What is Endometriosis?

This blog, is quite a personal one and a difficult one for me to write. But I am doing so, as I really wish to tell my story as I know that there are thousands of women suffering in silence and also many more that have not been properly diagnosed. I feel that it is important for more knowledge to be available about the disease and also for people to feel that it is ok to talk about it.

I also felt it very appropriate to write this blog now, as March is worldwide, Endometriosis Awareness Month so I am using my blog as an opportunity to try & create more information, education & discussion into an autoimmune disease that causes horrific pain & suffering to millions of women.

I was officially diagnosed with Endometriosis almost exactly 1 year ago. To be fair to my GP, when I went to him & explained my symptoms, he prescribed pain medication but recommended automatic referral to a gynaecologist. Symptoms of endometriosis vary from person to person but my symptoms included -

Severe period pain

Excruciating pain during bowel movement or on urination

Lower back pain 

Extreme levels of exhaustion 

Dizziness 

General lethargy & feeling unwell

Swelling in the abdomen

Vomiting

It got to the stage where getting out of the bed due to excruciating pain & extreme tiredness became an almost insurmountable task.

The only way that endometriosis can be diagnosed & confirmed is by laparoscopic surgery.

The gynaecologist that I chose carried out a laparoscopy under general anaesthetic, burned off the endometriosis that was visible and inserted the coil. He recommended the coil in the hope that by not having a period, the endometriosis symptoms would be masked.

Unfortunately, my body rejected the coil. I began retaining fluid to the point that my shoes wouldn't fit, my jewellery such as rings, bangles & watches wouldn't go on my hands due to the water retention & weight gain. 

After 5 months of having the coil in, I asked the gynaecologist to remove it & decided to revert to the pill - but taking the packets back to back.

I thought after having surgery, the symptoms would be gone but unfortunately, they were back but by now, the pain is worse than ever.

I am very lucky that one of my best friends suffers with endometriosis and so I have a close confidant that I can turn to when going through a nasty flair up of pain & suffering. She has been in the exact same position as I am in & is truly wonderful in guiding me & reassuring me that things will get better.

In the past few weeks, I have found one of the top laparoscopic surgeons in the country who feels that I definitely need far more extensive surgery to locate the endometriosis that is currently causing the excruciating pain. I am due to have this surgery in May so I am hopeful and optimistic that he will be able to successfully operate so that I get relief.

Although, the difficult part of endometriosis is that, when I had a consultation with him 2 weeks ago, I asked if that would be the end of it, the pain would be gone once he operated. Slowly, he looked at me with a grave demeanour & said "Sandra, has this not been explained to you? Endometriosis is a life long condition. This is your new normal. There is no cure for endometriosis. We can manage your pain & try to prevent any of the severe complications but we can't take it away". 

The advise I would give anyone who thinks they have endometriosis or have been accurately diagnosed with endometriosis is to have the best possible medical team in place for your care.

1) You need an understanding, knowledgeable, sympathetic & kind GP. Your GP is your primary care giver and will be responsible for putting a pain management system in place so that you can live your life to the best of your ability. I believe that my GP, Dr Nick Flynn, is one of the best in the country and I'm fortunate to have him! He has a great team & they are located in Cork City. 

https://www.facebook.com/Union-Quay-Medical-Centre-240093256114880/

2) Do extensive research when it comes to finding a gynaecologist. Look for testimonials. Find patients that have been treated by him/her. Ensure endometriosis is one of their areas of expertise! Honestly, I could not stress this to you enough. Doing your homework before you see a consultant is of the upmost importance. You need to be 100% confident that you are putting your body into the hands of someone who has the expertise in the area of surgery required.

As I said at the beginning of this blog, this one is very personal to me. I am not writing it to get sympathy or pity but to quite simply create more awareness. If I have helped one person by writing this, it will have been a successful blog.

Sandra xxx.

Oh my Olaplex

They say that your hair is your crowning glory & in many ways, I agree.

I am very lucky that I have naturally very thick & rapidly growing hair but it hasn't always been that way.

A few years ago, I suffered with a condition called alopecia areta, which meant that I lost my hair in a few patches on my scalp. This happened completely out of the blue & really did cause awful stress as I was worried sick that I would lose all of my hair - which can happen in cases of alopecia.

