My Cleaning Tricks

So In order to still do the general housework I have made some changes and little tricks that help me. Now I know some might sound stupid and might not work for others but they do make having chronic health & OCD a lot better to deal with ... 

Hoover - I have three hoovers which are kept in different places which make it easier than having to carry one up and down the stairs. So I have one upstairs, one downstairs and one just for the kitchen. I keep them near the plug socket so easier to turn on and use whenever I can. 

Cleaning Items - I have a cleaning caddy in the bathroom for all the products I use upstairs and then I have products in kitchen under sink for all the products to use downstairs. I have a cupboard in the hallway which has back ups of products making sure I never run out which I get my Stepdad to reach and take out when I need to. I also have some products in my bedroom for easy access. Ideally I hate products on show but sometimes I have to think practical. 

Long Handled Dustpan/Brush - I have one in my bedroom as I have wood floor and one downstairs for the kitchen, utility and downstairs toilet. Long handled makes it easier to use few times a day without bending down or picking rubbish up ect. I have 3 dogs which mean dogs hairs and wood floor so having the dustpan and brush in reach means I can use it every time I’m in/out of the rooms.

Using Time Effectually - this might sound stupid haha so what I mean is that when I have a flare up with my bowel disease I will also clean the bathroom. It makes sense to do it as I’m stuck in the bathroom anyways. I will fold up washing while sitting on sofa, I will prepare dinner while sitting down and I will even sit on the floor to clean floors/polish, clean the bath/shower while I’m in there ect. It helps a lot to be honest as I find I get more done that way. If I had to wait to not be in pain to do these things then they would never get done. 

Ikea Bags - Totally Random but the blue Ikea bag are literally a lifesaver because of its long Handles and it’s a big bag. I use this to carry dirty washing downstairs and I will also fold up the clean washing put in the bag to carry upstairs. It makes it so much easier. 

Micro Fibre Cloths - I always keep one in reach so that if I’m walking downstairs or round the house I can easily grab it and polish ect. 

Clean At The Right Time - what I mean by this is I try to stick to the same time cleaning which is about 10 mins after I’ve taken my painkillers. I find if I wait anymore then the side effects have kicked in too far. 

Deep Freeze/Deep Heat Is My BFF - I have the roll on ones that literally are so easy to apply and I have one of each downstairs and upstairs which I put on as I’m about to clean. Okay it doesn’t get rid of the pain but it makes cleaning more bearable. 

Late Night No Sleep = Clean - I have nights where I don’t sleep til late because of pain so I use this time to sort my wardrobe out, sort storage out and do little bits in my room. 

I’m pretty sure there’s more than I do without realising but these are the main ones. To someone who isn’t ill I totally understand how stupid it might sound haha!! But you got to do what you got to do. Without doing any of these tricks I simply don’t get anything done. I have 3 dogs so I have to hoover lots and ideally I’d like hoover few times a day but I aim to hoover at least once a day which I find it easier to keep up with housework if I do it for like 20 mins a day rather than spending hours few times a week. Luckily I have a dishwasher but I wash up the dogs Bowls soon as they finished their dinner and I find doing it ASAP means it’s all done and dusted. Now I don’t really like antibacterial wipes well I do but I find it much easier to use a micro fibre cloth and antibacterial spray which probably doesn’t make sense and I’m sure wipes are more easier but my hands are quite sensitive and I was finding wipes irritate them more plus I seem to go through so much wipes so I prefer to use a few cloths instead. I don’t fill my cleaning cupboard up under the sink purely because it’s much easier to only have the products I currently using so I can just grab them easily. 

Obviously with me living at home with my mother means there are some things I’d love to do differently or change. I try much as possible to make the plan more organise, clean and tidy but it’s not as easy when people I live with are not like me lol!! Il spend ages cleaning and then I look and someone’s make it messy.. it’s rather frustrating because obviously I’ve made myself in pain in order to clean properly so it’s bloody annoying. I know if I lived alone I’d have things my way which would make things slightly easier for my health but for now with the small changes/tricks I use are working and helping. I truly believe that a “Tidy House Tidy Mind” and I feel so much better mentally when I’m doing cleaning even if my body is in agony.  My next post will be about what products I use. I tend to stick with the same products that I know work as I haven’t got time to be using rubbish products. So make sure you pop back soon to find out my top products. 

