Monday 31 December 2012

Toilet Yoga

Saw this on another Crohns Tumblr and had to post, love the middle picture!

New Years Resolutions

I have to write the compulsory post at News Year about what my resolutions are going to be. I know for most people they are rubbish but I love them! They give you a good focus and I do believe that a new year can mean a new start. This year has had a lot of low points and next year I want to be much better, I have high expectations as it really cant be difficult to improve on 2012! 

My Resolutions:

  • Keep Healthy. Most people start the year thinking they will join a gym or eat food that's good for them but realistically I wont do either of those things. I don't have the energy or the money to join a gym but I would like to get back into running when I feel stronger. With food its difficult being on a low fibre diet and not being able to eat leafy greens means I have to look elsewhere to get enough fruit and veg into my diet. Next year I want to make sure i'm eating the right foods that don't cause me to flare up but will make sure i'm not piling on weight! I also plan on writing some posts about it to see how i'm doing.
  • Treat myself more. I have a bad habit of buying or being given nice things and then never using them or just saving them for 'special' occasions. Sometimes its nice to spoil yourself especially when you aren't feeling well so next year i'm going to use my stuff before someone else gets to it first! 
  • Be more involved in the Crohns community. Although I haven't been diagnosed for long the amount of support that I've had is incredible. Whether its a question on something or some advice there are so many people out there willing to give their time and answer you. Next year I would love to get more involved in the Crohns charities and help to raise some money. It would be great to involve it with my Event Management course to help raise awareness and get some experience. I also want to carry on with the blog and hopefully help it reach more people! 
What are your resolutions? Are they the same as mine? 

Sunday 30 December 2012

Disability Living Allowance/ Disabled Students Allowances

Although I never considered Crohns to be a disability when I read through the information on the gov website it changed my opinion on what a disability could be. Before I was diagnosed with Crohns I had done some research on it and realised that was most likely what I had but I still had no idea how much it would change my life afterwards. As a student who's over the age of 19 I have to pay for my prescriptions now and when i'm taking 3 or 4 different tablets a month I know this will eventually add up and be expensive. I've heard a lot of bad things about people with Crohns trying to claim for DLA and being made to feel that they don't have anything wrong with them or that they aren't 'ill' enough. It sounds stressful and time consuming but I know it will make my life much easier knowing my prescriptions can be paid for each month. 
Disabled Students Allowance was something I came across while looking at Disability Living Allowance. Its basically the same but for students and can help people with things like dyslexia but also those with a long term health condition. Next year I have decided to move back into student halls to make life a bit simpler. Students halls will be much better as everything is included in the price which means no worrying about bills (something that I currently sort out at the house!) or other things like internet. Its also right next to my where my lectures are held which means no long walk from the house so I can easily get in and go home if I need to leave. I'll have an en suite so no sharing a bathroom with someone I don't know! These are things I didn't consider as much last year but now its important that my last year at Uni is as comfortable as possible. This accommodation is quite a lot more expensive but DSA would help me to afford it. 

There is a great guide on the NACC website about how to claim for DLA which will make it much simpler as there is so much to fill in! You can find a link here

Has anyone had any experiences of claiming for either of these? I will write an update when I hear back!





Side effects of Azathioprine?

Today has been one of the worst days in a long time! It started off fine, I took my medication with breakfast like normal and decided to go to the car boot sale with some of the girls despite having a bit of a stomach ache. Walking round I started to feel a bit sick and the pain in my stomach was getting worse.  As we headed back to the car we stopped to get a bottle of water but I couldn't even stand in the shop I had to walk round the corner down an alleyway where there was a bin and throw up. Not one of my best moments (didn't even have the excuse of being hungover!) but at least it was outside M&S so I could maintain some class! I managed to get home thanks to my friend driving me back and have spent the rest of the day in bed being sick and having a massive tummy ache. There is no point in paracetamol or other pain relief as I would just sick it up so all I can do is ride it out with my hot water bottle!
The hospital recommended I go straight to A&E and be transferred to the gastro ward where they had a bed waiting for me but the thought of spending New Years in hospital is horrible. If this feeling is because of the medication then I know I should go, but if it is just a bug then going to the hospital will make it worse for me and everyone else on the ward. Has anyone else had side effects like this on Azathioprine? Very confusing! 

