black and white photo of a piece of barbed wire stretched between two tree which are out of focus

Usually about this time I give you a run down of how my week has been, but I’ve been struck with another hemi-plegic migraine which has scuppered plans a little.

What is a Hemi-plegic Migraine?

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare and serious type of migraine headache. Many of its symptoms mimic those common to stroke; for example, muscle weakness can be so extreme that it causes a temporary paralysis on one side of your body, which doctors call hemiplegia.

Basically, it’s the worst type of headache you can imagine, accompanied by partial and temporary paralysis. Sounds like fun doesn’t it!

My First Hemi-Plegic Migraine

The first one I had was in October 2015, before I got SPS. I went to bed early, the same time as the kids, because I had a migraine. I woke up a few hours later in incredible pain and reached out for my painkillers on the bedside table. Only, I couldn’t reach out, no matter how I tried. My right arm could move but I my left side was completely paralysed and I had no strength to pull my right side over my left. So I decided to call out for help. Only, I couldn’t call out, not only was my body paralysed, I couldn’t speak either.

At first, I thought maybe I was having a nightmare. But, the pain was so severe and I couldn’t remember feeling such pain in a dream before. So, I then thought that maybe I was dying and that scared me and I started to panic. But I could still breathe so I calmed myself down and concentrated on breathing. In 2,3, out 2,3, stay calm, stay calm. I don’t know how long I was like that, it could have been minutes or hours, I just don’t know.

Eventually I could move again, although I had painful pins and needles everywhere. I managed to sit on the side of the bed and grab some painkillers. After a while, when I was sure I could move again and the pins and needles had subsided I got back into bed and fell asleep. When I awoke, I still had the migraine, but the paralysis had gone.

I went to the GP and he said that I should have called an ambulance straight away. That’s not easy when  you are paralysed and can’t even shout for help. He said I’d had a suspected T.I.A which is a mini-stroke, and sent off a referral for a CT scan.

I never had that CT scan because before the appointment arrived I was admitted to hospital with paralysis from the waist down. This time I had no migraine, just pins and needles that had started in my hands and spread all over my body until I went numb and couldn’t walk.

That’s when I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis which was eventually re-diagnosed as Stiff Person Syndrome.

Migraine number Two.

My second hemi-plegic migraine happened in October last year. A week after my IVIG treatment at hospital. I couldn’t hold my head up because of the pain and the whole side of my face became paralysed. My husband took me to hospital because it looked like I was having a stroke. The hospital checked me out and said it was just a migraine.

A rare side affect of IVIG is meningitis, so I know we did the right thing going to get checked out. I would have felt daft going to hospital with a migraine, but to be honest, I was so ill that all I felt was pain. They gave me morphine while waiting to see the doctor, but it didn’t even take the edge off the pain. I did manage to sleep well that night though.

 

The Latest Migraine

Again, just a week after IVIG the third migraine appeared. Again I had temporary paralysis, particularly in my face. I felt more calm about this one as you do when something happens several times. I just went to bed and prayed that I’d still be alive in the morning. I was and after three days of pain I began to feel kind of normal again.

I’m seeing a link with the IVIG and the migraine, although I have had one treatment symptom free. I believe the key is probably hydration. I MUST not ignore my thirst, ever. I really need to get into the habit of having a bottle of water next to me at all times. IVIG thickens the blood and when the blood reaches the brain, if it is thicker it can trigger a headache or migraine.

Warning

My migraines have turned out to be nothing but migraines, but there are symptoms which I’ve learned that you should never ignore. Always seek medical help if you have any type of paralysis or numbness, pins and needles that will not go away and migraines that are really bad, in particular if you cannot stand any type of light, you cannot put your head to your chest because of neck pain or you have an accompanying rash of dark red or purple spots that don’t disappear when you press a glass on them.

Missed Out

Losing so much time in my week because of the migraine means that I’ve missed out on a lot. I couldn’t go out to the family meal for my niece’s birthday (although, I insisted my husband and the kids went.) We had a lovely sunny day that would have been great for a day out, but I spent inside feeling ill. And basically, I’ve had three days of not doing much at all.

Thankfully, I’m feeling better now and I am certain I’ll be able to shake the migraine hangover pretty soon. I hope so because I am going away this weekend on a blogger retreat! I’ll tell you all about it next week.

Do you have migraines?

 

Debs Random Writings

 

a brick room with wooden ceiling and furnished with two bedsImage by Man Pan on Unsplash

 

If you are thinking of buying a summer house, there are many benefits to be enjoyed, and with some careful planning, the unit can be the ideal overnight accommodation for friends and family that visit. If you already have a unit in place, you are halfway there, and with some additional furniture, this will make the ideal luxury accommodation.

 

If you would like to see some cosy wooden summer houses with a view to buying one that can be used for overnight guests, there is an excellent supplier who has an extensive range of Nordic Pine summer houses, and some of the larger units are specifically designed as independent accommodation, with bathroom and toilet facilities built in.

 

Space is The Issue

 

Obviously, the summer house has limited space, and with folding beds and other furniture, you can achieve a lot more, and a bed that folds into the wall would be the ideal arrangement. If the summer house is big enough to accommodate the double bed and still have ample space to move around, then you have a choice. To be honest, a bed that doubles as a sofa is perfect, as a single item of furniture gives you two essential features, and with some thought about the layout, you can plan the space with two guests in mind.

 

Heating & Ventilation

 

Obviously, you will need to make provisions for climate control, and a portable electric heater would likely be ample. With adequate insulation and double glazed windows, it shouldn’t require too much energy to heat such a small space, and in the summer, you can always leave the windows open, just make sure you have insect screens fitted. LPG heating is not a good idea, as the enclosed space is a health risk, and a small electric convector heater would suffice.

