Bladder issues are similar to bowel problems, in the sense that they can affect you in a variety of different ways. This can range from not being able to empty your bladder fully, to dripping after weeing or having a desperate feeling of urgency in needing to go right now.
My own experience
Whilst my bladder issues are a result of chronic illness, they are also a result of my accident whereby I broke my pelvis in two places. I personally have an issue with not emptying my bladder fully which can result in dripping whenever I get off the toilet. This can then transfer into my underwear and clothing. My pelvic floor is weak due to my accident, but is made weaker thanks to having feeble muscles. I also suffer from incontinence urgency from time to time whereby when I need to go I need to go!
My top tips for bladder issues – As always check with your doctor before trying any new tips and ideas.
Be patient – It sounds silly, but do not rush off the toilet. Stay seated after weeing to allow any additional drip to escape before getting off.
Try pelvic floor exercises – You can pick up help sheets from your doctor or nurse to help with this or indeed look online. There is no denying pelvic floors are hard work but if you can get to grips with them then you should see an improvement however small.
Visit your nurse – As there are many different reasons for bladder issues you may find speaking to your nurse helpful as they can discuss your personal situation and give you some more tailored tips.
Wear bladder protect underwear or pads – If you are self conscious of your leakages then there are many over the counter products now that you can buy to help you feel confident when out and about. Pads can just be popped into your underwear or you can try specially designed underwear versions which nowadays can look a lot prettier than you may think.
Right from a young age I believed I was different. Not in a unique, special or distinctive way even, just different. Someone who lives their life invisible, the runner up, second best. I was, still am and will probably always will be an introvert, someone who hides from the limelight, the backing singer rather than the main event but that’s me, it’s who I am. Whilst I can say that now like it’s nothing it has not always been that way, far from it. For a long time, I believed I was the problem, the thorn in the side, the freak show and being second best was just in my DNA as much as having brunette hair was.
Having a loveable, friendly older brother who people adore made life in and out of school difficult for me because people expected me to be a cardboard cut-out of him and when I wasn’t, people almost recoiled in horror as there must have been something wrong with me. How could he be so amazing and me so strange? He won awards whilst I won concerned looks. In a nutshell he was loved and I wasn’t. I couldn’t compete no matter how hard I tried.
All through school I could count on one hand the number of friends I had, even less fingers to count those that actually wanted to be. There was always someone cooler, smarter, louder and funnier than me and surplus to requirements I became. Getting older I believed I would grow in confidence and find a place in the world whereby I would be the important one, the one that people liked and wanted to be around but I was wrong. Every friendship I had was based on my ability to enjoy a night out and not about me as a person, and the second someone better came along I was rejected and thrown away like some old tat sent to the charity shop. When I made friends I took it we could do anything together, be it going to the cinema, chomping on a burger or dancing the night away. Friends are friends no matter what you did but clearly I was very much wrong because ‘so and so’ is a much better person to talk to, share things with and just be around, but you know what Sarah ‘so and so’ doesn’t like a boogie so you’ll do for that and that only.
I’d like to say relationships were different but lets face it they weren’t. I seemed to have always fallen into that zone of meeting someone straight after they have finished with someone else and not just anyone else – the love of their lives. The love of their lives that so happen to be the one who broke up with them leaving them heartbroken. The love of their lives that happen to be the person they wanted to marry, have kids with and live happily ever after with and the kind you don’t and will not ever compare with. So instead of loving me like they loved them, they would use me to feel better before moving onto someone else who turned out to be the next love of their life and worst still I would let it happen.
The world of second best hasn’t improved in this modern day world of dating of course, what when there are so many options available at the swipe or the click of a button. You claim you want x, y and z from a women, well I have all those traits but still you choose to find something better, so what is wrong with me?
What is wrong with me is a question that has plagued me for most of my life. Why am I never enough? What is missing in me that is not missing in my brother, my former friends or other girls? Of course I have never found a distinct answer because you know something there isn’t one, as there is nothing wrong with me. By challenging my thoughts I have finally realised that I am the person who has thought there is something wrong and as a result believed it. The only person’s opinion that matters is my own and it is my feelings of not being enough that have plagued my mind and not that of others peoples.
Rather than reach that default setting every time something goes wrong or when I get rejected – you know that setting that zooms in on what is wrong with me and what I must have done wrong, maybe it’s more appropriate to think it’s actually about the other person. It is their rubbish to deal with and I need to stop ingesting it as mine. I am a good person, a shy introverted person yes but still a good person all the same. I am who I am and there is nothing wrong with that. At the end of the day it’s my job to value me not the job of someone else and whilst I may spend my life being second in the eyes of others, from here on out I will always endeavour to make myself number one in my own.
