Philip (Phil) England

We are in May, the month of my 50th. The month started ok, not too achy or in too much pain, about a 4 on the scale of things. 2nd : Had runs in the middle of the night but didn't get out of bed quick enough again. Just as I thought things were looking better.... false sense of security on that one. Pain at about 5. Been another hectic day. Took my Dad shopping, he had issues with his cash card, I cleaned it and tried and worked fine. Trying to walk at his speed around shops gave me serious back ache. Over did it again today, the pain killers patches not working, as pain is at about a 7 right now, things to do but can't. Here's a reminder.... 3rd : Woke up feeling sick, but not sick because of pain, pain level by the way at about 4, the sick feeling feels more like anxiety. Why is it setting in? well my mind is getting prepared for my birthday break. I need a few days to get myself in the right frame of mind. It's not easy and can't just be d...

I maybe suffering with pain on a daily basis, but a holiday is needed. Since my Dad got out of hospital I have been juggling helping and looking after him, and my pain and other issues. When you are a pain sufferer you have to at very least try to put on a brave face and get through it, all the while coping the best you can. Planning is the thing to do. In the first instance accomodation on holiday, finding something on the ground floor, which I managed to do, and something with a walk in shower, again managed to do  Next thing is assistance at the airports, both of which are booked and confirmed by Air France in an email, merci! Then there is extra pain killing, in this case pain killing patches to aid with that, again, an issue solved. The countdown is on!

Wednesday 19th March: Well, I may have found a way to wake up not feeling too bad, but it's not sustainable. CBD oil every hour. Draw backs are lack of sleep, and I need to buy more CBD oil, almost used it all up. Have a feeling my need for CBD may rise ... so will need an oil tanker full. Pain is still there but I can get out of bed - it's at about 4 out of 10.  That was a stupid experiment.... I need sleep  #fibromyalgia #constantpain #chronicpain Thursday 20th March: Woops, I left my electric blanket on high heat, if I was a joint of meat I would be well cooked, it's as hot as hell under the duvet. I normally turn it down to half, but I was so tired due to lack of sleep last night. Can't tell what my body is doing as I think I cooked my back and other joints! I MUST phone Rheumatology at NPT hospital today, chase things up. So, after cooking myself when I slept, am up and moving about, but as I'm doing so can now feel the aches and pains, obviously the heat jus...

Wednesday 12th March: Had the initial persistent pain meet up, learnt about different pains, and different families of pain killers, most interesting. Good to meet with others in the same boat. Now to work out my pathway, starting with medication review. Thursday 13th March: Nero today, he knows when I'm feeling down, sat beside me most of today. He's such a good dog. When I do move to a ground floor flat or bungalow I need to get my own dog. Slight twinges set in early evening. Friday 14th March: 4am - waking up in early hours with your left arm feeling like you want to crack open the bone and scratch inside it.... another reason why I hate fibromyalgia. Neck and back in agony too but not as much, 8 out of 10 - need the toilet, but it's difficult to move. So need help with nights like this, but I can't predict a fibro flare up at all. Maybe I should have taken that flat in that complex, but wasn't ready for that. Looking at what the council have, I DON'T WANT...

A friend of mine commented on  my post last night... "...Did you know they are no longer accepting fibromyalgia as a disability as Labour states it can be managed?" IF it can be managed, what with? my doctor has no idea what to prescribe me for it. Fibro affects people in many different ways. In my case it ramps up my daily pain, causes me to feel my bones are itching on the inside, I get brain fog and forget simple things.  It causes me stiffness and stops me in my tracks. I get woken all hours of the night, can't get back off to sleep. Can't get out of bed in the morning, even when accomplished that I end up trapped in my flat.  How can it be managed? I would like to know. Chain saw to chop off affected part? Sledge hammer to my head? I use part of my PIP to get CBD oil to take the edge off my pain, but even that don't get shot of it. I also use my PIP for my Motability car. Without that I would really be stuck. I suffer with social anxiety so public transport i...