Love Katie xx 

Chronic Health & OCD

So I’ve been wanting to do a blog series for ages now about cleaning while having chronic health. I also have OCD which had way before becoming ill so it was a huge shock for me when I started to notice how certain housework/chores became rather difficult and sometimes impossible. 

I love cleaning. I always have and to be I use it as my therapy. Some people go retail therapy or cooking or exercise but for me it’s always been cleaning,tidying, clearing and being organised. I love seeing the before and after of how simply changes can make a massive difference. And storage!!! Storage is my best friend andI HATE having items in my draws without being in some sort of box or draw divider. Every month I always sort through each of my chest of draws, clean them and make sure to either chuck or Charity shop stuff I no longer have use for.

Safe to say I love clearing, cleaning and organisation but it’s rather hard when you have a disability. I’m lucky that I’m still able to do most housework and I have ways of making sure I can still manage them but having OCD thrown in the mix makes things so frustrating. My mind is telling me I have to clean or do something but my body is refusing and physically can’t. My illnesses has already taken so much away from me and has dramatically changed my life but I will not let it stop me from doing the normal day to day chores. I’ve made some changes and adapted which I think I have the right balance at the moment in order for me to be in less pain as possible while continuing to do the general housework. Obviously even with the changes I’ve made I still have days where the pain is too bad to do anything.  I thought I’d share some simple changes and tricks/tips on how I still do the normal chores with a disability. And how I try and control my OCD while having a bad pain day. I now do things differently which to some people might sound stupid but in order to still keep on top of the house I don’t care if I look or sound stupid. Not only is cleaning obviously good and I 100% go by the saying “ tiny house tiny mind” but I use it as a distraction and almost as a escape from the agonising pain I’m in 24/7. 

My next blog post shall be the simple changes I’ve made and the silly ways on how I still manage to cook/clean/tidy and organise with chronic health. I write all my blogpost via my phone as I don’t have my laptop as I hardly used it so if the layout, pictures or words are not up to scratch then I do apologise. I’m going to try and do at least one blogpost per week which I think is doable otherwise if I give myself a few a week I know it’s not possible. I do miss blogging and I think it must be at least two years since myself or Beth blogged properly but so much has happened to us both since we last blogged so our posts might be slightly different. I just thought I’d do a quick post to explain on why there will be regular posts coming soon and what they’re about ect. 

Next blog post shall be in a few days :) 

( I have about 10 posts half written that because of brain fog never get finished) haha..  I have been using the blog Instagram since last September now & do regular posts and I’m slightly addicted to doing daily stories haha.. so please do follow us on Instagram on “Essextowindsor”

Love Katie xx 

Katie’s Health Update - Ulcerative Colitis

      (Been two more surgeries since this picture) 

Hello everyone :) as you can probably tell by the photo it’s Katie here. Me and Beth have soooo much to catch up on as a lot of life events have happened since we last was active on the blog. As from next week Beth shall have the laptop back and running so expect lots of blogpost about pregnancy and mum life but for now here is a post about my health. 

When we used to update the blog a lot I done a series of “health Update” where I would share how my health was doing. I can’t remember the last time I done an update to be honest so I shall start with one of my conditions:

ULCERATIVE COLITIS- 

I was put on Predinisolone for my Ulcerative Colitis and safe to say I totally regret it. I had put on a lot of weight, got awful side effects and to top it all off it didn’t make any difference to my bowel. My Gastro team were shocking and left me few months without any medication. It was June the month of Beth’s hen and we

