Sunday 25 August 2013

Seven Deadly Sins, Aporia Style

Hello Everyone!

It's time for another LBLC joint post - long overdue in fact!

Keshia came up with the idea for this post - to tell you all about our Seven Deadly Sins. An awesome topic. So without further ado...

Pride

I am incredibly proud of my first ever crochet project. I picked up a hook at the beginning of the year, as a trial to see whether it would help to keep my hands and fingers active and stop them seizing. I was quite surprised at how quickly I picked the basics up, and when my Mum asked me to make her a blanket, I threw myself into it. It has kept me active but does cause some pain after a while, so it has taken me the best part of 6-8 months to complete. But I have completed it. My Mum loves it, and has taken it away with her for her camping trip at the Great Dorset Steam Fair this week. I am incredibly proud that I took on quite a mammoth task for my first project, and it didn't beat me! 

Envy

I am envious of absolutely everybody who is currently in Weymouth. I've mentioned this far too many times on this blog, but it is my happy place, and I would love to be there every waking minute of my life. It holds many happy memories for me, and I hope that one day it will hold many more. 

Wrath

I thought a lot about this one. I get angry at a lot of things, some trivial, some more serious. Which should I put here? I think one of each.

Trivial - People emptying crisp packets into their mouth. It just triggers something in my brain which really makes me irrationally angry!

Serious - Since becoming more incapacitated by my EDS, I have been granted a Blue Badge by the local council. When I turn up to my local GP Surgery, and see a car parked in the disabled bay with NO badge displayed, I get incredibly angry. The lack of parking there means that if I cannot get in the disabled bay, I need to park over the road, which is not a distance I am able to travel. The disabled spaces are for BLUE BADGE HOLDERS. Not for someone who just feels like parking there because they don't want to park across the road. By doing that, you are making an already difficult life more challenging. Don't be a prat. Think about why those spaces are there, and how so many of the people who use them would give anything to be able to park across the road and walk into somewhere without a care in the world. 

Sloth

I am absolutely awful at putting clean clothes away. It is a horrible habit, and one I really need to get out of. They are piled on my bed, I move the pile to somewhere else so I can get into bed... then I grab them off of the pile. My Mum has attempted to counteract this by getting me some plastic storage for my downstairs room (I haven't been able to get upstairs since Feb), and arranging it all by section. I have been good so far. I must not be lazy!

Lust

I have always wanted a black diamond ring. Like this one. 

Avarice

Cosmetics. Nail Polish in particular. I have an insane amount of it! There are so many pretties! 
Maybe wool too. My stash is quite impressive!


Gluttony

Lucky Charms cereal. Oh I cannot get enough of this stuff. It's sooo good. I'm so pleased it's becoming more available in the UK again, as the prices are coming down a bit. It's just awesome. I like to eat the cereal bits first, then have all the charms at the end. Yum!


So there you have it - the Seven Deadly Sins of Aporia. Make sure you check out the sins of KeshiaKarenRach and Louise!






Wednesday 21 August 2013

I'm Baaaaack

Hello Everyone!

I apologize for my absence. Bad Blogger. 

However, it can be explained...




My first ever crochet project is finished! Mum loves it, and I love that she loves it. 8 Months of love and work have gone into it, and I hope she enjoys being cosy in it! 

Next project is to create an amigurumi Pokemon, for my brother's lovely GF. They went to Japan, and whilst there they visited the Pokemon Center. She only wanted Jigglypuff, and they didn't have one there. I showed her a crochet one, and she wants one of those instead. So Jigglypuff will be my second ever project, and my first amigurumi! Fingers crossed it goes well :)

Other than being very busy beavering away at the blanket, I have been at the hospital quite a bit. A half an hour physio slot was not enough to even get all my medical gubbins written down (!), so I have an hour appointment tomorrow.  Eep. I have also had my spine and knee MRI scanned this week. I am suffering quite a bit from that. An hour in a scanner in a not-particularly-comfortable position is not good for a Bendy Girl. Or Bendy Boy, I presume. 

I have had some nice adventures too.

Last weekend, I went to Wittering for the day. The weather was a bit on the naff side, but I find being by the sea oddly soothing. Wittering has changed a lot since I was small. The arcade has gone. GONE. That is a big shocker. I have always associated the seaside with sea, beach, ice cream and arcades! Many hours have been spent feeding the 2p machines. I have a whopping great chain full of 2p machine keyrings! 

I wanted to take a look in the haberdashery shop whilst we were there, and inside was the most beautiful Golden Retriever. I was on my scooter, and didn't want to run her over, so I stopped and waited. She looked at me, then her owner whistled to her. The next thing I heard was "Come on Shelley". I was completely confused, as the dog then got up and wandered over to her! I giggled a bit with the owner over the name, then rolled down to look at the yarn. All of a sudden, I felt a cold nose on my hand. I looked down, and she was sat right next to me, looking up at me as if to say "please be my friend". So I obliged, naturally, with lots of ear scratches and strokes. I got a friendly hand kiss from her, and she laid down with her head on the base of my scooter like she didn't want me to go. I didn't want to go either! She was the sort of dog who you'd curl up with on a sofa on a rainy day, to watch TV, and she'd sit with you all day. Totally adorable. I was genuinely sad when I left her. 

