9 June 2007 June 9, 2007

So I’ve been trying new, more environmentally-friendly products to replace the things I’ve been using for years:

Natracare

I’ve been really keen to find an alternative to bleached and plastic-y sanitary towels. As I’ve mentioned before I’m a fan of the idea of washable, reusable cloth sanitary towels, but practically - and for the sake of saving my blushes - I am eschewing them (for the moment). So, I turned to what seems to be the next best thing: Natracare. Natracare are non-chlorine bleached, perfume-free, plastic-free and over 95% biodegradable. Great I thought and ordered some super pads with wings. The arrived and immediately I was pleased to see that they are packaged in a cardboard box and the individual wrappers are paper not plastic - excellent from an environmental point of view and because they are consequently quieter to unwrap (hurrah!). Upon looking at the pads themselves I was disappointed and slightly concerned. Despite being ’super’ pads, these are thin - not ‘good thin’, but ‘worryingly thin’. In fact they are thin and narrow, which makes them a bit unreliable and not really suitable for people with very heavy periods nor for night-time use. This is such a shame, because the idea is so good. Fair enough, most women would probably be fine with them, but they really aren’t comparable to the non-environmentally friendly ’super’ pads.

Naty also make ECO Sanitary Towels so I’m going to give them a go, but they don’t seem to be as readily available, online they are available from Nappies Direct and, if you’re lucky enough to be in their delivery area, Waitrose and Ocado.

Soapnuts

For me, it was quite a radical move to try soapnuts instead of washing powder/liquid/tablets, I really can be very cynical about some things especially if I don’t understand them. Despite my cynicism I was keen to find an alternative, eco-friendly laundry product. I had been using non-biological tablets - sometimes Ecover or Tesco Naturally, sometimes not. Anyway, I got a wee sample of soapnuts and gave them a go. They go in the washing machine in a little cloth bag (tied tightly). I’ve been washing at 30 degrees on a short cycle (39 minutes including spin). I’ve stuck in everything no matter how dirty and stained and everything has come out as clean or cleaner than it would have with tablets. The little bag of soapnuts smells horrible when it comes out of the wash and is damp. Let’s be frank: it smells of pee, but the washing itself smells fine, quite pleasant really. I haven’t had to resort to putting any essential oils in the drawer, but I know that it is an option should I want my clothes to be fragranced in the wash. I’m a convert and will be buying a full sized bag asap.

Guided imagery May 20, 2007

 

 Last night I flopped on my bed and watched Rebus (Hannah not Stott!), then when it was finished and I was cosy and comfy I put on one of my new meditation audiobooks -Self-Healing with Guided Imagery: How to Use the Power of Your Mind to Heal Your Body by Andrew Weil and Martin L. Rossman.  It was very interesting, but I didn’t actually get as far as doing any guided visualization.  I was pleasantly surprised at how non-airie-fairie-wishie-washie-hippie-dippy it was.  Weil certainly was very persuasive and logical in his arguments, and was very clear that guided imagery should not be used as a replacement for conventional medicines and treatment.  I think it may be worth pursuing this and trying the guided meditation, as Weil says even if it does nothing else, it should relax me and take my mind off my worries for a short while.

Like I say, I didn’t get as far as the practical bits of the audiobook.  This was mainly because I was too tired.

Today was a busy day - out to M&S (the woman in the checkout queue ahead of us had even less hair than me, but she was old and somehow that seems more acceptable), then lunch with Dad, then we made the foolish decision to go and try and find him a comfy chair - not a wise move when you are stuffed with Sunday lunch.  Once we prised ourselves out of big, leather armchairs Dad took me to see Zodiac (loved it).  Anyway, I’m too tired to listen to any of the audiobook tonight, I’m just going to snuggle in my bed and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Complementary, alternative, holistic … whatever. May 19, 2007

I’m fed up with yo-yo-ing meds. I seem to be hitting a brick wall when it comes to tapering my prednisolone. I get to 15mg, then try to go lower but immediately flare up. It’s getting me down. I hate the side effects of the pred, but I hate the pemphie more.

Anyway, today I decided to try some other ’stuff’. Despite being a bit of a skeptic when it comes to ‘alternative’ health things I found myself looking at websites about meditation, hypnotherapy and homeopathy. I went as far as buying two guided meditation audiobooks. Both are to do with improving health, one specifically with the immune system. I did a bit of research on homeopathy, but I can’t bring myself to give those particular charlatans my money.

I must share a website I came across … I won’t say why for fear of being sued, but go and see if you don’t laugh too: Aberdeen Hypnotherapy.

I’ve just bought some travel sickness wrist bands in the hope that they will ease the nausea I get each morning.  I assume that the nausea is due to my Cellcept.  The wrist bands supposedly work “by applying pressure on the Nei Kuan acupressure point on each wrist” … whatever that means.  Right now I’m willing to give pretty much anything short of homeopathy a go.