dding. The hen party was a cocktail night & seeing as I haven’t drunk at all for a good few years it’s safe to say that alcohol didn’t agree with me. It put me in a instant flare where that evening I spent crying in the hotel bathroom with zero sleep, the cramps were insane and the thought of food made me feel sick. We got back home and my IBD nurse advised me to go to A&E so off I went had some bloods and morphine then to be told go home and wait for IBD team to ring as it was night time. I was exhausted I went home and rested for a few days then it was Beth’s wedding. I felt awful the original dress didn’t fit I had to order new one week before wedding I felt awful and looked it. The steroid made me so swollen and puffy looking safe to safe I couldn’t of hated myself anymore than I did. The day went okay then soon as I eat the food that was it. Another flare left me spending most of the reception in the toilets. I missed the first dance, beth throwing the flowers and cutting the cake. I was gutted, exhausted and in agony but I just had to put on a smile and act normal in front of family. I had the girls for few days after as Beth and my brother went on a mini moon. I got back home and this flare wasn’t easing at all, it was the summer so heat wave didn’t help. We went out with the girls I tried to put on a smile but I was again stuck on the loo crying. I had enough. Enough of the IBD nurse/team not giving a shit *pardon the pun*. So I went to a&e again, had bloods, a canualar & morphine to be told my bloods were okay bit dehydrated and higher CRP but nothing they can do as it was nighttime aka no Gastro avalible. I went home angry, disappointed and physically drained. Finally I saw a new Gastro a few weeks after who demanded I went back on Steroids which I didn’t want to! So fed up I went to my GP and asked to be referred to another hospital. I was warned it could take months waiting but I was willing to wait. 

Yet again another thing I regret. The new Gastro is claiming I don’t have Ulcerative Colitis and it’s constipation. Now I’m no doctor or consultant but I know it’s deffo NOT constipation. I had to demand a Sigmoidoscopy which annoyingly by this point my Colitis settled down so not much was shown. I’m yet to see my specialist to discuss things but I’m so drained from everything that I’m yet to make the appointment. To be told you haven’t got an illness that you were tested so many times for and each times have evidence of it is so frustrating. Also in June I had surgery (bowel related but not UC) and recovery was harder than expected so I was fed up. 

I’m currently on no medication for my Ulcerative Colitis and weirdly am better. Not 100% but so much better than I was in the summer. I suppose I won’t see my Consultant til the new year and I so regret leaving the first hospital I was under. I feel like I’ve gone 1000 steps back from the days of being told it was just IBS. I have so much going on with my other illnesses that I haven’t really been bothered about this one if that makes sense. So much appointments, different Hospitals, lots of medication as well as brain fog so I’m finding it hard to keep up and jungle everything. Safe to safe I could do with a PA hahah!! Fingers crossed my Bowel behaves over Christmas as I don’t fancy spending Christmas Day on the toilet. Once I see my Consultant in the new year hopefully it will be a possitive appointment. I shall keep updating so do keeep an eye out and the next post from be shall be an health update on another condition of mine. 

I know these posts might not be everyone’s cup of tea and I totally understand but I think it’s so important to spread awareness and share your own stories. Me and Beth like to keep it real on our blog and we don’t pretend our lives are perfect. All of our blog posts are real life, honest and truthful. If you have got this far then well done haha. Thank you for reading and do come back for another post :)

Love Katie 

Social Media Changes

Hello everyone.. its been a long time. 

I wanted to write a quick blogpost to tell you all about some changes. So we have a Instagram which we used to update alot but as life shit happens we stopped. Also our blog and twitter went quiet. However I (katie) have always been active on my personal twitter/Instagram.. well mainly Instagram to be honest. In the last two months or so I have been addicted to instastories on my personal account and sort of abandon Snapchat. I've been following accounts that have cleaning tips, home interior, Chronic health and more which I have been speaking to a few lovely ladies. I decided to log into our blog Instagram and dedicate more of my time and energy as on my personal is alot of people I know in real life and sometimes I had to be careful what I posted or my stories. Although I know they can also see our blog insta, I feel more comfortable and confident posting what I want, sharing my life and find its easier to be more open. So for the past month or so I have only been using the blog insta and not only has snapchat been abandon but my personal insta has. In just a short time I have been talking to a few ladies, already got my favorite people to follow and feel 100% better in myself knowing I am not alone in being OCD, being addicted to cleaning products, having mental illnesses, grieving for my two babies, dealing with the shit of having chronic illnesses.  

Although the Instagram is back up and running, the blog isn't. As much as I'd love to be able to write blog posts, its kind of impossible right now due to health. But I have soo many ideas to the point where my notes on my phone can't take anymore haha. I've learnt lately to live one day at a time which before I wasn't and it was totally making me stress. So I'm not going force myself to write blog post just yet. I've even made a few insta friends already so I am concentrating on that for the time being. I have also been tweeting from our twitter but I'm not really bothered about that as I've never found twitter amazing if that makes sense. 

