This Week...

Hi. (I had a serious mental block on thinking of a title sorry)
The past week or so has been a so so one. Last week ended with me going to my gp because I couldn't control my mouth and couldn't drink a drink without needing a straw. So my mum rang the doctors and said if I don't get an emergency appointment, I'll take her to hospital. I guess because it could be anything with me, it could be my head or me starting the medicines, or even a stroke.

So we got an emergency appointment with the on call doctor, which happened to be our gp, and he said at the minute he pressumed it was just the medicines but if it gets worse to ring straight back. He also arranged an appointment on the Friday, it was Wednesday, It didn't get worse thankfully. 

On Tuesday it was a somber day as it's been 5 years since an old classmate died.  My school, we had classes of around 7 and a teacher and a learning support teacher. Everybody was close and most of us had grown up together, my class was made up of people I have known since I started school when I was in year 4. 

I had just started year 7, secondary and it was a week before my birthday when Danny died, he hadn't been too well for the past few weeks. He seemed to be coughing more, you see he had duchenes muscular dystrophy. 

I'm not going to get too much into details but I didn't expect to ever deal with it. It brought myself and my best friend Kevin closer I think. As much as it was a terrible thing and I still wonder how things would be if he was still here, I am thankful for the time he was here and it also makes you appereciate things no matter how big or small. If anything can come from such a sad situation is that we can find a cure to such a terrible disease which affects so many people. 
If you would like to find out more about duchenes muscular dystrophy - http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Muscular-dystrophy/Pages/Introduction.aspx
And if you would like to find out how you can donate to help find a cure and how scientists are working on finding a cure for this and other neuromuscular conditions  - http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/research .


Its officially 2 and a bit days until my birthday. 17! As I am having my family over and Kevin for a meal I will do a post for my birthday. 

Sophie

Yes this is my tablets -
2 vitamin D tablets twice a day (the pink/peachy tablets)
1 Folic Acid tablet once a day (the little yellow tablet)
1 Vitamin B12 tablet three times a day (the white tablet)

I finally got my new album 'Talking Dreams' by Echosmith!!!

My guide dogs adventure

Hi, so as you may know I am visually impaired, there was a bit of a palava about whether I was classed as blind or visually impaired, so now we have that and I am a officially registered visually impaired. But also there has also always been a bit of debate between my doctors whether its my eyes that don't work, or my brain. It turns out after going to moorfields eye hospital in london and doing this set of tests, which makes up one big test, its my brain that doesn't work. It's called a cortical visual impairment. So with that update on my sight I get to my actual adventure. I recently got in touch with guide dogs, to start the process off with possibly getting a guide dog, I had a lady from Blind Children uk (they help from birth to 25 years old)who work with guide dogs, called kirsty and we discussed all the help they could give me, and also about getting a guide dog. So I got invited by kirsty to go to a guide dog training centre and to see what it would be like to have a guide dog. I had a walk with someone holding the harness, to experience what it would feel like with a dog in the harness before getting to walk with an actual dog. The dogs were all trainee guide dogs and so their was about 5 golden retrivers and 1 black Labrador. I went and did a grooming experience with a golden retriever called Ramsey. I then went out for a walk with Pearl, the black labrador. Although she may have walked faster than me when we went for the walk, she was the ideal temperment. Very calm, which I think is what I need as I wouldnt want a dog who jumps up and is very excitable. I loved Pearl, I wanted to take her home with me, strangely she reminded me of my cats. I also did a bit of training in some of the commands with Pearl. Throughout the whole day the guide dog workers were very friendly and helpful and made sure our activities went smoothly.
One of the activities I found most interesting was just before we started the journey home, we got to speak to a guide dog owner. It was nice to talk to someone who had an insight into the pros and cons of having a guide dog. I asked about whether the dog is allowed to lick your face or hands, which is something I am put off by, she then said she forgot to mention if it tries to lick you, to say no, as she was completely blind she couldn't see my brother getting his hand licked for the whole time we was talking to her by Layla, her guide dog.
Then we got in the car to go home, on the way home we got a mc donalds as it had been such a long day.

