Life Update March 2019: Heading Back to Germany

In my last health update, I explained how things had taken a step backwards and that I needed to slow down and give my body a break.

I’d had the return of some symptoms, not helped by winter viruses and my foot being too firmly on the gas pedal. Effectively, I had burned myself out.

Taking Life At A Slower Pace

So for the past month, I’ve been taking things at a much slower pace with the aim of trying to regain some stability.

In some aspects, I’ve been successful in doing this.

I set myself the intention of sticking to around 5-6k steps per day. And, while this was very up and down for half of February, I did achieve a more stable baseline towards the end of the month.

Achieving This Has Helped Me To Function Better

What I’ve found is that I’ve been functioning better at this level but I still don’t feel well. I’ve had fluctuating symptoms that can make me feel pretty rubbish at times.

I’m not going to go into what exact symptoms I’ve been experiencing in this post (and I kindly ask that you respect that and don’t ask me). I want to get my head around what’s going on before sharing everything.

There Have Been Good Days Within It All

Within all of this, though, I have had some wonderful days and moments despite how I’ve been feeling.

My friends got married last month and it was such a beautiful wedding. It was so nice to catch up with friends and all celebrate together.

I had a brilliant time and even managed some dancing, though I think this is probably the reason I had to call it an early night and head home at 10 pm! I was so sad to leave but my tank was well and truly empty by then.

The following weekend I had a couple of nights away at Forest Holidays in Argyll with family. It was a lovely chilled weekend spent playing games and soaking in the hot tub.

And, more recently, Ross and I had a lovely afternoon out exploring Cambo Gardens in the East Neuk of Fife.

We had a nice walk through the woods, followed by a cup of tea and cake in the cafe.

The highlight for me was that they have piglets! How cute are they?!

Throwing Myself INto Creativity

And, I’ve been throwing myself into creativity and have made a few paintings these past few weeks.

If you would like to follow along with the art I create, be sure to follow my art Instagram account @febstarsart.

I’m Not Back TO Where I Want To Be

So yeah, it’s not been all bad. But, the truth is, I still haven’t got myself back to where I want to be.

I know things can improve from here and get better. While patience is usually my best ally– at 16 months post stem cell treatment— I’ve come to realise that I need additional help to get better.

Something has gone a little awry and I feel I need an intervention to get myself back on track. I have a few ideas as to what’s going on but, again, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.

Heading Back To Infusio

After chatting with Dr Bijan, I’ve made the decision to head back to the Infusio clinic for two days of treatment.

I feel confident and hopeful that this is what I need to do. I trust the medical team at Infusio and know they want to see me get better as much as I do.

Much like I’ve done in the past, I hope to share some snippets of my experience at the clinic on Instagram. Then, when I’m ready, I’ll write an in-depth blog post about it all.

Follow How I Get On Through Instagram

If you are interested in following along in real time, be sure to follow me over on Instagram. As you read this post, I’ll be making my way to Germany.

With that in mind, I ask that, for now, people refrain from questioning me about treatment as I simply want to focus on me and my own health.

I appreciate if you’re reading this, you may think it sucks I’m setting these boundaries. However, sometimes I need to be selfish and put myself first.

A Note To Other Infusio Patients

If you are an Infusio patient and feel you are in a similar position to where I am, I encourage you to reach out and speak to the medical team and work with them to find a solution.

And, if you are just starting your recovery following stem cells please don’t feel discouraged by reading this post. Remember that we are all individual and not everyone will need additional treatment.

Stem cells have done wonderful things for me. Despite the rough patch I’m going through just now, I am still so far removed from how sick I once was.

My belief is that the stem cell program has stripped away layers of my health problems. What’s been left underneath is a few remaining issues that need to be worked through.

I am so thankful that I am fortunate enough to be able to access treatment at Infusio. And, I’m grateful that they are there to help me.

I feel incredibly hopeful.

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