It’s hard to know just how much to share when writing a blog. Planet Penny is meant to be a happy place, and who wants to visit Blogland for a spot of light relief and be confronted by a lot of moaning?
So I usually stick with the highlights, the colourful and the jolly alongside fun things to share, and from all your lovely comments over the years it seems to be a mix which works.
But I’m not super woman, and sometimes it’s a toss up between being less than upbeat and not writing at all. And not writing really bothers me, so for better or worse, here I am.
Occasionally I mention I have M.E. . I’ve had it a long time and I’m one heck of a lot better now than I was in the beginning. Managing it is the key, I’m pretty rubbish at that. If I’m feeling reasonably well and upbeat I’m liable to rush off after the next exciting ‘thing’ and then go SPLAT. Life doesn’t arrive in handy bite sized chunks, and I’m damned if I’m going to turn down any ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities because of it.
I’m a bit ‘SPLAT’ at the moment I’m afraid. M.E. messes with the immune system so I’ve got various niggly things going on, and topping it off with rather a lot of an antibiotic which hasn’t agreed with me has meant I’ve been very wimpy and snivelly for the past week or so. (Tim is very lucky to be in the middle of the North Sea and missing all this!)
But I’m still here! And that’s good… I’ve got lots of ideas, they’re just going to arrive a bit more slowly for the moment. The shop’s still running and I’ve just taken delivery of 2 enormous boxes of yarn and I can doing the packing sitting down.
So please bear with me!
If anyone out there ‘in the know’ has any tried and trusted recommendations for vitamins or supplements for boosting the immune system it would be great to hear about it. Preferably not of the ‘Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog’ variety though…
Thanks for listening, it’s nice to know you’re out there…x
Follow
sorry to hear you are not feeling too good at the moment, life is never easy! I can’t think of any vitamins that would help you, but I am sure there are people out there with M.E. that could give you some recommendations.
what I would recommend after or during a course of antibiotics is plenty of live yoghurt. The medication kills off all the helpful bacteria in the gut which can lead to additional problems. You may know this already, but it was just a thought.
I hope you get back on fighting form soon.
My best wishes, Jane X
Sorry your not feeling to bright,you still manage to sound pretty upbeat and that last pic is one to lift the spirits. I enjoy your blog and although I’m wanting to do so many crafty things I find it hard to get down to anything as thee is always so much else that needs doing. That’s the trouble with being retired there is always so much to do and you never get a day off. Take care of yourself Shalom
Sorry to hear that you are not so bright, wish I lived nearer and could lend a hand. You still manage to sound upbeat and your second pic is a real spirit lifter. As someone who is always starting things and then finding it hard to make time to finish I can only admire all that you do. Take care of yourself and don’t be bullied by us(your followers) into doing to much . Shalom, Babs
There are some wonderful probiotic foods you can make pretty easily, and it turns out that probiotics are incredibly good for the immune system, so hopefully they might be able to support you against the sniffles and other illnesses on top of the ME.
1. Kefir – add kefir grains to milk, leave at room temperature, and it’s ready in a day. I have some spare grains if you are interested in trying this, can post them to you. I can also help advise you in the best way to keep the grains producing endless quantities of this.
2. Sauerkraut. Chop cabbage, cover with sea salt in a food bucket or crock, and weigh it down. Leave for one to several weeks. It’s apparently delicious as well as low maintenance.
3. Yoghurt. It’s normally a bit difficult to make, but I found Easi-Yo do a very good yoghurt-maker that is incredibly simple to use. (You can also re-use some old yoghurt into a new batch so you don’t have to keep buying yoghurt mix). Yoghurt is awesome and delicious!!
Or if you can’t manage the foods, try probiotic supplements, although that’s more expensive.
On a general note, it’s awful that you suffer with this condition. I had a school friend with it too. I really hope this bad phase you’re going through goes away soon. Take care x
I have just recently discovered planet penny and will be placing an ordering the next day or so, just to let you know your beautiful work brings a lot of pleasure to me and I am sure many others. I hope it bounces back to you to give you strength and brings some good hints from other followers. I hope you are proud of all smiles to put on the faces of others.
Cheers. Mel
Hi girl,
Get better soon! I used to work at a homeopathic/herbal medicine oriënted shop. There they had several things for boosting the immune system. They always advised taking multivitamins from a reliable, high quality brand (Like Orthica, or Solgar). I know that Solgar has a multivitamin that is called Omnium. It has many high dosed vitamins in it and they are often used for people who need to regain strength after disease or stuff like chemo therapy. You might want to look into that! Or bee pollen, they also are very, very healthy and chokfull of vitamins (or Royal gelly capsules, or.. or.. 😉 )
Anyway I think that sometimes, if you feel the need too it’s ok to share the less happy things in your life. Everybody is human right?
