This year, I applied to be a Team Myles Mentor (Blue Nose Marathon). After my amazing experience with the Team late last year as an Ambassador, and a nudge from one of the previous mentors, I decided to share my love of Team Myles and running with others.
The Ambassadors apply and can run the 5k and/or the 10k with Team Myles. In the end, we are all training for the 10k, and some folks have already run that distance in their training program!
Watching this group of Ambassadors (some who have never run before) show up every day, for themselves and for their teammates, has really filled a hole for me. It is inspiring to say the least, and to see the smiles as everyone completes their long runs and hills training.
Yes, there are the moments where they think they won’t be able to do it, but they do. A gentle reminder that it’s their race at their pace and they are back at it. The cheers from their teammates give them that extra boost as well.
We have some amazing coaches that warm us up, and cool us down. Their program is slow and steady. So many Ambassadors have surprised themselves with what they have accomplished so far.
To be able to support the Ambassadors has been so rewarding. I can’t even put into words how I feel to see them progress every week. Not only am I supporting them, but they are supporting me.
We just started week 7 of training. The race is the long weekend in May.
She is on a weaning off plan this week, with her new drug (Fetzima) to be started after that.
She follows up with the doc in a month.
This drug can be increased up to 120mg if need be.
Fingers are crossed for this one.
Maybe toes too.
Better to have that little extra crossed for good measure!
(Side Note: We saw the doc the day before Hurricane Dorian made its way to our part of the world. Thankfully we made it through unscathed on our little street. There is a lot of damage in certain areas of our city, but we fared well. Cleanup is underway and the power company is working to get everyone back on the grid as quickly as they can.)
My Buggie was just not feeling herself, no matter what we tried.
She was struggling a lot, and had a hard time getting out of bed. She physically hurt, and had no motivation (she loves to clean, for real, and she has not had the urge to clean anything).
Getting her to go out has been a struggle. She would be so uncomfortable. Our outings were short ones.
She became obsessed with her hamster habitat (she kept sending me pictures and ads for bigger ones) and I could not derail her.
(We didn’t get a bigger habitat- this hamster lives a life of luxury in a huge bin.)
Things were just not good all around.
Thankfully, I was able to get her in to see the doctor today. She now has a new medication added to her regimen and we are hoping this works for her. If not, we need to try a whole new medication.
I am keeping my fingers crossed. Watching her go through this has been hard.
Having been there myself, I could relate, but I couldn’t fix it. There’s nothing worse than not being able to fix what’s wrong with your child, no matter how old they are.
So for now, we wait, and see if this new combo works.
Something our family is good at is finding the humour in adverse situations.
This past week has been rough with a family member’s surgery, but we’ve been able to have a laugh (Thanks Snapchat).
Laughing has gotten me through some pretty rough times.
Example: When I was first diagnosed with my depression, the first couple of weeks were pretty rough.
I was at my parent’s apartment one day when my brother arrived. He came into the kitchen and said hi. He then asked me how the voices in my head were. I paused, and said “Just one minute…..Yep, we’re good today.”
We had a good laugh. It wasn’t at my expense. My brother knew what I needed at that moment.
That being said, I really think you need to know your audience when being a goof during rough times.
Bad form can just hurt feelings, and that is not cool.
To say it’s been an easy few weeks would not be accurate. With work and home, and the time leading into the holidays, it’s been freaking exhausting. Not the physical type of exhaustion either, lol.
TeenThing is my mental illness mirror…as in she is more anxiety than depression. I’m pretty sure this means we balance each other out. It’s a good thing we both have a sense of humour, because I am pretty sure that has been a major player in how we have been getting through the initial medication stage. For example: I had to wake her up early this morning, so I nudged her awake and danced in her room until she woke up. Luckily she thinks I’m funny 😉
Today was our doctor visit, and she increased TeenThing’s med dosage. We should be able to see a difference in her anxiety within the next week or two. She is doing much better and I am so happy she asked for help when she did. Our doctor was very optimistic about her progress so far and for her treatment going forward. It has definitely put my mind at ease. She goes back in a month for another check in and then if all is well we should be good to go to move forward in her treatment.
