Bog off 2012!

I could sit and count my blessings over the last year but frankly /I don't want to. 2012 has been a roller-coaster of a year that has seen many tears. Don't get me wrong there has been much laughter too. I am eternally belssed with wonderful family, many good friends and a roof over my head and food in my stomach. However, I would like to take these things for granted.
So my wish for 2013.....
Please can the finances of both Barefoot software and my own endeavours be a bit more steady and giving? A few less head in hands moment would be appreciated.
Please can my dear darling son get his head down and get on with his GCSE's without too much extra stress resulting from dyslexia and dyspraxia?
Please can the tween girl remember that she is loved and love us back with a little less dark looks and door slamming?
Please can you be sure not to take any of my family to heaven this year? I do so miss my dad!
Please can no more essential household appliances give up the ghost.
Please can the car issue be resolved?
Please can the wedding be arranged and paid for without too many hiccoughs?
Please can we find a way to have a family holiday this year?
Please can I have less stress?
Please can I have less pain?
Please can I regain my ability to sleep 8 hrs and feel refreshed?


However, I ma also one who does look to the blessings so....
Thank you 2012 for,
My divorce finalising.
Selling the old marital home.
The health of my beloved family.
The laughter the darling son provides.
The sunshine my darling daughter brings to my life.
My beloved, understanding and gorgeous DD.
Our full bellies even when the chips were down.
My ability to make "something from nothing" when my family is hungry.
The roof over our heads, it may have it's faults but it is solid!
The free education my children receive. (although they take it for granted).
And many many more things that society and I myself have and we don't know how lucky we are!

Most of all. I get up every day and carry on without the aid of synthetic medication and I manage to put one foot in front of the other.
I will never go back to how I was in 2011!

Treading water

Over the last few months, you may have noticed, that the blog posts have been a bit slim on the ground. There are several reasons for this.
Not least the main reason is that I lost my Dad to a congenital liver disease. He was a very poorly man and finally lost the battle back in July.
Please excuse me, but I am sure you can all understand I have not really up to blogging.
I also have felt that I have not had much to say on the battle with fibro. I am still plodding on.
As you all know fibro is made worse by stress. with one thing and another the stress of the last six months has laid me low. I have had court appointment, financial worries, domestic appliance break downs, children who simply won't do homework and so on.
Now, the last thing I want is this blog to turn into a poor me page; and so I have had very little to say. I was always told that if you have nothing positive to say, then say nothing at all.
But after a few hellish weeks/months I am hoping things are on the up. One or two stressful factors of my life have reached a satisfying conclusion.
I am back with Slimming World and they are doing me the power of good. I have lost nearly a stone. It fluctuates a little but all in all it is working.
The 5-htp still works like a dream. I ran out but acquired and new consignment yesterday.
My family are wonderful. I am getting to see my siblings and Mother more than I was.
So as you can see, the fibro experiment is back in full swing. Here is to a healthier future. xxx

Limbs of Lead.

A sunflower because they make me happy :)

I would like, first to say sorry for my absence in the last month. I have been keeping my head down and getting on with my Massage diploma.
It's in the bag, so to speak. I'm just waiting for the results of the final and to book my last two clinic days.
I am feeling quietly smug regarding the diploma. I found it rather easy. do bear in mind that I had covered much of the course with the previous diploma in phytotherapy.
The down side is that due to excessive typing and sitting at the computer I am now suffering from "lead limbs".
I awoke in the early hours of the morning and couldn't bear to even have the covers over them. I have sore and tender skin and the muscles feel like I have run a marathon. The really painful parts though, are my arms. My elbows, wrists and fingers are throbbing and feel like they are swollen. I also have muscle burn in the tops of my arms.
No doubt a couple of days rest will cure this.
I can't see it stopping me from typing though. Painful though it is I have projects I want to make a go of.
Perhaps I shall just take things a bit slower.
I also spent a week or two without any supplements (I had squirrelled them away and couldn't find them, the joy of fibro fog).
Back too it now though.