Head over to our Instagram HERE if you want to see me moaning about being in pain, being tired, watch me go on about cleaning in my stories haha. I said this was going to be a quick post but its taken me forever as I'm rather tired. Thank you for reading and lets hope I can put my ideas into many blog posts soon. 

Love Katie 

Change Is Okay

Hello Everyone.. I honesty cannot remember the last time I done a health update or any update to be honest. Life has just got in the way for the last year or so and we have sort of abandoned the blog. I'm speaking for myself but I think Beth would agree when I say that we both are different people since we last blogged. Both older and are in a different place from few years back. Pain and illnesses has 100% changed me and weirdly for the best, I am more understanding, more patience and in all a much better person. Obviously I cannot speak for Beth but she's now a married lady with two kids and now they live in their own apartment so I think she's changed also but in a good way. If Beth is reading this I hope I don't offend you haha.

Photo by Pinterest 

What I'm trying to say is that change is a good thing. It's scary yes but it has to happen as we grow up. Since being a Auntie I have become less selfish and more caring. I'm sure as the months go by that I shall change more.. and I'm okay with it. Few years back I would of been scared.. scared of changing me as a person and scared of changing into someone I don't like. 

Years ago I wouldn't of thought I'd be where I am today. Living with Mother at 25 years old and unable to work... it's something I never planned in my head. But I cannot change being ill and I have to deal with that. I always think that I'm lucky in a way.. lucky because I am able to live at home with my mother who is my best friend. Some people don't have that choice or their mother isn't around anymore so I have to think myself lucky there. Of course I'd love to be living in my own place with my own family.. I crave it so much that it's constantly in my head. I have to deal with the fact that I cannot change my situation or health right now so I have to embrace and think myself lucky as I'm sure it could be worse. 

I'm not real sure what this blogpost is about.. and you can probably tell that I'm dosed to the max on painkillers but I just wanted to say that change is totally normal and okay. If you're in the position to change your life then totally embrace that face but for myself and other people who are unable to change life then just know that it's okay..the quicker we accept that we're unable to do certain things and stop beating yourself up about it.. then the better you will feel. I'm sure myself and Beth will have proper blogpost coming soon.. and I promise to try and not be dosed up on painkillers next time!! 

Love Katie xx

Toilet Thoughts

Hello readers.. 

I'm currently writing this as I'm sat on the toilet and I'm sure most people wouldn't want to know that but in reality this is my life. I have Ulcerative Colitis which if you have been following our blog since we started then you would know. If you haven't read our blog and don't know or heard of Ulcerative Colitis is then it's an Irritable Bowel Disease (NOT IBS) and this horrible disease means I attend the toilet basically 95% of the day. I get very sore joints because of this and also terrible fatigue so you can imagine sitting on the toilet isn't enjoyable.

I wanted to write this post because I swear some people think that I'm even making it up or that I enjoy suffering from Colitis! It's exhausted, painful & frustrating. I never have a proper goodnight sleep because for some reason my Bowel is more awake at night time. I never get to watch full programme as run back and forward to the bathroom. It's not fun or enjoyable having to sit on the toilet and for normal people when they go for a toilet they are not in pain but I am in pain. Everyone I open my bowel it is absolutely agony and I cry because of the pain. 

I sit on the toilet and watch people snapchats or insta stories and see people out having fun or not having to worry about to what to eat and it's hard to watch.. and I do feel about jealous of them. Then I go on Facebook and read people statues about their fun evenings and it makes me sad and angry. I look back and miss the old me. The old me who used to spend my evenings going out, drinking, eating whatever I wanted, was abled to have a goodnight sleep and literally having no care in the world. 

So when people say that I have an easy life being housebound, stuck on the toilet in pain and never having a goodnight sleep.... "easy" isn't the word I'd call it. I didn't choose to have this disease and I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I'd absolutely chose to be working, doing normal adult things and not having to be in pain over this any day!! It's hard to be positive when I'm stuck on the toilet, it's hard to be happy and not dwell on the past. But this IS my life and all I wish is for my health to be better and to gain my life back again. So yeah this isn't enjoying or fun and if anyone says it is then come and be in my shoes for a day and you'll soon realise how "fun" this really is!!! 