According to the NHS website an allergy is a reaction the body has to a particular food or substance. The effects of an allergy can range from nasal to skin disturbances as a result of various components including animals, dust, pollen, beauty products, washing powders, food and cleaning products to name a few. The level of allergy can range from mild to severe depending on the individual.
My own experience
I have what can be described on the scale as highly moderate allergies. It started with classic hay fever every summer and spring with the stuffed, runny nose and itchy eyes. It has since developed to the same stuffed, runny nose and itchy eyes in relation to animals, dust, smoke, perfume, deodorants, and plants. In addition my classic ‘hay fevered’ symptoms have now moved on to skin allergies too. This is where certain items can make my skin itch and sore with sometimes a rash like appearance. This includes make-up, shaving creams, bubble baths, washing powder and the newest recruit plasters.
My top tips for mild allergies – As always check with your doctor or specialist before trying any new tips and ideas including more information on severe allergies.
Check, Check, Check – Always check a product before using it to check for any ingredients that might set you off. You can also start to make links between certain things that affect you by keeping an eye on what is used in each item.
Avoid, Avoid, Avoid – If you have issues with a stuffed, runny nose try to avoid products which have a strong scent that lingers including perfumes, creams and deodorants.
Speak to a pharmacist – Popping into your local pharmacy you can get advice on hay fever/allergy medication such as antihistamines or decongestants. Remember to tell the pharmacist about your different symptoms and what seems to trigger it off, for them to be able to give you the best advice for your situation.
Take precautions outside – If you have hay fever take care when outside by wearing sunglasses, carrying tissues, avoiding grassy areas when the pollen count is high, avoiding rubbing your eyes and transferring any pollen on to your eye lids and avoiding going near freshly mowed grass.
Use allergy mattress cover – If you are allergic to dust mites then try allergy mattress and pillow covers. These can give you a barrier to any dust mites when you sleep.
For more advice on specific allergies take a look at the NHS website and Allergy UK.
Insomnia in a nutshell is a result of poor sleep. This can manifest in numerous ways from not being able to get to sleep to waking during the night for long periods, or waking up in the morning and not feeling refreshed to even waking up too early. This can make you tired during the daytime which for chronic illness patients can trigger a long list of symptoms.
My own experience
I go around on a cycle with insomnia and it can rear its head frequently for a prolonged amount of time, and then disappear again for various times frames. When I am in a cycle it can be one of the most frustrating things as all I want to do is sleep, but I cant. Which is such a contradiction for someone with chronic fatigue syndrome who is ready to flop at any moment!
My top tips for insomnia: (As always check with your doctor before trying any new tips or ideas)
If possible work out what is keeping you from sleeping – This can be difficult if there is no definitive answer, but sometimes insomnia can be a result of pain, flare-up, stress or external noise. If you know what is bothering you try to put it right; introduce relaxation if you are stressed (see below), use ear plugs and/or eye masks if light or noise are an issue.
Establish good sleep hygiene – I have spoken about sleep hygiene in previous blog posts regarding fatigue, but to recap good sleep hygiene includes: reducing caffeine several hours before bedtime, getting up the same time everyday to get your body into a routine even if you haven’t slept well, making your bedroom a relaxing environment by using dark curtains and assessing the temperature in your room, avoiding a heavy meal before bedtime, considering where your clock is in the room to stop clock watching.
Prepare yourself for bedtime – By getting yourself into a routine before bedtime you will start to teach your body it is time to wind down and sleep. You can do this by taking a bath, playing peaceful music, reading a book or winding down demanding activities.
Learn relaxation techniques – Introducing relaxation periods into your day will help your body and mind to destress hopefully making it easier to sleep. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation can help if you are struggling to switch off and are feeling anxious.
Work is hard for some people, stressful to most especially in the modern day lives we lead. What with long hours, increased workloads, it can be hard to switch off once you leave work each day. Anxiety in the workplace however is a whole different ballgame. For anyone who has experienced anxiety on any level will understand the overwhelming physical sensations anxiety brings but more so the debilitating mental side effects too.
The workplace for me has always been an anxiety induced setting but the majority of my anxiety centred on the people and the environment itself more so than the actual work. Of course the work bothered me, mainly because being an anxious individual, I’m a perfectionist, I want people to like me and as a result I would push myself too far in order to be great at my job. Nevertheless the overwhelming sense of pure anguish came as the result of being around others. Colleagues who I have never quite fitted in with, customers who are very quick to criticise – never a good combination when you are anxious other people are looking at you and making judgements.
In a previous retail job, I had a full on anxiety induced meltdown when I had to serve on a till for the first time. The thought of people watching me, sent my heart into palpitations and my stomach fluttering with nerves anyway, so when I was called over I was already in a state of panic. Clutching the barcode, I tried to run the scanner over it but my hands were uncontrollably shaking. So much so in fact the customer made a comment, making me even more self-conscious that I couldn’t use the till. All I wanted was to escape, I felt like a failure, but more than that I felt disgusted with myself that I couldn’t do a basic task like everyone else. In the end my colleague took over and I left the shop floor which later lead to my resignation – I just couldn’t face the humiliation.