Friday 28 December 2012

Instagram

I finally left the world of blackberry and treated myself to an iPhone! I love other blogs where they do a set of pictures from the week on Instagram so I'm going to try and start doing that. If you want to follow me this is the link
Be prepared for lots of pictures of my cat! 


A week on Azathioprine...

It has been just over a week since I started my new medication Azathioprine and honestly I'm not sure if I can see any difference. This medication can take 8-16 weeks to start working so I will have to give it time but its so frustrating! I have noticed that some of my hair is falling out more than usual, this might just be something random but I'm going to keep an eye on it as it is one of the rarer side effects of the drug. Luckily the information I was given says that this could be reversible. 
Today I had my first of the weekly blood tests, these have just become routine now but sometimes I am still shocked by how much they take, it seems like such a lot! The reason for the weekly tests is to check my liver and kidney functions and also my general blood count. This will show if there are any problems and also if the medication is working. There was no one in the Pathology department at the Lister Hospital so we walked right in and a nurse came and took us straight into a room where it was over really quickly (I even had a pink chair!) The nurse let mum take a couple of pictures which I thought might help someone who was scared about getting a blood test. The main problem for me was that I couldn't picture what to expect, so this is what I look like getting my blood taken! 



Not very attractive at 8am with a needle in my arm! 

Thursday 27 December 2012

Milestone

I told myself if I hit the next milestone of page views then I would post a funny picture of me taken in the hospital, obviously I didn't think I would ever hit that! Thank you everyone who is reading this, I hope its useful to you in some way even if its just to laugh at how cringe it is (thanks Elliot!) This picture is right after I had my first Colonoscopy, I'd been fasting for over 24 hours and was so hungry all I could think about was the ready salted crisps I'd bought with me (its all I want to eat in hospital!). This picture was taken literally just as Dad told me I couldn't eat them, I was so upset! Luckily he was joking and I got the crisps but this photo makes me laugh as I was still very under the influence of the sedative they gave. It reminds me that sometimes it's not all that bad, these are things I have to get used to now and they remind me of how strong I am. I'm not saying I would like another Colonoscopy but I know eventually I will need one and that's fine, I can handle it. 


Sale Shopping!











The Christmas sales have started and this Boxing Day I decided to go shopping to see if I could pick up some bits. I even wrote a list to keep myself on track (despite it saying NO DRESSES I did end up with one...) These are some of the bits I picked up!


  • iPad case £3. I have a hard case on my iPad but wanted something to protect it when I chuck it in my bag to take to Uni!
  • Red River Island Clutch £8. You can never have to many clutch bags and this one will look nice with a red lipstick.
  • Lightweight Jumpers £10 each. These are great to throw on for lectures and go with pretty much everything.
  • Burgundy dress River Island £15. I liked this dress at the full price (£28 I think it was) so when I saw it was in my size in the sale I decided to just buy it!
  • Black New Look Wedges £15. My brother got me a New Look gift card for Christmas so I decided to use that to get these black wedges. They are so comfy so I will probably wear these for New Years!
  • I also bought some new underwear and some jewellery from asos! 

NACC

Last night I decided to join the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's disease, the membership is £12 for the year and this includes an information pack, the NACC newsletter, a 'cant wait' card and information about groups near me. 
I really cant wait to start receiving this! I still feel completely clueless about most things to do with Crohns so the newsletter will be useful in keeping me up to date. When I first came out of hospital I missed a meeting with a group near me and would love to go to one soon so i'm hoping the membership will show me some more in the future! Next year I really hope to get more involved with the charity in my local area. 

If you would like to become a member click here

Merry Crohnsmas!

This has been my first Christmas since being diagnosed with Crohns and honestly I thought it would be much harder than it was! Although there were some things I had to change and get used to (taking 12 tablets with my smoked salmon breakfast was a bit different!) most of the day stayed the same. I've decided to write a few tips which I followed that I think made the Christmas period easier! 


