Accessible sailing

 

 

On Wednesday I went sailing! I'm such a water baby I love rivers, oceans, swimming, sailing, anything to do with been in or close to water.
 

I contacted a local organisation called EAST (east anglian sailing trust) and asked to come along for one of their sailing sessions.
 

I arrived quite anxious not knowing what to expect apart from that there would be boats and other disabled adults. There is disabled parking in front of the building which is like a community centre. There was a social club kind of air to the gathering and there were adults mostly older than myself but all with some kind of disability. The building has a small ramp at the front and two large accessible toilets inside.
 

Once we were all there and had all been given life jackets we travelled down to the ramps onto a pontoon where there were several small sailing boats and a hoist. Slings were provided to those that needed hoisting but the organisers were also open to allowing people *cough* me *cough* to be stubbornly independent and find a safe way onto the boat without been hoisted.

 

The boats also had stable seats with a harness for those that cannot sit up themselves and extended rudders so everyone can have a go steering.
 

The weather looked a bit ominous and dark clouds were overhead but I spent two amazing hours out on the river and caught some amazing photos. I steered for some of the time and just sat back and enjoyed the experience the rest of the time.

Once back there was a cafe in the centre selling teas, coffees, hot chocolates and cakes or toasties. This was a good chance to chat to the other sailors and warm up with a hot chocolate.

 

The sailing is run by volunteers who are trained and have experience in keelboat sailing and first aid. There is also an option to have a carer accompany you.
 

EAST Sailing sessions are run from Levington marina in ipswich, UK on Wednesdays and Tuesday afternoons and evenings. You can contact them via phone on 01473 655509 or email at keelboatsec@e-a-s-t.org.uk

 

That's it for this week, check back next week for my post on Orthotics for EDS.
 

As always thanks for reading,

 

Laura :)

Cannabis oil vaping for chronic pain.

So after all the hype that followed the medipen release I found myself curious. I wanted to know could cannabis oil really help my pain, fatigue and insomnia?

I did so much research on why cannabis oil was different to the cannabis that's normally smoked and the science behind it. I tried to research the disadvantages as well as the advantages.

For the basics check out:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/cannabis-essential-oil.html

The downside is you don't know how your body may react to it, your other medications may interact and the stigma, as soon as you say the word cannabis it conjures up images of spliffs. In the UK cannabis is illegal. Luckily cannabis oil isn't. Finally It goes without saying:

!!!! Please don't try any new treatment or medication  without consulting your doctor first!!!!!

I couldn't afford the £49.97 for a Medipen starter kit and £24.97 for refills so I set about looking for a cheaper version.

I found the CBD king starter kit for £28.99 on amazon. It arrived within 3 days despite the delivery estimate putting it at 5-10 days.

It was fairly easy to work out and the vaporizing pen  came with a charger, two cartridges and a metal storage case. I don't smoke so inhaling took some working out too but then I was off.

I found the best way to use it was to inhale 3 short puffs of about 2-3 seconds three times a day. I then had more short puffs if I felt my pain levels increase. This is what worked for me but you may want to experiment to find what works for you.

I've been using it for 2 weeks now. My pain is still there (it's not a cure) but it seems to lessen it. The most positive effect I've found is that I'm less anxious and sleeping better. I can't say I've noticed any improvement in my fatigue but it's not deteriorated either.

After a few days one of my cartridges stopped working. I contacted CBD king and they responded the next day and sent me a replacement out and a free cartridge no questions asked. The Strawberry and custard flavour is amazing and so is the lemon and lime.

In short I've found cannabis oil has helped my anxiety and insomnia and has lowered my pain levels. I'd recommend CBD king as their pen is the same as medipen and their customer service is amazing.

Do you have any questions or Have you tried cannabis oil for chronic pain or other illness' have you found it helped?

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this honest review I just really liked the pen and the company.

Spiritual self care

So this is the final post In my self care series, I must admit its been a challenge blogging everyday but its showed me my limits! if you have missed the start of my series you can catch the beginning here.

Todays post is about something very subjective, spirituality.

When some people think of spirituality they think of religion. If that's what spirituality is to you that's fine but it can mean lots of different things to different people. Its due to that that I cant say specifically how to care for your spirituality, do what makes your soul happy.

Go to church, synagogue, mosque, temple, meditate, talk a nature walk, whatever feels right for you. If that's not an option due to been stuck in the house, pray, write, read your holy book, meditate in the house whatever you can to take care of your spiritual side. Just because your physical and maybe mental health is bad doesn't mean you have to give up on your spiritual side

Well that's the end of the series, if you've read all the way through thank you so much for bearing with me.

