life

M.E Awareness- How much do you know about it?

- TracyB 5 Comments

I have had M.E for 3 years now. I was diagnosed early which was fantastic however my NHS borough decided that they would not pay for me to have the available CBT and Pacing treatment available at Kings College Hospital in London.

It truly is an invisible illness. We can look fine to people on the outside however, on the inside our bodies are screaming out with severe muscular pain and overwhelming exhaustion.

I cannot begin to describe how I feel that would make a normal person understand. But if you think of the worst case of flu whilst running a marathon in a swimming pool, you may start to have an understanding how I feel everyday- AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD DAY!! On a bad day I would not be able to get out of bed.

SO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THE VIDEO LINK I HAVE INCLUDED BELOW.

It will only take a few minutes of your time but could make all the difference in your understanding if you know someone who suffers.

M.E AWARENESS VIDEO

PLEASE: WE ARE NOT LAZY OR PRETENDING – THIS IS OUR LIVES- WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE IT!!

Priorities- necessity or luxury?

- TracyB 4 Comments

Priorities- necessity or luxury?

 

Ok this might sound  a little weird, but if you where asked a question to prioritise whats important to you on a daily basis what sort of things would be at the top of the list for you? Would they be necessities or luxuries?

I don’t mean family or good health etc which is important to all of us. I mean the selfish stuff, you know, more money, a size 8 model figure, ‘good hair’ days everyday and the like.

For me, it would be a range of things.

As you know I have had M.E for the past 3 years and it has significantly changed my life. I have gone from being a Qualified Driving Instructor with my own business and jogging 2-3 times a week. Having some spare money to spend for the family and being active with the kids. To being unable to work and have loss of earnings. being unable to do activities with my boys and spending several hours a day in bed in order to get through the rest of the day.

I struggle with anything physical. So cleaning, ironing, walking (any distance on some days) are pretty impossible without being laid up in bed the next day in pain and exhausted.

Therefore, the things that would make a huge difference to me would be things that I would class as luxuries. Yet I feel they are like necessities to help our situation. Therefore, as a priority are they necessities or luxuries?

 A Cleaner

This would be a godsend and I’m sure you will all agree that it is impossible to keep on top of. But add on to that the physicality of hoovering etc for me is just horrendous. So Mr B (who is an absolute star) does a lot of this for me- yes I know how lucky I am.

However he is a VERY hardworking man, working full time shift work with extra duties and cancelled days. Yet thinks nothing of coming in and ironing at 10pm at night! BUT THAT SHOULDN’T BE LIKE THAT FOR HIM. So for me someone coming in twice a week would improve our lives unbelievably.

Cleaner

Massage

Yes we all love to go for a girly spa day etc, but this is seen as a treat, RIGHT?

Well for me alternative therapies can ease the amount of muscular pain I can be in. A massage once a week would be great to ease my neck and lower leg pain. To go on a regular basis could help me be a little more physical myself without so much muscle pain.

Massage

I could think of a few more but you would really think I was a selfish cow.

What stops me then?

Well I totally consider these to be luxuries. So with things as tight as they are financially, due to not being able to work, I just cannot justify these in any shape or form.

So back to the question………….necessity or luxury?

What’s on your wish list?

Kids and Pets

- TracyB 2 Comments

I think kids and pets go together like ‘bread and butter’,’salt and pepper’, ‘sponge and custard’ and not top mention ‘Gin and Tonic’ (that could be just me). Anyway, there aren’t many families that I know of that have no pets at all especially if they do have kids.

I don’t know about you but the pets tend to become an extension of our kids anyway. Oh yes we could happily scream when they pee on the floor ( that’s the pets I mean but lets face it the kids when they are toddlers are just as bad!!), but we would hate to see them ill or suffer in any way especially if it is preventable.

So read below for details of a web TV show for all you dog lovers especially on how to keep our beloved four legged friends safe and healthy!