For now, we are now focusing on getting her sorted with work and getting through the busy holiday season.
That being said, keep this in mind when you are frustrated and shopping/movie-ing/eating out over the next month: There are a lot of kids out there working in the stores/theatres/eating establishments. They don’t make the rules, or the prices, or the return/exchange policies. They are just doing what they have been trained to do. They are not trying to ruin your day. Please don’t be jerks.
I have been “unpacking” my compartmentalized boxes and working on me bit by bit. Something that is irritating and needs to stop is me chewing on the sides of my fingernails. It’s gross I know, but that is my illness manifesting itself as a habit and I have to get a hold on it.
In terms of physical fitness me: I have a new glute program to follow and will be back to some yoga classes this week at the gym. Any running I will be doing will be on the track, as I have some stretching and exercises to do prior to lacing up. I am also going to get back on track with my weights, as that has been haphazard at best. All of this will determine my race status going into 2019.
I must say, opening up my 2018 to regaining my strength and mental clarity has given me more flexibility with my schedule and I am really looking forward to it.
So, onward and upward! It’s almost time to get Christmas-y 🙂
We are keeping our fingers crossed that it stays this way.
I have been taking time to shuffle through the boxes I have compartmentalized, because let’s face it, if I don’t, this whole household will be scattered.
A few things have gone on since our doctor’s visit this week. One of them being some not so supportive opinions to TeenThing being on meds.
Let’s be clear:
She will be 19 in a few days (and by the time most folks read this post).
She is a grown human and fully capable of saying no to something she doesn’t want.
This isn’t something we just “discovered” and said “Hey doc, how about some dope?” (which, by the way, is not given out like candy at Halloween), we have been on this journey for at least a couple of years now. When we got rid of the birth control (she had some female issues) 95% of the her symptoms were still there. FOR MONTHS.
If she had a “regular” disease like cancer, would she be chastised for having chemotherapy? NO.
Mental illness is AN ILLNESS. Depression and anxiety are not something you just GET OVER. Treatment is required when you have tried to fix it yourself and can’t do it alone. There is no shame in asking for help and receiving it. It really is about time people start thinking this way. I know EVERYONE is saying this now, but it is true, AND NOT HAPPENING.
I am used to the stigma surrounding mental illness. It’s sad that I am used to it.
BUT….the other thing that has happened is this:
On the way home tonight I made a decision.
Not only will my place be a safe haven of blanket forts for both myself and TeenThing, it will be an amazing world where we can both talk about how weird and awesome we are.
No judgement.
Full on support for sharing all the dark and light times.
A place where when I say “OH MY GOD GET AWAY FROM ME.” and no one bats an eye or gets offended because I need my space.
A place where TeenThing can camp out in her room all day and read, and watch YouTube, and recharge her batteries and not feel like she is isolating herself from the world, because this is just a small part of her world.
I cannot tell you how comforting that little epiphany was.
I was afraid I was going to go into a tailspin myself over the past little while. But I didn’t. All good on the Mama front for now.
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
My apple, she fell and bounced into a tree similar to her momma.
My smart and funny TeenThing was diagnosed with depression and anxiety this week.
This journey started a while back, and we had to go through a process of elimination (two rounds of birth control pills over the past couple of years) to be able to say that it wasn’t hormone related.
Like her mother, she is very good at hiding some of her symptoms. In preparation for the appointment with our family physician I had her write down everything, as she would have to share it so we could get a proper diagnosis.
I told her that she didn’t HAVE to tell me everything before we went, but she did have to tell the doctor. She was articulate, clear, and brave.
It’s been hard to keep myself from saying “you should do x, or y”. To remind myself that mental illness is a very individual beast.
I’ve compartmentalized alot. My focus now is on being there for her as we navigate her trial of medication and set her up with all the tools she will need to keep to a normal schedule so that she doesn’t hibernate.