However, with a very healthy diet & a strict prescription of vitamins - the patches of baldness, grew back within a few months. 

Since that episode of alopecia, I have been really conscious of looking after my hair & my skin. 

Whenever I am run down or if I have been any way ill, my hair will shown the signs. With any bout of sickness, my hair will become very knotted, very dull & really lack a healthy appearance. My hair is also very susceptible to having fairly dramatic seasonal changes - and by that, I mean, as Summer changes to Winter, my hair will shed quite a lot. But luckily I'm at a point where I have plenty of hair so I can afford the shedding. It always amazes me how that shedding doesn't happen on my legs or bikini but, c'est la vie.

I do however consider myself to be very fortunate to have one of the best hairdressers in the country, Sabrina Hill of Kopper Hair, Glanmire, Cork, looking after my hair - in particular, the condition of my hair.

I would have always been very haphazard in my approach to the products that I used on my hair. The way I felt was that, once you got a good cut & colour in the salon, any shampoo & conditioner worked fine in the home care. Sure, that's why they're on the shelves of the supermarket & pharmacies, isn't it? But, clearly I was wrong. 

How it was identified by Sabrina was that she noticed that my colour was fading very fast - within a few weeks of being in the salon after having fresh colour applied. She also commented on the feel of the texture of my hair and felt that it was coated in product. So when I told her what I had been using (multiple shop shampoos), she asked me to fully clear them & move on to shampoos & conditioners that do not contain sulphites. Apparently sulphites destroy salon colour & also put a coating on the hair shaft causing a dull & lacklustre appearance. I now use Joico which I get in the salon in Glanmire.

In recent weeks though, Sabrina has started me on a new treatment called Olaplex. I have the home treatment which I put into my hair when it's dry. I then leave it in (preferably over night) & then wash & condition as normal in the morning.

From using the Olaplex, my hair is noticeably shinier, healthier & styles much better when I'm having it done in the salon. 

The initial Olaplex treatment phase begins in the salon but I love the fact that I can do one of the phases at home.

My hair is in amazing condition from using this product & it's definitely one that I will keep on using to maintain the current state of my hair.

Olaplex is an exclusive product with limited stockists but it is available in Kopper Hair, Glanmire, Cork. 

For further information, call Kopper on -

021 4820692

Check out their Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/kopperhair.glanmire/

The Secret Facial for Eternal Youth

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As I sit to write this post, I do so with mixed emotions.

One 1 hand, I am literally bubbling with excitement & enthusiasm as I feel that I may have finally found the facial that will truly revolutionarize skincare and our ability to maintain a youthful image.

On the other hand, I want to be selfish, and keep this secret within a very close circle. Almost like a sorority. The kind of sorority with perfect skin & hair.

In fact, if I'm very honest, this is how I found out about Sandra Barry of Rejuvenate in Glanmire.

Whilst I was socialising recently, I was complaining about how I was finding that my skin was becoming very tired. I felt that my usual skincare routine - which is very good - just wasn't quite cutting it. My fail proof foundation, equally wasn't coming up to par. Deep down, I knew the reason but I didn't want to say it out loud. If I keep it quiet, it's not happening, right? 

But, one of my closest friend said it. It was like a missile had been shot at close range - and it was directed right at me. "Sandra, your skin is beginning to age & you need to take action". Boom - the missile exploded. She then, quietly & discreetly placed a business card in the side pocket of my handbag & told me to call that number. 

So this morning, I found myself in the treatment room of Sandra Barry. Rejuvenate is a very specialised clinic where the facials that are done are results driven. Personally, I don't tend to go for facials that consist of cleansing, scrubs & masks as I feel that I can do that facial myself at home with investment in the right products.

I want a facial that I can see a noticeable change in the tone & texture of my skin. The facial that I had done this morning was from the Meso Vytal range. 

The purpose of Meso is to reduce wrinkles and facial expression lines. It is perfect for dull, tired and dehydrated skin and will visibly lighten it up. The treatment exposes waste and fully activates the skins metabolism.

