I'm back with a surprise

Hi all,
I thought I would explain myself. I haven't blogged since June and I have severely neglected the blog. I'm Sorry! I was rushed off my feet quite literally over Christmas and had too much on my plate then I got a big surprise......

Yep that's right I did four tests in total and still didn't believe it. Just after Christmas I'd visited the doctors with what I now know were pregnancy symptoms, to be told it may be Endometriosis and to come back after the new year for an ultrasound! I was convinced I was infertile.

On the 1st January, something- (call it divine intuition, a hunch or just bored curiosity) made me do a pregnancy test and lo and behold I was pregnant! I stated that I wouldn't believe it until I had a handful of positive tests and a doctor saying congratulations. By the end of the day I had all that and still couldn't believe it until my first scan.

That little blob changed everything!

 

My first trimester was god awful, I had to come off the majority of my medication cold turkey and overnight, I had nausea, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, sore everything and severe fatigue. I was even hospitalised due to my POTS skyrocketing out of control. There were times I could barely function as a human being let alone do anything else. Luckily this passed and I made it to 12 weeks with a lot of support from my amazing husband.

12 weeks

My second trimester was wonderful! the nausea and fatigue gradually wore off, suddenly everything wasn't sore anymore, my POTS calmed down I had energy to actually do things, I wasn't in constant pain and I began to enjoy been pregnant.

It was during this time that my business loan with the princes' trust was approved and I re-launched sending spoons, this time with a new name- Chronic Comforts. If your interested in the Princes' trust and what they do I wrote a post about it here.

Now I had an embroidery machine and was able to do much more. I've been concentrating on getting to know my other baby (a Brother Innovis F440E) and working on new products.

https://www.consciouscrafties.com/handmade-gifts/magical-unicorn-hoodie/

I'm now into my third trimester and the chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and POTS have returned with vengeance. My joints are struggling and I'm doing daily physiotherapy and having monthly manipulation to put everything back into place. hEDS and pregnancy hormones don't mix! I still don't feel as bad as my first trimester but its really hard work for me now. On the Bright side I found out we are having a girl. We're naming her faith and I'll leave you with some of the more recent scan photos to show what a little cutie she already is:

20 weeks

28 weeks

 

As always thanks for reading and check out www.facebook.com/chroniccomforts for new products, links and news.

Laura :)

 

Chronic Comforts & The Prince's Trust Enterprise course.

Todays post is to raise awareness and share my experiences of the princes trust. The Princes trust is an amazing organisation which helps 13-30 year olds who are unemployed or struggling in school. They were founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and have been running since 1976.

This week I was lucky enough to have a place on their Enterprise program. The Enterprise program helps young people (age 18-30) who have a business idea, learn about business, create a business plan and apply for funding. They run a 4 day training course that teaches:

• Skills to run a business
• Marketing and selling
• Pricing, book-keeping and cash flow forecasting
• Business plan topics and structure
• Mentoring.

There is then a 1:1 meeting with the training facilitator to go over anything, and discuss the next steps. You're provided with a business mentor who then helps you develop your business plan and ideas, they're available through email and face to face meetings. Finally you attend a business launch group where you pitch your business to two Prince's trust volunteers and they decide if your business is viable, they then decide whether to loan you funds to start your business. Once you have done all this you become a Princes Trust supported business.

Did I happen to mention that all this training and support is FREE!! Obviously the loan is repayable (6% APR after the first 6 months, £20 a month until then), but everything else is free.

This course was amazing. The trainers for each topics were all volunteers and included those that had set up their own business' those that sold services for very influential business', accountants and venture capitalists.

There is a workbook you work on throughout the course, completing this can give you a level 1 and 2 qualification in Exploring Enterprise.

Now I'm working on the business plan with a view to re-launching the Sending Spoons shop with a new name of Chronic Comforts and some exciting new products in the pipeline!

The Princes trust runs in several cities and towns across the UK, for more info contact 0800 842 842
or visit: princes-trust.org.uk,

If you want any more information, or have any questions feel free to leave a comment.