I am proud of her for asking for help. Proud of how strong and brave she is.
This meant some shuffling around of activities, but we had a complete blast the last few days out and about in Edinburgh.
We took one beautiful day and did some walking tours.
Our first tour was through a part of the Underground South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh with Auld Reekie Tours. These vaults date back to 1700. They were used as living quarters, brothels and bars over the years. They were also used for “black magic” and a local coven set up a temple in one of the vaults to banish the negative energy.
These vaults are creepy, that’s for sure.
The Wiccan Temple
Outside the vault entrance of the Wiccan Temple
The cursed stone circle
Looking out of the vault
After being creeped out by the most excellent tour guide, we bummed around town a bit before our evening walking tour.
We checked out Holyrood, Arthur’s Seat, Scottish Parliament and of course we had burgers, lol.
Loved all the little “secret streets” off the Royal Mile
One of the quotes on the wall down to the Scottish Parliament
Arthur’s Seat
Side Gate at Holyrood
Scottish Parliament
Entrance to Holyrood
Tea with the Queen anyone?
You can see the Abbey in the back
Back up the Royal Mile
The Heart of Lothian (you spit on this…for real)
St. Giles Cathedral
Our evening tour was one of the free walking tours held by SANDEMANs. We chose this Dark Side tour to hear more about Edinburgh’s creepy history. Our guide was awesome. He was really funny and gave us multiple opportunities to stop and take pics along the way. The most amazing views were from Calton Hill. Calton Hill is the home of the National Monument and Nelson’s Monument.
Nelson’s Monument
The National Monument (also known as the National Shame)
Going down Jacob’s Ladder (they moved coffins up and down these stairs)
Walking Tours are a great way to learn about the city and the guides are great for giving you tips and tricks for food and attractions.
We were lucky enough to be staying close to the Edinburgh Zoo, so our next day was spent with the animals, after some food at the Cocobean Cafe. We were lucky enough to see one of the pandas 🙂
YUM
Meerkats
Red Panda
Sleepy Tiger
Kangarooooooooos
Rhino
Heeeeeeeeeey
Hi Panda!
Bye Panda!
Our last day of running around Edinburgh was spent in town gathering goodies to take home and making sure TeenThing had motion sickness meds, as the plane ride over was not fun for her.
So, before we packed it in, we had to go to The Scotch Whisky Experience! We did the Silver Tour and had a great time. I wish I had gotten a video of TeenThing’s face when she tasted her whisky, lol. The tour ended in the largest whisky collection (3,384 unopened bottles of whisky). It was amazing.
Off in a barrel we go!
I am so sick in this picture, lol.
We both chose to taste whiskey from the Speyside region
The walls were alllllll bottles
The oldest whiskey in the collection
The man who donated the 3,000+ bottles
Our Sunday was spent resting and getting ready to head home to Nova Scotia. We had to be in bed early to get up at 4:00 so we could grab the bus into the Glasgow Airport.
On our way, we talked about “the next time we visit”, and I sure hope we do get over again. I am in love with Scotland!
Thanks for coming along with me on our little adventure.
Usually it’s me. I either get the head cold at the end of a trip, or right when I get back (Spoiler: I got sick too, lol).
It was TeenThing’s turn this time. The first day she really started feeling it was a gorgeous sunny day. I really didn’t want to stay inside all day, so after popping down to the pharmacy and gathering an arsenal of cold meds, I hoofed it back to the house and suggested a walk along the Water of Leith Walkway.
Once she was sufficiently medicated and fed, we began our journey. It was a 10 minute walk to the spot where we could hop on, so enough time for us to see if TeenThing was really up for the trek.
She was 🙂
What a hidden gem! This is a definite must do if you ever get to Edinburgh. We walked to Dean Village and back, took us about 2 hours.
Murrayfield Stadium. No games while we were there, booo.
Here we go!
“Mom, take a picture of me!”
Dean Village
There she goes.
