Winter walk and a gym session

Today we decided to go to Lulworth Cove for a walk. We had been before but I didn't walk up the hill because I was very anaemic so I only walked a little way on to the beach the last time. I had wanted to walk to the top when I had got my transplant. Well today is 4 months post transplant, so I wanted to see how far I would get. As you can see from the photos I reached the top and I was so proud of myself for getting to the top and not giving up. I had to stop a couple of times to get my breath back and stop because my muscles in my legs were really sore because they have shortened over the last few years. We had a lovely walk and I hope we will do another walk next weekend and go a bit further. I did 3,611 steps today and I walked 2.1 km today. I really want to reverse my diabetes and I hope by doing the weekend walks and the gym, I will be able to. We had a quick cup of tea at the Lulworth Cove Inn before heading home.

Yesterday I went to the gym with my hubby. I walked there and then I did about 40 minutes on the treadmill and then I did another 10 minutes on the cross trainer. I did about 3.10 km walking and I burnt about 150 calories and then about 100 calories on the cross trainer. I then walked back home. I have been increasing my steps the last days, I think getting back to work has helped me be more active. I will continue to share my progress and my journey with beating diabetes and getting fit. I think I will also start blogging what I eat or, do with a What I ate Wednesday tag.



ToodlesXX

Draw My Life

So I have seen soooooo many YouTubers do this on their Vlogs, so I thought I could do it in a blog post. So armed with my white board and pens I started drawing out my life. Just to let you all know, it's not really been that plain sailing, I had quite a rough start but I am a very open person about what I've been through and I am proud I've come out the other end normal.......well almost normal lol!!! Just ignore my quirkiness!!!

PS sorry for the wonky photos I was trying to avoid my lights reflecting on the board !! (no I'm not a professional photographer!!) 

Right here goes!!

So when I was 3 years old I was taken away by the police from my biological family. I had to empty all my clothes into a black sack before being put in the back of the police car. My biological brothers were also taken away. We were all put in emergency foster care. I don't remember much apart from the first place had red velvet curtains and a tortoise. I still remember this very vividly!!

From the age of 3 to 8 years old I moved 6 times, me and my biological brothers were split up, 1x failed adoption and my last foster parents thought about it but thought I was too much to handle. I didn't really like any of the foster homes I lived in, foster kids got left to their own devices most of the time. I certainly looked like one, hair a mess, scruffy uniform and not able to read or write at the age of 8 because no one had bothered with me!! Sad story but true (but look at me now haha writing blogs-who would have thought?)

My 6th house was my permanent home, my forever home and I moved there when I was 8 years old. I was adopted at 10 years old because it took 2 years for the court case to go through because my biological mother wouldn't sign the papers.

When you get put up for adoption, you get asked what your wish list is (if you're older like I was.) I asked for a little brother, a cat, a dog, a trampoline, a mummy and daddy that loved me. I got all those things. I lived in a village in the middle of nowhere and we would ride our bikes to the cricket ground or through the deer park or go blackberry picking (most of them were eaten while we picked them!) We also had great fun having water fights with Super-Soakers and water bombs!! I enjoyed living in the countryside and it kept me out of mischief. 

So at school I had a nice group of friends, that I had met when I was in year 4 and we then went on to secondary school together. I loved hanging out with them and we used to go into town, then we would go into the bigger town nearby with better shops and then when we were a bit older we would go to London. I have to say I was not the best at timekeeping so I was always late getting the train and the trains didn't really go that frequently. I often got told off being late-oops (not much has changed!!)

