Partial empty-nester of two sons who, like me, have Autism, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and PoTS. Ever hopeful, but learning to live with a new reality. This blog is for the slightly random stuff about life that doesn't fit on my fairly awesome, award-winning site, Special Needs Jungle
My husband is super-fit, works out most days with weights and the odd run. But although I have a chronic pain condition, I've recently done far more sit-ups in half an hour than he - or anyone - could ever dream of. Twenty-thousand to be precise.
While I let that sink in, I’ll admit, it wasn’t under my own steam. I've used medical technology for my abdominal muscles to benefit from the physical effects of the equivalent of 20,000 sit-ups and without actually moving myself.
Intrigued? Who wouldn't be?
Lack of body strength
In recent years I’ve found myself with a bit of a problem. I have a structural weakness in my back thanks to Ehlers Danlos syndrome, but repeated abdominal surgeries have decimated my stomach muscles, leaving me with a dangerously weak upper body.
The result has been regular episodes of my back giving way, with my weak abs leaving me crawling on the floor, unable to hold myself up. One recent, memorable incident meant my husband and son had to roll me, shrieking, onto a large drawing board to carry me to bed.
Something had to change - but my EDS and PoTS preclude me from doing sufficient - or really any - exercise. Even standing up still for long can be a challenge.
Then I came across something that changed my life.
Magical muscle machine
The answer was EMSCULPT. This miracle medical device makes you not only stronger but also slimmer in just four sessions of half-an-hour each. I was introduced to it by Miss Sherina Balaratnam at her multi-award-winning medical aesthetics clinic, S-Thetics, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.
When you have a chronic illness, everyday life can seem like walking head-on into a hurricane. Putting one foot in front of the other, both physically and metaphorically, can seem like you are up against an unseen but powerful opposing force that, with one unwise step, will whip you off your feet into a maelstrom with an unknown ending. It's an uncertain and exhausting existence.
That's why having nice things happen can mean far more than you might ordinarily expect. It lifts your spirits and reminds you that the sun's warmth can still reach you. You remember that you are still a woman first, not just a patient or a carer or a parent.
That's especially true when it's something as delicious as a facial. And not just any facial, but the treatment that's sought after by A-list celebrities: The Hydrafacial.
When Miss Sherina Balaratnam of the state-of-the-art S-Thetics clinic in Beaconsfield, asked me if I'd like to try out the Hydrafacial for myself, it was just the thing to help prepare me for a challenging three-day conference that was coming up. In fact, just being in the clinic, with its all-white decor and hi-tec clinical equipment, makes you feel like you're about to experience something really special as Sherina and her team make you feel so welcome and at ease.
I've been lucky enough to test several other treatments at S-Thetics, the Fire and Ice treatment, Juvéderm fillers and my absolute favourite, the EndyMed 3DEEP, none of which I would have been able to do without Sherina's generosity in exchange for an honest review. And from the description of the Hydrafacial as a six-step, personalised, pore-deep treatment, I knew my tired-feeling skin was in for a treat.
Sherina even sent me on my way with a divine bottle of Copper Mist firming mist, to keep my skin happy and hydrated.
Sherina's Copper Firming Mist gift from iS Clinic
The Hydrafacial
The Hydrafacial can be tailored to match whatever needs your skin may have, and this can be analysed first with S-Thetics' Visia which analyses the state of your skin deep into the dermis. I already knew from a previous Visia that I have sun damage from being fair-skinned and the signs of ageing you would expect. Sherina selected the Hydrafacial Skin Health for Life treatment which, which detoxes, exfoliates, brightens, extracts impurities and then treats the skin with pure botanicals to rejuvenate, plump and firm.
The Hydrafacial uses a multi-functional wand, attached to a machine that pumps through the right serum for each stage of treatment. The wand has different heads according to the job it's doing, from exfoliating dead skin cells, to extracting deep down dirt from the pores to delivering the soothing and firming serums, hyaluronic acid and peptides to leave you looking your best.
The Hydrafacial kind of reminds me of when I first got a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I thought my carpet was clean until I used the Dyson. It sucked out deep down fine silt that other cleaners hadn't touched. The Hydrafacial is a similar premise: you might think your skin is clean, but wait until you see what clean really looks like. It means your face looks fresh, more youthful (if that's what you need) and with any skin troubles greatly improved.
Rather than just tell you about the treatment, I made a short video with everything you need to know. And I just know you'll want to try it out yourself.
The years zip by so quickly, especially when you have children. You're naturally more focused on them especially, as in my case, when they have special needs.
Throughout my 30s, it was just head down, full-on searching for the right help and the right school as well as dealing with their difficulties.
Then, in my mid-forties, just as I was starting to get more time to start working part-time (besides founding Special Needs Jungle), I was knocked down by a huge and lasting flare up of Ehlers Danlos syndrome. It was prompted by hormonal changes and regrettably throwing myself into a new work challenge on top of everything else. My body ended up in a state of collapse. Since then, I've lived in pretty much constant pain, with limited mobility and that definitely takes its toll.
I remember catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror one day; it took a second before I realised it was me, worn out with dark shadows under my eyes. I looked again, a little closer, noticing the lines on the forehead, around the eyes and from nose to mouth that seemed to have appeared or become more pronounced in a short space of time. I tried to shrug it off, after all, I was getting older and lucky to be so, having lost dear friends to cancer in recent years.
But still...I didn't feel ready for wrinkles.
Sherina explaining my skin analysis
Soon after this, almost as if the universe was watching, the BritMums Blogging team put a call out for someone prepared to have a consultation about Juvéderm® cosmetic fillers and in exchange, to write about it. Well, I didn't need asking twice - this might just be the pick-me-up I was looking for!
As we grow older, our skin loses moisture and elasticity and begins to show the signs of ageing. You've probably heard of hyaluronic acid; it is often called the "fountain of youth" and can be found in moisturisers, serums and is also used medically to improve joint disorders, so it's a safe substance.
Juvéderm® by Allergan, make injectable fillers using hyaluronic acid and say it's the only way to replenish the hyaluronic acid deep within skin. Juvéderm® says it was developed to be smoother than most hyaluronic acid dermal-filler treatments. This makes it easy to inject and gives the face a very natural look and feel once it’s in the skin.
I've had facials before of course, even had a facial with acupuncture, but I didn't know much about cosmetic fillers. However, thanks to Britmums, Allergan and Miss Sherina Balaratnam at S-Thetics in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, I decided to take the opportunity to find out, up close and personal...
It's fair to say I'm pretty thrilled with the results. Several people have said how well I'm looking and one medic I saw at an appointment had to do a double take at my age on the form when I saw her. Now that's a result, I'd say!
If my video has started you thinking that perhaps it might be something you would consider, then these links will be of use:
