My Highlights of 2016

This year has been a difficult one emotionally, physically and in general for the world but I've had some really great times and wanted to focus on my highlights so when I look back on my memories, I'll know that this year was a pretty special one.

March

A pretty cool event at the beginning of the year was going to my mum's high school reunion. She went to a private school in Toronto called Branksome Hall, which is a boarding school for girls from all over the world. The coolest thing about it was that it took place in the Canadian Embassy (Canada House) in Trafalgar Square, and inside it was incredible. I felt really lucky that my mum decided to take me as it was very posh and I might never have a chance to go there again.

                                            (Picture: Canadian Embassy in Trafalgar Square)


March 24th

I was lucky enough to go to some incredible gigs/concerts this year and I started the year on a high by getting to see my favourite band, Simple Plan, for the third time. They were incredible as always (I cried a little) and this definitely won't be the last time I see them. Literally every time I see them I get chills when the audience sings back to them.

                                                       (Picture: Simple Plan gig)


April

I got my mum (and dad) tickets to see Newton Faulkner for her birthday this year and it was pretty big for her. Newton was amazing, and so talented.

                                      (Picture: I didn't get a picture of the gig but he favourited my tweet)


April

I HANDED IN MY DISSERTATION. This is only a highlight because it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. (If anyone ever tells you dissertations aren't hard, don't listen to them.) I'm so proud of myself for completing it and getting a 2:1 in it. I don't care if people haven't done a dissertation but they definitely need to have a certain amount of sympathy that I've had to write one.

                                (Picture: Handing in my dissertation, with an immense amount of relief)



June 7th

I turned 21! Although I still look 12, it's nice to be officially in my 20's but also scary. I had a lovely party though (later on in June) and got to see some people that I hadn't seen for a very long time. I also got tickets to see Elton John!

                                                        (Picture: 21st party)


June 10th

I got to see Elton John in concert. This was literally one of the best moments of my life as he is one of my favourite singers. He sung my favourite songs of his and obviously he was incredible. I've waited years to see him as I wanted to see him in Brighton when I was 16 but because it clashed with my GCSEs I couldn't go. It was such a great night and I would love to see him again but if I can't at least I've had the opportunity.

                                                  (Picture: Elton John in concert)


July

To save money for holidays abroad, we went to Cornwall this summer. I haven't been for years but I loved it and we made it so much fun by going surfing, kayaking, coasteering, doing pottery and finding secret beaches. Part of me wanted to become a water sports instructor but the other part realised I cannot swim very well. We also went on a little Poldark tour and managed to find the house that's used as Poldark's house which is in a remote location on Bodmin Moor and we only managed to find it with the instructions of one of the owner's friends.

September 3rd

I went to see American Idiot which was amazing and I loved it! Getting to see Newton Faulkner in it was so good and I couldn't imagine it without him in it.

(Picture: American Idiot)

September 10th

This is probably my favourite moment of 2016. I got to see Billy Joel in concert at Wembley Stadium. He was so incredible and I was looking forward to this moment the whole year as he is one of my favourite singers. He sung my favourite song in the whole world, Vienna, and I am not ashamed to say I cried a lot. It was so magical and crazy to think how many people were there. I loved it and would love to see him again but if he didn't play Vienna again it would probably break my heart a little bit. But hearing my favourite song played live was definitely the highlight of my year.

                                            (Pictures: Billy Joel in concert)

October

I haven't acted for years (the last time being my A Level exam) and finally after five years I was able to act again in the premiere of 1066: Three Kings. I accidentally auditioned with a friend and the writer put me in the play and chose me for a large role. I was so nervous at having been offered such a large part but I managed to do it and am so proud of myself. It was such fun to be in and it was such a lovely cast.

                                                    (Picture: 1066: Three Kings)

October 24th

This is probably one of the main highlights of the year. I finally graduated with a 2:1 in English and Creative Writing! I am so proud of myself and for all I achieved and thankful for the good times at Uni (there were a lot of bad ones too), and I know I have come out of it a stronger person. I wanted to give up a lot of times but once I got to my third year I realised it was probably a bit stupid. I honestly never thought I would graduate or manage to get in all my work but I did and I'm proud of all the writing I have done while at Uni and thankful for all the friends I met. Also I don't mean to brag but I didn't fall down the stairs during my graduation.


November

This wasn't such a big event but I'm proud of myself for getting through my anxiety and going to Shropshire on my own to help my big cousin and help look after my little cousin. It was so lovely being with family and getting to know my cousin, Iris, more.