Persistent Pain Service - My Journey Went to the initial Persistent Pain Service group. Learnt all about the service, which I found most interesting. Found out about the different types of pain, and it seems I fall in to a mixed pain group. Also the differences between accute and persistent pain. It was over with quicker than I thought it would be, seems like it was a gateway to the service. Now to figure out what pathway I need to take. On the sheet we were given its got a few options, I do feel a mix of them all would benefit me, including group therapy... at some stage. If you suffer with persistent pain, then please do get your health care provider or doctor to get in touch with the Persistent Pain Service in your local area. In the Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend area its based at NPT Hospital, and can be contacted on Port Talbot 862418 , and search Google for SBUHB Persistent Pain Here is a useful link for you  https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/hospitals/a-z-services/improving...

Well its not been a good ending to January. With my Dad now in hospital due to breathing issue, he looks very weak currently, but at least he has agreed to being moved in to some form of social care housing. His house is a mess, but with my sister, brother in law and what ever I can do, we will do what we can!. On to my health. I don't think my sister really knows hoe bad things are with me, and after talking to my Dad, same applies to him. Yesterday: Fibro flare up, was sleeping so deeply didn't feel any warning in the night, just have to wait until I can get out of bed.  It took me a while, but I finally managed to get out of bed and moving around - that took some doing.  Today:  Wondering if my gabapentin is still as effective as it should be? Still have slight fibro from yesterday. I do have an appointment coming up with the Parsistant Pain Clinic in March, just hope they will be able to offer some kind of hope with pain and the fibromyalgia. Looking further ahead, I...

Been to Morrisons today, had forgot my inhaler. Why is it when I take it with me I hardly ever need it, yet when I leave it at home I need it?  I got in to a bit of a panic and couldn't catch my breath - home now and feeling calm. I have no idea what caused it, I just felt my self going, so I held on to my trolly and found a quiet part of the store to calm down. There is a table in one part of the store at the far end away from the checkouts, so I headed there and sat. I need to talk to my doctor about this. These attacks are causing me problems, especially as I have no idea what is causing them. I need to sort out my anxiety issues as a matter of urgency, I am aiming to do a bus journey ahead of what I hope to be a pathway in to work in the new year. Maybe something is telling me to slow down? As I type this I am feeling a slight pain on the right hand side of my chest, am sure I will be ok. Early to bed for me. Sometimes I hate what my body throws at me, I really do.

  I have just the other day had my 'Migration to Universal Credit' letter through the post, so have filled in the online form and now wait. Getting it has made me decide to push on with more of a blog on Fibromyalgia and Anxiety, to name just two things that run my life. Just yesterday I made a massive decission to stop doing my voluntary work with SA Radio Live, the local community station for Swansea. There is a very good reason for this. I am finding my new time slot a difficult one to cope with. My slot was at the end of the day, and getting through it leaves me totally exhausted. It hasn't been an easy choice to make as I do live doing my show with them. At the same time, I have decided to keep doing my home recorded 1 hour show for Islands FM as this will give me a bit of an escape and take my mind of things in a small way. I do need to put my health first. I have joined a few groups on line for Fibromyalgia and am awaiting my GP to get me in with the Persistant Pain ...

  Mental Health Update - September 2024 I'm wondering if the ammount of physical activity in ones life can affect your mental state? Here's two days from my Fibro blog: Saturday 14th September:  Pain at about 6 out of 10 this morning. Off to Radio Tircoed for about 4pm to train a few people up on Myriad system, then do my show. Felt totally drained when I got home. Pain at about 8 out of 10. May have over done today. You know, going to do something while good to be busy, it totally can floor you mentally and physically. Sunday 15th September:  Off up to Radio Tircoed today, pain first thing at about 6 out of 10, didn't sleep too well last night, but must get to Tircoed for about noon. Done a bit more training then covered for Karl between 1pm and 4pm, the emails didn't want to be opened this afternoon on the main studio computer, lucky one in the production room was letting them be opened!. Not a bad show, but by the time I got home felt drained and my pain was at about...

  Here is an update on my mental health 1 ( July 2024 ) During the pndemic my mental health took a massive hit. My anxiety was through the roof. I went to a big festival, first really big one since 2019. I managed it but had a lot of time either alone or with close friends at camp. I couldnt do more than 15 mins in a crowd without feeling overwelmed and having to escape them. I avoided the enclosed areas of the festival where crowds were, didn't feel like I would be safe in them. In my mind, if I can't see a way out of a crowd then I don't want to be in it. I was on antidepressents, but was not keeen on them, still am not. I am using a little cbd oil, but this is expensive, but it is helping. Depression is still in my life, but i'm on the fringes of it, since I have started back at Radio Tircoed, I have focus on something I enjoy. Tuesday 24th September:   I'm having to ask my self has my mind been on tasks fully, and have to say, no it hasn't. Dad isn't wel...