 

Kitchen and Bathroom Facilities

 

The larger units can be accommodated to include these essentials, and if you are not much of a DIY enthusiast, your local handyman would be happy to oblige. These are, of course, optional, and it might be easier for the guests to use the facilities in your home, which wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.

 

The Décor

 

With a little creativity, you can do wonders to make the place more homely, with some tasteful wall art and a few rugs to give warmth underfoot, and if you would like some interior design inspirations on how to best decorate a guest bedroom, there is an informative article. Cosiness is a must with a guest room, and soft lighting and colours will go a long way towards turning the interior into something suitable, and make sure you leave fresh towels and bed linen in a drawer, which your guests can use.

 

If you are looking at summer houses with a view to adding a guest room, there are specific summer house designs that make this a simple transformation. Buying a quality unit will ensure that the summer houses lasts for many years, and like any other structure, it will need some maintenance from time to time.

This is a collaborative post.

 

We all want to do our very best for our children; we want them to feel safe, happy and loved and we certainly want them to grow to be successful adults who can stand on their own two feet. It is rather unfortunate then that most of us parents do things out of love that don’t do our kids any favours.

 

Here are some common things that most parents think are acts of love, but which can actually lead to poor outcomes for their children:

 

Keeping Them Away from a Parent

 

There are lots of parents who keep their kids away from their mother or father out of spite following a divorce, but there are also lots of parents who keep their kids away from a parent because they think it will be the best for them – divorce law firms like Austin Kemp Solicitors see it all the time. The thing is, these parents are often prejudiced and unless the other parent has been shown to be a risk to the kids, no matter how awful they may be in other ways, allowing them to maintain some contact is more likely to make them happy and enable them to grow up without worries. So, if they’re a good parent despite their other faults, don’t freeze them out.

 

Treating Them Like Kings and Queens

 

Us parents naturally want to make out children feel like they are special, but if we spoil them and we are lax in the discipline department, there is a good chance that this will lead to them feeling entitled and unable to take any criticisms in the future. So, although there’s nothing wrong with buying them something nice or giving them praise now and again, you should also ensure that their actions have consequences and that they must earn most of their privileges.

 

Not Letting Them Work

 

There are few children who have weekend jobs in 2018 and although that is partly because there just aren’t as many Saturday jobs available for the taking, it is much more the case that parents of not want their kids to work, They think that it will affect their studies or that they shouldn’t have to lift a finger when they are kids, and that can be really damaging. Why? Because we all need to earn a living and the sooner that kids get used to working and the fruits of that work, the sooner they will understand its importance and get used to doing it.

 

Wrapping Them Up in Cotton Wool

 

It’s every parent’s natural instinct to want to protect their child from harm, and although you certainly do need to do this, especially when they’re young, by teaching them how to cross the road and telling them not to get too close to the fire, for example, you should not take it too far. If you stop your kids from playing out with other children, climbing trees in the garden and generally doing the kind of things we did when we were kids in favour of staying in doors, not only will they become idle couch potatoes, but they’ll never learn how to manage risks, and they’re more likely to become anxious inexperienced adults as a result.

 

Love your kids, protect them and always be there for them, but don’t coddle them!

What do you think? Do you agree or not? I will admit to have an tendency to wrap my kids in cotton wool, and I know I could do more to encourage independence. But I certainly agree with the first one and I’ve never kept my two older children from seeing their Dad.

This is a collaborative post.

 

tea light candle in a glass jar spreading light across a table

I took this photo some time ago during one of our power cuts. I like the way the light makes patterns through the glass on the table.

I’m sharing this photo today in memory of little Jessica, a young warrior who went to sleep forever yesterday.

Life is way to short, and for some it’s even shorter. Sleep tight little girl x

 

Photalife

 

Sunday Snap

 

We love a good puzzle book, we also love colouring books. The Jumbo Book of Hidden Pictures is the best of both worlds.

Paperback: 256 pages
Age Range: 6 – 9 years
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629798266
ISBN-13: 978-1629798264
Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 1.5 x 27.6 cm

The Blurb

Often imitated, never equalled, Highlights™ Hidden Pictures® puzzles have delighted children―and adults―for over 70 years. This jumbo book is packed with more than 175 favourite Hidden Pictures® puzzles drawn in the classic Highlights™ black-and-white style along. Each puzzle is carefully designed to engage and entertain children while honing their concentration skills and attention to detail. With more than 1,5000 things to find, this is an ideal gift for all ages.

pages from the colouring book.

Our Verdict

This is a great colouring book, the pages are thick and will withstand felt tip pens as well as pencils. Although, pencils are always our favourite type of colouring instrument. There are so many different pages to colour, most of them over two pages. There are easy pictures to colour and more difficult ones so a great range for the younger and older children (and adults.)

As well as the colouring there are so many things to find within the pictures which add the puzzle element. You can either find the items before you start colouring, or do as we like to do and find them while you are colouring.

We loved how the book is full of surprises like pigs riding unicycles and kangaroos visiting the moon. There are lots of other funny scenes too.  There are very cleverly hidden objects like teacups, bananas, slices of pie, pencils and so much more.

A great book of entertainment for those ‘bored’ moments. And fabulous for taking on long car journeys.

You can buy this book on Amazon for £9.37 (regular price £11.99)

pages from the colouring book

Linking up with Talk of the Town for book lovers, over on Jera’s Jamboree and Bookboodle.

 

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