                                                   (Picture: My cousin, Iris, at ballet)

December 

My last favourite moment of the year was going to see Kate Tempest performing her album 'Let Them Eat Chaos'. She's so talented and the fact that she's a writer inspires me even more. She really makes you think about the world and I would recommend her to everyone.

Overall I've had a pretty good year and looking back through my photos reminded me of some of the times I had forgotten. In terms of gigs and concerts it was definitely the best year I've had, and I'm really grateful for all of the memories. I hope 2017 is slightly better though, as I could do with a job.

Thanks for reading,
Jessie
xxx

Overactive and Underactive Thyroid

I've been thinking of doing this blog post for ages now, just to make people more aware as they themselves could be suffering from an underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). It also may help friends of those going through it. I'm in the very exciting position of having suffered from both of these, so I feel I know a bit about both of them. So this is the personal journey I've had with both of them over the last three years:

Overactive Thyroid
I must have had an overactive thyroid for quite a while before I found out but never realised as I'd been suffering with the symptoms for ages (although in comparison with underactive symptoms, these are nowhere near as bad). Not all of the symptoms I've had are listed online but my mum thought there was something wrong with my thyroid as my granny had had an overactive thyroid when she was younger, and I suffered from anxiety, was a bit irritable, needed to wee a lot, had a lot of energy and couldn't keep still even though I was tired. She realised there was definitely something wrong when I came home from the last day of Sixth Form and was so tired I went straight to sleep without eating dinner (and if I miss dinner there is definitely something wrong). My previous doctor had thought my mum was a hypochondriac but my new doctor agreed to do a thyroid blood test (something my mum had to ASK for. If she hadn't asked him, nobody would have tested me for it). My mum's instincts about my thyroid were clearly right when the night after the blood test, my doctor phoned and said my thyroid was so overactive that I had to come in immediately first thing in the morning and if I felt worse overnight to go to A&E. My parents were obviously really worried but I didn't really feel any different to how I had been feeling so I didn't go to A&E. The doctor put me on carbimazole and I had a lot of the side effects such as nausea which lasted for ages. I was on a pretty high dosage in order to make me go underactive. (If you are on carbimazole there is also the slight possibility of having a thyroid storm, which means you have to go to A&E straight away, but luckily I didn't have one).

Underactive Thyroid
 To test my thyroid levels, I would have a blood test every so often (can't remember the exact amount of time between them) but I'd started university so I was living in halls. As I'd never been underactive before I didn't realise that I was becoming underactive. One of the side effects of an overactive thyroid is unexplained weight loss. Unfortunately I didn't really lose much weight. When I went underactive I put on a little bit of weight, although not much compared to how much others can put on, but basically I just thought I'd been eating a little too much at uni because I was a bit chubbier than normal. Whereas for an overactive thyroid, I'd had a few of the symptoms, for underactive I have pretty much every symptom listed online. Dry skin, being sensitive to the cold (I get really cold when others seem to be fine), the weight gain and muscle aches (struggling to walk without feeling pain) and being very slow in both mind and body. My two personal favourite symptoms are depression and tiredness. I felt so down during my first year of uni that there were times I literally thought there was no point to life and couldn't talk to anyone about it but I didn't think that was my thyroid. The tiredness was so bad that I missed lectures because I literally couldn't get out of bed. Although I still had slight anxiety about things, most of the time I didn't really care. When the blood test revealed I was underactive, the doctor put me on levothyroxine (can't remember the dosage) in order to bring my thyroid levels to normal. This was a method the doctor called block and replace which could have made my throid stable.

Overactive Thyroid again!
At one point over this three years (I can't remember what exactly happened) but there was a miscommunication between my doctor and the hospital, meaning my treatment got messed up and the block and replace had to be restarted. As a result I was on carbimazole for longer than I was supposed to be on it. My thyroid went normal for about a year so I was really lucky for a while but then inevitably it went overactive again about a year ago. Unfortunately this time I couldn't stay on carbimazole as I'd already been on it for too long. So this time I had to have radioactive iodine, which would make sure I wouldn't go overactive again as it would basically kill off the thyroid, with a very strong possibility that I would be underactive. Although the underactive symptoms are much worse, staying overactive is much more dangerous. I was obviously terrified about the treatment but it had to happen.

Radioactive Iodine
I stayed on the carbimazole until I was normal and then I had to have radioactive iodine in July 2016. Luckily I had finished university. I went to an appointment first at Brighton hospital where they had to inject me with a tiny dosage of radioactive iodine (as part of my thyroid condition I have extremely low blood pressure and they ALWAYS struggle to take my blood during blood tests so I had to have like five injections). I then had to have a scan which I wasn't prepared for as I get claustrophobic but I managed to get through it. Then a week later I went back and took the radioiodine which was in the form of a pill which I swallowed. After taking it I couldn't be near people, and had to avoid interaction for three weeks. Luckily I have my own flat but I was very lonely and missed my family and friends. The only side effects I had were a really bad stomach ache which lasted the whole time and headaches and a couple of nose bleeds, but after that my thyroid was normal and I could go about life normally.

