Author: admin

My Personal Journey Through Menopause.

I was forced to retire early 5 years ago after 34 years of nursing, the majority of which was spent in paediatric and neonatal intensive care units. I loved my job and the incredible team of nurses and doctors I’ve worked with for over three decades. Unfortunately, I had to give it all up owing to the early onset and devastating physical and mental symptoms of menopause. Every woman is affected differently by menopause, and for some, it is a relatively painless shift in their lives. A considerably bigger amount, though, endure a life-altering set of experiences. This change in a woman’s body is primarily controlled by the change in hormone levels, more specifically the decline of oestrogen.

 

 

 

My personal experience was traumatic. I had become a nervous wreck. I couldn’t concentrate, sobbed at the drop of hat, shook uncontrollably, couldn’t sleep, and had blazing hormone flushes that felt like I was on fire! My family thought I was going insane. Every day, I went through mood swings and a complete personality change. I realise that my circumstances may have been extreme, but I was not alone as there are so many women who suffer in silence.  My GP tried hormone replacement therapy, but I found out that generic pills did not work for me, and only tailored treatment had a proper effect to a certain extent. I was also on anti-depressants and sleeping pills, these just zombified me.  I had to leave my position as an ICU nurse because I felt I was no longer competent to work, and that was the end of my career. I felt worthless and as if I were a burden.  My partner and I finally went to see a relationship counsellor as he was struggling to cope with me. This horrible phase lasted approximately 2 and half years and I count myself so fortunate that my family stuck by me.  Still suffering from some symptoms but not so emotional I decided I would try and find some natural remedy to help. I was still not sleeping, I had restless leg syndrome, hot flushes and bouts of depression.  I researched and tested lots of solutions to ease my ongoing symptoms, but I couldn’t find anything with the right degree of potency and effectiveness, so I decided to create my own formula.  I didn’t want to experiment in the dark; instead, I wanted to make sure that anything I created was effective, safe, and credible, so I enrolled in an aromatherapy degree programme as well as a course on how to safely formulate creams. Using only natural ingredients, no nasties, pure therapeutic essential oils and butters I made a magnesium night-time cream (not butter) which would help me with my sleeplessness and restless leg syndrome. I finally got this; I formulated my magic cream!

 

 

 

Did you know magnesium is responsible for hundreds of chemical reactions in our bodies and human levels start to decline in our 20s. We no longer get the required supplements from our food as it does not contain the nutrients it did a few years ago. One of the things that magnesium does is power the mitochondria in our cells to provide energy to our body. This helps among other reactions to control blood pressure, revitalise muscles and prevent cramping. Magnesium has also been clinically proven to help depression and anxiety. Combining it with essential oils Lavender and Ylang Ylang which aid calm and gently relaxes your muscles and brain. I found I had a cream that really helped me destress and get a good night’s sleep. It is applied to the soles of the feet before bed. Magnesium chloride is a salt and can be abrasive to the skin, so the soles of the feet and the calves are an excellent area for application. This way it will absorb up to 5 times faster than taking a pill supplement.

 

 

 

It has taken 2 years to perfect the creams and I have had such good feedback from both men and women who have used it for anxiety and sleep issues. It helped me immensely and to finally get a sleep and wake up feeling energised and ready to cope with the day is a huge mental boost.

 

 

 

I have also formulated LB Recovery that is for daytime use. It is silky smooth and can be used on the body. It can help with tired muscles, after sports or a workout or just ease cramps. I have found that replacing what mother nature is taking away from you is difficult but there are ways to combat the loss and I hope the creams will make a difference and help predominantly women through one of the toughest times of their lives – their menopause.

Living With Asthma.

I just wanted to write a bit about my personal experience with having asthma. My symptoms developed suddenly around age 20 years. I have never smoked and was devastated to be told I had an incurable lung and airway problem. It seems to have developed from living in a rented flat during my nursing training and there was a degree of some nasty mould looking thing that appeared from behind the wallpaper in the bathroom. I must have inhaled it and within 10 minutes I was wheezing and gasping for air as my airways began to close. I have never been so terrified in my life. Luckily I managed to call the ward I was working on and one of my friends answered and deciphered my wheezy call for help! I was rushed to the adult hospital and narrowly avoided being put on a ventilator. It was terrifying!!

Over time after numerous tests and experiments with various inhalers I achieved a good level of oxygen exchange. I have had several further pulmonary crisis over the years mainly due to having a chest infection and the most recent being post COVID. Thankfully I did not require too much medical intervention. Generally my asthma is well controlled with my Fostair inhaler and Salbutamol if I need it. I have tried to improve my lungs over the years by trying to keep fit and practice deep breathing exercises.

Over the last 3 years I have become a huge fan of drinking Mullein Tea. This is made from the whole of the Verbascum thapsus plant. This plant has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments but primarily issues with the airway. There needs to be more extensive studies done but there is a lot of positive feedback on its anti inflammatory and expectorant effects. The plant is crushed to small tea sized leaves. It has a light furry appearance. I put two or three teaspoons in a teabag or diffuser and pour on boiling water. It can be drunk when cool enough, it does not have a very distinct taste and you can add lemon or honey if you want.

Personally I have found this tea has had an amazing effect on my lung capacity. It has helped open up my airways and I have been able to cut back on my steroid inhaler! Mentally I think it has made a huge impact as well, knowing that I can reduce my drug intake and get the health benefits of a natural tea. Having researched the tea before trying it I couldn’t find any documented negative side effects but as you know it may not be for everyone. I know there are a vast amount of differing degrees of airway and lung problems but if it might just help even a tiny bit to alleviate the issues maybe give it a go.

Please check with your GP before using if you are unsure. If nothing else you will get a lovely cup of tea.

The Benefits Of The Facial Oil.

Like most teenagers going through hormonal changes, my daughter Lauren suffered with facial acne. This horrible affliction is soul destroying and can persist for a long time. She asked me to try and develop a treatment that would help, which was also mild enough for her sensitive skin. Having already used a chemical treatment prescribed by the GP which did help however, she was left with red blotchy patches, dry skin and was experiencing itchiness from how chemically potent the cream was on her sensitive skin.

 

 

 

I researched the condition and looked into the natural alternatives that I thought might help. Our Facial Oil is a blend of beautiful ingredients all plant based providing anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and healing properties. I wanted The Facial Oil to be lightweight and easily absorbed so that she could use it on a daily basis if need be. After trialling several variations, The Facial Oil was born.

 

 

 

It is super lightweight, leaves your skin feeling soft, hydrated and youthful. I believe the difference in this Facial Oil is the ingredients actively treat all of the symptoms and then repair the skin, which is not what a lot of the steroid creams do.