Ten Random Facts about Me

Hi everyone out there!

It's after midnight as I write this and why am I still awake at such an unattractive hour you may ask? Firstly, it's pretty stormy outside and I cannot sleep with the ferocious howls of the wind as it hits against my bedroom window. I am most definitely not a fan of storms and unfortunately they hit Scotland fairly regularly.

Rather than tossing and turning in my duvet as I spend hours on end trying to drift off I thought “why not do something productive?”. I honestly believe that for whatever reason I am most creative at night, the words seem to flow effortlessly. So here I am writing this post for you my lovely readers to enjoy.
Before I go any further I want to let you all know that I have created a Facebook page and a Twitter account where you can find all of my latest news and keep up to date with my most recent blog posts. I want to say a huge thank-you to each of the lovely people who have liked/followed my pages so far-you have no idea just how much I appreciate it! So if you haven't already, please pop on over and click the all-important "like" and "follow" buttons on the following links https://www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog and www.twitter.com/thehathippie .
Now getting to the main point of this post; as you'll already know, I've written a bunch of posts here on this blog, but if I'm being completely honest I don't think that I have really told you a lot about myself. From what I can recall, I've only given away little dribs and drabs. Personally speaking, I feel that it's nice to know a bit about the person hidden behind each post. On that note, I've decided to share with you ten random facts about me.

Here it goes...............

1. I play bass guitar and have been learning to do so for the past year and half. During my primary school days I had weekly guitar lessons in school and privately every Friday evening. However, after undergoing knee surgery a few years ago I began to suffer from chronic pain which affected my right leg and eventually spread to my right hand. This caused difficulty when playing guitar so I decided to call it quits and hope that one day my condition would improve and I'd be able to play again.

Let's just say it's difficult to keep me separated from music and instruments for any length of time. I had the opportunity, as part of my home schooling, to work with a professional musician who for the past year and a half has taught me to play bass guitar. Although it can be sore and tiring, it doesn't take as much a toll on me as acoustic guitar did due to the different finger and plucking techniques I use when playing. I am so grateful to be able to play as for a while I thought it would never again be possible. Having been through that period of doubt, I've really learned to appreciate and make the most of every minute that my hand allows me to play.

2. My favourite refreshment is Starbucks’ strawberries and cream Frappuccinos! - Mmmm!

3. I am a major animal lover. My sister and I have two hamsters one named Floyd and the other Hope. They are such wonderful little creatures and have the most amazing personalities! I would also like to get a dog one day as they make such loyal friends and I enjoy spending time with them. More recently I've also decided that I'd quite like my own cat. I've always liked cats but, after reading the book "A Street Cat Named Bob" by James Bowen I realised just how incredible they are. If I am being completely honest I'd happily own a farm filled with animals!

4. My all-time favourite musical is Wicked which I've seen twice. The first occasion was in London's West End with the amazing Rachel Tucker playing the lead role of Elphaba. I saw the show for a second time last year in Glasgow during its tour of the UK. Hopefully, it won't be too long until I'll see it again! 

5. When I'm older I'd like to be a journalist as well as an author. Both careers will require a lot of hard work and effort but I'm doing my upmost to get the relevant experience such as writing these blogs which allow me to learn the necessary skills and techniques.

6. My favourite Disney film/fictional character is Peter Pan. Around a month or so ago I wrote a post about my fascination with Peter Pan, if you'd like to read it click here.

7. You may have already guessed thanks to my blog's name that I have a bit of an obsession with hats! Last time I counted, my collection believe it or not consisted of around twenty-four different hats. Perhaps I might even write about my hat collection in the not so distant future. 

8. One of my hobbies is photography. I love to take a varied range of photographs but, my favourite subject is flowers. After shooting my latest selection of photographs, I upload and edit them on my laptop's photo editing software. Although thanks to me being such a perfectionist, the editing process is often a lengthy one!