Underactive thyroid again.
So in September/October 2016, I started having a few underactive symptoms but didn't really realise. I put on a little bit of weight (which I put down to having been stuck inside my flat for three weeks and not exercising much). I was acting in a show and was freezing backstage whereas everyone else seemed to be fine, and was really tired. I managed to keep on going until after the show but that's when I began to feel down, like I didn't know what to do with my life anymore (not helped by finishing uni and not knowing what to do next). I had no motivation and avoided a lot of social interactions. I'm on levothyroxine again and it is helping, slowly. I feel better emotionally than I did the last time I was underactive, especially as I know there's a reason for it now and I can talk to people about it, although I still feel down. I'm still struggling to find motivation to go to the gym, see people but when I am doing those things it's fine. I feel like I've been hiding how I'm feeling for the past couple of months and I am struggling but it's getting better on the medication. Currently I'm trying to find the dose which is going to work but then once I'm on the right dose it should be fine. I will lose a bit of weight and find motivation and won't have any of the side effects. I'll have to be on levothyroxine for life but it will make me better and on the plus side, I get any medication free for life.

Most people don't know what an underactive or overactive thyroid is but a lot of people (both male and female) suffer from it without knowing. The symptoms are common such as anxiety and depression and if you suffer from any of the other symptoms (irritability, mood swings, hyperactivity, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, sensitivity to the heat or the cold, muscle weakness, needing the toilet more often than usual, thirst, itchiness, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, constipation, dry skin, loss of libido, irregular or heavy periods), I would recommend asking for a blood test to check your thyroid function as most doctors don't check for it automatically.



Thanks for reading,
Jessie xxx

The Christmas Tag

As it's the first of December, I thought I'd get in the Christmas spirit by doing a Christmas tag!

1. What are your favourite Christmas movies?
Over December I try to watch all the Christmas films I own (Elf, The Grinch, The Bear, The Snowman, Home Alone), but my ultimate top two Christmas films are A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. Everyone has their personal favourite version of A Christmas Carol and mine is the version starring George C. Scott as it's so creepy but it's also one of the more traditional versions. It's a Wonderful Life is probably one of the best films ever made. No matter how sad I'm feeling, it always makes me appreciate life and it's so romantic and cute.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
I literally never open any presents on Christmas Eve and usually I only open my stocking on Christmas morning. We often wait until later in the day to open other presents as we like to spread it out more and wait until family are at our house.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
I used to love Christmas' spent at my Grandma's house or later at my Uncle's house with all the family (aunt, uncles, cousins, etc.) but my favourite Christmas was when my other grandparents came up to join them so I got to spend Christmas with my whole close family. Playing games on Christmas day with my family was also one of my favourite moments because my Grandma was so bad at playing them that we just spent the whole time laughing.

4. Favourite festive food?
ALL OF IT. In particular Terry's Chocolate Orange, Christmas dinner, and my dad makes an amazing chocolate truffle torte (Delia Smith's recipe).

5. Favourite Christmas gift?
The best Christmas gift I've ever received were my ice skates. I wanted them for years and in Christmas 2014, my mum put an ice skates tree decoration on the tree with a note telling me that my ice skates were hiding behind the tree. I literally love them so much and if I could wear them all the time, I would. Last Christmas I got tickets to see Billy Joel which was also one of my favourite gifts.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
I love the smell of Christmas trees but another favourite scent is the spray, 'Winter', from The White Company which smells of cinnamon, clove and orange. It's quite pricey but I've had it for two years, sprayed sooo much of it and there is literally almost a full bottle left so it is definitely good value for money.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Every Christmas Eve my dad makes loads of homemade food (sausage rolls, mushroom vol-au-vents) and we'll sit with the fire on and watch A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. We also play games and watch whatever's on TV.

8. What tops your tree?
Just a star usually. I'm more excited about the other decorations than the top of the tree.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
I don't think there was one. I obviously asked for my ice skates for years but finally got them. I suppose an expensive gift that I don't expect to get any time soon but would really love is a real telescope to look at the stars but there isn't anything too crazy.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
I just love everything about Christmas. Now I'm older I genuinely love giving gifts to other people, but I love the whole festive atmosphere, the songs, the food, the decorations, the films, family and getting to spend time with the people I love. Also stockings. I love stockings.

Thanks for reading!
Jessie xxx