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Clubbing in a wheelchair

So on Saturday I attended a friends hen party. This was something I thought I would never be able to do. I decided I would try in some way to attend. After a month of planning, my husband and I had sat down and thought of a plan of how I was going to get to her house, then to town, into clubs and then home again, safely, cheaply and without compromising my health or wellbeing. We decided I would go out in my power chair as this would give me the most mobility and independence whilst out and that i would need a wheelchair taxi.

Next came finding a comfortable and wheelchair friendly outfit, so I had mid waisted trousers on as a skirt or a dress in a wheelchair just doesn't work for me, I had a top that consisted of several layers so I could remove layers as needed to control my temperature, it's cold outside in the UK at the minute and I overheat inside. we decided on a cross over jacket type thing as it crossed over at the waist hiding my stomach and was mildly elasticated at the bottom meaning it stayed in place around my waist instead of riding up my back. I struggle with Raynauds in my hands and feet so keeping my feet warm but stylish was a priority. I settled on my glittery black diamante high tops and thick socks. Basically the outfit below (obviously this is not me) Tops from next and jeans were mid waisted supersoft jeans by F&F at Tescos. They were so comfy even after 7 hours in my chair. My hightops (below) were from matalan.

  

I struggle with keeping my hands above my head or up for any length of time and with manual dexterity in my hands so i used clip in hair extensions and styled them in my lap to make it easier, then all i had to do was clip them in with a bit of help

The end result before i changed into my outfit.

Once i knew i was going out in my chair and what i was wearing it was settling on a plan and a back up plan to get there and to get into various bars and clubs. I did some research, every time I had to go into town i made a note to look at the entrances of bars and clubs to see if i was able to get in. I pre booked a wheelchair taxi to get from my friends house to town and back again. This was handy as the one that arrived fitted the rest of the girls in so I felt included. Once in town I hit a snag straight away, I was so sure one of the bars didn't have a step I didn't bother to look, turns out it had a step just a bit too high for my chair to climb so that one was out of the question. we went onto a pub and the main entrance wasn't accessible, my friend went in to ask if they had a ramp and it turns out they had an accessible side entrance that wasn't signposted.

After this we found a small bar with cheap drinks, good music and level access through the front, the only snag was that the women's toilets were upstairs. The staff at this tiny club were so accommodating they cleared out the men's, cleaned it and stood obstructing the door so I could use the stall. It wasn't ideal but it worked. After this we went to a larger club. This was a chain of restaurant/bars called revolution, they had level access, disabled toilets and a lift up to the disco hall.

All in all I had a great night and found the bar staff and door staff to be really helpful and accommodating. Ill be honest Ipswich is a medium sized town but I don't think they had seen many disabled women wheelchair dancing so that's a first. The point of all this is if there is something you want to do there may be a way of doing it, it might not be straightforward or easy but it may be possible.

The aftermath

So if any other spoonies are reading this you may have noticed i said 7 hours, yes i was out in my chair for 7 hours! The following day i couldn't sit up without everything spinning, low blood pressure, tachycardia and nausea. I tried to move and quickly realised my whole right side from my waist downwards had seized up, i couldn't bend my leg or move it. Sooooo i spent the whole day lying down with a heated blanket over my right side and salty snacks and fluids to calm the POTS down. I'm expecting the fatigue and right sided stiffness to continue all week but it was worth it.

As always thanks for reading, feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

Laura :)

Bath bombs and taking a break

I didn't post last week as I had a very tough week both physically and mentally so decided to take a step back, utilise self care and do some craft projects that were just for me. If you want to know more about self care i wrote a whole series that starts here. I apologise for the not very photogenic photos but i'm still not 100%.

While i was having a break I made this beautiful dream catcher just for me:

I'm torn between making more and listing them in the sending spoons store or keeping it as a hobby just for me. What do you think?

To keep myself busy I've been making bath bombs to give as small presents for Christmas. I thought I'd share how to make them and what I learnt from my disastrous first attempt.

The recipe:

1 cup bicarb (baking soda)
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup epsom salts (I use Dr salts eucalyptus muscle therapy salts)
1 tsp water
2 tsp essential oil (I used lavender)
3 tsp oil (I used coconut oil. If solid microwave for 20 seconds first)
Extras like food colouring, shimmer, sugar stars etc

1.Add all the dry ingredients together (add petals too if using) and mix well.

