contracted “health assessors” (who aren’t experts in many conditions including mental health issues) are targeted on reducing benefit levels
  • Because their contracted assessors blatantly lie, misinterpret & make erroneous assumptions in their reports which are then treated as gospel over claimant evidence, scans, & consultant correspondence
  • Because they f*cking can & the MSM is complicit in covering up their lies

I know I’m not alone in this, I know other people who’ve been through this right to the appeal tribunal stage & won back their rightful benefits because at a tribunal you’re dealing with humans, not dwp targets. But I also know so many are just too ill, too tired, too anxious, too stressed, too alone, too defeated & too confused, and have given up without appealing even though they know they’d likely win. The fight is too hard & this govt are relying on that to cull numbers.

Almost a third of DLA to PIP claimants lose benefits, cutting their independence & their income. Disability charity Scope said these figures are “deeply concerning” and called for an “urgent overhaul” of the assessment process

“It’s deeply concerning that so many disabled people are facing a sudden drop in vital financial support,” said James Taylor from Scope.

“Life costs more if you are disabled. These extra costs haven’t disappeared just because there is a different assessment process.

“Without an urgent overhaul of the PIP assessment process, the system will continue to work against disabled people, instead of for them.”

I won’t go into my medical details here because much of it is very personal, but I cannot emphasise the following things enough;

The stress & anxiety have been absolutely horrendous. Imagine some unknown & unsympathetic stranger has complete control over your finances & your car, then imagine they won’t tell you for month after month what they’re doing next. I had my initial dwp letter in June last year. My assessment wasn’t until 1st December. I didn’t get a decision until February (and I had to chase them).

So I completed with Citizens Advice the initial Mandatory Appeal (which is known to be a pointless exercise but still took us two hours), unsurprisingly I’ve had a letter today denying the HR disability again & repeating what was said in the last letter almost verbatim. So next stage is to go to court for a legal Appeal Tribunal, which I understand from others can take up to a year.

My depression has absolutely been impacted by this process too, I’ve had more down days, the black dog nips a little closer when even thinking about not having reliable transport, & also of being accused of being a liar which is essentially what the dwp have done to me & thousands of other disabled people. I’ve been agitated & restless & I know exactly what the cause is.

My rage has settled down to a simmer now, but I was so bloody angry when I finally got my report copy. (Confession – I may have written certain rude words in pencil all over the margins). It’s outrageously poor.

Bear in mind here for a minute that in a previous life I ran huge contracts across the South West for (plot twist) the dwp, supporting the unemployed into work. The irony isn’t lost on me! But had any single member of staff in one of my centres turned in a report of this poor a calibre about a client some very serious conversations would have been had.

I’ve not picked it up for a few weeks because it’s still a bit raw, but off the top of of my head…. It’s a badly written cut & paste job, some of which obviously came from doing someone else’s assessment. It’s practically illiterate. The same phrases are repeated over & over like magic, as if when you say something stupid/untrue often enough it becomes reasonable or true. It contains as I said earlier outright lies, glaring inaccuracies and erroneous assumptions. There is no logic or consistency.

It took me a few days to work out that at least part of my anger was precisely because of the poor composition and lack of attention to the construct and meaning, as well as the errors. I know I’m a detail orientated person and these things matter to me, but surely in doing work that will actually impact people’s lives, wellbeing & financial circumstances everyone should pay attention to detail?

Almost a third of DLA to PIP claimants have lost benefits, cutting their independence & their income. Disability charity Scope said the figures are “deeply concerning” and called for an “urgent overhaul” of the assessment process.

“It’s deeply concerning that so many disabled people are facing a sudden drop in vital financial support,” said James Taylor from Scope.

“Life costs more if you are disabled. These extra costs haven’t disappeared just because there is a different assessment process.

“Without an urgent overhaul of the PIP assessment process, the system will continue to work against disabled people, instead of for them.”

Call me naive, but I guess I expected better from a government employed organisation when producing an official report on someone’s mental & physical health & ability. So yes, on top of everything else I was actually incredibly disappointed.