You can catch the whole series through the links on the basics of self care post. As always take care of yourself and do what feel right for you. We are all individuals and as such our needs are all different.

My next post is going to be a review of cannabis oil and the vaporiser I have been using. I will post the link here when it is published.

Thanks for reading.

Laura :)

Social self care

Hi guys,

Todays post in the self care series is social care, if you missed yesterday's post on Emotional self care you can catch it here, if you would like to start at the beginning of the series here's The basics of self care.

So why is social self care important?

I don't know about anybody else but i have moments, sometimes days where i just want to hide in a cave and not come out. I don't want to see anyone, talk to anyone or be near anyone, i just want leaving alone. However there is then a real danger of becoming and feeling isolated, alone, lonely. As humans were sociable creatures, been isolated can make us unhappy, depressed and anxious.

Been chronically ill can make been sociable difficult. Pain can make us quiet and withdrawn, anxiety can leave us afraid of social interaction and fatigue can leave us not having the energy. That's all before we even get to the issue of having to cancel plans at the last minute due to flare ups / relapses  / down days. Luckily there are ways around this.

First of all having a small group of friends or even one friend that understands or at least tries to understand and doesn't get upset when you cancel is priceless. Hold onto that friend like they're a tub of  vegan ben and Jerry's and never let them go!

If you cant make big social events like parties (or they're too much) organise small events at a place where you know you will be comfortable and can manage if your condition worsens while your there. Invite those friends that are like gold and do something easy that can be quickly changed if needs be.

My favourite thing to do is invite one or two friends over to my flat and let them pick a movie or a DVD or netflix and get a takeaway in. minimum spoons used, no cooking or long conversations are needed and if i start to feel unwell as the night goes on i can lay down on my sofa, take meds etc... whatever i need to do. The upside is i get to see my friends and feel sociable, the downside is that they are having to come to me all the time.

If having people over isn't an option or you don't have any of those ben and Jerry's friends another option could be support groups. I go to a local fibromyalgia support group when i can and have met some lovely people who all understand , the comfort of shared experience is not to be underestimated. Been around people that have literally been there, done that and got the awareness t-shirt can be so supportive and encouraging. There are community support groups all over and a quick google search can normally find them. Failing that if there are any charities for your condition(s) they usually have a database of support groups. If there isn't one in your area why don't you start one?

Now if leaving the house isn't an option there's social media. There are lots of ways you can be social online. Twitter has a chat run by the lovely Tania Jayne (@whentaniatalks)  under @spooniespeak at 7pm every friday (GMT). She also has a blog (http://www.whentaniatalks.com/) and you can find lots of people to relate to using the #spoonie, #spoonieproblems, #spooniecult or hashtags for your condition(s). There are even spoonie netflix parties where spoonies arrange to watch the same thing over twitter and then comment on it together @spooniecult runs these and they are normally at 7:30pm (EST).

On facebook there are the invisible illness support groups, spoonie support line (to exchange numbers), spoonie support and then various support groups for different conditions.

I'm not very good on snapchat as i have not had it long so i don't know if there is any support there.

One things important, you don't have to be alone. If you feel like socialising there is someone out there for you to talk to, been able to talk to someone and knowing your not alone helps ease the isolation that can come with been chronically ill. It can also give you some awesome friends to help you through the tough times.

Again thanks for reading, feel free to check back tomorrow for the last in the series, Spiritual self care.

Have I missed anything? Do you know of other support groups, twitter chats or support that i've missed? Let me know in the comments.

Laura:)

Emotional Self Care

*Mentions coping methods and help if things are too much*

Emotional health is just as important as physical health but is often overlooked. It is important to care for your mental health and emotional self care is part of this. We can all get a bit down in the dumps with our illness, frustration and anger is common. Some of us also have chronic mental health issues alongside chronic physical illness.

Its also worth noting that a grieving process can follow every new diagnosis, its changing our lives again and again. We can grieve for our old lives and our old abilities. Lets face it its hard to cope with been ill. Even harder to face never getting better.

Some of us manage with the odd breakdown, some of us cope by using Unhealthy coping methods and some of us can not cope at all and their mental health is suffering as a result.

There are healthy ways to minimise the emotional stress been ill causes (and all the other stress too). Taking time out to look after your mental health is always important. It is particularly important during a flare up / relapse / down day or when we are feeling at our worst.

