Gut Brain Glow Up

This week I did something for the first time in 2 years... I drove my car to the local dealership to get it's service and MOT. Yes this doesn't sound like much, but it's a huuuuuge step for me, here's why: Since I've been unwell, car journeys are, to put it bluntly, awful. I get car sickness that's on steroids and all the potholes and bumps exacerbate my pain, so being a passenger is something I just sort of put up with, and have a rest when we arrive wherever we're going. So add that to the mental energy and physicality actually driving the car takes, along with a fuzzy not quite fully with it brain, and you have a recipe for being a perfectly worn out and overwhelmed driver. Now, before anyone jumps in saying 'that's dangerous driving, what are you doing that for!?', I am fully aware of this and have been slowly building up my tolerance and 'driving fitness' by doing little drives to the gym and little bits around the local area so ...

It's amazing how you can go through life and not realise how many people you encounter have experienced trauma of some kind, have experienced similar issues or struggle with their mental health (this especially is less communicated and, in my opinion, needs to be spoken about more!); so when you meet someone and 'click' immediately because you both seem to work on the same brainwave, it can be quite freeing in a lot of ways!  I'm sure we've all experienced this 'vibing' with someone straight away, perhaps you have a shared interest that has brought you together or it's a chance encounter, but it feels 'right'. As you get to know them, it quickly becomes apparent that your brains are very similar - this maybe in the way you view the world or the way our minds like to play tricks on us and the commentary they provide in the form of anxiety and other mental health issues. I've been lucky enough to have extremely good friends for whom I'm ver...

In the UK we are very lucky to have the NHS, I think everyone will agree with that. Whether it is working at its best is another question entirely and a whole other discussion that I may touch on in parts today but it is definitely not the focus....  I am very fortunate in that I have the option of NHS and private, due to my husband's job providing health insurance for him and his family, which has meant that I've been able to fast track most of my appointments, investigations, tests and treatment. I have also, however, now learned of why private may not always  be best. For a bit of insight, during my Endo investigations prior to the laparoscopy, I had a pelvic MRI that revealed a synaptic cyst in my lumbar spine, this is a completely incidental finding and not something that has been causing any known issues, aside from perhaps some mild discomfort. As a result of this finding I was referred to a spine consultant (I'm not sure the proper name!) who reviewed it, clarified ...