In my previous life with a fully functioning brain I would have torn this report to shreds in a couple of hours, referring to the DWP’s own guidance point by point to emphasise each and every error. Unfortunately with frequent brain fog, cognitive difficulties & fatigue unpicking this to refute it for a tribunal will take me weeks. But if needs be I will do so, with the support of friends, and the fabulous Citizens Advice, because even feeling as ill as I do daily I’m too bloody angry & stubborn to let this go.

I hope the above has made sense, I’ve probably rambled but this is the first time I’ve felt calm enough to write this out without ranting &/or swearing (a lot)!

Thanks to everyone who’s supported me, especially the lovely Essia who attended with me in December to literally & metaphorically hold my hand.

Quotes pictured above are from the incredibly useful Disabity Rights website which can be found here if you’re looking for further information

RD Blog Week #1 – The Medicine

Posted on by SingleRheum

RD Blog Week #1 – The Medicine – Patients with autoimmune disease often are not treated well by Doctors & Pharmacists when we ask for or receive pain medication. What has been your experience?

This is a blog I drafted last Friday, whilst it may seem a smidge off topic I feel it accurately reflects the experience of so many of us with chronic pain.

I recently watched a half hour TV programme called ‘Britain on Painkillers – The Silent Epidemic”. I truly wish I hadn’t bothered. I should have realised from the title that this would not be a balanced & factual scientific look at pain medication, with input from all sides of the pain management arena, but instead an incredibly biased piece of presenting laughingly called journalism. Thanks ITV 1, this is exactly why I no longer watch you. I was literally pausing every few seconds to check I was hearing correctly, then stopping to make notes, the more I saw & heard the angrier I became. Hardly my usual Zen Friday evening!

*I’m trying very hard as I proofread this to remove any sarcasm, please forgive me if it can’t help slipping in.

Very early in the programme we were addressed by Dr Frances Cole, a Pain Rehabilitation Specialist who started by saying that whilst Opioids are effective for short-term pain, for chronic pain they are “pretty useless”. She went on to say “People & pain become a muddle of hopelessness, unhappiness, despair, loss of jobs, loss of income. Are Opioids really going to address that? No!” I’m guessing that she meant people IN pain, but same difference. I don’t disagree with her observation that people diagnosed with chronic conditions suffer emotionally, this simple fact is a known truth within the chronic pain community, both anecdotally & from scientific study. Receiving a chronic health diagnosis is life changing.

However…Her question at the end of that statement seems to deliberately obfuscate the point. We do not require or expect effective pain relief to fix our emotional responses, expedite our way through the grieving process or regain employment or mobility for us. We simply want to stop or at least dial down the hurting for some of the time. Not an unreasonable ask, surely?

The presenter then noted that an estimated 43% of British people are suffering with some form of chronic pain. No data or qualification was given so I’m unable confirm or deny this number, but it would seem logical to me that it would be inhumane for any medical professional to expect 43% of the population to just ‘live with it’.

The programme then segued into filmed conversation with a patient; I’ll just call her AB. The presenter stated AB was “plunged into dependency” on Opioids after damage to nerves in her back. Repeated shots of AB lifting blister packs of tablets from a plastic box were shown, interspersed with shots of her playing toddler to emphasise the ‘danger’. The medications she specifically mentioned were Tramadol & Codeine. She said “I have to keep it (the tablets) in the box locked up high because a lot of this is very dangerous, for most people it can be fatal…. I was given these drugs with no guidance or support on how to use them” It was also mentioned that once she’d started taking the meds she suffered with drowsiness, nausea & memory loss.

Where do I begin? I can indeed confirm that both Tramadol & Codeine if taken incorrectly can be fatal. So can paracetamol, arsenic (cherry stone anyone?), sugar, nutmeg and water. Earth is fatal if you are buried in it, in fact life itself could accurately be described as a fatal condition. Ridiculous and more importantly irrelevant nonsense. I think it was at this point my BP rose to nuclear.