So stop. take a breathe and take some time out. I Journal each night, somehow writing out my thoughts and feelings allows me to process them then let them go. This Is a good option if you like to write and love stationary!! I bought mine from Paperchase for £12. If you struggle to hold a pen to write there is always livejournal, you can opt to keep your entries private. Of course there is always blogging. I started this blog as I wanted to help other people with chronic illness and also have a platform to express my thought and feelings on life.

Meditation can lower stress levels, (it doesn't have to be sitting cross logged humming OMMMMMM, but if that appeals to you go for it). Meditation can just be laying down, closing your eyes and listening to some relaxing music whilst focusing on your breathe. There's some great guided meditation videos on youtube and hypnotherapy videos for various issues. My favourite guided meditation is one for sleep where you visualise floating amongst the stars.

Bubble baths, the more bubbles the better. You get maximum points if your bubble bath has rubber ducks and / or candles. Lavender and chamomile based bath goodies are both relaxing and calming.

Have a long talk with someone you can trust, go spend time with people who make you laugh and forget about your problems. If that's not possible find a pet to cuddle, stroke. Don't have one, find one! (im not condoning animal kidnap). Animals make us smile, comfort us and stroking an animal is relaxing, theyre also great listeners as they never too busy to talk at! You can "borrow" some animals to stroke and talk to by volunteering at animal charities or rescue centres.

Volunteering is also a great way to support your own wellbeing. Giving your time to help other people or animals helps to lift your self esteem and keeps you grounded. Of course, not everyone's health allows them to do this but it's there for those that can. Check out doit.org for a (UK) database of volunteering opportunities.

Go outside. Sometimes just been outside and feeling the sun on your skin is enough to perk you up. Just 5 mins of fresh air, looking at the plants and flowers or weeds (there is beauty in everything if you look hard enough!) And hearing the birds singing is somehow soothing.

It goes without saying, if your mental health takes a turn for the worst and you feel you need help, seek it, there is lots of support out there and lots of other people who are going through the same things. See your GP, join a support group (either online or in person), talk to someone, a friend, family, Samaritans, counsellor. Don't keep it to yourself.

As always thanks for reading and hopefully this will help someone out there. Check back tomorrow for the next post in the series: Social self care.

Laura :)

Intellectual self care

Following on from yesterdays post about Physical self care, todays post is about intellectual self care. If you haven't heard of intellectual self care or don't know why anything other than physical and emotional self care are important check out my post on the basics of self care.

You don't have to be Einstein to look after your intellectual wellbeing. Keeping your brain active helps reduce boredom and in my experience can help with the dreaded brain fog.

Keeping your mind active also helps to pass some of the time if your stuck indoors.

There are many ways you can keep your mind active even if your stuck in bed and high on morphine.

For me, I like to learn new things. Take classes on Skillshare, my latest thing (as you can probably tell) has been learning about blogging. I also like designing new things out of fabric and then making them.

On bad days something as simple as listening to an audiobook can keep your mind active. I also like to watch videos on you tube that teach me something new like a new stitch or mini crochet project that I can do whilst been propped up in bed. Learning something new and then been able to put it into practice also gives a sense of achievement which is great for emotional wellbeing too.

Don't worry if your not creatively minded puzzle books, adult colouring books, reading, quiz shows can all keep your mind active and give you a sense of achievement.

If you want to try something new Skillshare is a platform for lots of online classes. Some are free, some you have to be signed up to their paying account to access. There's also adult learning classes in most towns in the UK that can cover a wide range of topics. I've been to henna, healthy cooking and nutrition classes, they're usually quite cheap, even more so if your on any benefits.

If you decide you like learning you could always take it further and enrol in The Open University. Ideal if you wanted to go to university but your health stopped you. They take all ages and if you've not had student finance before you can apply for student finance to pay the tuition fees.

Whatever you do it has to challenge you, make you think and keep you interested. Most of all it has to be right for you.

Do you have any ideas how to keep your mind active? What would you like to try and learn?

Thanks for reading. Make sure you check back Tomorrow for the next post in the series, Emotional self care.

Laura :)

Physical self care - looking after your health and wellbeing when your already ill.

This post is following on from my basics of self care post yesterday, if you missed it you can find it here. Physical self care is probably the most thought of form of self care. It's also the one that needs adapting around flare ups/ relapses/ down days the most.

One day you may be able to do some yoga, eat 3 healthy meals, drink 8 glasses of water and take your meds.  Another day u may be able to take meds, drink some fluids and manage some stretches from your bed.

