It’s been three years since my family moved into our new home in Dunedin, and I have to admit these have been the toughest years for my health so far. Living with adrenal insufficiency is already a daily challenge, but on top of that I’ve faced several serious health setbacks that made managing chronic illness even harder. At times, it’s left me feeling drained, overwhelmed, and even depressed as I’ve tried to keep going through the ups and downs.
Dealing With Chronic Illness
When I moved to Dunedin, I was struggling with gall bladder issues. I developed gall stones and had severe pain and nausea for almost 18 months. I went through the process of waiting to have my gall bladder removed and had my operation. However when I woke up the operation had failed. The surgeon said my liver was too large and so he abandoned the operation.
Failed Gall Bladder Operation
You can imagine how upset I was to have gone through the physical and mental preparation for a scary operation. I spent weeks on a liver shrinking diet and mentally struggled, went through the whole procedure, was put to sleep, had incisions and cuts made into my body and then waking up in pain to find I had to do it all again. I was devastated.
It took another year and I finally had my gall bladder successfully removed last year. Although the pain stopped (which was great), I continued to suffer from nausea and sickness, headaches and other symptoms.
New Health Conditions
Over the past 2 years I was diagnosed with Stage One Kidney failure, diabetes and more recently POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) a condition that makes my heart rate jump every time I stand as if I am doing a marathon by simply standing up or walking to another room.
It's taken a few years to figure out what is wrong and get the right medications and treatment for my health conditions and it's been even harder to accept that I simply can't do some things I used to do.
I'm now taking over 14 different tablets a day, have injections for diabetes and am doing all I can to reduce the daily heart rate spikes which cause nausea, headaches, sickness and pain. I wear compression leggings a lot and have to drink electrolyte drinks and have to record my heart rate using a fitbit.
Recording Symptoms In My Health Journal
One thing I now do, to stay organised and help myself mentally is record the medications I take each day, along with my symptoms, heart rate spikes and feelings.
Recording my medications helps stay on track, to know what I've taken and when and monitoring my symptoms helps me to work out when I need to increase steroid doses or take extra pain medication etc.
Writing my feelings down is just a great way to get things of my chest if I'm having a extra hard day!
That's why I am so grateful to Pen Heaven. Pen Heaven sent me a brand new Cross Coventery Ballpoint Pen and a super cute purple Amalfi Petit Leather Journal.
Pen Heaven Pens
I've been collecting fancy pens from Pen Heaven for almost 8 years now and adding a new pen to my collection not only gives me joy, it's set me up for recording my meds, symptoms and feelings for my new health journey.
I particularly love Cross Pens and Otto Hutt Pens and now have 3 of each. I also love Waterman Pens which are fantastic. Using a luxury pen (as a writer and journal keeper) just feels special. I don't leave the home much and am often stuck in bed so having a few luxury items to use on my desk, next to my meds really does make me feel happy and even important, when life gets really tough. I don't really buy fancy clothes or shoes, (I don't go out enough for that) so having beautiful home comforts really does make me happy.
Journalling My New Health Goals
The Journal I got is super cute and not huge, it's just right for keeping on my desk and recording all those thoughts and feelings, and trust me I have a lot!
I've creating a bullet type Journal and am starting with my New Health Goals, which I'll share here:
When it comes to setting health goals, I’ve learned it’s not about aiming for perfection but about focusing on small, realistic steps that help me cope better day to day. Here are the goals I’ve set for myself this year:
- Stay on top of my conditions: Managing POTS, adrenal insufficiency, thyroid issues, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, and chronic fatigue is a lot, but my goal is to keep consistent with the care each one requires.
- Be consistent with medication: Taking my prednisone and thyroid meds at the right times each day is critical, along with remembering my diabetes and evening medications. Recording medications as I take them ensures I don't forget or accidently take the same medication twice.
- Drink more fluids: I’m making hydration a daily priority to help with energy and dizziness. I drink powerade and water a lot more now.
- Pace myself: Instead of rushing through tasks and crashing later, I want to practice being gentle with myself and taking things one step at a time.
- Prioritise rest and self-care: Rest, comfort, and simple joys like watching a good TV show or cuddling my dogs make a big difference to my wellbeing.
- Journal regularly: Thanks to my new pen and journal from Pen Heaven, I’ll be writing down my meds, symptoms, and feelings to track patterns and feel more in control of my health journey.
Enjoying My Life With Chronic Illness
Living with chronic illness isn’t easy, but I’ve learned that joy is still possible. As I move into the second half of the year, I’m focusing on simple goals, journaling my progress, and giving myself space to rest. I may not have the same energy I once did, yet by celebrating small wins and choosing to focus on what I can do, I’m finding new ways to enjoy life each day.
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