Vets’ Surgery Live

Log on to our special web TV show coming live from the Blue Cross Animal Hospital, where vet Luke Gamble and former Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves will discuss how to keep your dogs safe and healthy

Luke Gamble and Peter Purves join us live online at http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/vets-surgery-liveon Monday 2nd April at 4pm

Show date: Monday 2nd April

Show time: 4pm

Poorly pets can cause families huge distress, particularly when the ailments are avoidable. In a special Vets’ Surgery Live, TV vet Luke Gamble and Blue Peter favourite Peter Purves will be answering questions from pet owners live from Blue Cross Animal Hospital.

As part of Be Lungworm Aware month, Luke and Peter are helping dog owners spot the causes and symptoms of the potentially fatal parasite, as well as how to avoid it.  They will be taking questions and offering their top tips on how to keep your dogs happy and healthy.  A live lungworm examination will also help pet owners spot the signs that their pooch needs treating.

Lungworm (A. vasorum) is a parasite that dogs become infected with through eating slugs and snails which carry the larvae of the parasite.   Once inside the dogs system, the parasite travels through the lungs, ending up in the heart.  If the infection is left untreated, the dog’s health can rapidly deteriorate, and can be fatal.

Recent research shows 36% of vets confirming a diagnosis of the potentially fatal parasite in practices across the UK. This has more than doubled since a survey in 2008, when the figure was 16%.  This increase can be attributed to various factors including climate change making for milder conditions so that infected slugs and snails can survive for longer. 

And there is concern from vets that despite the increase in cases over the last four years, the level of awareness of the disease amongst pet owners is very low with more than a third of dog owners surveyed saying they have never heard of lungworm.

 

Join us live from the Blue Cross Animal Hospital to learn how to help keep your dog happy, healthy and lungworm free.

Luke Gamble and Peter Purves join us live online at http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/vets-surgery-liveon Monday 2nd April at 4pm

Click here to submit questions before the show http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/vets-surgery-live

Sport Relief Run 2012

- TracyB 3 Comments

Yes it was that time of year that we love in this house of the good ol’ Sports Relief run. I must start by saying I have been chief photo taker for the past few years due to my M.E but that doesn’t stop me enjoying the day.

We set off to London on Sunday morning all ready to meet up with friends and do our bit for charity. The boys have raised some money together from friends and family, plus we registered for the run itself, and we purchased our 2012 Sport relief socks. So as a family we are happy that we have contributed enough to save a few children’s lives with the £5 vaccines.

Anyway, Sunday was a glorious day weather wise, and the atmosphere started on the train as most of the people travelling up there had some sort of Sport Relief attire!

Our motley crew of runners!

So I was plonked in a great viewing spot and adopted my new title of ‘bag lady’ along with the photo taking………..who says I can’t multitask!

They headed of to the start line with JLS in their race, an I started celeb spotting. Jon Culshaw, Dame Kelly Holmes, Richard Hammond and his family, the GB Netball team, David Tennant (*swoons*) oh and of course JLS!!

JLS and their bodyguard!

Now I must admit that these boys do nothing for me at all, although I’m sure they are very nice and all. However, when they came towards me ‘celeb fever’ took over and I found myself shouting to my family opposite to slow down so I could play paparazzi to JLS before snapping my family!!! LIKE I SAY I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME AT THAT POINT!!

My poor group trying to get my attention whilst I ignored them over celebs........SHAME ON ME!

So to make up for it I ditched celeb world and concentrated on snapping the family as they came past heading towards the finish line- it was the least I could do.

My eldest who came past first
My youngest in a police outfit chasing his burgler buddies!
The very proud clan with all their well earned medals

Now I would be lying through my teeth if I didn’t admit to being a little jealous of them. The atmosphere is fab for the spectators but it must be fantastic to be part of it yourself. So with that in mind I have decided that in the next Sport Relief in 2014 ( OH MY F**KING GOD MY ELDEST WILL BE ALMOST 16!!!!!- strike that thought) I should hire a wheelchair, ‘pimp my ride’ as they say and get a few of my fellow clan to pull or push me along!!!

That way I don’t have to do what I did on Sunday and cheat by ‘borrowing’ someone’s medal for my picture!!

NEXT TIME I WILL HAVE MY OWN!

 

So did you take part in the mile where you were?

The ABC of Me!

- TracyB 6 Comments

A while ago I was tagged by the very lovely Mummy on The Edge for an A-Z of Me!! This has taken me ages to do as there has been so much going on recently. But at last here it is.

Some of these you may already know and some you definitely won’t.

A- Age, Ok I hate to admit it but I am 41 ( quickly approaching 42)

B- Belfast, the place I was born and grew up.

C- Caring, but find it hard to show it.

D- Determined to win the lottery one day.

E- Exhausted ALL OF THE TIME!

F- Food I love it in all it’s lovely forms.

G- Galaxy my all time favourite chocolate.

H- Husband, I have one and have been married for almost 18 yrs.

I- Indecisive, quick at making my mind up but just as quick to change it!

J- July, my birthday month.

K- Knitting, something I have gone back to recently and just love it.

L- Loyal, or I like to think I am as a friend.

M- M.E something I was diagnosed with almost 3 yrs ago!

N- Nap something I do A LOT due to the above.

O- Old, I hate the thought of getting older ENOUGH SAID.

P- Presents, lets face it who doesn’t like getting them.

Q- Queue‘s I hate them with a vengeance

R- RAF, I served around 7 years many, many moons ago.

S- Stubborn!!  Say no more.

T- Tracy, that would be my name.

U- U2, one of my favourite bands ( early years only!)

V- Vertically challenged at only 5ft 2″

W- Wing Walking, something I have done twice!

X- Xray vision– come on are you telling me you wouldn’t love this??

Y- Yummy Mummy.…………Yeah- a girl can dream can’t she?

Z- Zoo’s even now my kids are older and bored of them I still love a Zoo.

Ok so now I nominate:

@TheRealSupermum

@trouble_doubled

@Amummysview

Top Parenting Tips

- TracyB 2 Comments

When we become parents we have sometime very definite ideas on how we are going to be as parents, how are children are going to be brought up, how they will behave etc.

Anyway as all parents know that plan goes completely out of the window the minute the baby is born! As a new parent we are thrown in at the deep end and pretty much left to get on with it as best we can.

Each stage of a baby/ child’s development brings new worries and stress as we hope we are doing things right. We learn from books, and friends, and family about what works for that particular child. So it’s always interesting when others offer tips of what works for them. Sometime the ideas are new and sometimes they are tried and tested.

I have included a video link below from Myleene Klass revealing her top parenting tips.

http://www.broadcastexchange.tv/live/myleene-klass-parenting-top-tips

“Umbilical whiplash?!”

From separation anxiety to breastfeeding in public, watch our video where celebrity mum, Myleene Klass reveals her top parenting tips

Motherhood presents plenty of challenges and all of us mums know just how different life becomes when the little one arrives and becomes part of the family.

Whether you’re a working, stay-at-home or a celebrity mum, it is hard to know the best way to overcome any challenges you may face. From breastfeeding to separation anxiety, shopping and sharing, it is important to remember that when it comes to parenting, there is no size that fits all.

No one knows more about balancing a career and the pressures and joys of motherhood than Myleene Klass. Mum to two little girls under five, Myleene knows all too well the worries that every parent faces in trying to do the best for their children: “There are so many things parents have to think and worry about when bringing up their children, what they are eating, if they are warm enough, if they have good manners, but feet always seem to get forgotten.” 

Myleene has this year joined forces with Start-rite shoes with the aim of promoting to like minded parents, the importance of having their children’s feet properly measured and fitted with quality fitted footwear to support their long term healthy foot development. “Many parents don’t realise just how malleable children’s feet are right up until their teens and hence the importance of looking after them right from the very start.  By ensuring children wear shoes that properly fit their feet you can help prevent problems in later life.” 