Both days count, your making a conscious choice to do something towards your physical health and wellbeing. This post isn't intended as medical advice and shouldn't be used as such it is just based on my experiences and ideas.

Move

Exercise doesn't have to be running a marathon. It can be as simple as stretching or moving whilst carefully engaging your muscles. I've found I can manage 3 mins of very basic yoga stretches 90% of the time. Just been in a swimming pool whether your swimming or not gives your joints a break as your weightless, just moving in water burns extra calories. On bad days stretching may help to keep the stiffness away and keep what mobility you have. If you have physio and can manage to do your exercises do those. Whatever movement you can manage to keep your joints and muscles going.

Gulp

Fluid levels are really important! Your body needs it to function. Aim to drink 2L a day, if you have POTS or some other condition requiring more fluid than normal you may have to aim for 3L. I find if I always have water on me everywhere I go I'm more likely to drink enough. fizzy drinks and fruit juices don't count as the fluid content is low and they are high in sugar.

Eat (If possible)

Food is hard for me. During a flare up of my fibro or ME/CFS I crave carbs and sugar. My mind tells me I need good nutrition to get out of the flare, anti inflammatory and energising foods etc. My body says eat ice cream and cookies for breakfast lunch and dinner.
I forgive myself if I go a bit mad but ensure I have at least had a proper breakfast and eaten some fruits and vegetables. Tomorrow's another day where I can try and make better food choices. I've found that ginger tea can help with nausea and peppermint can help with digestion and ease IBS symptoms.

Snooze

Sleep. What's that!!??

No seriously!?

Ok if your lucky enough to know what that is it 8 hours used to be the recommended amount. The typical advice now is 6-8 hours. Some people need less sleep due to their metabolism. I need about 10 hours as I struggle to enter deep sleep. 10 hours sleep normally gets me 2 hours deep sleep if I'm lucky.

It goes without saying lack of sleep can mess with everything, not just your physical health. If you really are struggling to get any sleep you may want to speak to your GP about some short term solutions to get some relief.

I don't know of any long term solutions to improve sleep but here's a list of things I've tried that have made some (if unpredictable) improvement:

*Clary sage and lavender aromatherapy
*kalms herbal remedy for sleep
*zoplicone (prescribed med)(v. short term as addictive)
*Cannabis oil (100% legal)
*Chamomile tea and radox bath.
*amitryptaline (prescribed med)

I also track my sleep using sleep for Android and I use relax melodies to help me get off to sleep. There are probably equivalent apps for iPhone and windows phone users.

If your sleep deprived but still cant sleep, schedule rest periods where you take some time to relax. This is especially important if you suffer from fatigue or are in a high stress environment/time.

How do you look after your physical health? Do you have any ideas or suggestions for physical self care? Let me know in the comments below.

As always thanks for reading, pop back tomorrow to catch the next post in the series covering intellectual self care.

Have a restful (if possible) day.

Laura :)

The basics of self care.

Spoonie self care

This week I'm going to be covering self care, I'm currently having a flare up of my ME/CFS so I'm writing this post at quite an apt time over several days. Todays post is covering the basics, over the week I'm going to cover each area in more detail with more ideas for adapting to good days and bad days.

I spent two years learning health and social care at college when I was younger. That taught me the basics of how to care, nurture and support someone's health and wellbeing. I then went on to spend 10 years working in the health and social care sector where I put this into practice again and again. I'm now going to apply that to nurturing my own health and well-being and hopefully help you to do the same.

So the acronym we were taught was P.I.E.S but I think an extra "S" is needed. PIES stands for:

Physical

This is nurturing your physical health, for those with a chronic illness this could be as simple as ensuring that you have taken your medication, eaten properly, drank plenty of water and completed  your Physiotherapy for the day. This can also include exercise (if able) and anything else that you may need to do to look after your physical health.

Intellectual

keeping your mind stimulated. Read or listen to audiobooks, learn new things, take classes, complete puzzles, write, anything that keeps your mind busy. Remember that your brain is a muscle and also needs exercising. Spoonie life can be boring, this keeps things interesting.

Emotional

This can be a tough one for a lot of people especially those with disabilities who can have mental and physical issues. Counselling, journaling, crafting, getting out of the house, been around nature, cuddling pets, taking a bubble bath and chatting to a good friend can all help nurture emotional wellbeing. Emotional ill-health is just as serious as physical ill-health and should be treated as such. There are symptoms which are called "psychosomatic" these are physical manifestations of psychological issues like hair loss and rashes when stressed or a twitch when nervous.

