Welcome to the third weekly roundup of the blog. This week there were three posts on the blog, one stream, and an extra video uploaded to YouTube as well as the stream. I am also nearing the end of my ten-week online neurobiology course. The only thing left, is a short essay and then it is complete. I began it as a way of exploring a topic that I find interesting but knew nothing about. Now, I find myself more intrigued by anatomy and the way that our minds and bodies work. At this point, I cannot justify trying to juggle online courses with everything else I have going on. However, in the future I do hope to enrol in another one. My plan is now, to begin working my way through the stack of books that I have been accumulating. One of which, was bought after it was referenced during the course. 

This week has been a hard one for me health wise. I have been dealing with a flare up of my hypermobility which has left me exhausted. I have been hurting worse than normal. At first, I thought that it was just down to consuming too much sugar, but I was wrong. (Though that was definitely a factor too.) Sometimes, it is completely out of my control. This was one of those times. My hypermobility made most of my joints stiff and painful. The sugar consumption also caused a spike in inflammation. If it wasn't for my stomach problems, I could have taken anti-inflammatories and carried on with life a little easier. In this case though, I had to just wait it out. Then, as things were getting better in that respect, they got worse once again in others. 

I went for an ultrasound to try and find out what if anything is wrong in my lower abdomen which is causing some of my pain. This came back as normal. As did the ultrasound on my kidneys. As a result of the poking and prodding, my organs began to fight back. I spent half of the night after the scan awake and unable to rest even having taken painkillers. The discomfort and cramping making me too uncomfortable to relax. What didn't help, was that once again my stomach flared up, luckily only minorly but still. 

I missed one dose of medication and had a stark reminder of how reliant I am on the many medications I have been prescribed to get through my day. As it stands, I take anywhere between six and seventeen tablets a day. My minimum is five tablets (two of one type, three of another) a day to control my stomach condition and my birth control. I have another prescribed for occasional us when the nausea kicks up and prevents me from eating. I have a further three ointments, sprays, and the like to manage other conditions I am dealing with. Then, there are the painkillers which I take when I need them, which usually is not anywhere near as much as it has been over the last couple of days. It is all too much, when I bring it together and consider it in this way. 

This is one of those days, on one of those weeks, where everything seems to be a bit out of whack. I am surprised that I don't rattle sometimes from the amount of medications I have to take. I am waiting on an endoscopy to hopefully move forward and find treatment for my stomach to reduce the amount I am dealing with. My doctors have agreed to chase it up which is progress. They are concerned as I am that after almost a year of being on the medication that my condition is not getting better. At first, I believed that my weight loss was down to my hard work to get healthier. Now that it is continuing past my goal, when I am no longer trying, it has become a concern. 

I am proud of myself for continuing with life as best as I can despite these problems. I am determined to continue moving forward and pursue the things I want to do. I always want to improve myself, working to get better at adulting. Reading, writing, and gaming, taking enjoyment out of the things I do. These are all things I am determined to keep doing. For too long, I didn't prioritise myself. My health and my enjoyment of life are my main priorities right now. I will be holding myself accountable in this and I want to be held accountable by you the readers. If I am getting lazy, I want people to tell me. If people think I am doing well I would appreciate getting feedback. However, that is up to the reader.