It’s the end of January – finally. January always seems to be such a long month, doesn’t it? At the end of every month, I’ll be catching up with personal updates (and probably pupdates!) as well as looking back at some old posts. I’ll also be highlighting some other bloggers who I think you might enjoy getting to know. I’ll probably also be having a wee rant now and again about what’s been happening in the world.
A Sad Start to the Year for Us
2022 got off to a sad start for us as my uncle passed away. He had a stroke in 2020 and had been in hospital for several months. He then had to move into a care home. My uncle loved to walk and have a natter with everyone he met and his stroke took that away from him. Due to my own pain and pandemic restrictions, I hadn’t been able to see him which I’ve felt awful about, but it’s been out of my control. I’m thankful that my sister and her husband were able to see him and help him as much as possible.
It’s always sad when we lose people we love but we have to look back on good memories. And I am so glad to have many of them.
What’s Been Happening at No. 10?
Parties…that’s what’s been happening.
The pandemic restrictions affected millions of people. I stuck to the rules because I wanted to protect myself and the people I care about. But by sticking to the rules, the last couple of years have been awful. As well as not being able to see my Uncle, I hardly saw my Dad in 2020. When he was in the hospital, I couldn’t see him until the end of his life. I don’t even know if he knew I was there. Thousands of people, probably millions, went through similar or worse.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister (I can no longer bear to write his name) was partying. It’s been extremely galling watching the news over the last couple of months and seeing how our Prime Minister and his colleagues have been behaving.
A Quick Summary in Case You Don’t Know What’s Been Happening
The Prime Minister claimed there had been no parties, then said he didn’t know if he was at the parties which he’d previously said hadn’t actually happened. And even when there was proof that he was at a party, he claimed it was only a work meeting. (Drinking wine and having your wife and baby attend work meetings must be normal.)
He then said that he didn’t know that those parties/boozy work meetings were against lockdown rules. (Yes, the same rules he had made and reminded us of while standing at a podium almost every evening.)
Oh, and he was ambushed by a cake at one party. I know how he feels…a caramel Wispa bar recently ambushed me. And I won’t lie – it was scary. When a second one ambushed me the following day, I knew what to expect but still couldn’t avoid it.
A Formal Investigation
Since he was so unsure about it all, he called for a formal investigation by Sue Gray, one of his senior civil servants in the Cabinet Office. He asked her to do her best to cover up investigate the parties, including that frightening cake ambush.
Sue Gray will give her report to the Prime Minister and then he will decide which parts should be made public. Hmm…
Now the Met Police Are Also Covering Up Investigating
Perhaps Sue Gray’s cover up investigation didn’t go according to plan as the Met Police are now involved too. They have instructed Sue Gray not to include certain details in her report so it doesn’t ruin their cover up investigation. So the Gray report will look more like a black report as it will be full of redactions in order to protect the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister and his corrupt cronies should have gone to B&Q and bought a few large tins of white paint. It would have been a much cheaper way to whitewash what’s been happening.
The UK is run by boozed-up, lying, corrupt hypocrites!
My rant is over. For now…
I Have a Goal
Okay, no more politics…
Two of my own posts have kind of had an impact on me this month. I wrote about hobbies in the middle of the month and then a review of the book “Master Your Chronic Pain” last week. In the book, the author talked about values and goals. Throughout writing both of those posts, I realised that I really missed painting. I want to get back to it.
I have this bad habit of forgetting to pace myself when I start painting. The same thing keeps happening – I start off with good intentions and set myself a time limit but then I ignore it. The result is that I end up in agony and can’t go back to it.
So I need to exercise more self-control and actually listen to the advice I dish out to other people.
I have a small craft room which over the last couple of years has become a storage room, so I have made a start in clearing some space. That’s going to be a long, slow job, but when I am ready, with the help of a few rules, I will be trying very hard to get back to painting.
Looking Back at Some Old Posts
Back in January 2019, Despite Pain was still fairly new. I wanted to write a post about how to help doctors help you. That became a bit of a marathon post and became extremely long so I split it up into three separate posts.
