Week In The Peak

 Dear Readers,

We have just returned from an amazing holiday in the Peak District. It was a much needed break and get-away after being isolated in our home throughout the pandemic. This holiday was previously booked for 2020 to coincide with our friends wedding. Sadly both the wedding and holiday got postponed. We were lucky we could move the holiday to this month and we are looking forward to attending the wedding in July.

We went on holiday with our close friends Vincent and Michael and we stayed in a beautiful cottage in the village of Buxton. Shenton Cottage was so lovely with a log fire, spacious rooms and a hot tub in the garden. We were spoilt with some homemade scones upon arrival and we made good use of the hot tub.. it was in use everyday! We met the owners, who live next door and they were so welcoming and helpful and I played with their dog a few times! Haha! We definitely recommend staying there, if you're thinking of taking a holiday in that area.

We took my wheelchair and I rang my oxygen company to arrange a delivery to arrive at the cottage for when we got there. It was all very smooth and easy to arrange. The cottage had stairs, which I'm not used to, so the oxygen was definitely needed to help me to walk up and down the stairs.

We visited the village of Buxton and had an explore of what it had to offer. It was very hilly, but Terry was amazing and pushed me around in my wheelchair. It was very interesting to hear the story of the famous Buxton water and it definitely tasted better than our water here in Essex!

The cottage was self-catering, and we took it in turns to cook the evening meals. Vincent is an awesome cook and we ate some delicious meals. We were very lucky with the weather. with only a couple of rain showers here and there, so of course we had a BBQ. 

We visited Poole's Cavern, which was also very interesting. Again, this is accessible friendly and Terry was able to push me throughout the cave in my wheelchair. There were a few steps now and then, but I could get out and walk them. It was all very manageable. After the cavern we trekked up the hill to Solomon's Temple. Terry pushed me all the way, I don't know how he did it, but with a few stops along the way, we got to the top and the view all around was beautiful. Also, check out Miles Without Stiles for all accessibility routes around the Peak District.

One of the mornings, Terry and I got up at 3am and drove to Surprise View. We sat on the rocks with our hot water bottles and hot chocolate and waited for the sunrise. It was a little cloudy, but the view of seeing the sunrise over the Derbyshire hills was breathtaking. It was well worth the early morning and we slept for another couple of hours when we got back to the cottage!

We all went cycling on the Monsal Trail. It is a long cycle road through the countryside and it was mainly flat, as it used to be a railway line. It starts at Bakewell finishing near Buxton. With many view stops and cafes along the way, it was a great way to explore the area. The weather was great and I was on the e-bike. My legs were rather sore by the end, but having oxygen on whilst cycling definitely helped! We definitely recommend doing this, whether you're cycling, walking, running, etc, it's good fun.

As we were pretty close, we had a day out at Alton Towers. You're probably thinking why would I go there when I have PH?! Firstly, we hired a mobility scooter and I got an all access pass. This meant any rides which I felt were safe for me to ride, the four of us could skip the queues. I did go on a couple of rides, which were fun. Rides such as the Smiler, Galactica, etc, were obviously out of my league, but I had a great time watching the guys being whizzed around on the rollercoasters. It was a long day, but hiring the scooter meant Terry didn't have to push me around and I could rest my legs for the whole day. If you're thinking of going, definitely get there as early as you can, as mobility scooters and wheelchairs are given out on a first come, first served basis. Carers also get in for free, with a proof of disability, ie blue badge. They also gave me a face-mask exempt card, so I wasn't asked to put a mask on every 5 seconds!

We had a day set aside where we went off and did our own thing. Terry and I decided to go horse-trekking! Terry's never ridden a horse before and it's been a few years since I have ridden horse! We went on a 2 hour trek around the countryside and enjoyed the views whilst on horse-back. Terry absolutely loved it, but it wore me out! I had forgotten the strength you needed to ride a horse and my body was exhausted by the end. Afterwards we went to Bakewell, we visited there a few years back, so it was nice to go there again and go into the quaint shops in the village.

Overall, it was a jam-packed week of amazing activities and it was spent with our closet friends. We had a super-duper time and it all went so quickly. We drank lots, ate lots and made memories which will last a lifetime. Terry was incredible as always, checking the accessibility wherever we went and making sure I saved my energies throughout the day, so I could make the most of whatever we were doing that day. I was very well looked after by all three of them and I couldn't have wished for better company.

Thank you for reading!

Onwards and Upwards

 Dear Readers,

I can't believe we're in June already! 