To address her other points:

  • No-one in the UK can legally obtain Opioids without a prescription from their doctor. They are a controlled substance. A prescription, by its very nature prescribes (stipulates) how many pills you should take, and how often, as well as if you need to take them with food, or avoid alcohol or driving. If this isn’t enough ‘guidance’ for you, then the instructions are also printed on a label stuck to the box, and warnings about the dangers of not taking them as prescribed are on the patient information leaflet, along with common side effects and advice to report these to your doctor
  • Drowsiness is a common side effect of Opioids and is clearly advised on the prescription label, the box & the leaflet. However drowsiness, nausea and memory loss can also be caused by severe pain. Scientists know that pain interrupts the neural pathways that store information in our memory. This is why so many chronic conditions cause what is known as brain fog, it’s a common & frustrating issue. So whilst it is true that Opioids may have been behind these symptoms, it’s at best disingenuous not to mention another very likely cause

The programme did briefly attempt to explain the way Opioids work by both blocking the way we process the pain signal, and activating a release of Dopamine, saying that this causes a ‘feel good’ feeling, which we then want more and more of, and this is what causes addiction. I’ll leave my very simple response to this claim to real science, using the voice of Dr David Ley – “Dopamine serves many complex functions in the brain, and only kindergarten brain science describes it as an addictive drug.”

Dr Cole was wheeled out again, this time describing how long term Opioid use can cause horrid side effects such as becoming sickly, groggy, confused, drowsy & muddled. As at least two of these terms mean sleepy, and two mean confused one suspects hyperbole. She went on to say Opioids also cause depression, suicidal thoughts, that they affect the “mind through to the body”. Am I saying it’s not possible for them to do this? Absolutely not. But – speak to any chronic pain patient. In fact speak to anyone who has ever received a life changing diagnosis from a doctor. They will all tell you that it sometimes takes weeks, months or even years to grieve. We grieve for our healthy selves, our previous lifestyle, our loss of employment, our sense of identity, our activity levels, our mobility, and many other emotionally impactful changes.

You don’t need a medical degree to be aware that life-changes cause emotional distress, anxiety & depression. Now add in constant debilitating pain. Trust me, life initially feels very bleak. Depression causes among other things an urge to sleep, confusion & suicidal ideation. I’m not saying it’s either/or, but that both need to be factored into a patients mental state – if mind affects body then certainly the reverse is true, body affects mind. Have I said disingenuous already?

Moving on, a Pain Consultant stated that Opioids only work for 1:10 patients anyway. No idea what data was used to make this claim, but even if we accept this as factual I would offer the following comparison as food for thought. Less than 20% of people diagnosed with cancer types which are difficult to diagnose and/or treat survive their cancer for ten years or more (2010-11).  Recent CDC studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population. Both of these measures save lives. No-one is even suggesting that we stop offering treatment or vaccinations because they don’t work for everyone. Yet this is the view offered here. Does one have to be in a life threatening situation before medical professionals will allow us to play the odds? Ask almost any chronic pain patient if they’d like to try a pain relief medication that has a 10% chance of being effective & the answer will undoubtedly be yes please. (The latest data I can find {NIH,2017} suggests Opioids will be effective for 30-50% of Chronic pain patients).

The presenter then talked about an increased number who are addicted to Opioids, again no data was given. She stated that the biggest problem with long term Opioid use is addiction and that ¼ of a million people in Britain are currently struggling with Opioids. Even if one ignores the fact that “struggling with Opioids” is hardly a scientifically defined term, this number seemed very low to me. I’m no maths genius, but, if Great Britain has 65 million folks, and we calculate the % of the population that a ¼ of a million are, we find that according to the programmes own numbers in reality only 0.4% of our Opioid patients are ‘struggling’. I truly feel for those who become addicted to legal painkillers, but this is hardly what one would reasonably describe as an epidemic.

Unsurprisingly to anyone familiar with this topic about two thirds of the way through the tone of programme changed from vague to patronising. Almost anyone living with chronic pain will have experienced these pearls of wisdom many times, from not only medical professionals but their friends & family. Trust me, frustrating!