How to Help Doctors Listen and Understand Better
How to Manage Medication More Effectively
and How to Cope With Medication Side Effects
***
In January 2021, I wrote a post about the NICE guidelines for treating chronic pain in the UK.
Those changes are frightening. NICE suggests treating chronic pain with antidepressants, exercise, psychological therapy or acupuncture with no mention of pain relief. The NICE guidelines are advising against treating chronic pain with pain medication. What’s happening is cruel and will prove to be harmful.
#ChronicPainIsNotNICE
Claire Swain started a petition about the guidelines to parliament. If she can get 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to the petition. But if 100,000 people sign it, politicians might discuss it in Parliament. At the moment, there are only just over 6000 signatures. So, please, if you are a UK resident, sign it and ask your families and friends to sign it too.
Please click here to sign the petition for parliament
You can follow Claire on Instagram and on Facebook
Highlighting Another Blogger
Since I started blogging here on Despite Pain, I have got to know many other chronic illness bloggers. They all work hard and write fantastic blogs about their lives with their health conditions. Chronic illness bloggers play a huge role in helping create awareness about health conditions, sharing their pain management tips and in helping other sufferers feel less alone. I’m sure that many of my readers would enjoy some of their blogs.
Sheryl Chan
Sheryl, is a chronic illness blogger from Singapore. She had a mini-stroke when she was just 14 years old, has had blood clots in her lungs and legs and lives with lupus along with other health problems. Sheryl is an admin in a couple of chronic illness blogging groups and, despite her health problems, she puts so much time and effort into helping other bloggers.
A Chronic Voice and Blogging Bread
Sheryl has two websites – A Chronic Voice and Blogging Bread
In A Chronic Voice, Sheryl writes about chronic illness and gives an honest insight into the impact it has on life. She often has information about products and resources which readers might find beneficial.
Blogging Bread is a fairly new site. In it, Sheryl uses her expertise to give blogging hints and tips. These tips will be especially helpful to those of us with chronic illnesses as they will focus on making blogging easier and less energy-consuming.
What’s Happening in February….
I thought I’d drop a reminder of some Awareness Dates in February.
Tinnitus Awareness Week: 7th – 13th of February 2022
British Tinnitus Association
Rare Disease Day: 28th February 2022
Rare Disease Day Website
Oh, something else will be happening in February. We’ll be having a birthday in the house. My not so little pup will be one year old. You can expect a pupdate about her next month.
Take care everyone.
If you have been reading my blog, you will know how my life has been since 2019 and what has been happening these last 2 years, made worse.
You will also know my feelings about the PM too.
He’s not my PM.
Once he’s out, I will celebrate and have my cake etc.. But the pain he has caused me and like many, that won’t change. The damage is done.
I currently feel broken and I have been nothing but in tears this week after getting just further too much.
Take care.
Oh Liz, I think there will be a lot of people celebrating but I have such a bad feeling that he will still be at the helm of this government for a while.
I am sorry that the last few years have been so difficult. Really, the government has a lot to answer for. They’ve handled the pandemic badly, couldn’t adhere to their own rules, but this government has probably been the cruelest, most inhumane government we’ve probably ever had in power in the UK. They are rotten to the core.
Sending you a hug. If you want to chat anytime, just message me.
Yes, they are the cruelest, most inhumane Government we have had. Certainly rotten to the core.
It’s funny you say that about January being a long month because yet again for me the time has zipped by. I don’t know what it is these past few years but it’s like time is going without me being present for it. Then again, I can’t remember what I did yesterday so it might just be that I can’t remember any of it 😆
It’s not a good sign when the start of a fresh New Year starts off with rage, fear and heartbreak, is it? I’m truly very sorry about your uncle. It seems particularly cruel during the pandemic for someone to die and loved ones can’t or aren’t allowed to see them. I’m glad at least your sister and her husband were able to be there in person when they could. I do have to think that those we lost would want us to think of the good times. They’d know how much we care without us having been there in person. They’d want us to remember who they were, the brighter days and the happier memories together.