At secondary school I loved art and hanging out with my friends. I played the clarinet but I didn't really practice-not sure I could really read the music. I didn't like maths and I was very shy in front of people if I had to talk to a large group. So I didn't do that great in drama-I did get a half colour (a thing our school did when you took part in something I guess!) I got one in hockey too but I was always distracted hanging out with my friends so I never got a full one. I used to carry loads of art folders, clarinet, hockey stick, gym kit around school. I was quite often late for a lesson and I sometimes turned up in the wrong lesson or classroom (still struggle with timetables-think it's my dyslexia-does anyone else have this issue?) I did quite a few clubs, Air Cadets, kayaking, hockey, orchestra, synchronised swimming and a few others I can't even remember. The best bit about school was the prom at the end of year 11. I had an amazing time and we went in a Rolls Royce and I went with the guy I had fancied for a while lol!! 

I lost a friend from the Air Cadets who passed away in a car crash which I could have been in if I hadn't chosen to get in the other car (first time losing someone was hard.)

I went on to college, I did photography (yes it was film, people before all the fancy digital cameras came in-old school, I know!!) I loved it and really enjoyed capturing unique photos but I was a bit rubbish at the written work. I also loved my art lessons but I struggled to produce work that I thought was perfect so I would rip work out of my sketchbooks and throw it in the bin, much to my art teacher's dismay who would fish it back out. I liked to work backwards from a final piece to work out my development but apparently they didn't like this approach!! 

I got an unconditional offer for Falmouth Uni, we were all tested for dyslexia when we arrived and they said I was quite dyslexic. So I had struggled throughout school and college and I finally understood why I struggled more than others. I struggled with a few personal things going on (including my kidneys failing, but being told it was food allergies, but being ill in bed, not able to get up!) So I needed to repeat my first year, but when I went back to repeat my first year my dad had got cancer. I struggled dealing with that as well, so I came home to support my family and help be there for my dad. 

I got a job working in a travel agent's but I soon realised that this wasn't what I wanted to do. I applied to join the police and to my complete surprise and most people around me I got in. Within my first week I had saved someone from seriously hurting themselves and I really enjoyed my work with the youths at the local youth centre. I enjoyed the mix of jobs I worked on and I got a letter of commendation from our Superintendent for a job I had done well on. 

 

While I was in the police I did a sponsored trek for Macmillan in Cambodia (another blog to follow on that!). I saw it advertised in a paper and I just turned to my mum and said I was going to do that trek. I had to raise £3,000 and my own costs of getting there etc. I did a pub quiz and I contacted the local football team to get a signed copy of a brochure. I also decided to do a half marathon the week before my trek (both I had done no training for-I do not recommend this!!) I also called my local paper to try and get an article featured on me and my trek-guess who answered the phone? Yep my now husband, he was the local reporter at the time (that's how we met!) I trekked for about 15 days and saw some amazing views. I had an amazing experience and I am proud to say I did it. I hope to do another sponsored trek (for Kidney Research once I am fit enough.)

Me and my Hubby started dating in 2008 and I think we had moved in together by the 3rd month. I think we knew it was serious and at the same time I was considering joining the RAF. We then had to move up north for jobs.

We moved to Bedfordshire and we lived there for 5 years. I did many sales jobs, I didn't really enjoy those jobs. Lots of great things happened while we lived there (we started our married life there.) Some sad things happened as well, I lost my dad in 2009 after his 4 year battle with his cancer. He had kidney disease and cancer. I found it very hard and I struggled with our loss a lot. 

After 3 years of being together we got engaged at Christmas in 2010, hubby put my engagement ring in the bottom of my stocking-so magical. We got married 6 months' later. We had a lovely wedding with all our friends and family around us, my brother walked me down the aisle and we did a tribute to my dad too. It was the perfect day and then we went on our honeymoon in Barbados at our own private villa. We went snorkelling and swam with turtles as well as feeding wild monkeys in the rain forest. We had the most amazing time and we found it hard to leave. We decided while on honeymoon that we wanted to move back to my home area.

A year after we got married I was rushed into A&E and ended up in hospital with my kidneys having failed. I was put on dialysis and I was in over the summer of 2012. It was a major shock and I was told back then that I would need a kidney transplant. I then overhauled my diet and I managed after some time to gain some kidney function, I became stable at stage 3 and we were able to go on a few holidays in this 2 year period. 

