I recently read a post by Amie from The Curvaceous Vegan on the things she is grateful for at Christmas. For so many people, Christmas is about elaborate & expensive gifts. There seems to be more pressure than ever to show how much you love someone by how much you spend. This has truly lost the meaning of Christmas. I though I would follow Amie’s lead & share with you why I’ll be having a grateful Christmas.
My Family
I have an amazing family. They are always there to support me, no matter what. What ever goes wrong, they never judge me. They always want what’s best for me & I can always turn to them for help. There are so many people who don’t have, aren’t in touch with or don’t get on with their family. I am extremely lucky to have mine. I have needed their support more so this last half a year – I couldn’t have managed coming off my medication without them!
Dan
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Dan. I first spoke to him the day I ended the abusive relationship with my ex. He was going to ask me out that day but a mutual friend talked him out of it because of what I was going through. I’m glad he persevered though & asked me out a couple of months later. He has been unbelievably patient with me, particularly through my PTSD. He never judges me & always looks after me. I may have been through a previous bad relationship, but I appreciate Dan even more than if I hadn’t. There is none else I would want to have a family with.
My Doctors
I think I would have gone insane without my fantastic doctors. I know my local hospital are shocking (to the point where I am in complaints proceedings with them, but the doctors that are involved in my care have taken up their slack to make sure I am properly cared for. Although I have some difficulties in the NHS system, I’m still grateful we have it in this country. My family don’t have the money we would have needed to fund the numerous tests I have had to have over the years &, even though my migraine diagnosis only came after two private appointments thanks to a generous benefactor, I would most likely have had to forgo diagnosis & treatment were it not for the NHS.
My Cats
Mylo & Freya came to use as rescues & have changed our lives. We can’t imagine what life would be like without them! With my being at home so much & Dan working long hours they have kept me company & provided us both with love & hours of entertainment. It took Freya a year of living with us before she purred & it’s been amazing to watch her grow into the friendly cat she is today.
Having A Roof Over My Head
There are so many people, both in this country & others, where people don’t have a roof over their heads. I am very fortunate that I do, particularly as this relies on other people (parents & Dan) taking the financial burden because my chronic illnesses have made work difficult & resulted in my current lack of & previously low earnings. This goes back to how thankful I am for my fantastic family & Dan.
Having Food On The Table
I know I have a lot of allergies & intolerances – being on the low-FODMAP diet is quite restrictive. I am grateful however, that I have the ability & options to change my diet to improve my health. There are many people in this world who don’t have this luxury & will eat what ever small amount they can to stay alive.
All Of You
You guys are amazing! Your support, encouragement & friendship means the world to me. I recently tweeted the above & was overwhelmed by the number of supportive messages I received from my blogging friends. When I moved to my current town after uni, I knew no one. Making friends was hard as there are few social opportunities. I felt isolated. Blogging & all of you changed that. I am much happier now as a result.
What are you grateful for this Christmas?
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can I ask, how did you get put onto FODMAP- what was the process you went through? I am beginning to develop allergies to a lot of things – e.g. on my skin, but my stomach is beginning to bloat and have stabby pains all the time. I’m wondering what I need to ask my doctor to do (he fully admits to not knowing what to do about me, but he does send me where I ask!)
Hi Jen, of cause! I came across the FODMAP diet at a talk at an Allergy event in London. There were lots of brands showcasing their products, but they also had some talks. Mum & I decided to go to the one on the FODMAP diet & I’m really glad we did! I’ve had allergies all my life, so Mum & I have become good at identifying & eliminating problematic foods. I felt confident in doing it myself &, as my GP had already made me keep a food diary for my IBS without success of identifying any triggers I didn’t involve them. After the initial few weeks of being on the basic diet I started to reintroduce foods one at a time & was surprised by how quickly & severely my symptoms returned. I’m really glad your GP is happy to admit the limit of their knowledge & refer you on, it makes all the difference when you aren’t being fobbed off purely because they don’t know but refuse to admit it! The FODMAP diet is still fairly new in the UK, but you could request a referral to a dietician or nutritionalist from your GP. If you mention to them that you would like to discuss the FODMAP diet they may know someone with some experience in this or can at least put this in your referral letter so they can do some research before your appointment. I hope that helps, feel free to contact me at any point with questions, I find others with the same conditions are often just as helpful as doctors! Xx
Hi Jen, of cause! I came across the FODMAP diet at a talk at an Allergy event in London. There were lots of brands showcasing their products, but they also had some talks. Mum & I decided to go to the one on the FODMAP diet & I’m really glad we did! I’ve had allergies all my life, so Mum & I have become good at identifying & eliminating problematic foods. I felt confident in doing it myself &, as my GP had already made me keep a food diary for my IBS without success of identifying any triggers I didn’t involve them. After the initial few weeks of being on the basic diet I started to reintroduce foods one at a time & was surprised by how quickly & severely my symptoms returned. I’m really glad your GP is happy to admit the limit of their knowledge & refer you on, it makes all the difference when you aren’t being fobbed off purely because they don’t know but refuse to admit it! The FODMAP diet is still fairly new in the UK, but you could request a referral to a dietician or nutritionalist from your GP. If you mention to them that you would like to discuss the FODMAP diet they may know someone with some experience in this or can at least put this in your referral letter so they can do some research before your appointment. I hope that helps, feel free to contact me at any point with questions, I find others with the same conditions are often just as helpful as doctors! Xx
I am also so grateful for the blogging community. You know from our conversations that my hubby is also my absolute rock, but this year I feel like I have finally made some real close friends that really understand what its like to be me.
Definitely Charlotte! Before I started blogging I only knew one other person with a chronic illness. (both my sisters presented later), let alone anyone with the same condition! Now I have some of the most amazing friends who understand just what life is like. The support I have had from you all has been amazing & I hope I’ve been able to give support back. Xx
Definitely Charlotte! Before I started blogging I only knew one other person with a chronic illness. (both my sisters presented later), let alone anyone with the same condition! Now I have some of the most amazing friends who understand just what life is like. The support I have had from you all has been amazing & I hope I’ve been able to give support back. Xx
Love reading posts like this, this time of year always makes me realise how lucky I am even with everything I’ve gone through, it’s lovely hearing what other people are grateful for, have a lovely christmas and new year sweet xx
Dana || Fashion Dew
Thank you so much for this lovely comment Dana! I think a lot of people forget just how lucky they are. We all have things we would like to change about our lives & bad things happen, but it’s so important for our own happiness to appreciate the good things in our lives. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & that 2016 is a great year for you. Xx
Thank you so much for this lovely comment Dana! I think a lot of people forget just how lucky they are. We all have things we would like to change about our lives & bad things happen, but it’s so important for our own happiness to appreciate the good things in our lives. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & that 2016 is a great year for you. Xx