I have faced many more anxiety moments in the workplace since from telephone travesties and not knowing what to say to attending team meetings and having to speak in front of other people, to be honest the list is endless.
The one thing I have learnt is to take my own needs into consideration. In an ideal world my anxiety would be knocked on the head but until then choosing a working environment that is conducive to what is going to make me feel comfortable is the best solution. For me being in a workplace whereby I don’t have to directly deal with people face to face is perfect bearing in mind my social anxiety, in which I can work independently or with only one or two others. I have also learnt that if I have faced a situation before and got through it then I can do it again, yes it’s scary but the feeling will pass and I will carry on.
Another helpful tip is to learn what it is in the workplace that makes you anxious – is it the people you work with, the type of work you do, the environment you work in? Once you have figured it out, the next step would be consider if this is an issue that can be changed. If applicable maybe speak to your manager about your concerns, your HR department or perhaps seek out 1-1 counselling externally to come up with techniques that will help you cope.
You need to remember you are not alone, in fact there may be people you work with right now that feel exactly the same way as you do. As the old-age saying goes ‘It’s good to talk.’
IBS or to be more precise Irritable Bowel Syndrome tends to be a rather common symptom in various conditions related to chronic illness. It is a disorder that affects the digestive system and can cause a range of symptoms all unique to the individual including bloating, cramps, constipation and diarrhoea. Most people fall into either one of two categories either suffering with mainly constipation or mainly diarrhoea although there are also people who can suffer with both. Annoyingly to top it off you may find that whilst one day something may trigger your IBS off another day it may be absolutely fine. As with most symptoms of chronic illness there is no definitive cure but there are different ways to try and manage your symptoms.
My own experience
If you saw me for the most part you would assume I was pregnant, my stomach becomes so bloated and hard. It can be after I eat certain foods or drinks but the majority of the time it appears like that for no other reason than maybe stress. I lie on the constipation side of bowel troubles and can go sometimes getting on for a week to ten days without going to the toilet. My bloating is what you would call slightly severe because it radiates from under my breasts all the way down to the bottom of my abdomen just like a pregnancy bump. It gets particularly bad in the area above my belly button which is inline with my actual stomach. Aside from the uncomfortableness and pain which at times is unbearable it can be highly embarrassing – but hey maybe it could be a great tool in trying to get a seat!
My tips for IBS – as always please check with your doctor before trying out any new tips and ideas.
Try and determine which type of IBS you have – Do you suffer more from constipation or diarrhoea or is it a combination of both?
Keep a diary – I bet if you have seen any doctor about your IBS the first thing they ask you is what do you eat with some of them asking you if you notice any patterns in your IBS symptoms. By keeping a diary of any flareups you have whilst writing down any foods you have eaten will help you to identify any patterns and will provide the doctor with any relevant information. It may help you to see if any particular foods cause you a problem or any food groups. You should also keep note of your emotions to see if stress could indeed be a factor.
Diet – You will hear this over and over again – take a look at your diet. It is a fact however that certain foods will loosen your bowel while others won’t. Certain foods are also designed to bloat you and give you excess wind. Everyone is different so it is trial and error to what is best for you and you have to play the long game in working out what suits your body better. IBS doesn’t really stop you eating any foods (unless of course you discover you have an allergy or intolerance) but if you do choose to eat everything in sight you may have to be willing to pay for it later!
Alternative therapies – People tend to have very opposing views when it comes to alternative therapies but if you are open to such therapies there are certain ones you may want to try. Treatments such as acupuncture and reflexology are a great starting point but you need to do your research and find an accredited practitioner.
Practice stress management – If your IBS is down to emotional matters rather than food then you need to look at ways of reducing your stress whether it be at home or in the workplace. For tips on how to manage stress at home you can read my article here.
Review your fibre intake – This will be dependant on what type of IBS you have but if you have constipation related IBS upping your fibre may help you become more regular. Good sources of fibre include wholegrain foods, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. If diarrhoea is more your problem you may find you are eating too much fibre! The joy of IBS it can never be straight forward.
Drink water – Drinking water will help you with both constipation and diarrhoea. Constipation because it can hopefully help to move things alone and diarrhoea because it can help combat dehydration from going to the toilet too much.
Recently I have noticed how using pictures to express things rather than using words is a real helpful tool to some people. I also noticed that on the internet chronic illness people use picture diagrams to express how others view them and how they view themselves.
With this in mind I thought I would give it a go myself so here goes:
Me, Myself and Chronic Illness Blog 