2.Add the liquid ingredients together, including the food colouring and shimmer.

3.Carefully add the liquid to the dry a drop at a time whilst stirring. If you accidentally add a bit too much stir quicker until absorbed.

4.Once all the liquid is absorbed you should have the consistency of wet sand and it should hold its shape when squeezed together.

5.Fill a circular mold a little bit over, (for a mould i'm using a christmas decoration featuring Olaf from frozen, you can buy proper moulds or even cut a tennis ball in half for a mould.

It's important to fill it quite tightly and make sure it's firmly in place.

6.push the two halves together and leave to dry. 

I put mine in the fridge for 4 hours to dry.

Tips:

• To make different colours in one bath bomb, separate the dry mix into different bowls then add food colouring and mix before piling into layers in the mould.
• To put something in the centre of the bath bomb make a small hole in both halves and fill with goodies then press together.
• For petals on the top add petals to mould first then press mixture in.
• If you make a batch that reacts too quickly or doesn't work it makes a great toilet cleaner!

Managing pain

Following my last post on Managing Medications I thought I would write about managing chronic pain. I have fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome amongst other things so I'm no stranger to pain!

I tend to use a pain scale to judge how much pain I'm in and then decide on pain relief accordingly. At this point I'd like to mention I'm no doctor. I'm just sharing my experience of managing pain.

The chronic pain scale. Unsure of source

Anything between three to five is a good day and normal for me. To be more comfortable day to day I utilise things like epsom salt baths, cannabis oil (you can read my review here), heat packs and I use orthotics on my most troublesome joints such as my wrists, knees and hands.

Between 5-7 I use things like hot/cold therapy topical pain relief like muscle rub or ibuprofen/diclofenac gel. Over the counter Medications like paracetamol and ibuprofen (careful not to use two of the same Medications at the same time. E,G. Ibuprofen/diclofenac gel and ibuprofen tablets.)

7-9 I use prescribed Medications such as naproxen and tramadol 10+ I have oramorph 14+ is a hospital trip for me.

It's worth knowing that if you have exhausted all your pain relief options to no effect and haven't taken paracetamol, if you can, you should. This is because paracetamol works like a stepladder for other Medications enabling them to work better.

A doctor in A&E told me this when I had gallstones, Because of my chronic pain I'm tolerant to most pain killers and they began to run out of options so started me on an IV of paracetamol alongside the morphine and entenox  (gas and air).

Coping emotionally with pain is a different matter. It's important to have a good support network and healthy coping methods. I'm lucky to have a good support network both at home and online. I also use journalling to express the anger, frustration and hopelessness that comes with been in pain everyday. I did a post on emotional self care a while ago, you can read that here.

Do you have any questions or tips on coping with chronic pain? Feel free to leave a comment below.

As always thanks for reading.

Laura :)

Managing Medications

Following on from this week's spoonie speak on twitter, I thought I would write about how i manage my medications.

I tend to have medication stashed in a few places so i don't have to move very far to get the medications i need when i'm not feeling well. This is usually things like inhalers and pain relief (also known as PRN medications) that i may need suddenly without much warning. I have some pain relief in a basket next to the sofa, some in a drawer next to my bed and some in my handbag at all times.

I keep the majority of my medications, splints, inhalers and spare pillboxes in a basket. This is so i can find them easily and the basket is easy to carry. It looks quite nice too.

I also have a weekly pill box set that has a separate box for each day divided into four sections, morn, afternoon, evening and night. This allows me to fill these up on a Sunday and then i have that day's pills ready to take with me wherever i go.  These pill boxes were from lidl in the UK but a quick search on something like amazon shows loads of choices. The Anabox ones look quite good but a bit pricey.

When I go out I carry inhalers, mild pain relief such as deep heat and freeze spray, moderate pain relief such as naproxen and emergency severe pain relief like tramadol and morphine. I also carry a mini first aid kit as i'm clumsy and poor Proprioception means i'm always bashing my fingers, hands, toes and feet on things.

Right, memory.....what memory......