Things have been slowly improving and I am starting to feel much better now. Last month Terry had his second covid vaccination and thankfully he didn't suffer from any side effects this time! He was rather poorly after the first one, so we were a little bit worried on how he would react to the second, but all was good! 

Unfortunately due to my lack of iron, I've been suffering from bad migraines, has anyone got any suggestions of medication for migraines. I've tried many and they always say to me, take it as soon as one comes on... mine are always last time and I'm always too late! Any help and advice, would be great please!

Anyway now it's been 2 weeks since I had my IV iron, and I'm starting to feel the effects of it, I'm able to walk around a lot better now and I'm not as breathless. The IV iron went well for me, as in the cannula went in first time! They tried something new on me this time - they used ultrasound to find my vein and watched the screen, not my arm, as they inserted the needle. I thought it was quite painful as they were prodding around a lot, but they did manage to get in the vein first go. They also used a new cannula which can stay in the arm for max 27 days, this is great news for those who are like me, and hate having to have cannulas replaced often when staying in hospital!

With the iron kicking in and Terry being double vaccinated we decided to head out for a date night! We haven't been out since the beginning of lockdown, so it was nice to finally go out and enjoy ourselves. We enjoyed a few drinks at an open-air bar in town and soaked up the atmosphere. It felt like some normality was back in our lives!

On the work front, my job is going really well and I'm enjoying it so, so much. It's so rewarding being a Music Therapist and it's great to be in a job that I am excited about getting up for in the morning. As I mentioned I able to manage my own timetable. I choose the hours and I do work it around my PH. I want to give my work the best I can, so I make sure I am not over doing it. I'm very lucky to have a great manager who is very supportive, and I love working for her company! 

I am slowly getting back into fitness now my iron is taking effect, so I've been back on my exercise bike. At the beginning of the year I lost over a stone, but with my iron level slow it all came to an abrupt end. I have managed to keep the weight off and, but I do want to try and exercise when I can. I'm not cycling every day, but doing a few minutes when I'm feeling good and with the help of my oxygen, my sats don't drop too much when exercising. I have also been on my electric bike and had a cycle around the countryside. I'm so pleased the weather is good for us to go for a cycle again. Terry seems to enjoy working out cycle routes for us to go on! 

Talking of good weather, we had our first BBQ of the year! We bought ourselves a new BBQ and went to my Mum's for the Bank Holiday weekend. We had a lovely time and enjoyed lazing around in the sunshine! With this nice weather continuing throughout the summer (fingers crossed!) I'm sure we will make good use of our new BBQ!!

Last week I decided to go for a cycle on my own. For many this would be fine and wouldn't even bat an eye to doing this. For me, I was petrified! My anxiety was sky high and I felt sick. I knew I was only going a little way, but this felt like a big step for me. Since buying my electric bike, I have never cycled on my own, I have always had Terry there to support me. This was pushing me out of my comfort zone and doing something that I'd not done before since being diagnosed with PH. I really wanted to go out, as Essex Police were holding a marking protection scheme to protect bikes, for if they were stolen. Once I got on my bike and put my helmet on, I felt okay. I was a little wobbly to start with and my heart was pounding, but once I got going I allowed myself to enjoy the experience. We have a lot of cycle paths here in Chelmsford and I cycled along the riverside, avoiding any roads! I did have fun, and I'm glad I did it. I'm sure I will do it again, I just need to be brave again and go for it!

In other exciting news, I've finally had my hair cut and coloured! It had been nearly a year since I last stepped into a hair salon, but having my haircut made me feel ten times better. Feeling good on the outside, makes you feel good on the onside too.

Terry and I are excited to be going on holiday to the Peak District soon! There's so much to think about when we go away, even though it's in the UK. The list of medication is nearly as long as a normal holiday list and then there's the task of organising oxygen to be delivered at our lodge before we even get there. Terry, as always will be very good at checking out places we're going to visit and making sure it's as accessible friendly as possible. We'll take my wheelchair and also my mobility scooter - got to give him a day off or 2 from pushing me around! Hopefully the weather will be okay, but come rain or shine, I'm sure we'll have a great time. To be honest to get away and have a new environment after shielding for so long, will be wonderful! 

Moving forward, I'm still taking it day by day. I'm enjoying life at the moment and even though restrictions are still not being full lifted til next month, it doesn't really impact us in anyway. We are still being very careful, testing regularly and using lost of sanitiser! I've got an appointment through to actually go to the Brompton for all my usual tests in August. So it will be good to see how I am doing heart-wise and hopefully all tests will continue to show that I am stable. Until then, we will keep doing what we are doing and live in the moment!

Thank you for reading!