Review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

It was my 28th birthday on the 18th August and one of my gifts from my amazing friend/neighbour/carer was this book:

 

 

*******Spoiler alert *********

I was unsure how I would get on with it at first as I was aware it was written like a script and was in fact a play.

 

I finished it in 2 days and loved it! I loved how there were so many expectations placed on Albus because of who he was, just as Harry had found when he reached Hogwarts. I also love how there are similarities between the two such as Albus' sense of adventure and willingness to challenge the status quo and their loyalty to their friends. Despite this Albus is convinced that he is a disappointment to his father.

 

I love the awkward moments between Albus and Harry as Harry struggles with fatherhood. I also love the way these scenes are written as there is so much unsaid that you sense between the lines.

I was pleased to see that the main characters were back and had developed, grown in the time between books, with Draco still been an arrogant twat but mellowing as he goes through the struggle of been a 'single father' whose son is in danger.

 

What I also likes is that when the Time Turner took them back, the resulting changes seemed to answer the 'what ifs?' from the books. Questions such as what if cedric diggory wasn't killed, what if voldemort won and what if Ron and heroine never got together?

 

I felt that the final fight with Delphi could have been a bit longer as it all seemed to be over too quickly for me. The touching scene at the end with Harry reliving the moment he became an orphan this time with his family and friends by his side was almost a tear jerker.

 

There's something still creepy about voldemort saying "haaaaaarrry potteeer" even now.

 

This was a great read and it made me feel all nostalgic again, remembering my excitement at reading the original series and I hope there are more books to follow, I understand that this may not be what everyone wants, fearing that if the series was extended it would loose some of its 'magic'. (you see what I did there?:p) But I still love to revisit these character's and would like to continue seeing them grow and develop over time.

 

Now I need something else to get hooked into, any suggestions?

 

As always thanks for reading,

Laura:)

Unplanned trip anxiety!

I'm been brave this September.  I normally don't go anywhere without my trusty rucksack armed with all kinds of things to help me with heat intolerance, cold intolerance, pain, dislocations, asthma and more. Even with all that I Then have to know where I'm going and know where toilets, disabled accessible facilities are and have a plan B for everything.

I think this is typical for most with a chronic illness. Either that or I'm just an anxious control freak! It now comes naturally to me to go out prepared for almost anything my body can throw at me. This enables me to enjoy myself, relax and know that if anything happen I wont have to go running home or ruin the day.

All this goes out the window when I have to go somewhere I don't know. My dad has planned a suprise trip for me. It's a lovely exciting idea BUT it's left me quite anxious. I don't know where we're going. I've to turn up at my Dads house on a specified date and time and he will hand me information about where I'm going, a postcode for my satnav and booking information. All I know is its camping and its for 4 days.

I don't know how far a drive it is, if there's blue badge parking, how accessible places I may need or want to visit are. I don't know if there's pharmacys or doctor's nearby. I don't even know where I'm staying.

Will it be big enough for my power chair?

Will it have accessible bathrooms?
Will there even be somewhere to charge my power chair!?

Will I be able to make myself comfortable and give myself some self care if I have a flare up?

What activities will I be able to participate in?

Will attractions I want to visit be accessible?

I have to be brave and put trust in my dad that he knows my needs well enough to have thought of all this. But then there's the other issue its CAMPING- I'm extremely sensitive to temperatures, too hot my POTS doesn't like it, too cold my Raynaud's and Fibromyalgia doesn't like it. I cant exactly have air conditioning or heating in a tent. My air bed is not that comfy and I wont have a sofa to lay on if I'm having a bad fatigue day.

To tackle this I'm taking lots of pillows and blankets so I can make my own nest of comfy to crash in, this will also help if it gets cold. I hope the campsite has a pool so I can cool down if its too hot. Once I know where I'm going I can do some research and find some places to visit or activities I can do. Whatever happens its my holiday and I'm determined to enjoy it.

It made me wonder how many other spoonies out there have anxiety around unplanned / unexpected trips? Am I the only one?

Of course once I get back I will post about how I got on and how I survived!

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Orthotics appointments and support braces

I'm not doing too well this week so please excuse the dodgy photos! If your in the same boat check out my series on self care.

Here's my experience with orthotics and support braces:

After been diagnosed with Ehler Danlos syndrome (hypermobility type) my next Physio appointment went a little differently. I informed her of the new diagnosis and she proceeded to check my joints for hyperextension. I never realised what my joints did wasn't normal until this point, apparently your knees are not supposed to bend backwards and your wrists aren't supposed to rotate 360 degrees : who knew?!

Cut a long story short my GP referred me to Orthotics for some knee and wrist braces.

At My first appointment the Orthotist asked me to hyper extend my joints and to try and walk ( I wobble at best even with a stick) and then move my wrists in all directions to see what was needed and where. He decided that I still had good muscle and joint control in my left knee but both wrists and right knee were quite bad. I was measured up and a second appointment was made.

At my second appointment I was given two wrist braces and a knee brace, the Orthotist showed me how to put them on and checked their fit and suitability.

This is a Medi knee support, its comfortable but refused to stay in place on me, it didn't matter whether I wore it over clothes or on bare skin it would always wiggle down and be really lose around the top. They have wedges on the side that can be removed if more or less support is needed over time.

These Beagle standard wrist supports were ok, they have a metal rod to support the wrist on the underside which can be removed so they can be washed. The only problem I found was that the pressure of the strap between my thumb and finger was too uncomfortable for me.

Because of the problems I had with this first lot of orthotics I had a follow up appointment and was given different wrist and knee braces:

Osso form fit wrist brace



Townsend knee brace

This brace was less comfortable and not as supportive but stays in place. I suppose there's no point having a comfortable supportive brace if it doesn't stay where its needed. The wrist brace is more comfortable than the last and has a cotton mesh on the inside making it breathable. It cant go in the wash but it feels much more supportive than my other wrist braces. These were more expensive so the Orthotist wanted to try me with the Osso one on my right wrist and keep the Beagle one on my left wrist rather than supplying me with one for both wrists.

So far so good. I tend to wear my knee brace when I know I will be wobbling about the house all day or not using my power chair and my wrist brace when I'm using my hands a lot like crafting, writing or when they hurt. I avoid wearing them all the time as I want my muscles to keep the strength they have but at the same time want to prevent any deterioration in my joints. Its a balancing act.

Any questions? What orthotics if any have you found useful? Comment below

As always, thanks for reading,
Laura :)

Check back next Sunday for my post on anxiety around unplanned events.

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:)