9. I am a terrible singer-but it doesn't stop me from "singing" along to songs on the radio at the top of my voice!

10. My favourite actress is the lovely Audrey Hepburn, who starred in some of the most iconic films to ever exist. My personal favourite would have to be "Funny Face" in which she stars alongside the actor Fred Astaire.

So there you have it; Ten Random Facts about Me.

Hopefully, you will have learned something new about me and the madness that it is my life. I should probably bid you all farewell for now and try and get some rest.

Lots of Love,
Robyn xx

My Experience Meeting Richie Sambora & Orianthi Panagaris

Last July I had the opportunity to meet Richie Sambora, former guitarist of the world famous rock band Bon Jovi and Orianthi Panagaris who has played guitar alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry including Michael Jackson, Prince and Alice Cooper. I've been a big fan of Orianthi ever since I first saw her in Michael Jackson's This Is It film when I was just eleven years old. Watching Orianthi play guitar alongside one of my all-time favourite singers Michael Jackson was what inspired me to learn guitar. I was completely mesmerised watching her perform and wanted to one day play guitar with the skill and talent that she has!

Orianthi & I

Around this time last year, I heard that Orianthi would be joining Richie Sambora on his tour of the UK and Europe. The best part was that the final show of the tour would take place here in Scotland! I'd previously seen Orianthi perform live with Alice Cooper and was extremely hyper that I might actually get to see her live in concert for the second time! I was also extremely delighted about the prospect of seeing Richie Sambora in concert as I've always loved Bon Jovi-who doesn't?! For me, it was one of those win-win situations.

One of my biggest dreams was to one day meet Orianthi. With this in mind my lovely Mum managed to get in contact with a member of her team who kindly arranged for me to meet with Orianthi prior to the show in Glasgow! I cannot begin to describe just how excited I was!

On the day of the show my Dad and I were also invited to watch Richie and Ori's pre-show sound check. By the time we arrived at the venue that day there was a huge queue of people also attending the concert spanning right up the street. As we walked past them, I could feel the infectious buzz coming from those waiting. 

After letting the appropriate people know that we'd arrived, we were then escorted inside to watch the sound check. I'm extremely interested in what goes behind the scenes at events such as concerts and loved every second of it watching all of the comings and goings happening around me. Instruments were being tuned, the merchandise stall was in the process of being set up and the lighting was being adjusted. So much work goes on behind the scenes to make each show run smoothly and to the perfection that we the audience see. We're all unaware of just how much time, hard work and effort each member of the crew puts into every show. Without them there would be no show! From spending such a short period of time in that environment it was evident that both the crew as well as the band are extremely close. I can only imagine that whilst on tour everyone becomes like an extended family.

After a short wait both Richie and Ori arrived at the venue in time for sound check. They appeared on stage from the darkened wings and began to set up their guitars with the help of the guitar techs. Once organised, Orianthi looked in my direction and waved! It was one of those exciting moments in life where it all seemed like a dream. Even if I hadn't actually met her, having Orianthi wave in my direction would have made my night!

Watching sound check was such a cool experience-it was like having your own private concert! During sound check they performed a bunch of songs by some of the biggest names in the music industry. I can't remember the exact list of songs they performed however, I'm pretty sure it included numbers from artists such as Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles.

We were then taken backstage towards the end of the band's sound check. As you can probably imagine at this exact moment I was rather excited! I'd wanted to meet Ori for years and the moment was finally going to happen!!!!

We waited in the hallway outside of the dressing rooms whilst Ori got ready for the show. I'd never properly been backstage before, so I really enjoyed soaking everything in. For whatever reason I had always imagined backstage areas to be quite glamorous (I have no idea why to be honest!). However, it wasn't at all what I expected. I liked it though, there was a nice buzz about the place.

After waiting for a few minutes, a small crowd of people appeared at the other end of the hall. It took a few moments for my brain to click and for me to realise that there, at the other side of the corridor was Richie Sambora himself! He immediately came right over to me and started chatting. Richie was such a lovely, genuine and down to earth type of guy! He certainly wasn't one of those rockstars/celebrities that couldn't care less about their fans. I wish I could tell you more of what he said but I had one those star struck moments-typical me!

