Le Mouse wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 11:22 am
I will put my hands up and say I am poor at self-care. The whole covid-shielding omnishambles completely ruined my fitness levels and I'm finding really hard to improve them, to the point that it's also affecting my asthma. I've put a fair chunk of weight on and it's not going anywhere.
I have been lucky with dentists, in that mine made sure to call all patients who had appointments due in lockdown in turn once we could go back to dentists, and I'm getting my gum disease under control so hopefully I can avoid losing teeth for a while yet. I'm now obsessive with interdental brushes. Floss doesn't cut it anymore!
I'm not good at managing stress. I suffer from depression and a bit of anxiety and am medicated for it (thank god!). As Mum's carer, I've been finding her heath problems more stressful. She had an eye issue recently and I ended up going round the houses (pharmacy, two opticians, walk in centre, and finally a national eye care service) just to get treatment for what seems to be a very minor eye infection! Covid seems to be becoming an excuse for already struggling NHS services to shuffle non life threatening issues to the very bottom of the pile, making the people suffering them even more uncomfortable.
I do take vitamin supplements just to keep myself topped up. I try to eat well, but have a small weakness for a bit of junk. I'm currently trying to wean myself off diet coke and in fact all fizzy stuff as that seems to have caused some minor health issues.
I watched Politics East this morning and there was a young woman who was forced to give birth at home with no more medical help than her husband and 'nice Roy the 999 call handler' because her planned home birth midwife no longer existed and the birthing unit was closed entirely. So if a lone birthing mother can't get help, the rest of us are stuffed frankly! I think today I shall make a list of things I can do to try and help myself. And I'll try and fit in some yoga as that ticks the fitness and de-stress boxes quite well
When I was diagnosed with asthma,I found this site rather helpful.
Arzosah wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 11:04 am
And now ... bowel movements
Yes, I know, most of us (including me) have a toddler-sized IQ when it comes to this, but there are Genuine Issues. I've tried to focus on authoritative sources, but I was losing the will to live, which is not good given the title of the thread, so here we go.
This is a real issue. My stepdad died of colon cancer 20 years ago. His digestive/ waste system went haywire in the run up to his death. As a family it was our joke that conversation generally leant towards toilet humour much of the time. At that terrible time,I can remember him saying,” it’s not so funny when it doesn’t work properly “. So true.
Sorry to hear this, jansman - it *is* terrible, isn't it. And humour is often a form of self care, for instance even today I had to put the laughing emojis in there when I posted. It sounds like your stepdad was managing to speak up for himself when it stopped being self care for him, that's a good balance in a no-win situation.
jansman wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 1:49 pm
This is a real issue. My stepdad died of colon cancer 20 years ago. His digestive/ waste system went haywire in the run up to his death. As a family it was our joke that conversation generally leant towards toilet humour much of the time. At that terrible time,I can remember him saying,” it’s not so funny when it doesn’t work properly “. So true.
I'm sorry to hear about your stepdad. A very close friend has diverticulitis which is an appalling condition which lands him in hospital pretty regularly. He spends a lot of time in pain. I've had IBS on and off for years, and that has NOTHING on diverticulitis. Looking after our insides is so important.
Vitamin c wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 4:54 pm
A conversation with a doctor recently she said if it runs In The family then it's a high chance your get it now matter what precautions you take .
Genetic predisposition, I guess. Still not a certainty, though, and the same self care might protect you from other things anyway. Are you currently suffering with it, Vitamin C?
I remember that film Lil. You said at the time he should have put honey on the cut, it's a natural antibiotic.
I've got a very minor health niggle at the moment. My husband said do you think you should see the doctor? I laughed like a drain. See? A doctor?
My SIL died last month from an inoperable cancer. She had been having bowel issues for some time and we simply don't know if it would have been different but for COVID meaning that the NHS shut up shop for anything else
mbbaltic wrote: ↑Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:40 pm
I remember that film Lil. You said at the time he should have put honey on the cut, it's a natural antibiotic.
That's a good addition to the thread, thanks for that, honey can stop a problem becoming a mortal problem.
My SIL died last month from an inoperable cancer. She had been having bowel issues for some time and we simply don't know if it would have been different but for COVID meaning that the NHS shut up shop for anything else
I'm so sorry to hear that. Self care only goes so far - the life threatening issues like cancer are another matter entirely.