Another serious “trip selfie”.
So pretty
Could have walked for hours. So beautiful.
We could have walked further, but we didn’t pack snacks (oooops).
The next day was cloudy and cool. TeenThing was feeling a little rough, but she agreed to a trip into town to check out the National Gallery.
Rooms and rooms of art. So many serious people in there sitting and staring at all of the paintings and sculptures.
We wandered and took in all of the art. Some of the paintings were HUGE. It was difficult getting photos.
The Campbell Sisters
So serious in here….
Man with Jawbone (this is the title, seriously)
Cain and Abel
Creepy Chair
Creepy Monk Statues
More subtle “trip selfie”, lol.
I was glad I didn’t have our time in Scotland fully planned, as it was good to have some downtime for TeenThing to get better. It was nice to have a couple of low key days.
After we had spent our time exploring the Gallery, we took the tram back to the house where we chilled for the rest of the day.
By the time our next adventure rolled around, TeenThing was feeling better 🙂
Our next couple of trips into town took us to quite a few spots.
First stop: Edinburgh Castle
I think I took a million pictures here. This castle could have it’s own blog post! Things we could not take pictures of: The Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. I did take photos of some of the areas leading up to the room. We had to go up a winding staircase to get up to the Honours of Scotland. Thankfully not ALL the way up, lol.
There is so much to see at the Castle. You need at least 2 hours here, if not more, to really see everything. Also, going between 10-2 means a BUCKET LOAD of people, so if you want to feel like you need a little more space, head in a little later.
There is even a dog cemetery.
There is a prison exhibit, war/regimental museums and St Margaret’s Chapel, which was built in 1130. The views from the Castle are well worth some extra time to take in.
Grassmarket, Harry Potter and Greyfriars Bobby
Some neat little pubs along this stretch
Grassmarket. This area has a Saturday Market filled with vendors.
Parts of Grassmarket (and The Royal Mile) are pedestrian only.
We ventured down to Grassmarket through some little side streets and walked around for a bit. This area is full of food and stories.
We ate at The Last Drop. A fitting name for a pub sitting across from where public hangings used to take place 😉 There was good food here (TeenThing had mac and cheese and I had haggis sausages and mash), a great drink selection, and the staff were very nice.
Now, Harry Potter.
Potter fans know that JK Rowling started writing Harry Potter in Edinburgh. Once you are here and travel along the streets, you see the magic around you. The history, the architecture, and the atmosphere is definitely inspiring. There are a couple of streets that claim to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley. With so many small winding side streets, it would be easy to get inspiration from any of them!
You can see the inspiration for Harry Potter everywhere.
Supply List
Victoria Street lays the claim to Diagon Alley 😉
A little HaHa to break up the day 🙂
The Elephant House Cafe is an extremely busy spot, as you can well imagine (JK Rowling wrote two books at this location), and is very close to Greyfriars Kirkyard. The Kirkyard is where the grave for Tom Riddle is located, and behind the Kirkyard is George Heriot’s School, the inspiration for Hogwarts.
This Cafe is always packed. You can sign your name on the bathroom wall here, along with a bazillion other Harry fans.
Tom Riddle’s Grave
There is NO grass left here, lol. Also, the Kirkyard staff will lead you down to this area if need be.
This was one of my favourite stories of Edinburgh. Bobby was a partner for his human John Gray, who was a night watchman for the Edinburgh Police but died of tuberculosis. Bobby was a constant visitor to his master’s grave. He has his own stone in the Greyfriars Kirkyard where visitors leave him sticks.
And yes, we did rub his nose for luck 😉
Using our own two feet to explore the city was amazing, and I am glad we did because you really get to see all of the small nooks and crannies of the city.
Side Note: We had great experiences on all of our walking tours. You’ll get to see some of the sights on one of the tours in a later post 🙂
Next week: Outlander!
(p.s. If you are not a fan of the show, feel free to just come back for the pictures, the set locations we got to visit were amazing!)
The Midlife Reframe 