I had my photo taken with Richie but didn't realise until later on that our camera had decided to play up and didn't save the photograph which was frustrating-but at least I have the memory! Before bidding us farewell and heading to his dressing room, Richie gave me a big hug and shook hands with my Dad! What a special moment!

Before long one of the dressing room doors opened and out came Orianthi! Both Dad and I shook hands with her and she then gave me a big hug! Ori was seriously one of the loveliest people I've met! I felt at ease chatting with her, which was lovely as I really got to enjoy the time I spent with her. It wasn't one of those moments that I had gotten so hyped up about, my mind went blank and then all seemed liked a blur afterwards. Instead, I can replay the moment in my head, recalling every detail and remembering the exact conversation.

I really admire Orianthi's sense of style and one of the first things I really noticed was her outfit which you'll be able to get a glimpse of in the photo I have added to this post. She was even wearing one of her famous hats that I'd admired in so many of her photographs posted on Instagram. But before I could even mentioned how much I love her style, she complimented my outfit and hat!

I chatted with Orianthi about her time touring with Alice Cooper, I'd seen them live in Edinburgh almost two years before. She told me about one of their shows (which funnily enough I happened to have watched footage of on YouTube) where during School's Out, Alice and the rest of the guys in the band all appeared wearing blonde wigs similar to Ori's hair. It was interesting to hear her account of what happened, as I often watch concert videos and wonder what it's like from the musician's point of view.

Orianthi even told me about some of the new musical projects she'd been working on such as recording at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and her greatest hits album which at the time was just weeks away from being released in Japan. She also told me a little bit about the new album that both her and Richie are currently working on, which of course I can't wait to hear as it sounds like it'll be right up my street!

I brought along my copies of Orianthi's albums in hope that she would sign them for me. Kindly obliging, she turned to me and thanked me for supporting her work and purchasing her albums. Meeting someone who I really admire and having them thank me for my support really meant a lot! It's lovely to hear directly from the artist that they appreciate their fans support. Before making our way to our seats to watch the show, I then had my photograph taken with Ori. Fortunately, the camera decided to cooperate this time-phew!
This just so happened to be the final show of Richie's tour of the UK and Europe and it was great end to the tour I must say! Richie played a range of songs from his time as a member of Bon Jovi and also performed material from his solo albums. Together, they even performed a song named "You Don't Wanna know" which featured as one of the tracks on Orianthi's latest album "Heaven In This Hell". As you can imagine there was some amazing guitar solos which of course I could happily sit there and listen to for days without end. And of course, I can't forget the amazing Glasgow audience who love to have a good time!

At the end of the show one of the roadies came and found me with a Richie's copy of the show's set list that he had on stage with him for me to keep. I've never had the opportunity to stand at the front of the stage at a concert before because of my health. Due to that I've never had the opportunity to catch a plectrum from the band or a copy of the set list. As you can imagine I have and will continue to treasure the set list and plectrums I received that evening as memento from the amazing night that I had.

I highly doubt that Richie, Ori or any or their wonderful team will ever come across this post but if they do, I just wanted to say a huge thank-you to each and everyone of them for making my dream come true! They were all so sweet and kind and really made me feel special! I also owe a huge thank you to my amazing Mum as without her this would never have happened!

Let's Make A Difference!