We then moved down to Dorset in 2014 and within a few months of moving my kidneys had failed again and I was in over Christmas. I was back on dialysis and I had 7 blood transfusions and 7 plasma exchanges this time as well. I went onto peritoneal dialysis but unfortunately a day before our cruise I ended up in hospital again. I then got a massive clot in my right arm from my elbow to my collar bone due to my line being moved to that side. I missed my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's wedding. We did buy our first house in 2016 though and we are so excited to decorate this year.

I had gone back to work after the summer holidays and the second day back I got the call from my transplant hospital. I was in shock and it was all so out of the blue. I enjoyed my first Christmas post transplant and my kidney function is great but my medication has give me diabetes, so now I am working on reversing it. I'm happy with my progress and I hope to become fitter in the next few months.

Thanks for reading my post and I hope it inspires you to draw your life....!!

ToodlesXX

Transplant and diabetes....

So I had my check up today, nearly 4 months post transplant and I got some news that really shocked me. It started so well, my creatine was 72 and my transplanted kidney function is 87 % which is amazing. Then just as I thought I had escaped any bad news, my Doc told me that I have Diabetes. He said it had been caused by medications that I was on for my kidney transplant which happens in quite a few transplanted patients. 

I now have to be really careful about my sugar levels, eat even more healthily and increase my level of exercise. I have joined my works gym (swapped to be able to use it after work) where I can walk there and back which will increase the amount of exercise I do to. I'm also going to register for the Park Run in my local area every Saturday and go swimming as well as do a bit of yoga to tone up. So no more excuses, my hands have recovered from when I fell over. So my aim for now is to reverse the Diabetes, lose weight and then focus on the games for 2018 once I have got this under control. 

So tomorrow is Friday and I will be going to the gym and then I will either go for a walk or go swimming. I am not going to let this beat me, not after everything else I have been through!!

So from now on, no cakes, mocha's, chocolate, biscuits, all the bad sugars. So if you see any pics of me eating cakes or chocolate-yell at me (use caps- you have my permission!)

Watch this space, let's hope it doesn't snow tomorrow to ruin my plans!!

Wish me luck, let's do this!!

ToodlesXX 

Adventure with the Pharaohs (Egypt)

This was our first holiday we went on together back in 2009 (before I was diagnosed.) I have always been fascinated by Pharaohs and Ancient Egypt. So it was a bit of a dream really, as I had wanted to be an archaeologist when I was younger too, so to see the Amazing Pyramids and the Columns of Luxor was just awesome. A childhood dream came true and combined with a slightly newer obsession - Downton Abbey (will explain!!)



I am actually standing next to one of the Pillars in the pic to the right. I remember it being blisteringly hot and I felt horrendous on the coach journey, a combination of travel sickness and Egyptian tummy I think.

I packed quite a lot of flowing things to wear but I just felt so hot, especially in Cairo.... I swear I could have burst into flames, it was that hot!!! 

We visited the Temple Luxor, the Pillars were amazing and it felt like we had gone on to a film set or something, they were huge, I took pictures of some of the markings which I found interesting. I would love to make them into a piece of art in our house, get it blow up on to a canvas and hang it up (might do that!!)

We also visited the Temple of Karnak which had several smaller tombs (but I would be here for hours if I listed them all!) The site was absolutely massive and breathtaking. 

The pic below is the Colossi Memnon (there are two of them next to each other) they mark where the vanished Temple of Amenophis was (which is now covered in fields). The statue is meant to be the mythical Ethiopian King Memnon who was killed by Achilles in the Trojan war-apparently!! You learn something new every day, I picked that up from my travel guide by Globetrotter (worth getting a guide for whatever country you visit.)
     
We also visited Valley of the Kings, I think - I can't seem to find our pics from this excursion but I do remember being told no photography inside the tombs. After doing some research I think we went into Pillared Chamber F of Tomb KV 15, 2003 (this is remembering what I had seen and what I recognised.)

