Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone;

Feeling a mixture of positives and negatives about this year. Lots of things are going to be changing, so fingers crossed it all works out for the better.

Our housemate is moving out which is both good and bad. It's the start of a new chapter for all involved. Finally me and Andrew will have a family home to ourselves, making it as we would like. Personally I'd rather move and start afresh, as it makes me uncomfortable to be moving things into his room when he's left. But we have to make do with what we've got at the moment.

So far my new years resolution is to try and have a more positive attitude about what I CAN do instead of what I can't do. I'm tired of restricting myself and so want to try and be as non restrictive as I can in the things I do. Obviously I know I have limits, but I'm working on that.

At the moment I'm currently not doing any volunteering or my college course, so that has made my life a lot easier over the past few weeks. I still have some work to finish off however, which is stressful. I look forward to going back, but at the same time it's nice to have had a break from another stresser.

I've started doing my back stretches more and more to help increase my flexibility. It was something I was taught during my Perrin Treatment; I might not be able to do the entire treatment right now, but I'll do what I can when I can :)

The stretches involve putting your hands grasping near the back of your neck with your elbows forward. Whilst doing this you should try and turn your body, waist upwards to the left as far as you can (without hurting yourself!) and then again to the right. Do this three times then change position of where you hands are.

Next hand position is with them crossed across your chest, holding onto your own shoulders. Turn your upper body left and then right again, 3 times over. Third hand position is having them crossing your body and holding on to your sides. Repeat with the turns.

I'm also doing some shoulder rolling and shrugs. All this is to help loosen up my back which eases the pain a little. I'd recommend it as it doesn't even take 5 minutes :)

I've also invested in a Lumie Clear, which is a light treatment for spots. I've been feeling incredibly down about my appearance recently and my stresses haven't helped my spot outbreak. It cost a fair bit but I'm hoping to see progress soon. If this seems to show to work, I'll invest in a Lumie brand lightbox too. (Priorities Cat... priorities...)

Anywho, signing off for now, will post some more later :)

Update: Perrin Technique

Last November(?), I started a treatment for my MECFS. The doctor was fantastic (Dr Perrin). He explained the treatment and the potential cause for my illness so well and in so much detail I genuinely believed he has a grasp on this whole thing. He does not parade around that he has some magical cure, it's a long and gruelling process to even feel better (with plenty of lows in between the highs) but it is something more than nothing. And a whole lot of nothing is what we've all had so far.

Dr Perrin has a book out, which I borrowed from my local library before I started treatment; I'm not one to rush into things and believe it's going to fix me, so I was incredibly anxious and non believing about it. After reading the book, as did my boyfriend and also my housemate. I got given their verdicts and then I decided to go for the treatment.

Whilst I was on this treatment, I felt horrid. I was told that because of how it works (probably a post for another day, running on limited energy!) I am going to feel a lot worse as my body gets rid of a ton of crap, before feeling better. I was bed bound, I was sick, my stomach was horrid to me, my energy was lower than low... and then I started feeling better. Whether this coincided with it getting towards spring and then summer, I'm unsure... but it felt like it was working for me.

Unfortunately we moved at the end of February to somewhere where it made it really difficult to commute to see any of the therapists for me... so I had to give it up. Needless to say, I've gotten worse since giving it up.

It is a hard therapy to go through and requires a lot of effort and energy on your part, which made it very difficult during the 'lows'. But if I had the money and the support that the therapists gave me, I'd certainly try it again without a doubt. There are some things in the pipeworks that may mean I can start up the treatment again... so fingers crossed. I'd love for in two years for me to be able to do things like a normal girl of my age, with just a minor set back of needing to rest more than others!

There was one thing that really stuck in my head about Dr Perrin; and that was his not yet published research and findings that he showed me. His researched showed that people around my level of disability with MECFS (you do a chart/questionnaire in your first sessions) that after a year people have significantly improved, to the point they were leading a relatively normal life with less pain and rest so they didn't overwork themselves and after 2 years, not cured, but better still. I think it was something like 90%(ish I can't remember exactly) of people going through his treatment had improved. So fingers crossed for all those who're going through it right now.

I'm usually rather dubious about treatment; I refused outright the LTP because I knew it wouldn't work for me, I didn't see it as a treatment, I saw it as mind games to make you think you were okay. & since speaking to some people and their family and friends, I truely think it is just hypnosis at it's best. But unfortunately, it's not just a mental attitude to this illness that makes it as bad as it is, it IS a physical problem. So mind games will not work.

Anyway, point to this is, I've tried the Perrin Technique, is began working for me, I had to stop, but can't wait to go back because it seemed so promising!