If you know me personally or have read any of my pervious posts you'll be aware that I was born with a physical disability and suffer from a condition named Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which affects my life drastically. Being born with a disability fortunately meant that I never had to go through adjusting to a new way of life using a wheelchair. I grew up with my disability and never thought of it is as something weird, I always saw myself as me and didn't really care what anyone else thought.
Initially, when I first went to primary school I was treated differently because of my disability alongside the fact that I had to use a wheelchair to help me get around. I despised going to school, I absolutely hated it! I was a quiet, mousy type of girl back then and just quietly went about my business despite how much I hated going to school.
Life completely changed for me when my family and I moved to another town. Both my sister and I were enrolled in a small rural school in the middle of the countryside. If we looked out one window we could see endless fields of green and usually a herd of cows grazing in the grass. Looking out another window we could see the sea far into the horizon. It was simply stunning.
With around thirty-six pupils at any given time, I felt completely normal there. Everyone excepted me for who I was and never made me feel different because of my disability. It felt like being a part of a big family and that most definitely was what I needed. Attending a small, rural school completely changed me as a person. I found my confidence and made so many wonderful friends. I am truly grateful to all of my friends there for accepting me and giving me the chance to feel normal.
Unfortunately, I'm too old to attend primary school and instead I'm now home tutored and find myself in my final few years of secondary school. In recent years I've been let down ALOT by people who I thought would always be there for me. If I'm being completely honest it really hurt and I felt extremely let down. Since my knee surgery in 2011, I've had a lot of ups and downs which has helped me mature and become the person that I am today. It's been really difficult at times but I've managed to get through it. I'm fully aware that the doctors are no longer able to do anything for my condition, with that in mind I have decided do my upmost to enjoy life as much as I possibly can and achieve all of my dreams and ambitions.
My intentions for writing this post and on a much bigger scale, creating this entire blog is to open people's eyes and help change things for the better. I'm sick and tired of everyone being classed as the same! I'm sorry, but we're not all the same!  Each and everyone of us are unique and I don't care what anyone says, we should feel genuinely proud of who we are!
Like I said above, I have lived with a physical disability ever since I was born. But what I'm trying to get across to the world is that I am a person with real thoughts and real feelings; I am not the disability!
A few years ago I made the decision to take a firm stance and decided to truly express myself and dress in my own, unique and sometimes crazy style. I'm different anyway, so when people stare at me whilst I'm using my wheelchair, why not give them something else to stare at other than the piece of metal that follows me everywhere I go?
There have been a few professionals that I've come across of late who don't seem to accept the word "no". Yes, they have a job to do and I completely accept part of that is to provide me with information regarding what exactly I'm entitled to. However, I'm no longer a child and I am more than capable of making my own decisions that affect my own life! This means that if I say "no", particularly when I have good reasoning to back up my decision the professionals shouldn't persist with the subject and attempt to make me change my mind. I have had many conversations with my GP, who has always encouraged me to speak up and to make sure the professionals around me listen to my wants and wishes. I sometimes think they forget my age and forget the fact that I know my own mind-set and that I'm entitled to my own opinion.
With this in mind I've decided that rather than sitting back and doing nothing I really want to change things. If I have both the ability and knowledge that is required to make a difference, then I should do my bit to get the ball rolling. We need to work at changing people's outlooks and make the professionals around us listen. In order to get things right for each and everyone of us we need to be included in making decisions that affect us because no one knows us better than ourselves.
Unfortunately, I can't wave a magic wand and everything will be okay but what I can do is begin to set the foundation for change. I have created a twitter account for this blog and also plan on setting up a facebook page which I shall share on this blog as soon as it's up and running. Through my social media accounts I want to support other young people out there whether they have a disability, going through a hard time in their life or feel passionate about individuality. I completely understand how hard life can be sometimes and hate to think that there are young people out there who feel that they can't talk to anyone. So if anyone ever needs someone to talk to or needs some advice please do not hesitate to contact me through one of my social media platforms or via my blog's email address which can be found on my contact page.
Im pretty sure that there are so many people out there that can relate to this post and share the same thoughts and feelings as me. I hope that together we can make a change so that no one feels alone or that they're not listened to by the people who are supposed to be there to help and support us.

