The night before school.

Fresh air today with a bit of birdwatching. Lucky this is around the corner !

It was the night before school, when all through the house, Charlotte was stirring and the cat gifted her a mouse 🤪😂

Our new cat, Chaplin 🐱

Today is the last day of my school holidays. Tomorrow morning, will mark the beginning of the Autumn school term in Scotland.

I have been extremely lucky to have had a wonderful break, it’s been full of ups and downs but that’s how the cookie crumbles!

I had an amazing holiday to Croatia with my Mr Right and my two grown up children. We experienced such wonderful things.

Views in Croatia 🇭🇷

Beautiful sunset on our dolphin tour.

I have had time to catch up with friends and family which is always lovely.

The downs have been difficult but are always inevitable. One of my close family members has been very poorly and gave us all a scare but thankfully they’re still here and heading in the right direction. Another close family member has been dealing with a huge, life changing transition which I am trying my best to support them through.

This is of course, life. Life is never one way or the other, it’s constantly evolving and changing. I’m grateful for the good times and I try my best to always learn from the bad times.

As expected, my FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) has fluctuated throughout the last few weeks. I have had moments of feeling rested and well. Then, on the flip side, when I become less busy, I begin to become more aware of my pain. This is mostly neuropathy (nerve pain) and migraines.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/brain-nerves-and-spinal-cord/peripheral-neuropathy

When living with a chronic illness like FND, you can never fully be free. Just when you think you might be well again, symptoms appear. It’s as if it likes to remind you that it’s there. However, I’m quite a veteran of this game and I know how to manage my symptoms when I have a flare up. Although I have had some difficult days, I’m back in control again. So, up yours FND!! I win, you lose 💪🏻

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/brain-nerves-and-spinal-cord/functional-neurological-disorder

This summer has been quite a transition as my youngest son has moved on to socialising with his friends a lot more so I’m suddenly left with a lot more free time than ever before. Some might say that it’s fantastic but I have found it quite difficult. This is all part of the process and I will eventually adjust, it’s just strange as I have never been alone in my whole adult life. Next summer, I will be more prepared and can plan accordingly.

There’s been awful, hateful comments made towards some of those who are part of the FND community recently. The most shocking part is that a lot has come from other chronically ill individuals. This really saddens me. No one ever wants to be ill. It’s not a life anyone would choose. You can’t compare one condition or one person’s experiences to another. We are all human and just trying to survive and live the best lives we can with the hand we are dealt. Please be kind.

I’m looking forward to getting back to routine tomorrow. I’m lucky to be part of an amazing team and will be forever grateful that I have this opportunity.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Charlotte xxx