BeYou Period Patches

These patches are little miracles, I honestly don't know what I'd do without them.
The pain relief they give me is all kinds of magical. During my period falling asleep is almost impossible. These patches let me get comfortable enough that I'm able to fall asleep. They also provide relief during ovulation.
Depending on how much pain I'm in depends on how much relief I get. But they always give me some form of relief.
I've been using them for 4 months now and I've only had positive results.


Natasha 🌻

My body has plotted an uprising against me

So it's taken me far too long to write a recent post.
My pain has been going up and up and lasting longer. Along with it my brain fog has been horrific, finding it difficult to concentrate is an understatement.
Then there's the endless fertility appointments and tests I've been having.
I'm so grateful to have such lovely nurses keeping an eye on me.
I have a cyst in my right ovary yet again, causing me a ridiculous amount of pain.
It feels like my ovaries are stuck in awkward positions again. It feels like a sickening pulling feeling whenever I move.
Last month I had an ultrasound to check my follicles and it showed the cyst. Its not the biggest I've had but its not great. I ended up going to the doctors for an emergency appointment the next day as I was worried it may be an appendicitis instead as I've had a grumbling appendicitis before. That is the only time my pain around that area has matched that, during ovulation.
Before even though my pain was constant it was always worse just before and during my period.
My pain being more intense during ovulation is new and feels different to my PMS pain.
I'm currently only taking 900mg of aspirin for pain relief which barely does anything. But due to fertility treatment and my low ovarian count. I've tried to keep my body as clean and healthy as possible.

My ovaries currently feel fit to burst.

Natasha. X

Fertility and weight Progress

So in order to start fertility treatment I've had to loose weight to get my BMI down to meet the NHS criteria. I've really struggled to loose weight in the passed due to my hormones being all over the place.

So at the beginning of May I joined my local gym and decided I'd go at least twice a week. I really didn't think it would make an impact but after my first weigh in showing I was loosing weight it really pushed me to keep going. I also started going for walks round the local countryside with my husband who's also been on a health kick.

Although I had been loosing weight it was very slow and small amounts so I decide to change my diet. I'm a fussy eater, I don't eat salad and don't particularly like vegetables. I also love bread and sweets/fizzy drinks.
So I decided to cut down on my fizzy juice intake and decided to start a Keto diet. I was so surprised with how much it helped, I went from loosing 3lbs a month to 7lbs a month. I should say I wasn't doing super strict Keto at this point as I was just starting out. As Keto is mainly cutting down on carbs which was the majority of my diet.
I incorporated a sort of detox where I only had Organic Bone Broth for 3 days, it was so difficult but I felt so good for it. I also noted my weight before and after and in just a week alone I'd lost 7lbs.

When I'm looking to give my body a kickstart I do a Bone broth detox for either the 3 days or a week were I have a normal lunch which is usually meat and veg then bone broth for dinner. Keto is working so well for me and it doesn't stop me eating out.

I'm now under my doctors goal weight, so I've had some new scans done and bloods taken.
I already knew I had a low follicle count, unfortunately it's very low so my chances using IVF wont actually improve. We discussed with the doctor doing a natural cycle where by I track everything and when I'm ovulating I go in and have the insemination. It's easier on my body and we can start sooner, obviously if after a few tries it doesn't work. We will start medicated rounds and go for IVF.

We're looking to start our first round at the beginning of the New Year, I just have to have a few more blood tests to make sure after coming off the mini pill that I am ovulating again.
I am beyond anxious to start but so scared at the same time, It's a new kind of disappointment if we fail this way.
Just trying to keep positive and keep my mind off over thinking.

Just keeping everything crossed that even with only a few follicles we're successful.

Natasha
X

Time Away and my Return

So my last post was sometime at the beginning of the year.

I was feeling so productive and ready to just blog my little heart out.

Then as usual illness hit me like a truck, my endo flared up majorly as well as my migraines kicking it up a notch.

Anxiety also completely floored me and I honestly had no motivation. I wrote a few blog posts but didn't publish them as I really didn't feel them. I kept saying ok I'll sit down and write a new post and just publish it.

I was super fatigued as well and by the time I'd sat down to write, my brain was just mush. I struggle with brain fog usually but this year has just been so bad. I've been struggling to form my sentences properly as in I'll say things back to front and I don't even notice half the time because in my head I've said it right. 

I have been taking a few new supplements to help with brain and memory function, recently its been B12 and I've been staying on top of my Iron too. Always open to new suggestions of things to take.