My Love for the Story of Peter Pan

Today, I thought I'd write about something that has held a special place in my heart ever since I was a little girl. I'm sure there is something out there that makes each of you feel the exact same way, something that puts a smile on your face and brings back all of those happy memories. For me, the story of Peter Pan the boy who never grew up does just that! The well-known classic has always captivated me and taken me away to the wonderful world of Neverland-it's simply magical!
As I've probably mentioned in one of my previous blog posts I have spent a lot of time in London over the years at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital having treatment for the physical disability I was born with. Some of you may know that J.M. Barrie gifted the rights of his book Peter Pan & Wendy to GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital). This meant that all of royalties whether they came from book sales or a stage production of Peter Pan & Wendy would go straight to the hospital's funds and help make a big difference for each of the children under the care of GOSH. I really admire that J.M. Barrie for doing this, as his kind gesture has helped make such a positive impact. Whilst his story has brought so much joy to so many of us; it has also played a big part in Great Ormond Street Hospital's history and helped make it the special place that it is today.
Hospitals are not the most pleasant of places for anyone to find themselves in but as a child it can be extremely daunting. However, in this instance there was always a little bit of magic around every corner at GOSH thanks to the help of J.M. Barrie and of course the beloved character he created, Peter Pan. Inside GOSH there are numerous Peter Pan memorials hidden around the hospital. These small touches always helped make my hospital experience and I'm sure many other's who have also been under the care of GOSH a little easier to endure.
At the hospital's main entrance there was a little patch of greenery on the left hand side just before you reach the main doors. Hidden amongst the greenery is a life-size statue of Peter Pan and a miniature statue of his trusty pixie friend Tinkerbell, resting on the tip of his finger. If you didn't pay much attention and walked straight ahead; it could easily have been missed. Whenever we walked past the statue, despite how rubbish I sometimes felt during my time spent in hospital, it never failed to put a smile on my face and cheer me up.
Up until a few years ago I never knew that like me, J.M. Barrie was actually born here in Scotland. I discovered this in primary school when my class studied Scotland as our class topic. As a part of our topic we were each asked by our teacher to produce a personal project on a famous Scot of our choice as homework assignment.
I then found myself in great deliberation on who exactly I should choose to conduct research on. Me being my usual self didn't want to pick one of the popular Scots that a lot of pupils in my class had already opted for. With this in mind I spent hours searching the internet browsing through lists of famous Scots in hope that inspiration might struck. Eventually, I spotted J.M. Barrie's name hidden amongst one of the lists and was surprised to discover he was actually born here in Scotland. So in the end it only seemed fitting to choose to write my project on J.M.Barrie's life as his work has had such a major impact on my life.
As a young child I remember being absolutely mesmerised with the 1953 Walt Disney production of Peter Pan. It brings out the child in each and every one of us! Just like each of the Disney films we all know and love; Peter Pan is a classic. It's timeless and I'm pretty sure will be loved just as much in coming years as it is today!

