M.E and Me

I've recently had problems with swallowing; I can be eating or drinking and suddenly my body forgets how to swallow. I have been experiencing this late at night for a few months, but last week it leaked into the day, too. All three meals for two days were a real struggle. We use around fifty pairs of muscles and nerves to swallow, and it's mostly just an automatic thing, except for me it wasn't. I would try to initiate the swallow movement, but the food/drink wouldn't go down, and it would also block off my air supply, so I was unable to breathe. I would also not be able to swallow saliva. We went to see a GP as it was really distressing and I was becoming scared to eat, everytime I tried it would feel like my heart was in a vice, and that I was not going to be able to breathe again. I then started to have anxiety about eating or drinking anything, and I kept breaking down crying.  My GP has sent a referral to the upper GI (gastrointestinal) clinic...

Over the last 6 months or so, my pain levels have been pretty low, and I was able to reduce my morphine dosage in December with no immediate repercussions. However, over the last few weeks, that has changed. I hadn't used my TENS machine in months, but now I'm back to using it daily. I tend to keep the sticky pads on my legs overnight, ready to hook up to it in the morning for speed, and to stop them quickly losing their stickiness. I have liquid morphine that I can take for any breakthrough pain, but I tend to only use this when I really need to. It's rare I use it for my M.E. pain, I try to stick to other methods of pain relief, like my TENS, but also with magnesium and Arnica gel. Magnesium is great for pain relief, and we absorb it much more efficiently through our skin, compared to taking a supplement, so incorporating a magnesium spray into your daily routine can be really beneficial. It isn't a quick fix, it takes time to build up in your system ...

There has been quite a lot going on recently and I have neglected social media.  We had family come to stay, and there was a bit of a family emergency (everything turned out ok), along with struggles with my own health, so I've been quite quiet online lately.  The family visit was great, they stayed with Denys and I and it was lovely to meet some family from Denys's dad's side. The weather was unfortunately dreary (it is Scotland after all! Ha) so they didn't get to appreciate the lovely views, but I think everyone had a great time. Apart from my ongoing vertigo my health was pretty good, I used my walking stick for only one of the days and I was able to go out all day with everyone (I've had to stay home or in the car before when my M.E. hasn't been good and we've had visitors).  I have been unfortunately experiencing vertigo most days for 2-3 months, and today I saw my GP for a catch up. I have been taking Cinnarizine whenever I get an atta...

CBD oils and products have become extremely popular in the last few years with more and more options springing up daily. So what is it? CBD is one of 104 chemical compounds, known as cannabinoids, that can be found in the cannabis plant. It’s a naturally occurring substance, which can be extracted and mixed with a carrier oil to create CBD oil. Unlike the most well-known cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), CBD is not psychoactive, meaning that it won’t make you ‘high’ – the sensation most commonly associated with cannabis. It is, however, reported to offer a range of health and medicinal benefits – the reason behind its growing acclaim. In the UK it is illegal to sell cannabis and CBD oils with THC in them. If you're unsure what the law is regarding cannabis and CBD in your country, it's best to do a little research first.  I did a fair bit of research before I took the plunge and tried it for myself, I discussed it with Denys and we looked at som...

I might be having a small M.E. crash at the moment, and now seems like a perfect time to talk about TENS machines. What is a TENS machine? It stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It is a small machine that can help with pain by using a mild electrical current. You stick pads onto the affected area and when it's switched on, small electrical impulses are delivered to them. It isn't as scary as it sounds; some women use them when they're in labour. I came across them online a bit over a year ago when the pain in my legs was almost unbearable. I was aware that the NHS can lend them to patients, but I wasn't aware of the time frame in getting one, and I was going out of my mind with pain, so we took the risk and bought a small, digital one from Argos for £29.99 (I will put a link to it at the bottom). The NHS say that "the electrical impulses can reduce the pain signals going to the spinal cord and brain, which may help relieve p...

I am feeling sick to death of this dizziness .  I had a small break from it, I think I managed to go about five days without an attack, but I'm now back to having it daily.  It's the kind of dizziness you feel when you drink way too much alcohol and you're still sort of drunk the next morning. My GP switched me to an antihistamine called Cinnarizine with the opinion that it might be Menieres disease. It works most of the time, but it isn't guaranteed. I had to go into town this afternoon, and as soon as I got out of the car an attack came on. I took a dose of medication and an hour and thirty minutes later, I'm still dizzy and have crawled back into bed.  Yesterday it quickly came on too. I made Denys and I lunch and then got myself ready to go for a walk, but as I was getting my shoes, I had an attack come on. It was a lovely, sunny afternoon so I was going to have a walk via the seafront (having grown up in the middle of the UK, seeing the sea is stil...

ME Action has published an article about the Millions Missing demonstrations that took place all around the world. You can read about it  here Thanks for reading.  That ME Girl