It’s been a busy weekend at home catching up on blogs, trip planning, and packing. We head to Wales on Tuesday night for my birthday. I cannot wait! I plan on climbing Snowdon for the 3rd time on my birthday. Let’s just hope the wolf doesn’t get in the way.
I climbed Snowdon when I was 7 years old and again at 13. Depending on which route you take, it’s not a particularly difficult climb. We’re not taking the easiest route up, nor the hardest. We are opting for the quietest route up. The hardest part of the route will be along the ridge. I’ve done many terrifying ridge walks over my lifetime. However, Alex hasn’t done one like this one before so I’m hoping he’s going to be ok. The south ridge going up Snowdon is a narrow path with steep vertical drops at either side. It’s not a particularly dangerous route up, just as longs as you don’t try and tackle it in rain or strong winds. Otherwise, it can then become a danger to life. Or even the wrong footwear.
The other day, I read an article about a woman who tried to climb Snowdon in stiletto heels. She got the train 3/4s the way up (currently they have stopped services to the summit), and walked there the rest of the way in her heels. She took the Llanberis Path up, which is the easiest path up Snowdon. However, even though it’s the easiest, it’s still a rocky, uneven mountain path. A path that leads you up to a summit above 1000 metres, exposed to all elements. I personally wouldn’t recommend going up in trainers never mind heels. If it rains, the path can get very slippery. I don’t know if she ever made it to the summit or not, but it really did shock me! Some people need to be reminded of the dangers of being out in the mountains. How Snowdon claims an average of 8 deaths and over 200 rescues per year.
House Update
Good news, after having our house on the market for 2 weeks, and receiving 3 offers, we have accepted a buyer for our house. Not only that, the house we had put an offer on, had been accepted. The stressful 2 weeks, of having no evenings free to rest, living in a showroom, has come to an end.
Since the stress of selling my house has ended, my health has improved. I’m getting my adequate amount of rest each day and the wolf is now feeling a lot happier. Today is the first day in over 2 weeks, where I’ve not needed codeine pain relief for my joints, my stomach doesn’t feel like it’s on fire, and I managed a full-length workout again.
After any flare-up, my body is often in a fragile state. I often like to do a workout to get my body moving again, as soon as I am able to. I know a full workout would send me backwards. So I just do half of my workout. I also avoid anything that would be too physically demanding on my body, like a run. By just moving my body, helps my joints so much. It gets them moving again and helps to reduce any stiffness and pain that has been caused by the flare-ups. Yoga, pilates, and walks are brilliant for this. I avoid any HIIT workouts or runs when my body is in a fragile state.
Basically, you just need to know how to deal with your body at different times. How to look after it in a flare-up, how to look after it when it’s recovering, what I call the fragile stage, and then know how much you can push your body when you are in a strong state with your condition. If you overdo things in your fragile stage, you will spend more time in the unwanted stage, the flare-up. If you start pushing your body too much when it’s in the strong state, you will push yourself into a fragile stage. If you then don’t give your body that bit extra rest it needs, you will end up in flare-up. It’s all about managing it correctly, listening to your body, and given it the rest when it needs it.
My Raynaud’s
Stress doesn’t just cause Lupus flares, it also can flare my Raynaud’s too. Just like it has this time around. It caused a nasty, painful ulcer to form on my finger.
It does scare me a bit when I see ulcer’s form on my fingers. I know people who have lost their fingers from having ulcers. Luckily now, a week on, it’s starting to heal nicely.
It’s not the first time I’ve suffered from an ulcer on my finger. I’ve suffered with them other times when my body has been under a lot of stress. I use to also get them a lot right before needing my Illoprost infusions too when my nerve ending had become too narrow, and not enough blood supply was getting to my fingertips.
It’s been a tough month with the wolf. From having an inflamed stomach, to painful joints, to being too weak to stand up, to my hair falling out, to sinus trouble, to an ulcer on my finger. I now finally feel like I’m on the up. I can’t complain, I had quite a few good months on the row, before august arrived. I appreciate every good day I have and I accept I will have always have flare-ups.
I feel like I am good at managing my illness overall. I’ve learned to live such a strict routine with myself to control the wolf, but sometimes things can get in the way of that routine. This then causes stress to my body, leaving me in a flare-up. Just like my house selling did.
Anyways, that is it from me this week. Next week I will be sat typing away in Casper, hopefully with a lovely view in Anglesey. Hopefully, I will have summited Snowdon for my 3rd time, visited Britain’s tiniest house, and done a lovely solo hike along the Anglesey coastal path, while Alex work’s remotely for the day in Casper.
Until next week,
Stay safe
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
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