Disabeld Access in the High Street & World Around Us

As a wheelchair user I face a range of obstacles on daily basis no matter where I go. In fact its rare to actually visit somewhere and not face a challenge in one way or another. It's highly frustrating when a large franchise advertise themselves as being completely accessible and yet you arrive and are unable to access a particular part of the building.
I don't want to come across as a complainer but at the same time I don't want to sit back and let these problems continue to arise. I am extremely fortunate to live in a day and age where I can access platforms such as this and my intentions are to make good use of them by using my writing skills to produce pieces on subjects that matter to me. There is no point in sitting around waiting for someone else to do something about it. If I want to see changes I need to use the skills and knowledge that I'm blessed with to contribute to raising awareness for issues I'm passionate about. Hence, one of the very reasons I started this blog.
I am unable to speak on behalf of everyone but I'm pretty sure that there are many people out there who share the same opinions as me and want to see the changes that will make life easier for them. I hope that through my writing I can find those people and inspire them to do the same.
In my local town we are very fortunate to have places of leisure such as a cinema and bowling alley. The downside for me and so many others out there is that due to our health/disabilities we are unable to access these places.
Our local cinema for example, has a small step up into the building.Yes, some people are able to access the cinema using a walking aid however, there are others who aren't as fortunate and need to use their wheelchair at all times.
Inside the building there are two levels; on the ground floor there are handful of small cinema screens and on the upper level there are as far as I know two main screens. Unfortunately, the second level cannot be accessed by those with mobility problems as it requires to climb a large flight of stairs. All of the new releases are shown upstairs which means that we A)wait for an airing of the movie downstairs to happen whenever that might happen or B)travel to the nearest cinema which is about a fifteen to twenty minutes drive away.
For younger people like myself it makes it difficult to be a part of cinema trips with our friends. Teenagers like the freedom of being able to meet up at the cinema; they can catch a bus or even walk there from where they live. No one wants to have to rely on somebody's parent to give everyone a lift to a cinema outwith town. All in all it makes everyone less independent and isn't part of being a teenager about becoming your own person and living more of an independent life?
Then there's the bowling alley which someone like myself who has a disability cannot access. Again, in order to enter the building climbing a large flight of stairs is required. There is no lift, nothing. Had I'd been able to access the bowling alley I know for sure that I would visit it as much as I possibly could. Just like the cinema situation, the nearest bowling alley is in another town around a fifteen to twenty minute drive away.
The local high-street has it's own set of problems for a wheelchair user to overcome. Fortunately, I always have someone with me to push my wheelchair and help me access where I need to go. However, there will be many wheelchair users who don't necessarily have someone accompanying them. Or just like any abled bodied person they want to be independent and go places by themselves.
What would make accessing the high-street independently possible for so many disabled would require just small changes implemented by the popular franchises that create our high-street.
It would seriously surprise you just how many times I've asked to use a variety of different store's wheelchair accessible changing rooms and they have been filled up with cardboard boxes and clothing rails. I must however, add that there has been one major high street store's changing room that I was extremely impressed with. Immediately, I was able to access it without having to ask a member of staff if they'd assist me in removing empty boxes and clothing rails. The changing room was extremely spacious meaning that I was able to manoeuvre my chair without any difficulty. Where as in many other shops I've visited over the years the disabled changing room was a small space that was practically impossible to turn around in. This meant I had to reverse my chair and rely on someone to help me with the door and warn me of any potential hazards that I may crash into behind me. The particular store that I was impressed with had evidently looked at the smaller details and designed the room to suit a wheelchair user's needs. For example; the mirrors had been designed to sit at specific angles to allow the person to see what their potential purchase looks like on themselves without having to twist their bodies in potentially straining positions whilst sitting in their wheelchair. This design really impressed me!
Inside shops I've noticed that it's increasingly becoming more and more difficult to actually manoeuvre myself around in my wheelchair. If you cannot get around a shop without some sort of walking aid; some shops become a big no no. In my local high street I can think of a few stores that are already a prime example to this. Of course I understand that the spaces inside a shop are small and limited to how products can be displayed but due to that very reason shops can also minimise their potential client base and loose out on business.
In comparison there are also stores much larger in size that literally cram displays into every single empty space within the building. Not only does this create challenges for people like myself, it also makes it difficult for those who are abled bodied. It's like going through a maze trying to avoid obstacles at ever corner you come to. When it comes to shops like the one I'm describing we usually avoid them at weekends whilst it is at it's busiest and instead we pop in on weekdays.
There are so many things I could list about the challenges that me alongside so many others face on daily basis as a wheelchair/mobility aid user. I completely understand that a lot of people won't realise that what seems like a little thing to them actually has such a big impact on so many lives. But that is why I'm here writing this today; if I don't who will? What a lot of people forget is that they don't know what tomorrow might bring and just how drastically what tomorrow brings could affect their lives.

Introducing "Jukebox Rhapsody"

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you're all doing well! This is just a short post to announce something that I'm very excited about. I've created a secondary blog which I have decided to name "Jukebox Rhapsody". My new blog will feature a range of posts that I've written on my love for music. These posts will include experiences of concerts/musical productions that I attend over the coming months, reviews of albums old and new and of course anything else that pops up along the way. If you have a spare few minutes why not pop on over and check it out on the following link; www.jukeboxrhapsody.blogspot.co.uk .

 

Hopefully, I will have a new post to share with you on both blogs over the next couple of days- so keep an eye out!