To find out more and hear about what Myleene has to say go to the Start-rite YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startriteshoes

July will also see the introduction of a dedicated Start-rite by Myleene Autumn/Winter 12 range of shoes which supports her passion for children’s fitted foot wear with an injection of her own sense of style and personality.

In our video, Myleene Klass shares the top parenting tips that help her get to through daily life with two young girls. From thoughts on breastfeeding to separation anxiety or “umbilical whiplash” as Myleene calls it, watch the video to find out how you can strive to create a balance and be the best mum you can possibly be.

Check out the video below:

http://www.broadcastexchange.tv/live/myleene-klass-parenting-top-tips

What are your top parenting tips?

Back in the land of the living!

- TracyB 2 Comments

Well almost anyway. After the last few weeks of activity my body definitely isn’t used to and crushing recuperation in between has seen me absent from my blog for a while.

I’m getting back to some level of normality, but only just!

It started with :

 

On set of the short film he’s been doing recently
Him and his ‘on screen’ sister!

This was a gruelling ( for me anyway!) four 12hr days with travelling on top. I really cannot explain how I managed to stay standing ( my lovely new walking stick came in very handy). I don’t think I have pushed my poor M.E body that hard for a very long time. When it was over I went to bed and lost almost 2 days in bed and the rest of the week sleeping while the boys were at school. However, he had 2 more auditions in London the next week and a day on location on Norfolk to finish the film!!

That meant another day spent in bed afterwards for me and very quickly my days were disappearing. I haven’t blogged or been on Twitter, I haven’t knitted for what seems like ages ( although I managed to do some whilst chaperoning my son. Even watching mindless TV would take it’s toll.

However, other things have been happening all be it around me:

YUM!

 

Like this great chocolate swiss roll that my eldest decided to make at the weekend!! It tasted just as good as it looks too, although I might have had to have several slices just to make sure.

Proud mummy moment!

We also found this, a copy of the paper my eldest was put in for his efforts to raise money for the London’s Air Ambulance. That’s him in the middle of the picture with the crew who got a call literally seconds afterwards and we got to watch them head off on an emergency call- fantastic!

Oh and of course the recent sunshine (most of which I have missed by being in bed) brought out the ‘Diva’ side of the cat…………………life is good, feed me more treats!!

However, the down side is I am sooo behind with everything, cleaning, ironing, cooking even to some extent. That’s without mentioning the blog. I have emails I haven’t responded to, posts that I need to write and networking to do.

So be warned, I have some great posts coming- an A-Z of me, a review that might interest those of you who value a restful nights sleep, a few of my knitting projects that I haven’t taken pics of yet!

I’M BACK…………

My New Family Addition!

- TracyB 10 Comments

I hereby welcome my newest family addition. This has been a long time coming as I had put it off for such a long time! Now however, the time is right. But I want to tell you it truly is a love/ hate relationship. Can we love something and hate it at the same time?? Well I think I do. I love what it enables me to do but hate it as it draws people that I do not know to stare look and therefore makes me uncomfortable.

So here’s my new addition……………………………what do you think?

My ankle pain has been so bad since before Christmas that I have ‘given in’ and bought a walking stick to help. I have to travel to London regularly with my youngest and his acting activities that it has become a necessity!! I refuse to use it all the time however, if I know I am going to be out for an extended period I will take it with me.

So I love it because it truly helps me when I am out walking but hate it at the same time as I see people look at the stick and look at me!!! What is it?? Never seen someone with a f**king walking stick before?? It does not mean I am mentally retarded or ‘care in the community’……………………………….it just means I need help to be on my feet for longer!!!

I feel as though I need a sign around my neck saying ‘I am normal you know- no need to treat me any differently’.