At this point viewers were treated to the opinions of a Dr Rebecca Hennessy. She was very keen we realise that she as a doctor had a ‘responsibility to say no’ when long term pain relief is requested. She started by saying that is easier for patients to take a pill rather than undergo long term courses of therapy. She followed this with “we have to help patients understand why no is in their best interests. The challenge comes when you’ve got someone who is overwhelmed…. they haven’t got much resilience to lose the weight, do the exercise, meditation, all the other things we look for”

At this point I was torn between saying ‘what the f*ck’ a lot, laughing hysterically or sobbing. The words I actually scribbled down were patronising garbage.

The same NIH study linked above also says “It is important to emphasize that the term “pain management” has not been clearly defined and sometimes is used erroneously to denote solely pharmacologic tools. Yet pain management may involve the use of a number of tools—both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic—to relieve pain and improve function and quality of life. Before proceeding to a review of these various treatments, it should be noted that, while each may be used on its own, their integration in multimodal strategies that cut across medical disciplines and incorporate a full range of therapeutic options—including cognitive-behavioural, physical/rehabilitation, pharmacologic, and interventional therapies—has been shown to be most effective in the treatment of chronic pain”

It goes on to state that unsurprisingly US insurance companies are very reluctant to sign off on nonpharmacologic interventions. A simple equation that unfortunately also afflicts the NHS – money. Mental health care, CBT, massage, physiotherapy etc all cost far more than opioids. So essentially some parts of the medical profession want to remove medication without providing patients with the NIH recommended holistic approach to pain. Quelle Surprise.

Those who know me (& regular readers) will know that I am incredibly open minded when it comes to managing both my illness and my mental health. The two are inextricably linked. However – I also respect real science, and know that treatment for one should not be confused with treatment for the other.  I practice relaxation techniques, I meditate, I practice gratitude daily, and I’ve mostly come through my own grieving process. All of these things take time, and are often a steep learning curve. Do they help me cope with being in pain every single minute of every day? Yes, without doubt. Do they relieve my pain? Not in the bloody slightest, I’m mostly able to process it in a less invasive & emotional way, but it is still there, a constant unasked for traveling companion.

The only things that provide actual pain relief are Tramadol, Oxycodone and Marijuana. As one is illegal here obviously that’s only guesswork(!), but I can confidently assert that the Opioids always turn the pain down by 40-50%, and I always take them as prescribed by my doctor. I don’t even use them daily, not because I’m pain free but because I’ve built up quite a high level of pain tolerance and would rather keep the meds in reserve for when I’m in real discomfort. My choice.

The most frustrating thing for me was that throughout the programme was conflating methods for reducing pain with methods for coping with pain, as well as using the terms dependency and addiction interchangeably. They are all very different things and should be respected as such. I can only surmise that the intention was to deliberately confuse the average viewer.

I’ll finish what has turned into an opus with one of the last statements made by the presenter, which illustrates my last point beautifully. “The long term gain (of reducing Opiod use) will be fewer people trapped in the circle of dependency, a relief for them and their families.” Believe me no-one minds being dependent on a medication, they save lives. Millions of us are dependent, diabetics on insulin, on immunosuppressants, on inhalers, even cardiology patients on simple but life saving aspirin.  We need those medications to survive, to live, to thrive. This is the way in which the majority of chronic pain patients are dependent on Opioids. We are not addicts.

Butler Wanted…

Posted on by SingleRheum

Wouldn’t this just be fabulous? Simply the fetching & carrying would be a total blessing! I’ve gone with

  • Coffee because, well, coffee
  • Great food because my appetite is horrendous & cooking takes too many spoons (pun intended 😊)
  • Secretarial skills – oh to just dictate blog ideas at random hours, this would be a real treat, I might even get that novel done!
  • Who doesn’t want a psychic provider of heating pads & ice packs?!
  • Massage because, well, massage
  • Invisibility, on demand obviously, so I keep my sense of space

So what do you think I’ve missed? I’m sure there is loads more a spoonie butler could do, let me know what your top skills in a butler would be?