Best Wishes,

Robyn xx

What is it Like to Suffer Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

Almost an exact year to date, after months of enduring countless medical appointments with no answers I was finally diagnosed with a condition named Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The condition stemmed from pioneering knee surgery that I had in 2011. As Complex Regional Pain Syndrome isn't a widely recognised condition (I had never heard of it until I was diagnosed last year) I thought I'd write about what it's like to live with the condition.

Having Complex Regional Pain Syndrome means that basically I suffer constant pain in the affected areas of my body. From what I've heard CRPS can be caused by a whole host of things, mine has stemmed from the knee surgery I had back in 2011 but we cannot pinpoint the exact reason why I suffer from it. Due to the personal experiences I've had whilst suffering from the condition I have noticed that my pain flares are triggered by things such as emotion, stress and even cold weather.

It's difficult to describe what exactly the pain feels like; I haven't ever experienced pain like it before. The only way I could begin to describe it is that the pain feels like burning but I must emphasize that it's much more intense than "just burning". I mean this is the kind of pain that keeps you awake at night, it makes you feel sick and downright miserable.

I also experience pain in my hand and foot as over a period of time it has spread from my knee to other parts of my body. When the pain flares in my foot my heel turns a bright shade of red and stings whenever it touches or rubs against anything. It reminds me of having a carpet burn but on a much worse scale. On some occasions it swells making it both difficult and uncomfortable to wear a shoe on my right foot.

Apart from experiencing gruelling and debilitating pain I suffer a number of other symptoms that go alongside CRPS. My hand for example is extremely painful whenever I attempt to use it, particularly when it involves fine motor activity. Whenever I use my hand to do something or if I feel stressed, upset or even excited it goes into an uncontrollable tremor which is not much fun at all! I usually wear a splint in order to support my hand, keep it steady and minimise the tremor.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome also affects my nails. I've experienced that the growth in my nails takes much longer than it used to they have also cracked for no apparent reason. When reading about CRPS it's apparent that nails are often affected leaving sufferers experiencing similar problems to the ones I have. My sleeping patterns are also affected drastically by the pain. It takes me forever to fall asleep at night due, meaning that I spend the following day yawning and feeling pretty tired.

I have quite a large scar spanning from just underneath my knee and doesn't stop till half way up my thigh (it's a similar shape to Harry Potter's lightning bolt scar except bigger) the skin round my scar feels numb but at the same time feels extremely sensitive as does the rest of my leg. I hate when anything rubs against both my knee and foot as it makes me jump due to it's sensitivity.

There has been times (mostly in the winter months) when my pain has gotten so bad that I had to go and lie in my bed for hours on end in complete darkness. I felt very sick at times and didn't feel much like eating which also caused problems because when I don't eat I cannot take pain relief to help ease the pain in the first place. Those winter's days were like nightmares! Whilst everyone is excited for winter hoping that it might snow I spend my time dreading it as I know the cold weather makes me feel so miserable! I know that if I decided to venture out into the snow that I should prepare to spend the following day in bed.

At the current moment there doesn't seem to be an exact cure for CRPS, I rely on coping mechanisms in order to manage my pain. Throughout the past few years I've spent a lot of time going back and forth to countless hospital appointments not just looking for answers but to also attend pain management clinics. At pain management clinics my consultant looked at a range of different treatments to help ease my pain. Some have had better results than others but for various reasons I felt that they weren't the right treatments for me due to side effects that went hand in hand with them. Using coping mechanisms and taking basic pain reliefs is the best way that I can manage my pain at this moment in time.

As much as my health frustrates me I always try to remain positive despite how difficult that can be. Hopefully some of what I write here on this blog will reach someone out there going through similar experiences to me. I think I  mentioned previously that there isn't a lot out there for people like myself. There are articles on the internet written by experts about my condition and others similar but there isn't much material written from the point of view of a person who lives with it everyday. Yes, a piece written by a professional is great; it's informative, looks at the facts, research and statistics that have been compiled together. I however, want to compose writing that is both relatable and appealing to someone of my age group.