Health and Halloween

October is always one of my favourite months of the year. The nights get longer, the weather gets cooler and mumma starts adding dumplings to our dinner to fatten us up for the winter. 

It's always a super busy month for me as its full of birthdays, oh so many many birthdays. Growing up, this meant sweets at school more or less everyday day; now it means lots of lovely meals out with friends and family, cocktails and wine. After a month full of baking cakes and writing cards for other people I get to celebrate my own birthday at the end of the month- I turn 22 on the 26th October, put it on your diaries folks. 

As well as all the autumn cuddles and birthday parties, October brings with it... Halloween. I freaking love Halloween. In less than 2 weeks, I will finally get the chance to wear the costume I've been planning for weeks, and I cannot wait. But before then, I'm gonna snuggle up with a nice hot chocolate and a toffee apple and force my boyfriend to watch Hocus Pocus. It's one of my favourite ever films, and as far as I'm concerned, it's just not Halloween without it. 

Halloweens past: l-r 2009, 2011, 2012

That's how my Octobers go, year after year. However this years been a little different. The birthdays and such have still been there, but it's been a bit of a roller-coaster month for me. You may have noticed, I haven't blogged a lot recently. I've been super busy and my health has been exceptionally unpredictable. After a few months of improved health, my symptoms have come back with full force- not everyday, but a lot of the days. 

One of the main issues I've been facing is nausea. Until last year, nausea was not a symptom I'd ever experienced. Even on my most ill days, nothing could tear me away from my food. However for the last few weeks I've experienced a dramatic drop in my appetite, caused by almost constant nausea.  It's really quite draining, and living off mainly toast is getting boring. On top of this I've had a few funny spells of overwhelming dizziness, faintness and pain... It's all such fun.

Now, call me crazy, but there's also something else taking up my time this month. Back before I travelled to America, with my health on track, I applied on a whim for a internship role with a charity. I got it. Not wanting to pass up this brilliant opportunity I agreed to work 10 hours a week at their London office as a Digital Editorial Intern. Don't get me wrong, I do love it. The atmosphere is relaxed, the people are lovely and I get to write and edit all day- pretty ideal for an English graduate. However, it's quickly becoming apparent that I've bitten off more than I can chew. While the internship is certainly my priority at the moment, it's becoming a bit of a struggle. I've got my fingers crossed I can pace myself and make it to the end (it finishes in December), however if I don't, at least I can say I tried!

So all in all it's been a bit of an up and down month for me so far. While I'm super proud of myself for getting and doing the internship, it does bring home that I'm perhaps not as well as I thought I was. This ME recovery malarkey really is a long and bumpy process!

Alice

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