The treatment itself took approximately 1 hour and consisted of the initial cleansing, followed by a chemical peel. After the chemical peel, was when the magic happened with the meso machine where a needle goes around on a small tip to fill the skin with the hyaluronic acid. After this, the skin is treated with laser. Overall, the treatment was very comfortable. 

In all honesty, I was very nervous pre treatment as any mention of a needle leaves me trembling but I can say that at no point during the treatment did I experience any pain.

That areas treated were my full face and also my neck.

There are a number of options available but Sandra Barry will do this by assessment and consultation.

Today, I had the Meso Advanced Facial which costs €150 and I can see very definite results - only after one treatment.

I will definitely return to Sandra Barry as the Meso Botox facial has very much taken my fancy!!

So girls, welcome to the Secret Sorority of Everlasting Youthful Skin. You can thank me later xxx. 

https://www.facebook.com/Rejuvenate-Clinic-Glanmire-181427128707125/

47 Barrymore Court,

Sallybrook,

Glanmire,

Co. Cork

087 6895611

My Invisalign Journey So Far

After years of not being 100% happy with my smile, I decided that this year would be the year that I would address it.

I have suffered with a very painful over bite for years, have some over lapping teeth at the front of my smile & some gaps between teeth at the side of my mouth.

After exploring the different options available to me, I decided that Invisalign with Ortho Specialists would be the perfect option.

I made an appointment to have a consultation with Dr. Owen Crotty who is a specialist orthodontist based in Douglas in Cork. 

Dr. Crotty has years of experience in this field and from the initial consultation, I knew that I would not find a better orthodontist to treat me. He is exceptionally trained but he's also highly realistic as to what he can achieve.

Once I had committed to the Invisalign process, Dr. Crotty took impressions of my teeth and sent away the moulds to have the braces made. He was even able to show me a computer generated "mock up" as to how my eventual smile would look like.

On the day of the fitting itself, I was very nervous and had mentally prepared myself for pain. I have failed to tell you so far, that from a previous bad experience a few years back, I am a desperate patient when it comes to dental work! The full team at Dr. Crotty's clinic were very understanding of my fear and very kind. I need not have worked myself up though as it was completely pain free and over within 10 minutes.

Invisalign are a clear plastic brace that quite simply click on over your teeth.

They ideally stay on your teeth for 22 hours per day and just come out for eating or drinking (hot liquids).

Every 2 weeks, you get a new set of braces for your teeth. The shape constantly changing as your teeth move.

With regard to pain, there is slight discomfort on the evening that they get changed every fortnight, but nothing that a few OTC pain medication can't relieve.

With the process, I did have a set back for quite a few weeks that was disappointing. When Dr. Crotty carried out X-Ray's during the treatment, he found quite a severe infection in a root canal that had been completed by a previous dentist. As a result, I needed to have the root canal removed, treated for infection and have a new crown fitted. Because of the extent of the infection, it took a prolong period of time to have the work completed, hence why I was delayed with moving forward with my Invisalign journey.

However, I consider myself very lucky that Dr. Crotty found the infection before it became a more serious issue.

I still have a few months left in my process and I will keep you posted but for anyone thinking or wishing for that perfect smile - I highly recommend Ortho-Specialists!

http://www.smilerevolution.ie/

http://crottyorthodontics.ie/

My Secret Facelift

As someone in their early 30's, I'm on a quest to find the secret to looking eternally youthful. 

With increasing stress, high pollution, processed food & fast living, it is of course fighting a battle that's near on impossible. 

However, when I heard of the CACI facial that delivers visible and corrective results without the need for surgery, dermal fillers or injections - I was very curious. Could this really be the answer?

CACI (pronounced Kay-Cee) which stands for "Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument" was originally founded by a medical doctor to treat facial palsy. When the medical world saw the elasticity and muscle tone return to the facial muscles, it was then sold to the beauty industry.

I had my CACI facial in Devereaux Beauty in Vogue Hair Salon in Parkgate in Frankfield. Devereaux have 2 salons - one in Frankfield and the main salon is in Maryborough Woods.

The Frankfield Salon is recently opened & offers beauty treatments such as waxing, threading, HD brows, tanning &facials. 