  • Try to avoid fizzy drinks. One thing I didn't have this year is bucks fizz in the morning which we normally do but that is definitely something I can live without. When it comes to other alcohol I stick to clear spirits normally and try to have a clear mixer like lemonade with it. I think waiting for the mixer to go a little bit flatter helps to stop you getting too bloated as there is less bubbles of gas.
  • Don't eat too many greens. In my normal diet I've been told to avoid leafy greens and stringy vegetables but this is a bit harder with a roast dinner when the veg is one of the main parts! My favourite veg is broccoli but they are so fibrous we didn't have them this year. It helps that Mum knew she was cooking a big meal for that day so we could plan to have other vegetables instead such as root veg like carrots, swede and parsnips. If you're going to someones house to eat them let them know in advance so they can plan something else for you. Avoiding leafy greens meant we didn't have a traditional prawn cocktail this year - one of my guilty pleasures!
  • Don't over-indulge. Its easy to keep eating and eating with all the food around but try not to! I've also read a lot of things about having lots small meals instead of a few big ones which helps me to not feel too sluggish after a huge plate of food!
  • If you need to rest then rest. This time of year is about spending time with your family and if you are really tired you wont be able to enjoy it as much. Everyone is knackered but especially if you are ill so take the time to rest. I managed to fit in a nap while Top of the Pops was on which helped me get through the rest of the day! 
  • Don't be embarrassed if you need to go. My family and friends obviously know whats been happening recently so when I get up to leave a few more times than usual they know where i'm going. It doesn't matter whether its during dinner or when your opening presents you should be able to slip out for a bit! 

Mum, Elliot and my big steroid face! 

Sunday 23 December 2012

Flower Arrangements


This is a rubbish picture with so much in the background but these are our flower decorations for Christmas presents! They are so cheap and easy to make I wish I started doing it earlier! They are also great for someone who you want to make a homemade gift for that looks expensive as these arrangement can be well over £10 if bought somewhere. The gold candles I found in a charity shop the other day for 25p for the pair and the big red one was from Wilkinsons for £2. My mum does flower arranging so the oasis and stands were from her but you can buy these from garden centres and places like Wilkinsons as well. The greenery we get from our garden or a friends, its good to find some with holly as this looks really nice and festive! We are going to add some red carnations later! 

Christmas Curry!

This year to get all the girls together I decided to cook a meal for them all, I did plan on doing a Christmas dinner but then thought everyone would be sick of that so we had a Christmas curry! At the moment I cant eat tomatoes as they hurt my ulcers so I had to be careful what sauce I used which is why we chose a korma. The group is split 50/50 meat eaters and vegetarians so I made a turkey curry and a veggie one and a big bowl of rice! We had an Indian selection to start and cheesecake and a cheese board for desert. We all had some drinks and I was careful to let the lemonade go a bit flat as I've been told to avoid fizzy drinks.I did a 2012 quiz from an app on my iPad and a picture board which you have to have at every party! It was really nice to see everyone and I shocked myself that I could manage a meal for 8 people that wasn't affected by Crohns! 

Christmas Tree!


Azathioprine and Prednisolone

This week I had my first post-hospital check up with my Doctor. I first saw the nurse who took my weight (I've finally managed to put on some!) and my height (I've grown 1/4 inch, i'm now a massive 5"2 1/4! I then saw a specialist Crohns nurse who my doctor had asked me to see. She was the most helpful person I have spoke to so far and gave me so much information. The blood test from a couple of days before showed I still had high inflammation and low protein. I have come off the steroids I was on as my symptoms had got worse and she suggested the dosage wasn't high enough so I have been put on another 6 week course which decreases my one tablet each week, this is called Prednisolone. I have also been put on Azathioprine which is an immunosuppressant to stop the cells in my immune system attacking my body and causing inflammation. These can take up to 6 weeks to start making a difference so as the steroids decrease these should kick in and start to work. 2/3 people are fine on this but the other third can suffer from side effects such as flu symptoms and joint pain which I need to be aware of. It also says a 'very common' side effect is anorexia which I cant understand! I will need to have blood tests weekly to check my liver function  and anaemia which start this Friday. I also had several questions to ask which she answered fully such as Can I give blood? Nope, I need it! Can I take paracetamol and codeine? Yes, anything but ibuprofen is fine. Can I drink alcohol? Yes, in moderation. My original doctor came in to visit during the appointment and said some words that have really helped. He said its up to me now I really need to own it and if I want to be better they will do everything they can to help like giving me the medication I need but its up to me to take it and look after myself and focus on getting better. It has made me realise that this needs to be priority now and everything else like University and other things can wait. He said that if the medicine starts to work I should be able to go back but if they don't then I wont be able to go on the Cologne trip so fingers crossed!

