After a couple of tough months, especially the past 3 or so weeks, I’m off to London tomorrow for a lovely, long weekend.

Anyone who’s close to me will know that, for the past few weeks, I’ve had a big, recurring flare-up of my condition. I have been very lucky with my condition so far, in that I’ve spent much of the time, since being diagnosed, in control. As I’ve mentioned previously, for me, the diagnosis was a major point in my life – finally understanding what was going on helped me to better my own life; to reduce the effect that my chronic illness had on me, even though I was told upon my diagnosis that it would only deteriorate through time.

Well, I may have reached that point of no point. Why?Because for the past few weeks, I’ve spent most of it in pain (and I don’t mean my normal day-to-day pain). The pain that has become the norm for the past few weeks has gone from my usual 4/10 to about a 6, if not 7, out of 10 on a daily basis, and nothing I have done has been able to help it. I haven’t felt like this since before, and in the early days of, my diagnosis. It is certainly not something I’ve missed!

Although I’ve spent this time either camped out in bed, or on the sofa (not in uni, where I’m supposed to have been), I still wouldn’t class it as relaxing. It’s just having rest days, because there’s been no spoons to do anything else. I’m not joking. I had to get my best friend/housemate to wash my hair for me last week. She’s also helped me pack for my long weekend away, among several other things too. Without her, I wouldn’t know where I’d be this past couple of weeks! She’s definitely been my saviour, so thanks Charlotte! I love you, my fantastic best friend. One of my other housemates has also helped – helping me carry my several piles of washing upstairs (3 weeks worth, if you must know! What?! I didn’t have the energy for something as unimportant as washing – I was living in my jarmies most of the time anyway!) to save me running up and down the stairs, and carrying my suitcase from the downstairs cupboard upstairs for me too (despite my protests), because it was too heavy for me to manage. I am most grateful to you both. I really do have some of the best friends, don’t I?

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So, after a very loooong 3 weeks, even months, (or so it seems) I am off to see my family. The primary reason for my trip was because I’ve got my embassy appointment on Thursday morning to get my visa to travel to America for the summer – I hope I’m still going to be able to do this despite my downturn! But my focus has now become seeing my family, that I planned to visit while I’m down that end of the country. First stop (tomorrow) is my sister, her partner and my twin niece and nephew (only 8 months!) and I cannot wait! They are so adorable – my niece and nephew that is! (hehe!) Then Thursday night, after my very early embassy appointment and another few hours with them, it’s off to Suffolk to stay with my Auntie and Uncle, who I haven’t seen in aaaaages! I’ll also see some other family who live close by too so I’m really looking forward to it. I love family time. To me, it’s one of the most important things in life! I just hope this JHS doesn’t spoil it – not that I’ll let it but sometimes it just takes over – as my fellow spoonies will know. Fear not though, my suitcase is all packed up with my meds, with some room for clothes.

After this, hopefully relaxing, long weekend, it’s straight back up to my lovely home county of Northumberland to spend 3 weeks (it’s the Easter break from university, don’t worry) with my amaaazing parents! During that time, there’ll probably be some point when I get frustrated with being back home but they know I love them dearly (well I hope they do, I tell them enough!!) and know that I start to miss York a little bit.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I know I’ve been pretty quiet in the last week… the spoons ran away from me, but this is just a little (okay, maybe not so little) note to tell you that I may be pretty quiet for the next few weeks. I will update as much as possible though – I mean I have to share my adventures with you, don’t I?

Anyway, that’s enough from me for now. This ended up being a lot longer than I planned but never mind, ey?! Goodnight lads and lasses.