I think with all my health issues and anxiety coupled with stress of the never ending process of fertility treatment I've been super drained.

I am now feeling better and back to my usual self and want to get back to writing, its just so cathartic for me.

Natasha

X

Gilbert Syndrome and Me

Gilbert's syndrome is actually where my health first went into decline. I was 14 years old when my Gilbert's first triggered. 

I completely lost my appetite I went from 12 stone to 7.5 I missed half a year of school. I felt sick anytime I ate so it was just easier to not eat because I felt better not eating than I did eating.

There are various symptoms but not everyone experiences the same ones.

I’ve experienced fatigue, loss of appetite, feeling sick, dizziness, brain fog and a general feeling of unwell.

People with the syndrome have a faulty gene which causes the liver to have problems removing bilirubin from the blood. The faulty gene means that bilirubin isn't passed into bile (a fluid produced by the liver to help with digestion) at the normal rate. Instead, it builds up in the bloodstream, giving the skin and white of the eyes a yellowish tinge.

My liver struggles to process the toxins which causes me to feel sluggish. I don’t drink often and that’s more of a personal choice. But if I do drink it takes me 2-3 days to recover and I’m hit hard by it. It doesn’t matter how much I’ve had to drink it will affect me and I can guarantee I will have a jaundice glow about me.

Everyone has a different trigger, for me it’s stress. As soon as I’m stressed I’m pretty useless. I’ll become overwhelmed by fatigue and I just need to sleep. 

If you have any questions please feel free to message me.

Trying to Up my water intake

I have always been really bad at drinking water, I’ve always added squash to it. Or I just end up drinking fizzy juice or sports drinks.

I always feel thirsty and even drinking fresh fruit juice never seems to quench it. In order to try help myself lose weight I’ve been cutting down the amount of fizzy juice I have. I will eventually have it down to one glass, one day a week if at all. Right now, I probably have a glass of something at least 3 or 4 times a week.

It’s been easier for me to ditch adding squash to my water than it has to stop drinking fizzy juice. At the moment I’ve been having a glass a day if that. In the mornings I still have a small glass of fresh orange juice.

So far I have been managing to drink 4 or 5 glasses of water a day.  

When I’m at home its been much easier, so in order to help myself drink more water when out and about.

I bought myself a Tracker bottle and Insulated bottle from HydrateM8.

 I love them the tracker bottles have different quotes on and the insulated bottle keep things nice and cold or hot if you prefer.

On the side of the tracker bottle it has marks stating the time of day. This is to encourage you to drink water regularly which is great but at the moment my main focus is to drink more regardless of the time. Once I’ve gotten myself into the habit I will move on to drinking it at regular intervals throughout the day.

With having a hormonal imbalance, it can cause me to be really hungry, so I can go through phases of eating a lot more than I usually would. Upping my water intake means when a craving hits me, instead of reaching for food I drink more water.

Already I feel so much more hydrated and I’ve actually noticed I’m not bloating as badly or as often. I’m halfway to my goal of how much water I want to be drinking a day and how little fizzy juice I drink.

Tomato & Garlic Butter

This is one of my favourite things to make and eat, it’s so simple and quick.

I love having this on fresh bread or putting it on a slice of toast.

It’s so moreish, I can never just eat one slice.

Ingredients: -

650g Cherry tomatoes

6 Cloves of garlic

250g Salted butter

¼ Teaspoon Himalayan Salt

Recipe: -

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

In a roasting pan mix the tomatoes and garlic (I make little incisions in the cloves). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cover the contents.

Roast for 45 minutes stirring half way through.

Let the mixture cool before pouring the contents into a blender, adding the salt. Pulse until smooth, cut the butter into small squares adding a few at a time and mixing. Once all butter is added blitz until smooth.

You can refrigerate or freeze in a seal-able container.

This makes a good size batch so I like to separate the butter into usable portions and freeze.

Things I find helpful during a flare up

During a flare up, I get the most awful cramps and I really try to avoid taking pain relief if I can.

One of the best things I can do to help ease the pain is have a hot bath, I usually put Magnesium Epsom salts in.

 It feels like every muscle in my body just relaxes.

 I usually order a big bag from Amazon as it’s recommended to put 2 cups in, so I can go through it quickly.

I also love to put a few drops of Fortifying Green Bath potion in, it smells amazing and reminds me of Christmas.