Social

Pain and fatigue can make you cranky, anxiety can make you want to build a fort and never leave but its important to maintain contact with the outside world, even if your fort is amazingly comfy and you need a "warning, approach with caution!" sticker on your head. This doesn't have to be going to a massive party and talking to everybody you see! It can include social media chats like #spooniespeak or @spooniecult on twitter, support groups on facebook, having a Netflix and pizza party with your closest friends or simply making time to call your family and friends for a chat once in a while. Of course if you have the energy and confidence to go to a massive party and chat to everyone go for it! Its about what's right and feels comfortable for you.

Spiritual (The added "S")

This doesn't have to be in the traditional sense of the word. This can be anything from prayer to meditation or even spending time appreciating nature or animals. Watching a sunrise or sunset can be a spiritual experience for someone. As hippy as it sounds whatever makes you feel at peace with the world can take care of your spiritual needs.

Self care should nurture each of these, it doesn't have to be all of them everyday, but as long as they are all covered in some way you can take some control and responsibility over your own health and wellbeing. You can do as little or as much as you can. Adapt your self care to how you are feeling and remember you are important make some time for yourself.

As always thanks for reading. Each heading is now linked to each post from the series.

Laura :)

Bubble t (bath infusion tea bags) review

I love baths, despite the risk (for me), they relax my muscles, relax my mind and always feel like I'm pampering myself. For me they are an important part of my self care. I recently splashed out a bit in Superdrug and amongst my haul were these bubble and T tea bags.

They smell amazing and come in such funky packaging. I only found one option in my local Superdrug, the summer fruits tea. It's said to smell of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and white tea. It really does. Online they have bath pearls, fizzies and a body spray in the same scent.

Each t-bag contains bath salts and the bags themselves are made of a breathable fabric with "don't drink me" printed on the front. This may seem obvious (to those with self preservation instincts) but the look and smell of the bags really smell like berry herbal tea to me.

You chuck one in warm water whilst running your bath and leave it there until your done. I tried one and it made the bath and the rest of the flat smell amazing.

I was a little disappointed that there were no bubbles, I have the brain of a 5 year old so I love bubbles! At £3.99 for Ten bags It was also a bit pricey. However it did leave my skin smelling just as amazing as the bathwater. I can't emphasise how gorgeous these smell.

Finally I found that I could reuse the empty bags by removing the staple and filling them with lavender and chamomile flowers before stapling them up again. Amazing for future herbal baths and recycling, y'know saving the planet one bath at a time.

That's it on these beauties, they're a really simple idea that smell gorgeous and can be a nice treat for yourself. The packaging looks pretty and is quite funky, but they are a bit pricey and despite the name no bubbles :( I would like to try out the other varieties especially if they made bubbles!

 

Do you have any bath time favourites? Let me know in the comments below..

 

As always, thanks for reading.

Laura :)

 

Getting out and about when you drop it like its POTS!

Following on from my other aids and adaptions posts about cooking /cleaning and showering or bathing I've decided to write about mobility aids and extras to make it easier or possible to get out and about.

I have a few issues with mobilising, it all depends on my pain, fatigue, joints and heart. Sometimes they all play nice and I can wobble short distances with my stick. Sometimes they all hate me at once and I can just about make it from my bed to the sofa to my power chair. It took me a long time to find my mobility aids and my Power chair is the first time I've had the chance to do some research and choose something tailored to my needs.

So I thought id share my experiences and knowledge ...

I started on NHS crutches but because of excruciating elbow and wrist pain I really struggled. I ended up with a gel handled walking stick and although it still hurt my wrist I persevered. I swapped between crutches and a walking stick for about 5 years.

Click the picture if you want to see the Amazon listing

This was my main mobility aid until my heart issues arose, its black with a marbled white effect with gel handle and...GLOW IN THE DARK HANDLE AND FERRULE!!! Its the funkiest one I've had and I still use it to stabilise myself whilst I'm getting my power chair out of my car and on my bad days around the flat. It's called glow and go by drive medical. I bought mine from amazon but I have seen them in mobility shops and you may find one on Ebay. The best thing is been able to find it in the dark and in the cinema!

I probably could have continued persevering like this until I developed heart issues. The issue with POTS is that I can stand and be okay and then 5 minutes later stand up and faint without warning. The SVT attacks make me really dizzy and wobbly so I tend to fall right over thin air. When they're both playing up its a gamble to stand up, let alone try and walk! Evidently its risky to go out in public like this, people tend to panic if you just drop to the floor unconscious in front of them! Add to the mix unstable joints, fatigue and chronic pain and you can see the problem.