I was so fascinated but I didn't know a lot about who found what when I visited but I have since learned something rather remarkable, that the family, well Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon who lived at Highclere Castle (the set of Downton Abbey) actually found Tutankhamun's Tomb. I visited Highclere Castle and I was so fascinated by its history, what a weird coincidence that two of my passions are connected (pics below are pages from the Highclere Castle guide book, showing the dig site and some of the artefacts). I also recently watched a program of the story of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and how they found the tomb - very interesting to see what it would have been like. I'm so glad we visited Egypt when we did and saw all the treasures.




So we travelled quite far to see these tombs and the journey on the way back was very odd, we had stopped for a quick break and this random women just handed my hubby (then boyfriend) a goat so I took a picture because it was just a very odd situation - no I'm not kidding lol!! I was trying not to throw up everywhere or faint at that point though (what they say about the Egyptian tummy is true- the struggle is real!!)



We had been staying in Hurghada at Lilly Land Beach Club for most of the holiday and we did some scuba diving which was very cool and I had never done before. I think we did a dive about 15-20 metres, I enjoyed it until my mask started to leak but because I had missed the talk about the scuba dive signs because I was throwing up in the toilet, I didn't know how to ask to resurface. I think I had a slight panic attack when I got into the water as well (think my mask came off). I was OK in the end and it was a great experience (once I realised there weren't any sharks nearby too.) Gosh I was so much slimmer back then, oh well!! I remember actually being held up by my hubby and the instructor while they put the scuba gear on me because I nearly fell backwards-slightly embarrassing but that gear was so heavy and the tank was basically the size of me!! We saw some great fish that I had never seen before though.

  

On our last night we had a lovely meal down by the beach/lagoon which was part of the hotel and it was so romantic. We had red snapper, I think from my hubby's plate. We had a lovely evening and it was a perfect end to the first part of our holiday.

We then flew to Cairo and went to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. We did the typical touristy thing and rode a camel round the Pyramids (we did the short walk because the other one was way more expensive!) So then the guide tried to take us on a longer walk and I knew we didn't have enough cash on us so I did what any British tourist would have to resort to doing- having a massive tantrum on the top of the camel and in my best British accent I told the guide under no circumstances would we be doing this! Not the most glamorous or sophisticated moment of my life but it worked. While on the camel I also nearly lost my shoes which kept slipping off (note to self, don't wear flipflops/sandals in a desert and on top of a camel- #Fashion Fail). 

So while we were in Cairo, we were there for 2 days, we also visited the Cairo Museum and we saw some amazing artefacts from a lot of the tombs. We weren't allowed to take photos so now all we have are our memories as I hear a lot of the Museum artefacts have been looted and sold on the black market which is devastating. We saw so many wonderful things though so I can't complain. We then decided that we would also do a sunset cruise on the Nile. Something else I had wanted to do for a long time. It was lovely, we had a lovely dinner, a belly dancer for entertainment (which I noticed when she danced.....errrrr......nothing moved - if you catch my drift) and we also met one of the other guests from our hotel who we ended up sitting with which was nice. He was also with us at the Pyramids too. I have to say it was such a lovely holiday and there were other mini trips we did like going to see how papyrus paper was made and how Egyptian perfume is made which I still have, because it has no alcohol it lasts a long time and smells amazing. We also saw some churches which was interesting. Overall it was an amazing trip, I wish I could have done more. 

       

So that was my throwback adventure with the Pharaohs.

ToodlesXX

Making my little piece of the Caribbean in Dorset....... and DIY!!!

So it's a New Year and one of my main resolutions for 2017 is to sort the house out. We moved in in February last year.....so nearly a year, Yay! So with everything going on in our lives we haven't really had the chance, energy or money really to actually start decorating. I've got plenty of ideas, it's just getting it all done but we said it is a work in progress, Rome wasn't built in a day. So today was the first time we have set aside a weekend to get all the stuff we needed and the specialist paint to sort the issue out.