 When I get in my body gets this cool tingling sensation and I just feel so relaxed.

https://moa.co.uk/collections/shop/products/bath-oil

I also find myself attached to a hot water bottle 24/7 which means I have this weird mottled heat rash across my back.

I find a hot water bottle is better for targeting certain smaller areas.

I take Spatone Liquid Iron sachets in apple flavour and again I just order them from Amazon. If I take one daily I do notice my cramps are not as bad. Iron is proven to help fatigue, cramping, bloating and mood swings.

  

Chocolate, who doesn’t love it.

 I crave a lot of chocolate when I’m having a hormonal flux. So, if I nibble on some dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa, I find myself more relaxed and my mood boosted. Due to when we eat chocolate our bodies send off little signals telling us to release certain chemicals. Some of those being endorphins our bodies own natural pain killers, serotonin which boosts our mood and dopamine which gives us the sense of well-being.

Please feel free to message me with any questions you might have.

Endo Education & Project Patchwork

I previously wrote a post on Endo education an Instagram account run by Wendy England.

https://www.instagram.com/endoeducation/

It’s an account created to support and educate women with Endometriosis to raise awareness and let women share their own stories.It’s a safe place for women to help each other and give advice to one another.

I love this account it genuinely makes me feel better about myself, I often have days were I feel lazy and pretty rubbish about myself.

Reading motivational posts and other women’s posts make you feel like you’re not alone. I love reading other women’s tips on how they deal with certain things. All the women are so supportive and friendly. I finally feel like someone understands what I’m going through, they can genuinely sympathise.

Project patchwork is a new site Wendy has created it is for women with various hidden conditions. Again, it was created as a safe space for women dealing with chronic illness. If you are suffering from a hidden condition and just need someone to relate to then you really should give them a follow.

Wendy is currently using kickstart to raise money so that she can make project patchwork her full time focus and cover running costs of the site.

I feel this is another brilliant platform to help women feel like their not alone and to gain information they might not know about.

http://theprojectpatchwork.com/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wendyengland/project-patchwork-every-scar-tells-a-story

https://www.instagram.com/theprojectpatchwork/

Also if you would like to give the incredible lady herself a follow she posts a lot on her personal account too.

https://www.instagram.com/iamwendyengland/

Endo and Diet

Obviously, every woman suffers differently with their Endo as with everything our bodies react differently. What works for one might not work for another, although excision surgery is the gold standard for treating endometriosis at present. 

Once removed there’s no telling how long you will go without experiencing symptoms again. I’ve read various women’s experiences were they’ve barely been bothered by it for years and others who have immediate symptoms. 

I’ve read a lot of woman preaching that the Endo (anti- inflammatory) diet is key to staying Endo free. Now I’m not disputing that for them it works as I do believe we all have certain things that work best for us. 

But for me personally I tried a year Gluten and Wheat free, before I was properly diagnosed as they thought it was Coeliac at the time.

 I mainly ate Meat, Veg and Potatoes which for me isn’t a huge problem, as I’m a big meat eater anyway. I know red meat is considered to be a no-no, so you could argue that of course it wouldn’t have helped. But I’m rather fussy in that I really don’t like salads, I’ve tried different ones and I just can’t find one I like or even pretend to like. Also Veg I eat a certain few but not a lot as again I just don’t have a taste for them. Fish is meant to be so good for you but the only time you’ll ever find me eat it is fish fingers. I also didn’t touch a lot of dairy during this time either. I did have times where I ate more chicken than red meat and again there wasn’t any difference. The only thing that changed with being on a Wheat and Gluten free diet is I was a whole lot grumpier. I love bread! And I’m not one of those people that feels it affects them.

 I try to cook as much as possible from scratch, I cook what I consider to be good home cooked meals.For me I enjoy food too much, I eat what I want but my portion size isn't that big. 

For some changing your diet might be the answer but don’t feel bad if it doesn’t. 

My main point is try different things and do what works best for you. 

Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey is my go to when I'm run down.

I either eat a teaspoon of it or I put a few spoonfuls in some hot water and lemon.

It supposedly has antibacterial and anti inflammatory healing properties.

It comes in a range of grades usually from 5+ to 25+ Going up in price as you go up in grades. 
The higher the grade of honey the stronger the medicinal properties are meant to be. 

I find taking a teaspoon of honey when my stomach is really inflamed helps.

I also do a lot of cooking so I'm prone to getting burnt, I usually take a little blob of honey and put it on the burn. This immediately takes away the burning sensation and relieves the pain.