Billion Dollar Brows


Before visiting Coventry I decided to finally get my eyebrows shaped, for ages I've just had them very thin and they have always been dark but I wanted a change!  I decided to get Billion Dollar Brows done in Hitchin and at £20 they are more than a wax but they do have discounts sometimes (it was 30% off the week after I came back!). I also only plan on getting these done every so often and then just following the shape after. After growing them out for 2 weeks (good thing I don't go out much at the moment they were awful!) I decided to visit. The shop was gorgeous and they also do other treatments like gel nails which I still have on my toes from visiting the spa. My eyebrows took around half an hour and were shaped and then waxed and the stray hairs plucked. I thought this would hurt but it was so quick I hardly noticed. They were also dyed darker and although I didn't really want that I have to admit they do look better! They haven't needed plucking as much now either and have kept the shape and colour. You really do need to put your trust in them because they know what they're doing! Very Pleased! 

Christmas Crafts and Cards


After getting another set of blood tests me and Dad had a quick look around the charity shops near the hospital in Stevenage and ended up buying almost the whole shop in one! Its good to be able to walk around and get things done after blood tests as when I got them done when I was very aneamic it used to really take it out of me and I would need a rest. I got these stamps for £1.50 (middle picture) which I cant wait to find a project to use them for. Another shop had individual wooden stamps starting at £4 each so these were a bargain! Its a shame I've wrapped all my presents otherwise I would have stamped everyone's names onto the brown paper in some red paint, I will need to remember that for next year! I also got this Christmas Crafts book for £2.50 which gave me some great ideas for my dinner party. It also showed me how to make these Christmas cards. The top cards are so easy to do, you simply follow the template to pierce the holes in the card and then push the ribbon through. I used red and gold ribbon and then stuck gold card to make the base and a button for the decoration on the top. The second cards are plain cards I bought in the sale last year and then stuck buttons on using my glue gun and drew a line in black pen to make them look like baubles hanging from the top. I'm really happy with them! We also ended up buying 20 James Bond DVD's for £2 each, a photo frame, the Keith Lemon book, a Christmas hits CD (wouldn't be Christmas without one!) and lots of other bits. Charity shops are amazing for gifts! 

Christmas Jumble Sale


Today we went to a car boot sale in Hitchin, we got there a little bit late so some people were packing up but it means most are ready to haggle! In the picture above I got all the candles for £1, some have been used but with a new candle in they will be great! The tin was 50p and full of tiny decorations including this Christmas pudding pin badge which looks great on my tartan scarf! The other decorations I will use to add onto presents and to decorate the chocolate slabs I will be making tomorrow! I also got a cream coloured blazer for £1, it has no label but its got a nice fit and will be smart especially for next year when I will be having interviews for placements. My last buy was a mug from Whittards with little scottie dogs for £1 on that I have filled with homemade dog treats as a gift for the dog (pets have Christmas too!)

The last two weeks!

Its been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything on here and lots has happened since then! The first week I mainly spent at home, I was feeling quite ill with stomach pains and got very tired. We went out for a big meal where I had my first glass of Gin in over 2 months and lamb for dinner. The next day I felt awful but looking back I think maybe I ate too much of the wrong thing, I don't want to blame the Gin! My Christmas spirit was completely going but luckily I planned a trip to Coventry to stay at my University house and that has put me in a better mood! The Tuesday I went to my course Christmas party where I wore my new Jones and Jones dress, It was really good and I drunk a bit there and felt fine the next day. Here's a picture from the night, not very good but you get the idea (i'm on the right)!