Earlier on in the week, my Auntie came over to take me out of the house for a while. We decided to take a visit to the Dog's Trust in Harefield. We had a lovely stroll (roll in my case!) around looking at all the lovely dogs up for adoption. I only wish I could have adopted one or more! The two who barked at my wheels, however, probably weren't companion material. Bless them! We both fell in love with a gorgeous older gentleman pooch called Max. We loved him so much, that when we went up to the Tea Rooms, we sat at his table! They do amazing light food there - we had cheese and ham toasted sandwiches and they were absolutely loaded with filling and incredibly tasty. I can definitely recommend it there - only get there early, to make sure you get to try cake! It was all sold out by the time we went to order! 

So there has been some niceness to take the sting out of the nastiness that has been going on in the land of this Bendy Girl. Just got to keep plodding on!

Hope everyone reading this is well and that things are shiny!




Friday 9 August 2013

The Monthly Round Up - July

Hello Everyone!

Firstly, this round up will be different in format from June's one, as my laptop Ruby was wiped to try and rid it of the nasty virus. It has been repaired (huzzah to Dr Bro and Dr Dad!), but all my old files are not yet transferred back over. Next month will be service resumed!

Secondly, this is spectacularly late. Whoops! I apologize for this, but I have been working bloody hard on my crochet project. It is onto the final stage now, hooray! 

So without further ado, here is my monthly round up for July!


Read: Reviews. Many reviews. I have not really been reading books recently, probably due to my crocheting!

Watched: Breaking Bad. It took me a while to jump on the Walter White bandwagon, but I am ADDICTED. Upto series 3, yay Netflix!

Listened: I lost all my music when Ruby went down, so not much during the day, but I've been listening to Kerrang Radio when I'm in bed. 

Most Used Beauty Product: Fortune Cookie Soap Whipped Creams again! Can't get enough of them. 

Ate: Barbeque. Thanks to the stunning weather! 

Drank: Dr Pepper. Ice cold. Mmmm... What's the worst that can happen?

Did: LOTS of crocheting. 

Went: To hospitals quite a bit. More importantly, to finally see Bon Jovi, in Hyde Park. Amazing!

Favourite New Thing: My Sugar Skull earrings, from Punky Pins. A surprise present from the Uberman, who is now extremely proud of his ninja boyfriend skills!

Favourite Photo: 

All but one of the blanket squares laid out ready for edging! This photo is to show me which order I need to stitch them together in :)



Tuesday 6 August 2013

Me and My HulkFoot™

Hello Everyone! 

Well, today was the day I got the results of my SPECT/CT Scan, and learned what the next step would be for HulkFoot™ and I. 

Since I last saw my consultant, I have injured my knee as a result of HulkFoot™'s chronic instability and inability to hold me up. This in turn is causing my back condition to become aggravated. Joy. 

This morning, I felt sick with nerves. My appointment was scheduled for 9.00, and by 9.30 my poor fingers were sore from all of the wringing I had put them through. I literally could not keep them still! 

The images from the SPECT/CT are very pretty things. They are lovely and colourful - much more interesting than the usual MRI and XRay black and white! There was a three page essay report back, which always fills you with confidence. Then there is the  "there is good news and bad news" line comes tumbling out. 

The good news is, I will not be operated on any further. Huzzah! 

The bad news is, the reason they won't operate is that it would make no improvement whatsoever to the state of HulkFoot™. 

In the images, there was a large white splodge where the main part of my foot is. I asked what each of the colours meant, and white means very unhappy, inflamed and painful. It had been anticipated that the area of pain would be the major ligaments, so this was not expected at all. Interestingly, it showed the same issue in my left foot. 

Each and every one of the tiny connective tissues in the main structure of my foot is pretty much useless. My bones have been taking all of the impact with every movement that I take, and now they're pissed off about it! They are angry, swollen and want me to know about it. Hence HulkFoot™ and it's gargantuan size, and why LeftNotQuiteAHulkFootYet™ has also started to swell and get a bit on the sore side. 

There is no cure for this. It's a part of my EDS which has manifested itself, and it is a case of management rather than repair. I have been referred to a member of the Physio team who has an interest in EDS and connective tissue disorders, with (hopefully!) a view to having some more Hydrotherapy as part of the programme. I have also been referred to the Orthotics team to get some custom made Ankle-Foot Orthoses made. I also have to lose some weight. A fair bit of weight. This is a good thing to focus on, so I will be setting a target and updating here with my progress.

Possibly the most exciting development of the day is that my consultant trained at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. If any bendies are reading this, they may already be aware, that the RNOH offer a 3 week residential rehabilitation course. Specialist physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and retraining in areas that bendy people don't necessarily do correctly. He has written to my GP to request I am referred there, as I am a suitable candidate. Fingers very crossed that I will be accepted! 