  Rhumatology department at Neath Port Talbot Hospital refered me to the Fibromyalgia Clinic. I had a phone call from the clinic yesterday, and thought I would do a blog to show how my life an Fibro co-exist. I can tell you I have reminders on my phone and bits of paper pinned to the wall. Forgetting what I got up to do is the norm for me, as is forgetting words. Here we go then with the first night time report and the start of the day. Thursday 1st August: A night of interupted sleep, was too hot in the flat to sleep, the downside of a lack of sleep is a body that won't function as it should, so lets see how the day pans out. Pain this morning is at about a 5 out of 10, I took all my dose of Gabapentin yesterday. The day continued, and when I went to bed the pain had risen to about 6 out of 10. Friday 2nd August: In the early hours of this morning woke up to fibro tingling, but because I took all my doseage of Gabapentin, it didn't turn in to much. When I got out of bed my p...

 Health Issues: Update Why is my right knee being a pain? It goes weak a lot of the time. I have had to get a crutch because when it plays up I feel a walking stick don't offer me the support that I need. I feel fed up , and when it goes weak when I am in my flat I am trapped inside . Sunday 30th June: Not long up, feeling a bit off this morning, hope that improves. Bit on the achy side, on my scale of 1 to 10, about a 5 Friday 28th June: Covered a show today, but as the afternoon went on my pain went from a 3 to a 7, hope it eases by tomorrow! Thursday 27th June: Pain at about 7 out of 10 this morning, did my Imraldi injection and within a few hours and a few gabapentin later pain had gone down to around my baseline pain level of about 4 out of 10. Wednesday 26th June: Really bad pain day - out of 10, its about a 9. Its more or less all over pain. Monday 24th June: Feeling wiped out, hardly no energy, pain at around a 7 out of 10. Knee really causing issues today, ok one mome...

Bad Knee Had an awful week with painful right knee on Tuesday, then thanks to painkillers and gabapentin the next day the pain had subsided and my knee was just very weak. I decided to put on a knee support and that helped. I managed the stairs on Thursday, and also decided to give driving a go, as was unsure if my knee was ok for doing this or not, glad to say it was. Friday, and thought my kneee was ok, stupidly decided not to put on my knee support. Drat - thought my knee was getting better, and had improved, had to pop to Morrisons for few bits and it gave way - I may have to decide if I should chance going to do my show or not tomorrow, will have a think and see how it goes, maybe I should have worn my knee support?  In Review: My bad knee this week, and looking how my hips and kness are on a regular basis, along with my back and other health issues really make the need for a ground floor flat or bungallow an urgency. I do not want to be stuck in an upstairs flat and trapped ...

  Visit from Police  Yesterday was a bit of an arresting day, well the afternoon was anyway. Following a recent bump in Tesco's car park, Motability and the insurance company had been in touch with South Wales Police who popped by to see if all was ok. Apparently as I have health health issues, they need to check on things. My Dad had just left within the hour previous, and had said he was feeling rough. This kind of stressed me out, PANIC PANIC PANIC.... and breath! I did tell them this, and as I have a blood pressure monitor checked my blood pressure while they were here. Their initial responce was ' we should get an ambulance ', I told them not to, and checked again just before they left, by which time it had dropped close to normal levels for me. I do think however the sight of a young man in uniform may have aided in the high blood pressure reading. I'm fine though, and so pleased to know that these checks do occur, just wish they hadn't yesterday in the light ...

So after months of having Karl Burtonshaw trying to get me to start back at Swansea's only community radio station he has succeded! I'm back!  Karl is a very  persistant chap! I startted back on 20th April with my show, In The Groove , which airs on a Saturday evening between 6pm and 8pm, LIVE. If you have followed me for a while you will know what the show is all about, it remains that but with added extras, such as local content. Also on board at the station is Shaun Tilley, ex-Swansea Sound & The Wave plus BBC and other stations. He is a radio legend and someone I have been following the career of over time. He has big plans for the station, which, at time of typing this blog, is not public knowledge, so won't be put here until it is. I've been made part of the management team going forward, which is a massive honor for me, and shows that someone who is in the know in the radio world has faith in me. I've been a big part of Radio Tircoed's past. I was the...