As for Partygate, I probably shouldn’t say too much or else I’ll spontaneously combust. You’ve said it well, and of course you have a painfully sad experience from which to view such events. It seems far, far too many have similar stories of horror, losing loved ones and not being able to be there with them, losing time they could have spent together before it was too late. I’m already crying to write this so I don’t know how you get through It, Liz, I really don’t. I’m so damn angry.
At least it makes sense now why the police, who initially refused to investigate, suddenly took an interest once the Sue Grey report was commissioned and it became apparent scathing evidence was available. It’s so blatantly obvious that it’s a very risky thing to do, because it only serves to highlight the corruption and cement the distrust towards not only our government now but the police higher ups too.
On to the brighter stuff… I’m so glad you want to get back to painting! That’s a big deal to get to that place, Liz, especially in realising you need to approach it a little different. I hope you can make the physical space you need, find the inspiration, pace yourself and do little bits here and there to find your groove again. It would be lovely if you could get back into enjoying painting; even though it’ll be in a different way to how you did it before, it could still be a great hobby for expression, achievement and pure enjoyment.
Thank you for sharing the petition against the NICE guidelines. I wrote to NICE while they had their info gathering stage prior to publishing the guidelines. I emphasised strongly my opinions and those of many others as I know I’m not alone in my thoughts and physical needs for painkillers. I then asked if they would actually listen and take on board patient feedback or would just ignore it. They said they’d listen (but didn’t say they’d do anything with it). And obviously they didn’t. I’ll share this again, we really do need a lot more signatures. It feels like all I’m ever doing is trying to fight for things when healthcare goes against us time and time again. It’s so exhausting. I’m still fighting for B12 for Pernicious Anaemia, and the other stuff from my first surgery, and a few other things. It’s like talking to a brick wall because they simply don’t care. It’s so disheartening, but we have to keep trying.
Aw it’s lovely to see Sheryl get a mention here! She has done so much to bring the chronic condition & blogging communities together, hasn’t she? Amazing lady.
I can’t believe Kip will be turning one in February. See, the time has flown by! Does she have you two wrapped around her little paw yet? Of course she does 😉🐶
xxxxx
Thank you Caz.
I think if that man remains Prime Minister for much longer, a lot of people will spontaneously combust! I was about to start ranting again and I stopped lol.
You’re still fighting for your B12? That is ridiculous.
Does Kip have us wrapped around her little paw? Hahaha….silly question.
I’m so sorry for your recent loss, made harder by the situation of the past couple of years. It’s good to think back on the memories you have.
Don’t even get me started about the state of our current government. I can only imagine what a shambles of a country we appear to others. But I don’t regret a single time I followed the rules. Not seeing my family for months, sitting outside in the freezing cold on my birthday to see my chosen six. We did it to protect people, and that makes us a better person that some of our so called leaders.
On to more exciting stuff, I’m so glad you’re thinking about getting back into painting. I can’t wait to see some of your work. As a creative myself, I know how daunting it can feel, but also how freeing, relaxing and comforting.
Thank you, Gemma. I don’t regret doing what was right either. We were protecting ourselves and the people we care about. It just angers me that we have an arrogant Prime Minister who thinks it’s one rule for us and one for him.
I hope I can get back to painting. I had some of my paintings in a post about hobbies a couple of weeks ago. I look at them and wonder if I can still paint. I will try though.
Just been over for a nosey. Your paintings are stunning! Although I don’t doubt you’ll get right back into it once you start, sometimes it’s about the process with these things. That can be where the enjoyment is.
I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I’m so pleased you have fond memories to cherish and look back on. I completely agree with you about the government, it’s an absolute mess, I try to avoid watching the news as much as possible now because it just annoys and frustrates me. I’m exactly the same as you when it comes to getting into hobbies. When I enjoy them, I always overdo it, especially on days where I feel good and want to make the most of it. It’s such a fine balance between doing things to improve our mental wellbeing and not doing too much that we suffer physically after. I hope February is kinder to you. Take care. Lucy
Thank you, Lucy. Sometimes avoiding the news is the best plan, isn’t it?
Yes, when it comes to hobbies, we probably need to learn to be more disciplined so we don’t overdo it.
Thanks for commenting.