Yesterday we took all the Christmas decorations down and got some plastic boxes to store them properly...(we are taking this getting organised thing seriously too.) So they are now safely tucked up in their boxes for the next Christmas. We also put our lights away properly so when we get them out next time I won't have to spend an hour de-tangling them, I honestly wanted to cry when we got them out for this Christmas!! Right it was time to get on with the work on the house.

Day 1

So the decorations were away and the tree has gone(-rip) and everything was vacuumed and cleaned ready to go. We were ready to blitz the problem, armed with a strong spray to get rid of the marks we went to town. We scrubbed and scrubbed till our arms were sore. We gave the gym a miss as we were both cracked.


Day 2

We decided to do the painting today so we got a roller, a paint bucket and a paint brush to paint over the marks. We mainly focused on the bedroom ceiling because it was driving us nuts. We rollered the majority of the ceiling then just painting the edges and in the corners to seal it completely. It has taken most of the morning and a bit of the afternoon. We also did a few little problem areas around our flat that we had some issues with too.

Now then next bit is the fun bit because it's the bit I'm really good at, interior design. Then option is what colours to pick!! For Christmas I got a lovely book from my mum about coastal decor and ideas which is perfect because I am going for a coastal theme.

Right, well I think for the bedroom it's going to be yellow and turquoise like the Village houses in Barbados which was where we had our Honeymoon. I loved the colour palette of the houses and thought how lovely with would be to recreate it back here once we had bought our own place. Also who would suspect a little flat in Dorset would be a little slice of the Caribbean!!! You step into the hall and you are in your own little Caribbean haven.



OK, so coastal theme is a great place to start but that's very generic, I have broken it down into different types of coastal like my new book, so  what am I going for?

Here are the options:

British Coastal- Beach hut colour palette, White washed colour palette , Fishing Village Colour palette, Vintage seaside town colour palette, Country Coastal colour palette. Coastal walk colour palette.

Mediterranean Coastal-Traditional Villa, Greece colour palette-just bright blue and white,
Caribbean Coastal-Bright coloured huts, St Nicholas Abbey colour palette (copper,large rum bottles, Barbados Village House colour palette (mostly yellow and turquoise.)
Tropical Coastal/Botanical-Bright flowers colour palette. Palm colour palette, Turquoise sea colour palette, Kew Palm House-inspired.

Hamptons Coastal-Relaxed/light colour palette, Boating colour palette.
Rustic Coastal-White wash worn look colour palette, Traditional Ceramic colour palette.

If you hadn't guessed by Blogmas or any of my other blogs I love bright colours and making a statement so why would our house be any different? For me, I think out of all the places I have been Barbados has a special place in my heart so if I can capture some of that in our home it will always feel like we're not that far away from being there. I like the Beach hut palette because there are pastel shades and vibrant colours that reflect my fondness for bright colours.

So for the hall I think Tropical Coastal/Botanical theme would be great a wow statement as you enter our flat and it was what I was already thinking for this part of the house. I want to set the tone of what to expect as they move through to each part of the house. This snippet of my Botanical board shows ideas for the hall, we have a high ceiling and a long feature wall we would use to create a statement. I also want to look into terrariums for the hall but also around the house. I had an idea inspired by a Childhood present from my uncle and our trip to St Nicholas Abbey in Barbados. 

The rum bottles were the exact shape of my terrarium I had when I was younger and I thought that was a brilliant way to tie both Botanical and St Nicholas Abbey theme I had thought for the Living room.  I think the style of St Nicholas is Caribbean Downton Abbey.....!! I knew I could get Downton Abbey in our house some how!!! Haha!! I like the big copper old distilling pots which are now used for mini ponds!! I thought I could tie in the copper into our house in accessories. You might not be able to tell but one of the rooms who could look round has turquoise walls which is perfect for our theme.

Right off to create my little bit of Caribbean haven.

Toodles XX