Phyto Success

I would like to share my success with you all.
I am now a proud and happy phytotherapist. I even have certificates to prove it.
Quoted from the e-mail sent from the collage,
"Congratulations on completing the final examination for your Master Herbalist Level 5 NCFE Diploma course.
On behalf of the College we have reviewed your performance throughout your course and in line with NCFE regulations, your overall result for the course has been awarded a "DISTINCTION".
It is worth noting that this is the highest achievement you can achieve for this course. Well done on this excellent achievement, your effort throughout the course has been of a very high standard and we wish you all the success for the future."

I'm rather pleased.

Lovely Laugharne.

I have recently begun a stretch of work for CADW.
I am to play Lady Perrot the 16th century lady of Laugharne Castle.
To be honest I was more than a little daunted by the idea of two days on my feet giving castle tour to tourists. however, what a wonderful surprise awaited me.
I am now under the firm belief that more movement it the way to help with my back pain.
I am usually crippled by the pain and have trouble walking. suffering from extreme moring stiffness and it makes me a miserable bunny. I expected a weekend of having to smile through the pain and getting on wioht it.

Well, this was not the case. Don't get me wrong, Laugharne is not offering a miracle fibro cure with it delicious sea air. But being more mobile made a huge difference.
I also thing having DD on hand and being surrounded with happy people, full of enthusiasm for what I do was a huge boost to my mood.
It is always sunny Laugharne. Sun is our friend! Vitamin D and serotonin a  plenty makes for a happier fibroite.

DD and I fell in love with the place. There is more about that on the other blog however. Tales from the Tinyholding which is a much less fibro related blog. (Surprise, there is more to life than fibro).

So, the Laugharne part of the experiment suggests I should be doing more. Time to get the yoga DVDs out!

an article worth a mention

7 things not to say to someone in pain
What it says on the tin really.
Please feel free to post up some of the stupid things people have said to you in the comments box.
love
N x

What have I done so far?

Well, not as much as I would have liked. I have made lists and done some research but all while sat on my butt!

I can't wait!

DD and I are starting to cut things from our diets in the vain hope of getting into a better state of health.
I have realised I will need to keep barefoot for the foreseeable future to stop my feet reverting to their sappy softness as they do over winter. I have had my first few forays of the season out and about without shoes, and have realised, unlike DD,  I have a way to go yet.
I've been quite surprised by the amount of people who are shocked we are planning it barefoot. Don't they know DD and I? We wouldn't consider doing it any other way!
The sponsorships have started to trickle in. I'm very encouraged by this as we have 14 months to go.
A huge thank you is due to my dear friend, Ren.  The first words of encouragement and the first generous donation. She really is a wonderful person and I love her lots. I shall be holding her to her promise of meeting us at the end with a chilled glass of fizz!

Soapy Sensations' lovely foot scrub!

Obviously DD and I need to look after our feet and prepare for the long journey. DD is a bit prone to cracked heals and my feet have a tendency to become fibro sore on hard surfaces. Apart from the endless training we need to do, I have also invested in some wonderful soap to help us along the way. It comes from a lovely lady named Helen (all the best people are named Helen). She can be found here on Facebook. You can buy her wonderful products here, in her on-line shop. She hand makes all of her product and is a pleasure to deal with. Do check out her ducky soaps. Ducks hold a special place in my heart, ducks with soap? how perfect!
DD and I are also going to try to make sure we have plenty of photographs of our endeavours so they will, no doubt, end up here. Or perhaps on DD's website and blog.
FMA UK have been wonderfully supportive and have offered to cover both our progress and the walk itself. they have even offered to supply us with company and/or supporters from the various support groups. We will be sporting FMA UK t-shirts for at least part of the walk (five days in the same shirt could become a bit ripe).
We will be looking into B&B's or hotels soon enough. I wonder if any hotels would like to put us up for a bit of promotion here and through FMA UK? Worth asking do you think?
I also need to look into emergency shoes. I need something light that will stow away, suitable for walking and reasonably priced.
I doubt, and hope, I won't have to wear them. But if an hour in shoes enables me to do a few more hours walking, and many more miles, I may have to be sensible.
Although I am doing this to raise awareness of Fibromyalgia. I must not forget that I am a sufferer myself. I must keep an eye on my limitations to make sure I finish. Failure is NOT AN OPTION!

My next task is to cut the walk into sensible bites over five days. To plan our accommodation and stops.
Time to get my head down and start researching.