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day 23

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Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based on given prompts.

Thursday 23rd April: Health Activist Choice 

Write about whatever you like!  Got a great story, opinion, or tip to share?  Tell us here.

On days like today, when we are giving free rein to what we can write about, it can be difficult to know what to say.

Add, a very bad day because of debilitating symptoms and it’s even more difficult.

I looked through books and pages on the internet, but due to the way I was feeling, all I really wanted to do, was to throw on a pair of pyjamas, crawl into bed and stay there for the foreseeable future (or at least until the symptoms subsided to a manageable level).

And then it hit me! Why not write a post about pyjamas?

In my opinion, pyjamas are very often the top of a spoonie’s wish-list.  In my experience, when I am doing some online shopping, or on the rare occasions I venture into clothing stores, I am always browsing the nightwear section and lusting after more lovely and comfortable pyjama sets.

And why is this?

As a spoonie myself, it often seems that when I am experiencing a bad flare in the severity of my symptoms, as I am experiencing currently, then I spend a lot of time wearing pyjamas.

Even when I haven’t worn pyjamas for the entire day, I still like to get changed into mine straight after dinner!  My perfect day would involve wearing pyjamas whilst enjoying a film and munching on some popcorn!  Bliss!

Pyjamas, you could say are the uniform for the chronically ill!  There are several different reasons for this:

  1. The fatigue is so bad that we do not have the energy (or spoons) to get washed and dressed
  2. They are so much more comfortable and comforting than regular clothes
  3. They are easy to put on and are warm
  4. They are fun!

Fashion bloggers are always providing us with new inspiration on the latest fashions and advising us what to buy.  But, unfortunately for spoonies, pyjamas are often left out, so I thought I would share some of my favourite pyjamas:

Duvet Day Pyjamas – Next £26
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These sum up the spoonie lifestyle brilliantly, don’t they?  Everyone needs a duvet day sometimes, but these days are much frequent when living with a chronic illness.  Perhaps a pair to wear on bad days that tell friends and family that you are struggling.

Stripe Slogan Pyjamas – Next £18
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I love these PJ’s as soon as they saw them as it immediately made me think of my cruise that we are going on in September!  And the slogan provides a little bit of positivity which is very much needed during a flare or relapse

Butterfly Print Pyjamas – Next £16
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I could not resist adding these as they have butterflies, which as you all will know by now is one of my favourite things!

Florence + Fred Butterfly Print Pyjamas – Tesco £10

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Need I say any more?  And with ‘Do Not Disturb’ adorning the top, it’s a great way of telling people to stay away when life gets tough (know how sometimes we need to be left alone and be by ourselves when things are really bad).

F + F You are My Sunshine Pyjamas – Tesco £10
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I saw these and thought they would be a lovely gift to put inside a care package for a person with chronic illness.

Very practical as PJ’s are always desired and needed when living with a chronic illness, but also remind them that they are loved and well-though of.

Those are some of my favourite pyjamas that are out there at the moment – what are yours?  And you love pyjamas as much as I do? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Welcome again everyone.  A brand new week has now started, another Monday morning – everyone talks about the ‘Monday Morning Blues’ however I tend to love Mondays as it means a day to get out of the house to volunteer for a local charity.

If you have never volunteered before, I would highly recommend it, the satisfaction you get helping others is fantastic, and if like me you suffer with health problems, helping others is a great way to forget your own troubles for a couple of hours immersing yourself into doing something for someone else.

Anyway, back to the ’30 Days, 30 Posts Challenge’ – today is one of the ‘Health Activist Choice’ Days, meaning that we can write about anything we want.  I have been here in front of my computer for a while trying to decide what to write, so I have decided to choose a topic which I personally find fascinating….

The Brain!!

It is amazing that this muscle, weighing an average of 3 pounds defines who we are, what we are capable of.  Without it, we wouldn’t even be able to survive, with the brain stem responsible for basic vital life functions such as breathing.  Within the structure of the brain is where memories are stored, where our personalities are defined and so on.

However, it is also amazing that while our brain is responsible for us, well being us, there is still many things which are not fully understood by neuroscientists and doctors alike, even considering the advancement in medical science.  In Rita Carter’s fascinating reference book, she writes “the brain is the last of the human organs to reveal its secrets” and also reveals why the brain is so complex and often misunderstood, “the brain is particularly difficult to investigate because its structures are minute and its processes cannot be seen with the naked eye.”

That isn’t to say medicine hasn’t made any advancements concerning the brain – as of course, it has.  The development for example of imaging technology has made it possible for doctors and researchers to clearly view the different structures within the brain.  And what’s more functional imaging reveals even more of the brain’s secrets – as it shows which areas of the brain are active, meaning that researchers are now able to identify which part of the brain are responsible for different functions such as movement, rational thinking and memory amongst others.

Even more fascinating is the mysteries of brain disorders and what can go wrong when a part of the brain is damaged.  There are many disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and so on that are more easily recognised and much is known about what has gone wrong within the brain and central nervous system resulting in the specific disorder.  However, there are a great many which are not known to the general knowledge, and which is even a mystery to the doctors.  Take, for example ‘Alice in Wonderland Syndrome’, an extremely rare form of migraine which results sufferers to see their own bodies or those of others or even inanimate objects askew.  Meaning that objects or body parts looking either bigger or smaller than they really are.

Another fascinating brain condition is something which I encountered during my time studying for my degree in Psychology.  It is called the ‘Capgras Delusion’ in which a person exhibiting the syndrome believes that a close friend, spouse, parent or other close family member has been replaced by an identical looking imposter.  Although there have been several theories to why this particular syndrome occurs, its exact cause still remains a mystery.

The fascination and interest in neuroscience and the brain may stem from my time reading about some areas of the subject as part of my studies at university.  Or because of my own neurological condition – which also to some extent remains a mystery, such as how or why the brain stem lesion has occurred.  Whether the reason I believe that the brain is still the most mysterious and interesting organs of the human body…

So, there you have it, some of the secrets and mysteries concerning the brain.  Again, I hope you have enjoyed today’s post, please feel free to leave any comments you may have, or any questions, suggestions are also welcome.

Recommended Reading 

The Brain Book by Rita Carter

The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge

The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

The Neurotourist: Postcards From The Edge of Brain Science by Lone Frank