Downtime: Websites for when you're stuck in bed

Now while having chronic pain does not necessarily mean being stuck in bed all the time, indeed on a beautiful day like today, I hope no-one is stuck in bed. I thought I would put together some websites that are quite entertaining for those especially tough days when you are.

Buzzfeed

This website is great for distractions, it's one of those places where you can easily spend hours without realising it.

Great for: Quizzes such as Which U.S. President Are You? and Who Said It: Kanye West Or A Teenage Girl On Twitter that will keep you going for a while.


Hellogiggles

Written predominantly by women, Hellogiggles has everything from articles on body-image to nail tutorials to opinion pieces on war torn areas.

Great for: Smart tongue-in-cheek articles on everything...literally.


 Netflix

While this is the only paid website on the list, I really do think it's worth it for the amount of movies and TV shows - both cancelled and ongoing that are available to watch. If you're not sure where to start Fringe and House of Cards are my top two.

Great for: Cancelled or finished shows as most seasons from the beginning will be available. Also great for watching the first film in a trilogy when you are about to see the sequel at the cinema!

What are some of your favourite sites when you need downtime?

Downtime : Pain Management

Downtime: Pain Management

Hello! I hope you are enjoying a pain free day, but for those days when you aren’t. Here are three ideas that might help ease the pain a little.

1.     Walking

The idea of getting out of bed when you suffer from chronic pain can sometimes be quite daunting, but if you can manage to do it, taking a little walk – even just around the house can really lift your mood and help make your body stronger.  If you aren’t up for a walk however, then it might be easier to try my next suggestion in the comfort of your bedroom.

2.     Stretching/ Yoga

I find that if I do some stretches first thing in the morning, I feel a lot better during the day with a lot more energy and with a lot less sharp pains in my pelvic area where my endo is the worst.

Here are some regular poses in my routines:

Cobra Pose

  

Click on this link for step-by-step directions

Reclined Hero Pose

Click on this link for step-by-step directions

* when following the guide, stop at step 4 if carrying on is too difficult.

Seated Wide Legged Straddle

Click on this link for step-by-step directions

Joy Thru Yoga has some more great poses for endometriosis as well as in-depth information about each pose and its effects. Click here to see more.

What are some of your options for dealing with chronic pain? 

Errm... What?

Well it looks like you might have endometriosis…

If you’ve just heard those words from your doctor, here are some pointers we hope will help.

First off, don’t be scared, be attentive - in all doctors’ appointments and then be proactive. Endometriosis is an extremely individual condition and there is so much to learn about it, so start finding out as much as you can; go online, make notes about your symptoms and ask your doctors as many questions as you can think of about anything you want to know regarding the condition.

Next thing to do is to join as many communities as you deem worthy and necessary for support because even with the best family and friends in the world, sometimes you’ll need people that actually understand. Failing that sometimes you just won’t want to tell your parents, siblings, significant other, friends etc… that yes, you are in pain again and that none of the usual things are working and you feel like crap. The people you meet in these forums will give you advice, support and information you just can’t get anywhere else. 

After this, you have to become confident. You will go to appointments where they will make you feel stupid… One of the first doctors I saw tried to refer me to a psychiatrist because ‘there was nothing wrong with my body’, so it will be up to you to convince them that you know your body so you know when something is wrong. They might have studied anatomy but your body belongs to you, you’ve had it your whole life…you know it better than they do.

Finally, find some hope, because when you go online after hearing the word endometriosis yours is going to be in very short supply. Some days will suck and beat you down, you might spend some days on so much medication you won’t know your own name and then some days you’ll be so pissed off and in pain you’ll wonder what you did to deserve this. The answer is nothing, you didn’t cause this and it isn’t punishment.  If you have any of those types of days or any kind of day really, feel free to come hang out here because endo sucks, but life doesn’t have to. 

What kind of day are you having?