Namaste 🙏💙

Somewhere to Retreat…

Posted on by SingleRheum

Hi there, apologies it’s been so long, between one thing & another I’ve struggled to find find the motivation to blog recently, mostly energy & concentration levels low due to ME, plus RA hitting my hips – you know the drill. But…. I wanted to post something about my most favourite place to be (apart from my sofa), & a tweet certainly wasn’t going to cover it. I suddenly realised I had something I wanted to say, so back to my blog at last!

Where to start? The short version is that my lovely friend Ian (pictured below), the owner of my local bar – The Retreat– celebrated 30 years in business this weekend, which is frankly amazing in today’s economy, & mostly down to the fact that they’ve consistently provided us with excellent food & drink, amazing staff & service & so much fun. Exactly what you want from your local, which coincidentally is 250 years old this year! 😊

I turned eighteen in 1988 which was the year The Retreat opened, and yes, I’ve been using it fairly regularly ever since! I’m still slightly stunned thirty years have actually gone by & I’m not completely sure where they went! I’m still only 27, right? 😁

Anyways… Why I am writing this here? Because particularly since I became chronically ill this place has been a literal as well as metaphorical lifeline for me, and it’s a massively important part of my support network, I’d go stir crazy without it.

It’s somewhere I try & visit two or three times a week depending on how I’m feeling. It’s somewhere that as a lone female & a disabled person I feel completely safe. Better than that, I feel loved. I get table service & have my own personal cappuccino mug 😍

Most of my friend network is based from here, The Retreat has always attracted a wonderfully eclectic crowd of people as regulars & long may this continue. Ian also employs some truly fabulous staff & I love them all dearly, they’re family.

Whether I drop in early lunchtime or later afternoon there is never not someone I can chat to. Sometimes after two or three days in bed you just need human contact, and this place is it for me, it always lifts me.

Because of meds it’s very rare I have alcohol these days, I haven’t drunk “properly” for over three years, but I’m still made totally welcome for my coffees or soft drinks. My wonderful GP is well aware I use the place & often checks in with me on appointments that I’m still getting out at least a couple of times a week – we both know how important that is for my mental health, it’s way too easy to become isolated when disabled.

Any good pub or bar is always a community hub, & The Retreat certainly fills that role beautifully, whether you need help with the crossword or to find a plumber this is definitely the place to be.

So, I absolutely wanted to be present as much as possible this weekend, and I managed both Saturday & Sunday afternoons. Evenings are unfortunately a bit beyond me. But I’ve spent time with some of my favourite people in my favourite place, & that’s what was important to me.

Have I come home and crashed? Horribly. Everything hurts, I’ve barely moved since I got home this afternoon & I’ll probably trade at least a few days for these two afternoons in a row. And you know what? It’s worth every bloody spoon I’ve used, pain included.

Because sometimes life has to be about more than illness & pacing & doctors & tests & meds. Friendships & love are so important, I treasure them & the joy they bring me.

I’ve said before this is my equivalent of the TV bar Cheers, “where everybody knows your name”. So I guess what I really want to say is not only Congratulations Ian, or “I bloody love this bar”, but mostly Thank you, for being my respite, my social life, my Retreat.

Why I Don’t Do ‘Stuff’….

Posted on by SingleRheum

This may sound a little odd but I often forget the reason my pain levels stay manageable is because I’m very careful with what I do & don’t do. Today was one of of those rare days when my mind was awake, I had some energy and was in the mood to tackle a couple of little jobs at home.

 We’re not talking plastering walls and laying brickwork here – but what in my old life would have been maybe an hour or two’s pottering after work! I painted my bathroom windowsill, put a couple of new screws in to fix and touched up the paint on my hall radiator cover, and painted a piece of wall approximately 7ft x 6ft using a step stool.
This wasn’t all at once, I know energy wise I have to be very careful because of the ME. I was sitting down for doing at least half of this, and I took long coffee breaks in between each task. This really wasn’t hard work – or at least it didn’t used to be.