I always forget to take my tablets unless reminded, I lose track of how many pills i've got and forget to put repeats prescriptions in. Finally i forget to refill my pillboxes. Thats where my medisafe app comes in. I spoke briefly about this in my last post about helpful apps. Medisafe reminds me when to take my pills, shows me which pills are due and can also keep track of how many pills I have left. You can also set it to remind you to refill your pill boxes on a set day. Plus its Free! Who doesn't like free and useful!?

Most pharmacys in the UK offer a repeat prescription service. This means that they will put your repeat in to your GP surgery monthly and you can then collect your medications from them. If you're housebound some Pharmacies will also deliver. My pharmacy will put my repeat into the GP and then collect the prescriptions, prepare my medications and give me a date to collect them. This makes it easier for me to make sure I have enough medication and means less anxiety about running out.

Do you have any suggestions to manage medications or questions, drop me a comment below.

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Apps for managing health and wellbeing

As promised in my last post about fatigue with chronic illness I thought I would write about some of the apps I use to manage my health and wellbeing.

All the apps I have are on Google play, they may also be on the apple app store or similar apps may be available for non android phones.

So these are the apps I'm using at the moment:

 The two apps I use the most are Medisafe and S health:

Medisafe

S-Health

MediSafe is a pillbox app that reminds me to take my tablets and allows me to log extra, skipped or missed doses. You can also add a list of all your medications so you can add or remove them from your pillbox as you need them. It also has a measurements function:

But for that I prefer to use S-Health.

S-health uses my phones sensors and interacts with my sleep app to track my sleep, heart rate, Oxygen Sats, steps, water, exercise and weight. It logs it all and you can then compare trends across days, weeks or months.

To track my sleep I use android sleep. It tracks your levels of sleep, time slept and amount of noise during sleep. It also records noise during the night so you can listen back and hear yourself talking about the unicorns or pick up any unusual snoring noises like sleep Apnea. Be aware that if you listen to white noise whilst you sleep it will pick this up instead.

To manage my M.E/CFS I use this app:

M.E Diary

You track your energy usage and symptoms for a set period of time and it gives you a functional ability percentage to help manage and prevent over exertion. I talk about this and how to use the percentage for pacing in more detail in my previous post.

Finally I find it really hard to rest, especially at night. For this I have various sleep noise, hypnotherapy and white noise apps. My favourite is this one:

Relax melodies

I hope there's something here that can help you manage your health and wellbeing.

Feel free to leave me Any question or comments below and as always thank for reading, if you like this post or any of my others you can follow me on Bloglovin or social media using the buttons on the right.

Thanks,

Laura :)

Fatigue with chronic illness and wristies

So since joining Conscious Crafties I've met some amazing talented people. I've also started to sell a lot of my Wristies so I thought I'd show you them. These are heat-able wrist warmers with optional scents made with real petals and flowers. I make them out of polar fleece so they are lovely and soft and hold their heat really well. They're great for arthritis, RSI, carpal tunnel, Raynaud's, EDS and fibromyalgia plus the occasional ache and pain. Now I've shown you these i'll tell you what they have to do with fatigue:

I'm making some today but fatigue is getting the best of me so all I've managed to do is pin them and make final cuts. Because fatigue will mean this post will take me all day to write I thought id write about fatigue.

Someone without chronic illness might think, or say: "what's the big deal? your just tired!" or "get some rest and you'll be fine!" That's the issue. no matter how long we sleep for we never feel refreshed, no matter how hard we rest fatigue will still hit us. After all we still have to eat, breathe, go to the loo, talk and try to have a life. All these things take precious energy when we have none.

 Our bodies are fighting our illness' so we start the day with less energy than a normal person and use more doing everyday tasks.

So what does fatigue actually feel like?

It isn't just been tired, it feels like having the flu or the fatigue you might feel after running a marathon. It is a bone aching, hard to move, hard to think, fighting the urge to fall asleep, nauseating battle. Sometimes this battle starts because we've done something like gone to the supermarket or had a day out, sometimes it starts because yesterday you did the laundry. It doesn't always make sense.

Todays battle is because I put the clean clothes away in the wardrobe and cooked a meal. That simple. I didn't run a marathon, I haven't got the flu, I didn't do an aerobics class. I put clothes on hangers and made a risotto from frozen ready prepared veg. You see the problem?!

How do we cope with Fatigue?