Rachael was looking after me & fully explained the treatment prior to starting. The facial was a 1 hour treatment comprising of a number of steps using micro current facial toning therapy. The recommended advice is to have 10 treatments to see full results - like anything - full results will not be instant. 

I do have to say though that after my 1 hour treatment, I noticed my skin felt very smooth, very clean & very supple. Visually, I could definitely see a difference. I looked much brighter and fresher. CACI is very successful in treating many skin issues such as acne & pigmentation as well as improving tone, elasticity and fine lines.

Without doubt I would recommend the CACI facial treatment. For me, I prefer facial treatments that I can't do at home and that is results driven. I follow a very good skin care regime as it is with exfoliation, peels & masks - therefore, when I go to a salon, I want a treatment that can't be done at home.

CACI ultra facials cost €120 per session but are on special offer with this blog -

10 sessions for -€599 (just quote Sandra In The City).

If it's good enough for Jennifer Lopez, it sure is good enough for me!!

Devereaux Beauty Frankfield -

021 4369100

Devereaux Beauty Maryborough Woods

021 4890333 

Ladies Day at Killarney

I have been going horse racing as far back as I can remember. Many of my childhood holidays were spent at the Killarney & Tralee races (before the closure of that track). The highlight of the meetings is always ladies day for me.

The July 2015 meeting was possibly the wettest day of the year but it certainly did not dampen our spirits, nor our intentions to have a wonderful girlie afternoon. 

We were all delighted to be wearing Elizabeth Christina Design head pieces that were designed by the wonderful Kinsale based milliner, Tina Hemlock. 

Tina has designed a few pieces for me this year & I honestly could not recommend her highly enough. She is a pleasure to deal with and I truly trust her creative instincts to design pieces that she knows will suit the event and suit my personality.

Overall, the day was a wonderful day out with some fantastic friends. We all love getting dressed up & enjoyed the excitement & planning in advance for this race meeting.

Hat - Elizabeth Christina Design

Dress - Coast

Hair - Kopper, Glanmire

Shoes & Bag - Purchased in a boutique in Tenerife 

Just go with the flow

What He’s Thinking On Your Second Or Third Date? 

I’m sure it comes as no news to you that a man can be doing all the things that say he’s interested in you, but still say he’s not ready for a relationship or “anything serious”.

It’s one of those things that drive women crazy.

What’s worse, he can do all kinds of things with you from hanging out to getting physical, but he won’t communicate what he’s really feeling... until after he decides things “aren’t working”.

Frustrating, right?

You didn’t even get the chance to know or talk about what was going on inside his head.

How in the world did he think things were supposed to end up working? Were you supposed to read his mind!?

The problem is that women try to read TOO much into their early interactions with men, which then leads them to think that after the first few dates, they’re in what is called the “instant relationship”.

“When a man asks you out for a second or third date, all it means is he’s interested in getting to know you better, because he felt a good connection with you on date #1.”

That means women often think they’re in a relationship with a man when he’s still feeling things out and probably doesn’t have “relationship” anywhere on his radar. So what IS he thinking on those first few dates? Here’s the deal.

What Dates 2 and 3 Mean to a Man

When a man asks you out for a second or third date, all it means is he’s interested in getting to know you better, because he felt a good connection with you on date #1.

It doesn’t mean that he necessarily wants to be “exclusive” or is thinking “serious relationship.” He’s still just getting to know you.

He’s enjoying your company, having fun, and starting to wonder about you.

Meanwhile, you’re already thinking ahead to the next few months when this is the ONLY man you’re seeing and things are “serious”.

You’ve already made a decision about this guy, and you don’t even know him that well yet. All you’re doing is going by your “gut feeling” and the chemistry you feel when you’re with him.

So you start acting on that “feeling” and you begin to make certain assumptions about what’s going on between you.

This can send a really bad “vibe” to a guy, especially when you assume you’re going to be seeing each other every weekend, when you express your annoyance with him when he doesn’t call you more often, and when you assume a monogamous relationship instead of actually discussing it, then get furious with him when you discover he’s still dating other women.

This is when a guy will pull away, sometimes for good. And you’re left wondering, “What happened?!”