I also love using it as a face mask, I again mix honey with lemon juice and apply to my face. Leaving it for about 30 minutes and then wiping off with a hot face cloth. It leaves my skin so smooth and soft, as well as calming down any spots or red patches.
I buy online direct from the retailer as they've usually got deals on.
https://www.manukapharm.co.uk/

New Year’s Eve Flare-Up

My latest flare up decided to rear its ugly head on New Year’s Eve.

I woke up with stabbing pains and spotting, the pain was nauseating.

I thought brilliant what a way to bring in the new year.

The pain always tends to ease off through the middle of the day and then picks up again in the evening. It’s like my body knows when I’m trying to relax and go to bed and decides it has other ideas.

Thankfully Martin and I didn’t have solid plans for New years and he wasn’t really in the mood to do anything. I was so pleased when he said this as by the evening my pain had upped its game. We decided Chinese take away and films would be how we would be spending our night. The pain was so bad I had taken pain medication and thankfully it seemed to do the trick, but it also made me so tired. I started to drop off at 10pm on the sofa and then about 11pm I had a resurgence of energy. I was wide awake till 2am and by then the medication had worn off. So, the pain was back, and I was struggling to get into a comfortable position and sleep.

I knew waking up I would still have the pain as typically a flare up will last minimum a week.

Over the next few weeks the pain would vary throughout the day, starting from when I wake up and easing off through the morning and early afternoon. To reappearing again in the late afternoon and kicking it up a notch in the evening.

I try not to take medication unless I have to, so you’ll usually find me attached to a hot water bottle. I reserve pain relief until the evening when I really need it as the pain tends to stop me from sleeping.

That’s not to say I don’t feel pain during the day too, it’s just that pain is always there. It’s a dull achy pain with the occasional stabbing pain in one of my ovaries. My hips and legs feel heavy and sometimes throb.

Were as my evening pain being more like my insides are burning with sharp shooting pain. With one of my ovaries usually the left feeling like its about to explode. I am prone to cysts in my left ovary and have had them burst before, so I'm very wary of another bursting. The pains usually go hand in hand with and overwhelming urge to be sick, thankfully I’m not always physically sick.

Unfortunately, I’ve spent all of January having a flare up and it has continued into February. My left ovary has been giving me more trouble than usual, my doctor suggested and internal exam just to be sure.

I'm hoping this flare up will die down soon.

Endometriosis and Infertility

I was 23 when I found out I had endometriosis and that was the first time anyone mentioned the possibility of infertility to me. By the time I had my excision surgery I had not long turned 24, afterwards I was told the best time to try for a baby was the next 6 months. It was only 4 months after, I had my follow up with the specialist and she told me even with having had the surgery being that it was so advanced it wasn’t very likely that I’d have gotten pregnant naturally anyway. I could not believe it, I was only 24 and being told I would need help to have children. I felt like a failure my body wouldn’t do the one thing it was made to do. I had obviously heard about infertility before but always thought of women in there late 30s not someone in their mid-twenties. Everyone else my age had no problem having children, so why is it that the one thing I’d always wanted seemed so hard for me. I was referred to the infertility clinic rather quickly, my husband and I had our initial consult. We both had to have a number of blood tests and I had to have a scan to check the number of follicles I have left. It showed I have a lot less follicles than I should for a woman of my age, which is concerning because we as women cannot produce more. I was put on the mini pill to stop my menstrual cycle which was also in hope to prevent or lessen further pain. IVF was suggested as the best option, in a woman under 35 the success rate is 32% but given my condition I was told it would lower the success rate further. But it may have more chance of working if we used donor eggs. That thought terrified me, that I would go through so much to even attempt getting pregnant and then the chances of it taking were very slim. I not only felt sad for myself but sad that I may never give my husband our own child. It’s very difficult to come to terms with and to think if you do have a child either using someone else’s eggs or adopting. You would never look at that child and see a mini version of the two of you. Or the possibility that I could be robbed of carrying a child and experiencing that part of the journey and feeling a bond only created through sharing 9 months as one. Infertility is a long and hard road that seems like its never going to end. It is not something I would have ever imagined having to worry about at the age of 25. 

Infertility in young people is more common than people realise.

In order to start treatment I have to loose a minimum of 8 lbs to bring my BMI down to NHS guidelines.

A site I am finding very helpful is

ivfbabble.com

They are not only raising awareness about infertility but allowing women going through the same thing to connect and share their stories.

They have created this cute little pin to raise awareness and show support for infertility with profits being donated to Fertility Network.