Love Katie xx

CCUK/Endoscopy Tour

Sooooo this is the first blog post I have done in a very very long time!! What better way to start blogging again by writing about something close to my heart..

On Sunday I went to my first ever Crohns and Colitis Meet up at the Endoscopy Clinic At Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and it was literally so amazing to meet and talk to people who suffer with IBD. This was my first meet at all so I was nervous abit and to make things worse Im flaring at the moment. This was rather different from a general "meet" as it was a chance for Friends and family of members of Crohns and Colitis Berkshire to see behind the scene and learn more about what us IBD sufferers have to deal with when we enter in Endoscopy area. I brought my Mother and Stepdad with me as I thought it would be a good idea to get them involved more and in hope that they can try to understand what I go through. I am glad I took them as they are two of my closest people in my life and I would love it if my closest ones understood and knew more about IBD from the endoscopy consultant.  

So we got there about 10am ish and we sat down with a cuppa in the reception area of the Endoscopy unit. Well I say sit down but what I really meant is that I ran straight to the toilet because Colitis doesn't like to behave well at the moment lol. We all had a cuppa and biscuits and had a chat/got to know each other for about 10 minutes or so. Then Professor Jon Simmons started the tour of the endoscopy clinic and literally I was so interested and amazed. He explained what happens from the minute you step into the reception to the minute you leave. He started by showing us the waiting areas which is separate for male and females, once you are undress you put all your clothing and items in a big "shopping basket"...you know like the baskets on wheels they have at some shops, well it was exactly the same as that which they take it with you all the way to recovery. Also in that area he shown us where you have the enema which is in a room attached to a toilet. Then onto the exciting area!!!! The Endoscopy operation rooms. Jon shown us everything from the equipment, the biopsy equipment, all the machines, the gas and air ect and he also explained all the different type of sedation which was very interesting. We asked him some questions then he switch on the machine and we all had a hold of the endoscope itself, took biopsy (with paper) and we was all in amazed haha. Then off we went to the recovery area which was male and female separate and explained how it works ect. Now this part was the best...the cleaning room!! So once the endoscopy is finished the nurse will take the dirty endoscope plus all the equipment to the cleaning room which was literally so interesting. On one side was full on sinks where they clean the equipment first then on the other side was the big machine which looked like massive washing machines haha... they put the equipment in these machine which is disinfected. Once the cleaning progress is all finished its comes out in a separate room so basically the dirty ones NEVER mix with the cleans ones. Then we went to see all the other operations rooms which one had a X-ray in and lastly we went to the room where you go and sit down once you have recovered from the sedation and all your obs are fine. That room is full of comfy sofas, a area for hot drinks and toaster and a little room joined to it which is for when they have the report of the endoscopy and the nurse goes through any questions you have ect and then you wait til you are picked up or drive home if you just have gas and air. 

We stayed in that room for ages asking Professor Jon Simmons lots of questions, we had lots of debates about the NHS and a general chat about life with IBD.  We was there for a good few hours and even my Mother and Stepdad learnt so much and got stuck in with asking questions. I literally felt alot better after talking to people who suffer the same as me as I finally was talking to people who know exactly how I feel. To be honest I was more happy that my Mother and Stepdad came and joined in because they obviously do not have IBD so its hard for them to understand me at times and sometimes they both have been judgmental in the past which I don't blame them for because unless you have IBD, its really difficult to understand. As I said at the start of this post that this was my first ever meet up to do with Crohns and Colitis so I was very scared but after it finished I felt more confident and excited to attend other meet ups. 

I learnt ALOT and feel alot less nervous now for when I have another Colonoscopy/Sigmoidoscopy. I am not under Reading Hospital so it was all new to me but after speaking to the Jon Simmons its made me ever more sure to be referred there. I am currently under Wexham Park hospital and ever since I was diagnosed in 2015 I have never had any progress with symptoms and they still won't try me on any other medication. So I think its about time to get referred to a new IBD specialist with a good IBD nurse support team and in hope they start me on new treatment and finger crossed I start to feel better. 

Thank you to anyone who has stayed this far and read this haha. Myself and Beth haven't been blogging properly for ages. Life got in the way and we put this blog in the back of our mind. We literally loved writing and reading other blogs and we both said its a form of therapy for us so we promise to try and get this blog back to how it was. 

Love Katie 
xx