Mumming it with lack of sleep..

Kirsty Andrews - 17 Feb 17

At the moment people ask :how are you doing? and I reply I’m good, actually I am absolutely shattered, I would make a good advert for the smokey eye look, without the actual make up, whilst having a cuddle with my eldest last night she looked at me and said do you know your eyes are black, not just at the bottom Mummy but all the way round and used her finger to go around my eye lol.

I literally dream of going to bed then waking at a reasonable hour even 6am looks better than 3.30am, I try to stay up later to maybe help this but have trouble keeping my eyes open, this is part and parcel of the IIH,(Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension ) most people with this condition will have trouble sleeping, or some may want to sleep all the time, I do feel shattered with it at times but generally don’t sleep in the day, by 9.30pm I’m done, the Insomnia comes in cycles so I can have some really good weeks of sleep, then I can have some really pants nights sleep, I am a woman that really needs her sleep or I turn into one of those emotional women literally teetering on edge, looking like something from the walking dead, and either growling or wailing.. and on this healthy eating plan would kill for chocolate!!!

Dr Edward Suarez, associate professor in Duke’s department of psychiatry and behavioural sciences said following a lack of sleep study on both men and women

“The study suggests that poor sleep – measured by the total amount of sleep, the degree of awakening during the night, and most importantly, how long it takes to get to sleep – may have more serious health consequences for women than for men.
“We found that for women, poor sleep is strongly associated with high levels of psychological distress, and greater feelings of hostility, depression and anger. “In contrast, these feelings were not associated with the same degree of sleep disruption in men.”

Well men are the lucky ones, because this morning is one of those mornings where you scroll through social media and cry like a baby at the various tear jerking videos, or you read another blog, full of kindness and meaning, for me I read a post by Part- Time Working Mummy that was done yesterday, about being a mother in varying ways, usually I have a good chuckle at her posts, today I cried.

I think the post she has written relates to us all in someway, because we have all been one of those Mummy’s.

These past two weeks with lack of sleep makes me analyse things more, mainly my motherhood skills, or otherwise known as the ‘Mum Guilt’ being a mum to a teenager (she will be 13 this year) is a journey in itself, but knowing that your illness effects both of your girls that guilt sets in even more, I am that Mum that try’s to get through each day hiding how rough I actually feel from them, painting on a smile so they will both go off happy each day whilst actually I want to hug the toilet from the nausea I get some mornings, or when they have a tantrum or argue with my husband or I, I don’t completely lose my shit because I’m so tired lol, I am the Mum who wants my eldest to enjoy her School life, and not be worrying about me, where I am and if I’m feeling ok.

I am the Mum that plans a lovely day out, a train trip to Bath with both of my girls,plus one of their friends, then gets half way into the train journey I have a massive IIH headache, how I made it around that day I will never know, the worst point for me was the shop Lush, the girls had lived for this moment, I was trying to live through the bloody moment, all the smells just made me want to be violently sick, never have I been so glad to get back on a train, but wondering why I can’t even have a day out without my IIH interfering. I know the girls don’t miss out but you want and hope to be on top form having fun don’t you?

I am the Mum that lies in her hospital bed, wishing to get home as soon as I can as I know my girls will be crying for me at home, even with constant reassurance from family and friends they panic I won’t come home, this is heartbreaking in itself.

But I am the Mum who does her best, the best I can do at the moment, and that is all of us doing the best we can, we are all amazing men and women with amazing children, you know you have done good when they are smiling and happy each day, yes the day may throw in some grotty bits but we handle it the best we can.

As I usually say kindness unites us all, I have had so many messages about this blog, I can’t thank you enough for the kindness, most saying I’m so brave, you know what though we are all brave we are all warriors of some sort, illness, family, motherhood, fatherhood,business, life and more, I had never even heard of this condition or anyone with it before my diagnosis, so all I want is to bring some awareness to it, and to help other sufferers who may need some reassurance.

We can and will beat this, and with the kindness and love I have around, how hard can that be.

Have a happy healthy week

ASIBTAF ❤

Kirsty Andrews

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