Luckily I can still function with the fatigue I'm experiencing today (otherwise I wouldn't be writing this), but it means that all other plans are off the table. Everything I can do from bed will be done from bed. If I have to move I will be using my chair, you see the side effect of battling fatigue is if you fight too hard you still lose.

If I don't take the time to rest today and use as little energy as possible tomorrow will be worse. At my worst with Chronic fatigue / ME I was working and I pushed through the fatigue to turn up at work and try to keep my job. After a while things got so bad I collapsed after trying to get dressed. Just pulling some clothes on was too much. After that point it took me 6 months of careful pacing and sick leave to get to the point where I could do one thing that took a large amount of energy a day, for me that was driving a short distance or going to the local store for some food.

I had to learn what used up the most of my energy and limit that. I had to learn to take rest breaks without feeling guilty and lazy. Most of all I had to learn to listen to my body.

There's a great app called MECFS diary.

I used that to log how much energy I was using. After a week it gives you a functional ability percentage. That percentage shows you what your limits are. I also used this app to see when I should rest. For every 1 hour of high (red) energy activity I scheduled 30 Mins rest.

I used AYME's functional ability scale available here (PDF) to work out my limits. I now flit between 60 - 70% instead of stuck at 20%.

How can you help someone with chronic fatigue/ME?

1. Don't get mad at them if their not able to do something

2. Don't blame them for their fatigue

3. Don't make them do things/ push themselves it wont help

4. Do Give them space to rest and pace themselves

5. Do try to help them by splitting activities into small chunks with time for rest in-between

6. Do support them when their overwhelmed, support is so important

7. Don't assume that if they did something yesterday they can do it again today ( we wish)

8. Do stay friends with them, they don't like having to cancel on you and they need your support

9. Make sure they have food and water within easy reach (we tend to neglect ourselves when fatigue sets in)

10. You've already done it by reading this post. Understanding how we feel helps you to empathise with us.

As always thanks for reading, I hope this can help in some way whether you experience chronic fatigue/ME or know someone who does. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

Next weeks post is going to cover the Apps I use to manage my chronic illness' and symptoms, until then have a great week.

Laura:)

Conscious Crafties

So this week I was fortunate enough to be accepted into Conscious Crafties.

The Chronic Comforts store has been set up, there's not much listed at the moment but its growing day by day. You can have a look here:

https://www.consciouscrafties.com/Crafties/chronic-comforts/

Conscious Crafties Is a lovely, friendly community of people with chronic illness' or people who care for those with Chronic Illness' to sell their crafts. It goes further than an online store. There's a supportive community where crafties can find support, advice and creative genius. It's all the brainchild of karen thomas a lovely lady and a spoonie  herself, here's what she has to say about why she founded Conscious Crafties:

How was the idea born?

Karen Thomas
Conscious Crafties Founder

Hi there, I'm Karen and after becoming sick in 2011 almost overnight, I found my way to various support networks. I noticed we all shared the same sense of loss, we'd lost friends (because not many stick around when you have to let people down at the last minute), some of us had lost jobs (due to being unreliable) and the biggest thing that hurt deep into my soul was the overwhelming loss of purpose, we all felt useless. I desperately wanted to make that better. So in 2011 the idea was born to create a community for everyone to showcase their talents in one place and give people a way of creating their own businesses. It was also a way for me to feel useful again, by using my skills to help others. Conscious Crafties is about empowering us all to be successful, tell our stories and meet new like minded friends who understand our struggles. I'm also hoping it plays a key part in changing the way Disabled and Sick people are viewed by the world. We can still contribute and are incredibly talented!!

 

My Beautiful Friend Sam

Conscious Crafties has been built in honour of Sam, my beautiful friend I met through sickness and our love of crafts. Her strong fight with Gastroparesis and POTS sadly ended in Oct 14. Heartbroken, I knew then, after years of thinking about it, the idea for us all to sell our crafts and skills within a supportive community needed to be launched, so it could help people NOW and give them hope for the future.

Karen has been so patient with me and has supported me to open my Conscious Crafties shop. The whole site has tidbits of advice at every stage and well thought out timesaving features all designed to save you some energy. Ive only been set up 3 days and im already making friends.

