M.E and Me

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 

As this years M.E. awareness week comes to a close, I feel quite sad to be taking off my 'M.E. awareness week' t-shirt. I have been proud to walk around this week trying to raise awareness: I may have been a bit shaky on my feet at times, but at least I was on my feet, which sadly not everyone with M.E. can do. Just a year ago, Denys and I were at an outdoor event and my health was very bad. I was unable to walk, I was using my walking stick to literally hold myself up until I collapsed on the grass and sobbed. I had to rest for several hours before I could eventually pull myself up and begin the slow shuffle back to the car. He said that we might need to get me a wheelchair, and although I had been thinking the same thing for a month or two, I broke down and cried.  Here I am a year later, most days I can walk without my walking stick, and for this reason, I have been proud to walk  with my M.E. t-shirt on. Last year I was unable to do anything significant for Mi...