Hi Blog

Oh dear. I am terrible.

My Dad.

 I don't want to go through the various decades of my life flitting between disdain, pity and hatred towards my father. I get the impression that what I want and what is going to happen are going to be two completely separate entities.

Hi

It's been a couple of weeks since I have posted on my blog. I've been on holiday and have been caught up in the shit storm that is QTS tests. I've also not really found what I want to say. Normally about once a week I have the urge to share what I'm doing, what I'm feeling and more times than not what's upset me.

I am currently watching Ab Fab in the lounge, until I am not allowed to anymore because of the fucking tennis. My two housemates love tennis and I just don't get it. It's probably one of the only traditional English sports that I've never understood, and just find really boring. The fact that I find it boring is weird when I love cricket, the stereotypical 5 day borefest. Basically I cannot wait until it is over!

I don't think I've shared with my blog that I achieved a 2:1 in my degree and got onto the PGCE course that I wanted. I'm so happy that my hard work paid off and that my future is finally set. Apart from one catch, the QTS tests. You have to pass maths and English tests to become a teacher, which is all well and good, but when you have almost blocked maths out of your brain for 7 years it gets a bit difficult. Luckily one of my friends has passed these tests and my housemate is a maths wizz, so I'm hoping with their help I can pass the tests over the next 2 weeks. Say a little prayer for me!

I have just got back from a lovely week in Rhodes. We stayed at the Aldemar Amilla Mare and travelled with Thomsons, and it was perfect. The entire holiday was beautiful. I went with my 2 sisters and had the most relaxing, unwinding trip ever. Totally recommend a trip to Rhodes, just brace yourself for the airport on the way home!

We are also on the mad search for a house. Why is it so difficult to find a nice house that is furnished, that is affordable and doesn't have damp infested ceilings? We found the dream house but it was just too much of a stretch financially. It cut deep. I don't think we will ever get over that house!

I'm giving the whole losing weight thing a go again. I am going to be much more relaxed about it this time, and actually make it a lifestyle change, instead of a why haven't I lost the extra 3 stone in a week deal. Lets hope for the best.

So there we have it, my big old life update.

Lots of Love,

Hev

xoxox

p.s this post has been sat in my drafts for weeks, and I have now passed both English and maths and I'm so happy!

1 Year On: Pilonidal Sinus Surgery

Time clearly flies whilst you're having fun. Today, whilst sat in front of the tv watching the horrific news that Jo Cox MP has been killed doing her job in Yorkshire (I have no words for the world right now), that it has been nearly a year since I had my pilonidal sinus removed. If you have no idea what one of these is, it is a sinus (looks like a boil) that tunnels into you through a hair in your bum crack basically (the nhs has a much better, far more medical description here). I managed to get one of these, they tend to be linked to HS (I am not spelling that again, click here for more info or here for my account) which is why I think I got one.

I managed to get mine removed privately via the NHS due to a massive appointment cock up where the doctors forgot to refer me *rolls eyes* and I had a great experience. Not that you would be able to tell it was a great experience from the right moody judy posts I was publishing whilst high as a kite (here, here and here). 

The whole process was bloody painful and it was a long, laborious operation. I first had a bad reaction to morphine and I was so naucious I ended up in hospital overnight (too tip, force them to give you the anti sickness before the morphine). I had 6 weeks of constantly having to get my arse packed with all that good medical stuff and it took its toll. It was painful doing almost anything for about 3 weeks until my nerves finally decided to stop being in pain and I could finally come off codeine. It was time consuming, I had to go to the hospital/ doctors everyday, having to carefully shower and remove the padding to get it freshly done. I had to have a week off work (was signed off for more time but suprisingly I was getting very restless) and should have actually had more time off. Driving was a pain, sleeping was a pain and due to the volume of codeine I was consuming trying to have a shit was nigh on impossible.

When I say I had a great experience it was because I had a great surgeon, the hospital went above and beyond to accommodate me and my arse and I had no complications and it has healed perfectly, so from that point of view it was great.

I have healed perfectly. I've had no reemergence, no more boils up my arse crack and no more trouble from there. If God forbid you have a pilonidal sinus, I would highly recommend getting it sorted as quickly as possible. I had a relatively shallow sinus (about 3cm?) but some have extreme sinuses due to not seeking medical attention.

I thought, one year on I would leave some of my top tips for anyone who has one of these:

• Anti sickness is your best friend, demand it before the morphine gets the better of you and you vom your guts up.
• Take your pain killers religiously, don't try and be the big guy by missing one because you think you can (boy I learnt that the hard way in week 2).
• Don't be alarmed if you are stitched and they split, you will still heal and probably better than with stitches.
• Don't have an argument with the nurses because they say that you have to get packed just as you're coming round from your general like I did, it's unpleasant for all (and makes you look like a prat).
• Be scrupulous with your hygeine. Wash your wound thoroughly everyday with as much power as you can tolerate. Don't put soap anywhere near there. I ended up washing my hair over the bowl separately to minimise risk. 
• Don't overdo it. I got restless and thought I could hack far more than I actually could. They sign you off work for 3 weeks for a reason. Rest up. Don't go moving out of your flat the day after, that type of thing!

I'm sure there are many more things I could say but I can't remember them now. If you think you have one of these or are about to have the op or are in recovery, please feel free to talk to me about it. I would love to help and try to ease any worries you have!

If you have one of these, get the op. It's a no brainier.

Lots of love,

Hev 

xoxox

The EU Referendum

The EU referendum is a topic I have been mulling over for months now. Up until the ballot I was completely unsure whether to remain or stay. I decided to go for my gut instinct. This might be unfavourable for some, but for me, it was the vote that I was most comfortable making.

This referendum is a place for everyone over the age of 18 to make their decision on their future. People should be given the most information from both sides as humanly possible, in order for the right decision to come to each person.

However, what I have seen over the last few weeks on social media has quite frankly made me feel sick. Both sides have acted like nothing more than petulant children having a tantrum because they aren't getting their own way. 

The way people I know in real life have acted horrendously. I am very aware people have very strong opinions on this but shoving it down everyone's throats is not going to get you anywhere, and will probably push people in the opposite direction. The amount who have turned into self proclaimed political Gods over the last few weeks has made me want to reevaluate who I associate with, due to the dickhead behaviour and outright bullying from both sides against each other.

The remain voters act like you just want to leave because you're racist and only care about immigration. Which is wrong, when most (not all) will have made up their decision based on the information presented.

The leave voters act like you're a complete sheep if you stay in, forgetting that some are quite possibly happy in the EU and don't want to rock the boat.

The complete shaming all over social media by the remainers of the youths who actually want to leave, and the remain youths shaming of the older generation who want to leave has made me so angry over the last few weeks.

What has concerned me the most about this whole referendum is how celebrities have taken to social media in their droves to actively shame voters who want to leave. I have seen so many prominent and influential celebrities on social media treading the line so close to bullying with this whole issue that I hope when reflecting on the last few weeks they hang their heads in shame.

A person makes their vote based on their own opinions and have the democratic right to do so. Absolutely NOBODY should be made to feel shameful about voting either way. Leave campaigners shouldn't harangue the remainers and the remainers shouldn't shame the leavers.

Everyone has the right to come to their own conclusions and should not be held in contempt for their vote.

Make your decision and unless you're going to remain positive and not disrespectful of other people's opinions; keep your decision to yourself.

I know how I voted and no matter how the vote goes I will be perfectly happy with it because that is the way it is meant to be. It can't be changed. But some people's behaviour can be, and I hope it is changed really fucking quickly.

Hev.