However…

I’m now hurting everywhere. Fibro & RA are both flaring. My feet feel like they’ve been beaten with a hammer, both hips are shouting, my back, shoulders, elbow and neck are all complaining loudly and my hands are throbbing. Plus of course I’m now exhausted.

The really silly thing is I genuinely forget sometimes there’s a damn good reason I’ve slowed down – I have to, because if I don’t, ouch. I really must remember to actually tell my rheumy about this at our next meeting!

These days most of the time I get friends round or pay someone to do this stuff for me, which is obviously the sensible option as it keeps my pain down and protects my joints. But when it’s “just” little odd jobs (that in a previous life you’d have tackled on a Sunday morning in no time) not being able to to do them is really frustrating. Being able to rely on others is wonderful, but having to rely on others is not so great and you do worry goodwill will eventually run out! And of course paying professionals to do work for you is yet another part of the expense that is living with disability.

It always costs one way or another.

 Despite all this… I’m feeling a rare sense of achievement! Three things that have been bugging me for months are finally off my to-do list forever. Will I do it again? You betchya – probably in around three months when I’ve forgotten again 😊

Emotional Eating…

Posted on by SingleRheum

I’ve been thinking today as I sorted out my sewing box (how many buttons?!) and my stationery box (how many pens?!) about the how’s and why’s of my relationship with food, and what lies behind it.

I don’t know anyone, overweight or underweight, who doesn’t have problems with emotional eating, and in some ways I think it’s the hardest thing to step away from. Unlike with heroin or crack or alcohol where one just abstains from the substance to deal with the addiction with food we can’t, we all have to eat to survive.

And these are deeply ingrained behavior patterns melded into our psyche as children then carried through to adulthood where they become a subconscious belief – the belief that certain foods make us ‘feel better’.

What do we do with a crying baby? Feed it. How do we cheer a toddler out of a mood? Food. What do we reward children with when they clear their plates? Sweet food. (two lots of issues there – we are all trained not to ‘waste’ food from an early age so we stop noticing when we’re full). What do we have as treats on special days, holy days, birthdays? Food, food & more food.

It’s no big shocker that we associate food with comfort more than anything else. When we eat that bar of chocolate or packet of biscuits we are unconsciously reaching back through time to our first feeds, when food also meant being held close, safe & loved, with no worries or cares. That’s a really strong pull, and in essence it’s what we’re fighting.

I don’t know what makes the difference between people who have a healthy relationship with food and those who don’t. People who can have two chocolates and put the box away for another time. Maybe it’s nurture, maybe nature. I’m sure the answer would be worth millions!!

But I do know my eating issues started in my early twenties, and I’ve had them ever since. I can look back at times when I was really happy and the weight fell off, and then sometimes when I thought I was happy and the weight was piling back on anyway.

For years I’ve watched furtively as slim people ate chocolate bars or ice cream and thought “well they can have them, why should I go without”. Yes they. They (the slim people) are obviously a race of aliens with incredible willpower. Except no. They simply view food as fuel, enjoyable fuel but without the emotional baggage we attach to our eating.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know what it isn’t for me. Diets. Shakes. Low Carb/fat/protein. Intermittent fasting. Atkins. Weight watchers. Banning sugar. Spending three mornings a week at the gym. Yes, I’ve done all of these plus others over the past twenty eight years. And I’ve lost weight. And on it has gone again because I haven’t tackled the cause. My mind.

So for me the change I make now has to be permanent, and yes, if that means I calorie count for the next twenty years so be it. Because I can’t be trusted not to. Interestingly I’m not finding this hard. Difficult yes, but not hard.

I’m rediscovering a love for fruit and salad and veggies cooked well with flavour. I’ve found a wonderful organic granola that has no added sugar or fruit and its gorgeous. I’m remembering to reach for grapes or a carrot or a rice cake if I’m peckish. I’m actually planning meals on the days that I can cook, and enjoying preparing them.