Hospital Physios told me it wasn't a good idea to stand up so my husband went on a mission to get me a self propelled wheelchair. He went to the red cross and borrowed one at first, this option is available through quite a few red cross branches, they also loan out other mobility aids and things like toilet frames. Our branch of the red cross also sells used wheelchairs and the amazing man (wish I could remember his name) put one aside allowing us to get some money together to buy it. This is a black version of mine, available on amazon. It was quite good, had removable sides and armrests that lifted backwards to get under a desk or chair. The back also folds down and the chair folds up quite small (I was able to fit it in the back om my tiny 1999 Nissan Micra before it went to scrap heaven).

Click chair to go to Amazon listing.

 

It got me out of hospital and enabled me to leave the house, go shopping, socialise and mobilise without fainting but I could only self propel for a few metres, so I needed someone to push me and I struggled lifting it in or out of my car. I tried using a scooter that would come apart and fit into my boot but it wasn't powerful enough to go up hills, across grass or even on uneven road surfaces like car parks so was no good for me. During this time I had my PIP reviewed ( I will write an advice post about applying for PIP in the near future). Luckily my PIP was increased to enhanced mobility allowing me to use Motability to get a power chair.

Unfortunately you cannot have both a vehicle and a power chair on Motability, fortunately I already have an automatic car big enough for a power chair to fit. If you aren't this lucky you can have a Motability vehicle adapted for a wheelchair and fundraise to buy a chair through things like go fund me or find other finance options, you will need to know what kind of chair you are getting before the Motability vehicle is adapted as  information on its weight, height, width and type of bracket will all be needed to have the right hoist etc..

Quickie Hula with Jay comfort seating

My dad is a mechanical/engineering/electrical genius so I knew if I could source a boot hoist he would be able to fit it for me and wire it up. I bought mine after doing a lot of research to check the weight would lift my chair, it would fit in my car and brackets to connect it to my chair could be sourced. I found I needed a 100kg hoist and brig ayd hoists would fit my car. I found a 4-way one from a reputable company on Ebay and bought it.

Brig-Ayd 4-way 100kg hoist in the back of my 4x4

While I'm out and about I keep myself safe with my Buddi it's a gps enabled falls and panic alarm. It automatically detects a fall and It works outdoors too through a mobile phone signal. It's waterproof so can be worn while showering. If you trigger it staff at their 24 /7 centre respond by asking if your ok? What help you need and who would you like them to contact. If they get no response they call an ambulance to your gps coordinates. It also comes in grey for people who don't like purple, (butterflies are my own addition). It is a bit pricey for some coming in at £50 for the set and £5 a week for the service through Carers UK (a lot more direct from Buddi) but I've found it has given my family and me some peace of mind.

I also have extremely useful keyring cards from Hannah ensor at www.stickmancommunications.co.uk. she covers a wide range of issues including epilepsy, diabetes, hypermobility/EDS, POTS, Ashma, chronic fatigue/ ME etc... and also makes useful bits and bobs like posters, pens, zip pulls and lanyards. These have been incredibly useful during POTS attacks and to hand to paramedics. They're also good to show people who don't understand your conditions or to raise awareness and are quite light-hearted and funny.

Finally onto blue badges. These allow you to park in disabled spaces, closer to facilities and wider to allow you to open your door fully and bring a wheelchair or other mobility aid alongside.

 

You are automatically entitled to a blue badge in the UK if the person who they are used for is over 2 years old and either receives high rate mobility on DLA or receives PIP for been unable to walk less than 50 metres (score of 8). If this doesn't apply to you, you can still apply to your local council and complete their assessment. They usually cost around £10.

 

Whatever you use its important that your comfortable and safe using it and it meets your needs. Its ok to use different mobility aids depending on how you are that day or even more than one aid at a time, you know how you feel and how much help you need. Never worry about using a mobility aid due to your age. People may look but it's human nature to be curious and some people were never taught its rude to stare, just smile at them, if they're really rude try a little wave too and just make the most of your freedom and do your thing.

Have you come across anything that's helped your mobility or made it easier to get out and about? Do you have any questions? let me know in the comments below...

Thanks for reading I know it was a long one and I hoped it helped.

Laura :)

Disclaimer - if you click my links to amazon listings I get a percentage of any purchase made. However I will always say if I know of other places that may sell the same items or are cheaper.