October and November Troubles…

As much as I love the autumn and winter months, I have to say the last couple of months have definitely been tricky for myself and my family.

- For the first week in October was admitted to hospital, as I needed my cyclosporine level increased as the level was lower than it should be. While, my bilirubin level (level in the liver) needed decreasing as the level was way too high, the normal level for a person is 10-20 while mine was 220, as you can see waaaay too high! After 8 days in hospital I was discharged, with a higher cyclosporine level *yaay!* and my liver level had only decreased to 150, but I was put on lots, and I mean lots of medication to keep this level decreasing at home.

- After being discharged, I was put on a high dose of steroids (180) which has caused me to have lack of sleep, aching joints and bones everyday (mainly my legs), shortage of breath, round moon face due to the such high dosage of steroids, tremors which got can get so bad I fall over, feeling high then low, lack of concentration, mood swings and just overall tiredness, this doesn’t include the other 50-60 tables I have to take a day.

- I got back to school which I was overjoyed about, seeing mates and learning! But after school everyday for this past couple of months I've had to go to the hospital for some iv medicine through my line, leaving me coming home with my mum or dad 6/7 or even later at night.

- I've also had a lot of school work to catch up with, but lucky I'm all up to date and handing good essays as my results have been good and teachers are very pleased with my progress!

- On the 23^rd of October I had to have surgery (liver biopsy) which wasn't pleasant at all, as it was done under local when they told me it was going to be under sedation. I had this liver biopsy done as my bilirubin level was still high around 190 and they wanted to see what the problem was with my liver.

- Due to my bilirubin level being so high, I have developed jaundice. This means my eyes and skin are extremely yellow making me look like a Simpson aha! But lucky the gods have granted us with makeup to cover it all up!

- During the October half term, I woke up in the early hours of the morning in agony. Pain all over my body, the pain was that bad I was crying, which if you know me well, isn’t like me at all. So I got rushed to hospital by both my parents, to find out I had an infection around my line, a high temperature and to get rid of the pain they put me on morphine which made me go crazy aha! I was kept in over Halloween, which was a huge disappointment to me as I had plans to go see one of my best friends who lives up in Norfolk and I had plans later on to spend time with my other best mate to dress up and have some fun, but hay ho I guess there is always next year!

- Once I got my biopsy results back, it was confirmed GVHD (graft versus host disease) which they thought it was all long and they now have put me on a new medicine which I have started on the 15^th of November, this involved me having an injection twice a week, and so far has been working well *yaay*!

- Now it’s the 28^th of November, and yet again I’m in hospital with 3 infections, oh the joys *note sarcasm*! I again woke up in a lots of pain and with a temperature in the early hours of Sunday morning, and got rushed off to Epsom hospital with my parents, to find out my Hickman line (the line that was in my chest) had two infections and they found another elsewhere. The doctors put me on two antibiotics to get rid of these infections at Epsom, then I got transferred to the Marsden, and on Wednesday I went down surgery to have my Hickman line out, which went well! However, I am very devastated as that line has served me well with all the medicine that has gone through it and blood tests they have been able to use it for too!

- Today I have been practically a needle cushion as they have tried to put a cannula in me 5 times, I’ve had 5 bloody needles, which I can tell you has been very painful *ouch*! And they have plans to put a pic line in my upper arm for Monday under local which I’m not looking forward to at all, but hay ho, if it’s going to help me with iv medicine and blood tests I don’t mind at all!

Sorry its sort of a down and sad blog but I just thought writing it in a blog would get it all off my chest, hopefully everything will be better next month as its Christmas, which I’m so excited for :D!

How have your past months been? Hopefully much more exciting than mine aha!

Arabella ♥

VIP Mac Cosmetics early Christmas Heirloom Launch ♥

Myself and my mum were two of the lucky people to get invited to a VIP event at Bentalls in Kingston, on the 28th October to be one of the first to see mac cosmetics Christmas collection, I've never been invited to one of these events before so I was super excited and as I'm a lover of makeup, so of course I couldn't say no to this invite!

The night was going to consist of:
- the makeup artists showing us the Heirloom Christmas collection early
- Champagne and chocolate nibbles
- them demonstrating the makeup look on a model
- the makeup artists demonstrating the look on the 30 guests
- and if we wanted to buy any of the bits, we were able to buy them early

As myself and my mum walked into the store we were offered out Champagne and chocolates by lovely suited gentlemen, then guided in groups of 6 with a makeup artist for them to explain and show the makeup collection to us, and I must say, if you like glitter? You will adore this collection, glitter was everywhere! This leads me into the crazy dancing man that was covered from head to toe in glitter just dancing around the store, I must say I tried my hardest to contain my laughter but I'm pretty sure he knew and danced around me on purpose! They also had this model which was dressed like an 'Ice queen' demonstrating the makeup look and she looked stunning!

So once they demonstrated the look we were able to go round looking at all the holiday collection and deciding if we wanted to buy any of the bits. I decided to pick up for myself the nude lip collection, which consists of a lip pencil, lip glass and lipstick with a pretty bag which is all glittery with pearls round the edge of it. When I first saw it, it didn't really catch my eye but once I tried it on, that was it I had to treat myself aha!

My mum also picked up some bits from the collection for me, but I can't use them yet. As they are part of my birthday present, which I don't mind, actually makes me more excited for my Birthday and Christmas! She picked up the brush collection, and the plum eye palette for me as I kept going back to them numerous of times as I loved them so much aha!

There were some other bits from the collection I did want to pick up like the blusher and an eyeshadow but I may pick that up when it hits the stores in the UK, which should be sometime this month *yay*. However, the collection is available online now! ♥

Arabella ♥