Believe me when I say I could happily ditch this tomorrow, go back to eating mostly crap and put weight back on in a heartbeat. But you know what? I want this more. I don’t want to have to use an extender on plane seat belts. I don’t want to keep looking for the sturdier chairs. I don’t want to keep wearing shapeless tunics because they ‘cover the bumps’. And I don’t want doctors to be less concerned about my symptoms because they look at me & see fat. I want to remove that excuse from their arsenal.

But most of all I want… Leather trousers, 50th birthday 😎👖👢💛

As always comments & opinions are my own and not a substitute for speaking with a medical professional

Dear Newly Diagnosed…

Posted on by SingleRheum

You obviously feel in need of support.
I do remember that feeling – that you are really struggling with the whole idea of having RA – of becoming chronically ill.

So you’ve joined a support group, seen a few posts about surgeries and disability and people trying their third biologic, now you’ve gone from slightly concerned to terrified!

It’s important I think that newbies to #chroniclife are made aware that it tends to be those with more severe symptoms who gravitate towards support groups or twitter, and stick around. It’s important we acknowledge that around 40-60% of those diagnosed with RA and treated early will likely achieve controlled remission with medication. That’s actually pretty good odds. And those people often never feel the need to look for support groups online or to stay around if they do.

So our tribe tends to be those who’ve been a bit battered, often suffering with mental as well as physical issues that ergo cause emotional as well as physical pain. It means sometimes posts and tweets can seem dark or bleak, but it also means we have a fabulous empathy with each other and are able to give outpourings of love and support and prayers whenever they are needed – we’ve been there, and many of us have come out stronger for it.

And that’s a really important thing to know – we do come out the other side. My first year with RA was dreadful, I lost my job, I was made homeless. My depression spiralled. It was a dark time, perhaps not dissimilar to where you may find yourself now, and without my online tribe (not forgetting my wonderful IRL family & friends!) I’d have collapsed. These fabulous, generous strangers kept me putting one foot in front of the other when I couldn’t see the way forward. They held up a light.

It was hard and it was sad and it was painful, I won’t pretend otherwise. Antidepressants helped, my GP helped, psychotherapy helped, group therapy helped, and very gradually my feet found new, firmer ground. On balance now I can honestly say chronic illness has brought more good into my life than bad.

The worst happened and the sun still rose and set. That’s life changing right there. Survival. Some great therapy led me to mindfulness which lead me to meditation and gratitude. Despite being ridiculously ill and in constant pain I am genuinely happier with myself than I’ve ever been in my life.

RA was the brute force needed to make me stop & smell the coffee. I know it touched me for a reason. I live more spiritually and much more slowly, I treasure my friendships, I’m more sympathetic, more patient & more kind. I’m grateful for the smallest things, a warm bed, hot coffee, a good book. I’m no longer impressed by the material, but hearing a bird sing or watching the clouds move can and frequently does fill me with with joy. My path has been irreconcilably altered by RA and I’m the better for it.

Yes I still have dark days. I’m very ill, with RA, ME, Fibro & other conditions. So I have constant pain and take a lot of meds. I’m still on antidepressants and fully expect to be for life, they boost chemicals I need to be me and I’m more than fine with that. But my darker days are just that now – days. In the past they would have been weeks or months, my coping strategies developed and yours will too.

I wanted to share this with you not because you’ll do the same or feel the same – we all walk our own path through this life. But to hopefully reassure you a little that you absolutely will find your way. Chronic illness is not an end but a shift to a new beginning, an altered life does not have to be a lesser one.

My newcomer tips?

  • Get enough rest.
  • Listen to your body, if it hurts, stop.
  • Build your pain toolkit – meds, gels, ice, heat, tens, marijuana, movies, whatever works for you.
  • Let go of worry about what others may think – it really doesn’t matter.
  • Look after you – baths, chocolate, candles, pamper yourself.
  • And always, always remember to be as kind to yourself as you would to others – we are way too hard on ourselves.
  • Practice #selfcare daily

Sending blessings, Namaste 🙏🕉️💙

NYE 2017 – Reflections

Posted on by SingleRheum

I was trying to find a theme or quote that represented what 2017 has meant for me to use as a starting point, but nothing seemed quite the right thing. I know New Years Eve tends to bring us bloggers out of the woodwork, I think it’s the creative urge to somehow capture where we’ve been, and perhaps plot where we want to go. Combined with the creative muse that won’t let us know what the next sentence is until we write it.