Photos from the day

Pearl, I wanted to take her home with me!

Close up of pearl

As there were quite a few golden retrievers, I couldn't really remember there names but here is one of the dogs

Such a poser!

Sophie

Here's to 2015!

  Hi, good morning and happy new year! 

I hope everyone who reads this had a lovely New Year's Eve. My family didnt do anything to celebrate really. My dad had his yearly drink, text everyone at 9pm with "happy new year", just in case he was asleep before midnight like usual. Spoiler alert: he was asleep at about 10:30. My niece Daisy was at our house as well and so as she was still awake when the fireworks were on, she came watched them too with my mum, my brother Tom and I.

I have to admit, usually when we watch the fireworks on tv, there's usually a bit of a build up, but they were nearly late and I thought if they don't hurry up Big Ben will ring in the new year late. Although I did go to a family get together at my nan and grandad, my dads parents, on New Year's Day. But I can't say I had a nice time as half of it, I can't remember. I also fell asleep and when I woke up we were getting ready to go home, I nearly fell over a few times. Then when I got home at 7pm I went straight to bed until 1am. 

2014, was for my family and I a mixed year I have to say, there has been happy moments but at the same time a lot of really tough moments. People who I thought would stick by me, have to put it nicely dissappeared. But I've also found some great people this year as well. I've been to some really great concerts, I've met Echosmith and I feel like I've got a better out look on things. For all the bad times, I've had great times that have made me forget the bad. It's felt like a very long year!

I've even got some New Years resolutions:

1. Do more charity work: I'm currently trying to organise to raise money for 'dreams come true', which is a small charity who granted my wish to meet one direction. 

2. To make this a good year!

3. Go to more premieres and concerts, I love movie premieres and I've met some great friends through them and I've met some lovely celebrity's *cough* Danny from mcfly! But also I think through meeting people at premieres and concerts has made me more confident in a sense and has given me a sense of the world outside. I've already got some concerts lined up and I hope to go to the Insurgent premiere in London!

I had my blood test for b12 deficiency because we were already out as I was having the flu vaccine, which for under 18's at my gp's surgery they are doing a spray up the nose. Which I have to say is much better than an injection! So hopefully we will have the results for that soon, before my birthday would be nice, which is at the end of January!

As is the usual after Christmas, the sales are on and so yesterday my mum, my brother George and I went shopping. We met up with my sister Erin, her boyfriend Carl and Daisy. It was freezing. I was in my wheelchair and I bought quite a few jumpers haha! I bought this really sweet phone case in H&M, it looks like cinema popcorn! I did my usual hmv spending spree, I think if they had a website which you could buy things online that I would be broke! I bought a few things! 

So I had a massive shopping spree in the town I guess! It was nice just to hang out with some of my family. I'm meeting up with my friend Kevin next week, we've been friends 8 years this year! I also have lots of appointments as well, I have Camhs (child and adolescent mental health service), physio, Kirsty Jackson from guide dogs and blind children uk (two charities who work together) because I'm going to start receiving help from them, I also have been invited to go to a guide dogs training type day to see whether I would benefit from a guide dog!

Also I'm restarting singing lessons, which is exciting as my brother got a drum kit for Christmas so one step towards making a band!

I'd also like to say hooray, I've finally finished my lush review! 

See you all soon and here's to 2015!

Sophie

Photo time

A poster of 5 seconds of summer, I bought at HMV

             My popcorn phone case from H&M 

My upcoming concerts, which will be made all the better if a certain band do a uk show or tour, *cough* paramore!! ( also a few other bands, but mainly paramore!)

Also here is the link for guide dogs and blind children uk, if you would like to know more about some of the work they do - https://www.guidedogs.org.uk

http://www.blindchildrenuk.org/how-we-can-help-you/movement-matters/ 

And here is the link for Dreams Come True if you wanted to find out more about the work they do - http://dreamscometrue.uk.com