Once you list a product the "techy magic" on the site posts it on social media to get your products seen by a wider audience.

I've been amazed at the wide range of skills and talents there are, from artists to wood burners every kind of art and craft is welcomed. You can apply to become a Conscious Craftie here

Or buy something from a talented disabled person or carer here.

As usual any questions or comments just let me know below....

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Banham zoo accessibility review

Following my camping trip, which you can read about here I thought I would write about my experiences at the zoo next door, Banham zoo.

 

Banham zoo was founded in 1968 and became a charity in 2013. It isn't the largest zoo in the UK but I found the friendly atmosphere and their dedication to conservation made it one of my favourites.

 

Its in the tiny village of Banham in Norfolk, UK.

 

 When you arrive your given a welcome pack which includes a map and a list of the feeding and talk times. The entrance gates are wide enough for a power chair and the reception is all on one level.

As you enter the zoo there is a map and signposts to the different animals. We noticed several first aid posts and help points. You can hire a mobility scooter for the day for £10 and they will safely store your wheelchair if you are swapping it for the scooter. I can't stress how helpful the staff are.

 

 

Most of the zoo is on level ground however the giraffe enclosure is up a inclining platform so you can get up to their height. For wheelies who self propel, I recommend going into the building at the Base of the giraffe enclosure and using the small platform lift to get to the top. From the top of the building you can then get to the platform and see the giraffes.

 

Some of the ground in the zoo is uneven so those using walking aids or with balance issues will need to be careful.

 

Most of the enclosures have some way of viewing the animals from a lower position, ideal for children, those who are shorter in height and people using wheelchairs. I got some great views of the tigers and snow leopards from these areas.

 

 

It may be unsuitable for those with severe visual impairment as there are only a few enclosures or attractions where touch or sound is used, there is no braille and some of the animals like to hide quite well! For hearing impaired all the talks are done with the use of a microphone system and a single person speaking allowing for lip reading or use of hearing aids.

There are several toilet blocks which include a disabled toilet. The disabled toilet at the Parrot Pavilion, the main restaurant, was a little on the small side but I was able to get my power chair in and transfer to the toilet. Disabled toilets had the standard radar key, lowered sink, grab rails and lowering rail on the right hand side of the toilet.

 

It's free to listen to the talks, see the amazing animals show and watch them feeding the animals. Also interactive events like meet a reptile and the amazing animals show are also included.

 

                        

They only things not included in the ticket price are the Skytrek high wire course and zorbing. The food is good but quite pricey so I recommend bringing your own food and drink. There are plenty of picnic areas.

 

It is possible to see the zoo in one day but for those low on spoons who can camp, glamp or caravan, I recommend staying at the Applewood countryside campsite next door and seeing the zoo over two or more days. If your staying at the campsite you can pay an extra £3 on the price of your ticket and revisit the zoo all week.

 

Ticket prices

(can include optional donation to their conservation charity. )

 

Disabled adult/child/carer

£11.45 (with donation) £10.40 (without)

Adult
£22.95 with donation £20.85 without

Children 3-15yrs
£16.95 with donation £15.40 without

 

Children under 3

Free

 

We really enjoyed it, even my grumpy husband loved getting close to the tigers and seeing them been fed. It is somewhere which taught me a lot about different animals, their endangerment and why conservation is so important, I would definitely revisit.

 

As always thanks for reading, any questions or suggestions leave a comment below.

 

Laura :)

Camping trip with a chronic illness

Earlier in the month I wrote about dealing with anxiety around unplanned trips as Preparing for anything with a chronic illness can be tricky. Even more so when it's camping.

 

I'm lucky I'm not going camping in the woods, I'm going to a campsite with level ground and disabled toilet and shower facilities. I needed somewhere with an electric hook up so I would have power to charge my chair. Obviously if you don't need electricity your experiences may be different.

 

Here's how I prepared;

 

My tent is amazing, its actually like a Tardis. It is huge inside! easy to put up and I can wheel straight in and stand up inside if I need to. It goes up in about 10-20 Mins with 2 people doing it (my husband and I ) even though I'm helping from my chair.

http://amzn.to/2c2IcDB

 

We got this up and had two cushioned reclining chairs, a table and a cooler inside the living area. We had power running into the tent with sockets in the middle so I could charge my chair and use my heated blanket.