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Pamper Hamper


I have spent today doing some more making and wrapping for Christmas and decided to do something about the Pamper Hamper I mentioned in another post. The whole thing including the box cost me about £3.75 which I'm pretty happy with as it looks a lot more! 
The box contains the soaps I got from the jumble sale and nail varnishes with cuticle sticks and files from M&S that came in a huge gift box. I won these on a tombola along with a turquoise scarf that will make a good present for my Nan. I've added 2 shell candles which you can see how to make in a previous post!



The other picture is the smaller items added, the bracelet was from the jumble sale and only cost 25p! I saw one exactly like it in boots for £4 so that was a good find. The photo frame came as a pair that I found in a charity shop with the label still on saying £8 just for that one and £12 for the other! I paid a pound for this one and the other will go as part of another present. The little heart I made loads of last year with some left over fabric, they cost virtually nothing but if you spray some perfume on they hold the smell well and make nice smell hearts to be hung on a draw or a door knob. 
I would quite like to receive this as a gift so I hope the person receiving it like it! 

Monday 3 December 2012

Gin and Lemonade


If any of you know me personally then you might know that my drink of choice is a gin and lemonade (or just shots of whisky if I'm not quite drunk enough!) however since getting ill I haven't drunk at all and I'm starting to miss it a little bit! At the moment while I'm living at home its fine as I rarely leave the house let alone get an opportunity for a night out, but next Monday I will be going back to Coventry for two events where I would like to drink! Usually it takes me quite awhile to get a bit tiddly but I'm expecting that after not drinking for over 3 months and losing a stone will probably make me a lightweight! 
I have had a look online and there's a lot of information about drinking with Crohns, generally saying its a bad idea as it makes symptoms worse. Sometimes I've found that the symptoms of Crohns are like a bad hangover anyway (I never get a headache!) so this doesn't affect me too much. However some people have found they are fine with certain types like clear alcohols such as vodka. I've never been a big beer or wine drinker, I only enjoy the occasional cider when its hot so that works for me! I'm hoping that also counts for gin but I'm not sure about the lemonade as I've been told to avoid fizzy drinks as they can also irritate me. So, I have decided tonight to test out a nice glass of gin and lemonade after putting the Christmas decorations up and then seeing what happens... wish me luck! 

Saturday 1 December 2012

Jumble Sale!







Today I went to the jumble sale down the road with Izz to raise money for help for heroes. We weren't expecting much as I live in a small village but actually it was quite busy! There were a few stalls, mainly books and cuddly toys but I did manage to find some bargains which I've taken pictures of. 
The first picture is a small cardboard suitcase with a floral pattern that I bought for 20p!
Im really pleased with that as these boxes usually sell for at least £7. I'm going to use it as a hamper for some bits for someone including the soaps in the next picture which were also 20p! With a couple of the shell candles and some smellies it will make a great girly present!
The jumper I saw behind the table in a bag of bits that hadn't been put out yet but the pattern caught my eye. Its always worth asking about things like that as you could find something that they have missed! It cost me 50p but its so warm and cosy and looks good with leggings for the winter.
The two books were 50p and 20p and are 'The Zombie Survival Guide' and 'Fatherland'. The zombie book I bought for my cousin as a little Christmas gift as we always joke about what we would do if we were in an apocalypse! I think I will make a survival hamper as a present for her and her fiance for Christmas. The other book reminded me of my Dad (which sounds terrible as its about Hitler) but he is interested in history and it looks like a good read!
The bag I probably didn't need as I seem to collect these satchel type bags but for £1 I couldn't resist. Its a great vintage bag with lots of space inside. Along with that I also bought a navy leather belt with a little gold boat on it for 50p and a bracelet with a dragonfly on for 25p! 
We finished it all off with a lovely cupcake and entered the raffle to win a bottle of champers, hope we win! 

1st December!


This is my advent calender, it's nearly Christmas!