My health borough refuses to pay for any M.E treatment so I don’t have access to therapy groups, or OT’s or programmes to help me manage the condition better. I have to use what works for me- and this helps for those days I know I will be having to walk longer distances. I am always in pain especially in my ankles however I refuse to confine myself to bed or stay indoors and so this is seen as a solution to problem that I have to face.

 

Do you know of anyone who needs walking aids or help to get around who is frustrated with how they are viewed?

Versatile Blogger Award! For me???

- TracyB 9 Comments

 

I have very kindly been awarded the Versatile Blogger award from the lovely Mette from Oddparent Thank you so much. So if you haven’t already heard of her pop over and take a look.

Now apparently I have to tell you 7 things about myself………………mmmmm………….Ok here goes:

1. I LOVE chocolate.

2. I am from Northern Ireland now living in Kent with my lovely family.

3. I absolutely HATE spiders!!!!!

4. I served 7 years in the Royal Air Force.

5. Sadly I am now old enough to be a mother of a teenage son ( Oh God where have the years gone!).

6. I have (thankfully) NEVER smoked.

7. Stand By Me is one of my all time favourite films.

So there you have it!

Anyway now the difficult task of nominating others, I thinks it’s supposed to be 15!!! But here’s a few as some that I would have nominated already have the award……

notsuchayummymummy

clairejustineoxox

amothersramblings

jazzygals-steppingout

confessionsofasinglemum

mummyontheedge

Now I want to hear 7 things I didn’t know about you all.

 

Role Models!

- TracyB 7 Comments

I was tagged a little while ago by the very lovely Evey over at Polythenepram.com- seriously if you haven’t come across her yet then shame on you, get over there she is hilarious!

Anyway, she kindly tagged me in this Who is your Role Model post and that really got me thinking. So who have been my role models in life? I struggled with this actually, thinking who do I look up to, want to be like or have learned from??

Again I was left thinking.

Then I thought about the ‘types’ of people rather than individuals. This made the whole thing a lot easier as I realised I ‘admire’ people for who they are rather than what they are. Does that make sense?

So here goes:

1. Anyone who battles daily with ‘The Black Dog’!

Depression is an illness that can severely disrupt and take over someones life and the life of those close to them. My dad was a manic depressive for many years before he died, although he let it consume him more that battle it. I am in awe of anyone who carries on their daily lives suffering with this illness. Some of the greats have battled from Churchill to Stephen Fry!!

2. People who are happy in their own skin!

We are all different however it seems we all strive to be one thing- beautiful and thin!! (two things I am definitely not). We are forced to believe that if we stray from the stick thin, blonde haired, beautifully made up look then we are less than perfect. I admire those who celebrate their uniqueness, those who see the ‘imperfections’ as part of them and who they are. Success does not come from being the stereotype, Dawn French has not let it stop her!! And Kate Winslett ( ok she is beautiful and has a figure to die for) is seen as being curvy rather than stick thin (and she takes her kit off frequently enough to show us she is comfortable in her own skin!!).

3. Happy people ( those who always see their glass as being half full)!

I totally admire/ envy anyone with this outlook on life. No matter what life throws at them they do not seem to crumble but use it to their advantage. I am a worrier to the extreme- money, work, children, and the what if’s!! Yet we have a roof over our heads and my OH is in full time work and my children are healthy.

I know a few people (one particular friend)who always see the good in people and situations.People who go with the flow and just let things happen knowing everything will work out OK.

 4. Authors

Almost any author in fact. Someone who has had the conviction and belief to put their backside on a chair and type or write until their story is finished. Taking the knock backs until the day their book is published! Now I read allsorts myself however, anything from chick lit to true life stories and most stuff in between, but JK Rowling goes without saying ( with her determination to prove that her story was worth reading).

                          *******************************************************************

So there it is! I know I haven’t named names as it were but this was more relevant to me rather than a definite Role model.

Who would you choose and why?