 

My husband splashed out on a raised air bed for me so I can get up from it,  the bed has an inbuilt electric pump for super fast inflation and it deflates itself! magic! once the tent is up the very next thing to go up for me has always got to be my bed, so if I crash I have somewhere to lie down for a rest. This was really comfy to sleep on but with my husband getting up and down like a yoyo it did deflate slightly as the days went on, we just got the plug out and pumped it back up a bit.

We took a double duvet and pillows instead of sleeping bags as I'm quite claustrophobic and cant stand anything wrapped around me! My heated throw blanket is also a heated cape and helped when things got cold.

http://amzn.to/2cj7POk

 

I took my meds in my dosset boxes so they were easy to find and chuck in my bag if we were going out for the day. I also made sure I had extra tablets for pain relief, insomnia, IBS and nausea as the last thing you want is to run out or suddenly need some half way through your trip and have to wander around looking for the nearest pharmacy. I made sure I took anything I might need with me as I refused to have my holiday spoilt but something that could be relieved by medication. If your meds are high risk (codeine, tramadol, morphine, zoplicone etc) keep it on you in your bag. Also don't forget basics like Paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines, bite relief cream and sun cream / after sun, antacids etc..

 

Before we went I researched where we were going, what was nearby and what id like to visit. I looked at where places where, did they have disabled parking, were they accessible, opening times and admission prices / costs. I knew we were a 30 min drive from Norwich which is excellent for shopping so I knew I wanted to go on a shopping trip. I also knew we were literally next door to Banham zoo and that I would want to visit but may need two days as during the day it was quite warm and tiring. I researched the shops I wanted to visit so I spent less time wondering around aimlessly and more time in shops I was actually interested in, knowing where they were also helped us to navigate a city we've never been to before without getting too lost!

 

Another piece of advice I can offer is to start preparing early, This is so you can take your time and pace yourself. Write a list out of everything you need, don't forget a spare outfit in case you get soaked, decide to have a head to toe mud bath or the weather drastically changes. Start sorting out what you need at least a week before you go, if you already have a tent get it out and put it up so you can check it for damp or damage and air it out, the same with any other camping equipment. This gives you at least a week to find another one or repair anything that's damaged. If you have pets check your designated pet sitter is still available and happy to take care of your babies. Make sure you stock up on pet supplies too.

 

Luckily nothing went wrong and I didn't need my plan B, but its always a good idea to have one. Have an emergency fund set aside so you can spend the night in a B&B or hotel If your tent gets blown or washed away. Also the weather is never guaranteed, have some entertainment for rainy days, board games, books, card games, if your adults with a dodgy sense of humour there's always games like cards against humanity and exploding kittens. :) The weather stayed nice for us and it only drizzled for about an hour on one of the mornings. Luckily I had a waterproof coat and it soon stopped.

 

I camp on campsites so I have the right balance (for me) between nature and home comforts. I didn't take my laptop. It was me, my husband and a phone that was it. We were away from our usual routines, work and environment and could relax together and enjoy each others company. That's the point of a holiday for me, getting away from everything and spending quality time together. I don't have to be staying in the Hilton for that and we both love nature. It was so quiet and peaceful on our campsite it felt like we were in a whole different world.

 

 

So How did I get on?

My husband was amazing and did most of the work! However the cold didn't like me very much, despite my heated blanket the cold at night caused me some issues and the last resort pain meds came out in full force.

 

Despite that I had a good time and came across very few obstacles. The disabled bathroom on the campsite was adequate but had a step into a shower and a grab rail that came down across the door which meant you couldn't use it to get over the step and onto the shower seat but once you were in you could put it down to stabilise yourself. I also couldn't fit my chair next to the toilet to transfer so I had to pull myself up, turn round and then lower myself down but I managed. I went shopping in Norwich which was hit and miss with accessibility, some tiny shops were more accessible than large well established ones, but I find that problem nearly everywhere in England.

 

We also spent quite a bit of time in Banham zoo which was quite accessible for those with mobility problems.

 

Check back next week for photos and an accessibility review of Banham zoo.

As always thanks for reading,

 

Laura :)