My year has above all been a catalyst for change, and wending through it has been a series of lessons I hope I’ve learned from. I think I’m a better person than I was twelve months ago, and I hope in twelve months time I can say the same again and mean it as fully as I do now. There’s a lovely aboriginal proverb that says “”We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… And then we return home.”

I have, with the support of some wonderful people, finally discovered the real Joy of Now. Not the superficial trimmings of mindfulness that is pushed by mainstream media, but the real living in the moment stuff. It’s mind altering. Life changing. And it’s so amazing! But I wouldn’t have been ready for this had it happened earlier in my life, I firmly believe that we have to become open and ready to welcome in the new and let go of the old, and do this with with self love and self compassion. Even when it’s as challenging as f*ck. Which it often is.

So how did I get here? I am forever grateful to Demi Schneider my wonderful therapist, who helped me become ready to open these doors almost two years ago now by teaching me how to love myself fully. To Ruby Wax whose fabulous book “A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled” gave my logical brain the understanding it needed of what was going on in my head and how to start rewiring those neural pathways. To the wonderful Calm app which helped me start meditating and sleeping again. To the beautiful Essia for leading me to The Now Project. And to Adrian from the Now Project who held my hand (literally & metaphorically) through one of the darkest hours of my life. And to the whole Now Project Team for just being here.

Does that give you a glimpse of how it all fits? How what seems random and disparate is beautifully interconnected. The Universe guides us to where we need to be even when we have no clue what we need. We can’t rush it, things will happen when they are supposed to. All we need do is live, right now.

For those that don’t know I was diagnosed with a serious lung condition in June, which at the time was believed to be terminal. It wasn’t a shock to me as I’d been expecting it for months, but even so it was definitely one of life’s “oh shit” moments. Thankfully I already had mindfulness and meditation in my life, without either I know I would have spiralled back into severe depression.

And here’s where synchronicity comes in. I attended my first retreat with the Now Project the day after I had this news. (See, I did have a point!) That evening during our informal meet and greet we were asked what we hoped to get from this weekend. As I listened to the others share a voice in my head (mine, of course) suddenly shouted “Nothing, I’m going to die, you can’t help me” In that moment everyone and everything else seemed trivial. Knowing I was about to either sob or scream I quietly left the room.

I went outside and sat under a beautiful willow, looking over the fields in front of the house. And I sobbed my heart out. Until gradually I realised I was watching the midges dance in the twilight. Above them Swifts circled and dove, catching their evening supper. And I found a measure of peace, my feet bare against the grass, grounded in nature.

Of course when someone came to see if I was okay I melted again. And Adrian, a complete stranger to me, sat with me for nearly an hour. Holding my hands. Bringing me back to my breath continually. And that is when I finally understood that we only ever have Now. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Nothing else is real. Catalyst.

I’m incredibly grateful to say that further testing has (at least for now) ruled out any significant impact on my life expectancy. I have Interstitial Lung Disease caused by RA, which in turn causes a lot of breathing issues, but they are manageable by moving slowly. I’ve also been formally diagnosed with ME this year, so fatigue impacts my pace too. And that helps me continue to live in the moment.

So in simple terms facing my own mortality brought me deep joy. I know I’m not the first or last to say this. And others will walk different paths. The one thing we’ll have in common is that realisation of just how essential it is to live Now. Not today or next week or next year – they don’t exist. When we combine that with real love for ourselves exactly as we are we become invincible. Even death holds no fear because it’s just another step towards enlightenment.

It’s quarter to midnight on New Years Eve 2017, the moon is bright and full. I have candles burning gently and the enchanting music of Deva Prema playing in the background. All is well right Now.

Wishing you all a blessed 2018.
Dee 💙