Friday 31 August 2018

The next adventure; Gran Canaria

Sea view. 

Warmth. 

The day awakens with the hustle of deliveries, trucks and vans. 

Without doubt we are going to have fun. 
My amazing twins doing more than chipping in to help with my braveheart mum. 

Today, we explore. Feel the pool as we swim. 

Get to know the place. 


Get to know each other better than ever. 

I'm excited. Bring on the day! 



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Saturday 18 August 2018

I’ve been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis

This blog post is disguised as a positive one I promise. It might not seem it initially. 

This week I was shocked to receive a letter from the hospital following an MRI I had a few weeks ago. 
Reluctant to lay in the machine, I felt so nervous. I’m not sure what I thought might happen but the heart was pounding anyway. 
Thankfully the amazing hospital workers had no hesitation in letting me use a machine which they told me was a bigger one. Still looked small to me. Yet I appreciated how sweet they were considering it was the end of the day. Without their kindness I expect they could have left earlier for home. 

Previously, an MRI (they were looking for spina bifida occulta) showed 3 degenerative discs. One facet joint had some osteoarthritis but let’s face it, I’m not 21 anymore. So part of me almost didn’t go for the test. 

The results informed me I have Ankylosing Spondylitis

There are square vertebral bodies with lesions, sacroilitis on both hips both sides of the joint and it generally sounds like a lot of inflammation is going on. 

Stunned. 

I’d read around AS before but was thankful I didn’t have it. Now I do. 
This is life changing. 

A chance of spinal fusion is frightening. This means the spine ends up one big long bone rather than lots of little bones. 
The treatment is naproxen which will flare up the crohns so we can’t go down that route. There is biological treatment available but I know nothing about that yet. 

Already, I’ve made positive steps in my research and hope things can continue to give me hope. 

I’m feeling like I really want to crack on with living life just now. Travel. See the world. 
Sort my house out. 
Get some building work done. 



Apparently, daily exercise is a must. Eating a low starch diet is also proven to help. If you want to read around the science bit, I’ll link it here. I am excited to read that one of the bacteria in the gut (which loves to feed on starch) is linked to CD and AS. So, this makes total sense as when I followed the specific carbohydrate diet my gut flora changed, as did the back pain. 

At the age of 13 the back pain started. No one seemed to think this was unusual and I’ve lived with a bad back ever since. Around the same time (tmi warning) I began I lose blood from my intestines and the GP decided this was likely heamorriods without an examination and for years I lived on medication for that until my crohns diagnosis 25 years later!

It’s bad. 
But. 
I can’t turn back time. 
So what can I do?  I can exercise daily and eat right. 

I can live life. 


**********************************************

Are you with me? Will you support me?
For the first time ever i feel 100% focused and determined with every bone in my body (!) to get this blogging and writing career really flowing. Every time you read, share, like and comment it helps to get me towards this goal.  Thank you!
Don't forget you can get informed of each post into your inbox here.
Also if you would like to subscribe to my email list (which to be honest, i haven't sent out hardly any of those while I have been at university but things are about to change a little) of course you can watch the video versions of my antics on youtube


Let's keep things positive as I totally step into leading my very best life.

Love, as always

Louise xoxox


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Saturday 11 August 2018

What to do when you think you have it all figured out.

Have you ever felt like you are cruising through life and perhaps you even took forever to figure out where you need to be going and what you need to be doing and a big old curveball came as you were flowing downstream and knocked you into a totally different direction?

That was a long sentence to read so take a deep breath.  Did that sound familiar?
Yes me too.  Here's the story.

I was cruising through life (haha!) like pretty much everyone with twists and turns coming along and it all being a bit too much.  For me, there has been a lot of inner work going on as you will know if you are a follower of this blog.  Then I finally listened to all the signs that were guiding me and it has become clear.  Starting to work hard on my new direction of writing full time, figuring out my schedule and just like that <Boom> everything changed.

Yesterday I was enjoying a business meeting and a meal when I took a call to let me know my mother had fallen over in the garden after slipping on wet decking.  Darn stuff is so dangerous.  We already added non slip stepping stones but she wouldn't use them.  Mother has dementia and heart failure.  My back was turned and now I'm full of guilt.  She has multiple injuries and this is hurting me almost as much as her.  The guilt is horrid.  Yet what do you do?  You need to provide for a family of 4 as the breadwinner yet everyone needs a piece of you too. 

You know I took my business online and I'm very fortunate to be able to work at a level where my income can be generated online but this isn't a quick fix and still needs some time and attention.  Thank god for the digital age.  



Many people ask me (it's my biggest question) "How do you earn money online?" I'm so lucky to be able to answer them but moreover I get rewarded by those who are unable to get out to work due to family commitments or their own health.  I love seeing people take the opportunities offered to us in this century of working from their laptops when otherwise they wouldn't be able to work.

Yet still, these curveballs come along.  So how do you manage?  

Go with the gut.  What feels right at that time?  For instance, I know I need to be at home more right now caring for mum so we need to ensure the finances stack up for a few days of taking it easier with work.  Perhaps you can sort a schedule around your childrens bedtimes.  
You may be a person, like me, with an illness which sometimes needs your attention.  If this is the case, rest when you need to and when you are feeling better or motivated then get to work.

Do you really need to dust the lights?


Can you either get some help for the stuff which needs doing within the house or can you leave it?  I have learnt to deal with the frustrations of having a slightly more messy house for the sake of us having the success I want.  What's important?  Think about taking a couple of hours off from work then decide what really needs doing. A few bits of washing, some cooking, or going out with the family and creating some memories.



My next blog post will see some ideas for you to get working online.

Whatever you do, remember the law of attraction is always in action and the best way forward is positivity in the face of adversity.  While sometimes, we need to realise we are human beings and life gets in the way of 100% positivity 100% of the time. 

When it does, don't be hard on yourself.  You're only human.
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Monday 6 August 2018

This is where I need your help!

Good morning all.  

I need your help.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know there have been many twists and turns in life for me lately and I am very clear where my online life and working career are heading now which is brilliant! This type of clarity is something I have mediated on over and over and I'm chuffed beyond words that I am now clear!


How can you help me?


Recently I put a post out on Facebook which is not my favourite platform and asked what people want to see from me and there was a definite split.
So, the dream is to write full time which is what I now do.  However, I wasn't sure if most of this would be from writing romance (which I am going to do under a pen name which won't be a secret but it will keep my SEO and Google tidier) or from my lifestyle and nutrition research.  As myself (and the Lusher life brand) it's all about making life better and living the dream.  Which for me as an individual means writing those love stories.  

So what do you prefer?  Do you get much value from the blogs which are helping you with health and lifestyle?  Or are you more likely to want to hear about my writing journey and read the romance novels?  Would you be kind and drop me a quick line to let me know?  You can do it here through my email.

Do you want to work online?


Currently I am doing a lot of research on how I can best answer the question I am asked most often,
"How can I create my dream life and work online?"
As I make no secret about this being the perfect answer for me while dealing with family things and my own daily consideration of Crohns disease.  Yet I'm not going to pretend it's easy but I think I may have found the ideal course to show you how to do it. Is this something you might be interested  in hearing more about?  I'd love you to let me know your dreams and wishes. You can either comment on this video or send me an email.

Let's do this thing called life?!!!



Much love

Louise xoxo
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