I am sorry to hear you are feeling poorly. Altho. I cannot make recommendations for medication, I strangely enough have a friend and also a friend of a friend who were diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome – right?). It ended up that one had lyme disease (diagnosed 9 months after the ME diagnosis) and another had fibromyalga (sp?). Very frustrating to be treated for one thing when you have another. As for your writing about it – I think many of us who read blogs and get to know our blog authors through their writing are refreshed to be reminded that the blog authors are regular people just like ourselves, not super humans who are rainbows and sunshine all the time. Granted, the sunny words are nice, but being real is always a comfort. Every time my kids take anti biotic, I also insist that they take pro biotic as well. Hope to hear you are feeling better soon. Sher
Dear Penny sorry I have no pill to help, just some words of comfort. It was coming across your website and Lucy of Attic24 that inspired me to pick up my crochet hook again after around 20 odd years. I love your work, you are so talented and your blog is inspiring and Higgins is so sweet. I’ve not bought any PP cotton yet but intend to do so soon. So whilst you have cheered me up on many an occasion I hope I can return the favour now and thank you for the inspiration and enjoyment you have given me. Rhian from North Wales
Be well soon – love Planet Penny xx
Dear Penny, I hope you feel better soon! We should take the time to rest when we need it. Take care of your self, hug Higgins! You know we love your happy and colourful work! x Teje
Oh Penny your words about ME are so so honest, SPLAT, PACING and when you feel able, you ‘overdo’ things. As I have mentioned to you my daughter is a severe sufferer and I see all these on a regular basis. Unfortunately I do not have the answers, although her body finds it hard to cope with any changes re supplements. I do agree with some of the other comments, we are all human and entitled to off days, I understand yours are harder to take. Take pride in your creations and the pleasure you give to others, your yarn is fantastic to work with, I am so glad I found your site. Alison
Dear Penny,
I love your upbeat and colourful posts, but this one has been a beam of hope to me today as well. My 15-year-old daughter has been very unwell with ME for over two years now, and at the moment is going through a spell of hardly being able to get out of bed. So much of life has passed her by, and it’s my job to keep looking forward with hope. So to realise that you have recovered from it enough to lead your productive and creative life is wonderful news for me.
As far as remedies go, we have found that taking Vogel’s siberian ginseng drops (eleutherococcus) helps the fatigue. Not always enormously, but when she stops taking them, she notices the difference. Massage has also been helpful.
Thank you for all you generously give us via your blog, and don’t worry about taking the time you need to help yourself be well. For that matter, don’t worry about posting something that doesn’t seem 100% cheery once in a while. It gave me a boost, for one!
Take care – Christine
I have ME too and your blog is scarily accurate of my current state – on the whole ‘happy place’ then SPLAT! I was put on amitryptiline 2 yrs ago to get me into a sleep cycle & deal with neuro symptoms- ironic but it does work for me. I’ve managed to get things back on track but its a bit of a balancing act which is immensely frustrating! I don’t know about you but I am absolutely determined that I won’t let it beat me and am currently using that as my mantra to get me through this tough phase. I really really hope life starts improving very soon for you – feel free to snivel a bit, it gets to us all at some point!
I have been really moved by the supportive comments which have been left so far, and in such a short time. I’m doing my best to reply to each one individually and I’m really appreciating the various ideas which have been offered re supplements etc. Thank you…
I have no experience of M.E. but I do know what you mean about rushing off after things and then going splat. Life is often quite mad and I find myself waiting for the splat. If I am like that it must be doubly hard for you. Sending lots of positive healing vibes your way. Hope you are back up to speed soon. Xxx
Sorry to here about your ME. I too suffer with ME. Eight years fairly badly then occasional relapses ever since.
We are all individuls but when I was bad I started taking a selenium supplement which I thought helped. I have stopped taking the supplement but I eat 3 or 4 brazil nuts with my cereal in the mornings instead.
Also reducing stress helps. I have been having a bit of a relapse ever since I had a bad cold last Christmas but when I decided to overcome my increasing anxiety levels I found the ME receded as well.
I have read that a vitamin B supplement helps counter the bad effects of antibiotics though I don’t know why. Might help with mood/stress as well.
Hi. Sorry to see that you’re not feeling too good st the moment. I too have M.E and have found that the only truly thing that works for me is ‘pacing’. When I first started to use pacing I thought that I was just meant to rest after periods of activity & found no improvement. It was only after I went on a course & was told that I should be planning a low activity after a high activity – eg – journey to supermarket = high activity followed by drink in cafe = low activity then move onto shopping = high activity followed by a sit down before journey home – I’m sure you get the picture.The rest part is proper rest, not just sitting down but feet up, quiet room & eyes closed for a short time. It has been by following these principles and remembering to follow them when I start to feel myself get tired that I feel, most of the time, that I can continue a ‘semi-normal’ life. I also now find that after a particularly tiring time/day/event that a ‘full rest’ of only 5 or 10 mins is needed in order for me to complete my day. I also take vit b complex to help keep energy levels too. I hope this may help but also know that I may be telling you something you already know – sorry if that’s the case. Just take your time, difficult sometimes I know, look after yourself and rest as best as you can. Big virtual hugs coming your way xx
I only know that ME sucks! I send you a huge virtual hug, and I admire your courage and fortitude in dealing with this debilitating disease.