So, as of 6/8/2013, a new path has opened up for me. I'm not sure yet what it holds, and I'm certain it won't be easy. But I've taken my first step/hop/roll on it. 




Friday 2 August 2013

Review: Fortune Cookie Soap Whipped Cream - Capitol Diamond

Until a few months ago, I had never heard of Fortune Cookie Soap. Now I have, I am completely addicted!

I am a member of a soap forum, and a lovely lady there kindly sent me some samples of products she had spare. Included in this box were two small bottles of Fortune Cookie Soap body wash, one of which was in the scent "Capitol Diamond". One sniff, and I was in love! 

Fortune Cookie Soap are an American company founded by Shannon and Justin, who began soapmaking for Christmas presents. Their soap was quickly noticed and ended up being sold in different stores in the US. Their name reflects their best-known products - their main range of soaps are in the shape of a Fortune Cookie, which is so cool! Soap is not all they do though - they do body washes, body butters, whipped cream moisturisers, solid shampoo and conditioners, bath bombs.. and so much more, right up to hand sanitisers and laundry detergent! 

As soon as I'd used some of my sample of bodywash, I knew I needed more FCS stuff. I have become incredibly disenchanted with the company I used to use for my cosmetics, so when I saw a group order slot available on the soap forum, I jumped right in. Part of my order was "Capitol Diamond" Whipped Cream. 

As you may recognise, the name is based on "The Hunger Games". Originally this scent was released as part of a limited Hunger Games collection, but it proved so popular that it was brought back and added to the general scent catalogue. I have never smelled anything like it. The official scent description from the FCS site is:

When we came up with Capitol Diamond, we wanted a scent that had some spunk to it.  A scent that you wouldn't forget and this blend of crisp vanilla, citrus, coconut, cloves and some awesome strawberry notes does it!  It's so unique, so different and it's one of those scents that we can't stop putting on!  No – seriously, we can't keep our hands out of this whipped cream!

One thing I really love is that the scent develops on your skin, before settling into a beautiful fruity scent, almost like sweeties, but with a twist! 

The formula of the whipped cream is fabulous. The pots hold 5oz of product - and a little goes a bloody long way. I have been using this virtually every day since I bought it, and I have barely made a dent. It is light and non-greasy, sinking into the skin beautifully. It leaves you feeling smooth and soft, and smelling great. I have quite dry elbows, but this stuff makes them feel like lovely human skin, not elephant hide! 

At $10.99 (£7.21 as of 17:04 02/08/13), these pots are great value - they smell magnificent, the product lasts for ages and even through this extremely sweaty British Summer, there has been no change in consistency or any loss of scent. They have another huge bonus in the fact that they are cruelty free, paraben free, and totally handmade! 

I cannot recommend this product enough. If you are looking for a beautifully scented body moisturiser, then take a look at www.fortunecookiesoap.com - you won't be disappointed! They ship internationally, but you will incur customs charges on orders over a certain value (boo customs!).




Checking In...

Hello Everyone, 

First off, I apologise for my last post! I was ranting and not really in a good place when I wrote it. 

So here's a run down of what has been happening in Aporia-Land...

  • I did go to A&E about my knee. I was put into a brace (which was a total waste of time!), and referred to Orthopaedics, with a suspected ligament and/or tendon tear. I now have a much better brace and I'm waiting for an MRI Scan. Only downside to the brace is that Dad keeps calling me Forrest Gump! It's pretty badass though. I am locked in at a 20 degree angle.

  • I also saw the Neurologist. He discovered there is a section of my spine which was missed when I had all those scans and xrays back in February. So I am waiting for another MRI Scan, and I am having my Gabapentin dosage increased to the highest prescription. 

  • I finished my 72 granny squares! Wooo! With the help of my Dad and Mum, they were laid out on the floor to see how I wanted them. Photos were taken, and the squares were put into bags as per their row, so I can work on them and not get mixed up. (I was quite proud of that idea - my brain does work sometimes!). I have now started the edging. It's great to see my first project coming together!

  • My friend Cat did my hair for me. It is beeeyooootiful. I was going to cancel because of my knee, but thought it would cheer me up. I'm so glad I didn't cancel, because I love what she did! I gave her Lavender and Violette Crazy Color dyes, and asked her to do something pretty. She came up with a purple ombre. I am in love with it!

  • My laptop (Ruby) is very sick in the Pooter Hospital, under the care of Doctor Brother and Doctor Dad. I broke the power pin, which was bad enough, but some spiteful fucker managed to gain entry to my computer. It was virused to buggery and they got access to any passwords I had with a keylogger. Cue mass changing of passwords! My brother tried so hard to get rid of it, only for it to undo all of the hard work he did, so it has now been restored to factory settings, and any .exe files have been destroyed. At least we were able to save my docs, pics and music though! The new power pin has now arrived, and next week Ruby is scheduled for a very delicate soldering procedure. If you could please keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't go wrong, that would be great!
So that's been my last week really! I am going to paint my nails now, and if I do a nice enough job, I may put a picture up.

I will be back soon!