Sorry you’re not feeling on top of the world at the moment. Hope you feel better soon.
Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. The good and the bad. That is what friends do and we are all “friends” are we not? I cannot give you any advice as I have no experience of M.E. I will keep you in my prayers though. Hope you feel better soon.
I hope you feel brighter soon, Penny – the comments show you aren’t alone and lots of tips. Live yogurt and Vit B complex to get over the antibiotics are a good idea. I know from experience that taking on too much is a bad idea, especially when you’re immune system is stressed.
I suffered with this too although I found that mine cleared up (mostly after about 4 years) when I found out and avoided stuff I was allergic to. I’ve since been diagnosed as badly asthmatic but I don’t wheeze so it was hard to spot. The treatments for that also helped lots.
Hope you feel better and less ‘splat’ soon.
viv in nz
Hi Penny 🙂
I have chronic Fatigue Syndrome so am in a similar predicament of trying to pace myself but often doing too much and going SPLAT! Great word! I’m going to use it from now on. Probiotics are important to immunity. Don’t eat too many foods that have no nutrients like sugary things as they take energy to digest but give you nothing. I take Vitamin C everyday, ashwagandha herb (look up adaptogens which are herbs helping with stress response), keep relaxed and calm (eg meditation, yoga if you have the energy, tai chi, qi gong is supposed to be excellent). Get out in natural surroundings when you can. Hope that helps.
Much love
Julia xx
Another hug to you from me. I love visiting here no matter what is happening, you/we have days and sometimes weeks of not so good. Plenty of good vitamin/health ideas suggested here.
Several herbs can strengthen your immune system. It depends on what part of your immune system is most affected, but overall immune stimulators are astragalus, Korean ginsing, green tea extract. You can buy all of these in capsule form. They should be taken with food and a full glass of water. Green tea is my favorite overall general immune booster. I don’t have ME, but I do have other chronic health issues that require immune support all the time.
hello fellow ME sufferer here. I take vitamin b complex, magnesium and cod liver oil, don’t know if it really helps but its better than nothing, if that fails reach for the chocolate!
Thinking of you Penny, sending love and hugs xox P
So sorry you are having such a tough time Penny – a chronic illness is no joke, and repeat antibiotics on top of it – no wonder you feel punky.
We are your friends – of course it’s okay to let us know when things are not going well.
I think probiotics are always helpful (just take them a few hours before or after the antibiotics). Mr. M recommends onions, garlic, spinach and kale as overall immune boosters; also Vitamins C and D, and a good B complex.
P.S. Mr. M suffers many of the same symptoms as a result of his brain surgery years ago – not the immune problems but the chronic fatigue. Pacing is his only help – and still he tends to SPLAT on a regular basis. It’s very frustrating for him but he struggles on. Good luck with your own pacing and remember that we all care for you!
Hey Penny,
Sorry to read that you are ill..!
Here in the Netherlands, some people get regularly vit. B12 shots from our GP’s.
They say it works…, well, it does not hurt, so why not try it?
I hope you get well soon!!
Love from Holland!!
Dear Penny, so sorry you’re Splat at the moment – great term for it though! x I have no remedies, though I swear by avacado and banana for an immunity boost, and a good spell of flumping on the settee with a lot of books and a flask of tea (because I seldom want to move once I’ve got comfy). I hope you’re feeling brighter soon.
Penny I have ME too (18 years and counting) and this post is so true to my experience of it.
One thing that really helps me is Spatone … it is a completely natural spring water iron supplement with high bio availability and none of the side effects that iron tablets can have. I take a maintenance dose of a sachet a day and know it when I miss it. Available from Boots and other good pharmacies it actually comes out of the ground not far from me in Wales.
Feel better lovely lady, and love to Higgins x
I am sorry to hear that you are feeling down Penny. I take Sambucol, the Enderberry decoction, which should beest your immune system. You can buy it online, more cheaply than at a chemist with free postage if your order is over £20. Here is a link:
http://www.sambucol.co.uk/
Be well and give Higgins a hug or two. xx
Dear Penny
I can only echo the previous comments and hope that you will soon feel better. I love your bright and colourful blog, and the pictures of Higgins, but I feel strongly that it is OK and in fact, you should (if you want to) share those things with us. The blogger and blog reader have a strange relationship, in that we know so much about you, and not the other way round, but I really look on you as a friend and hope that my positive thoughts/prayers for your health – and those of your other readers, – will help you.
You bring so much cheerful colour into our lives, let us send some brightness your way xxx