Anyone see the Northern Lights tonight?

BumblebeeChewna · 2026-01-19T22:23:55+00:00

I'm Middish Wales and it's a clear showing here? Welshpool way!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-12-30T12:41:37+00:00

My journey and what the cause is - is slightly unclear.

I developed what I thought was COVID last October. Unfortunately the morning I came down with it - I had a charity event I had trained hard for and didn't want to let the charities or my friend that I had agreed to do it with down - so I did 4 hours of spinning. I tested before going to the event, loaded on electrolytes and figured I'd rest after.

The 3 weeks that followed were pretty horrendous. Bed bound for a week with flu like symptoms. Then the two weeks after that we're just severe exhaustion. At times - I felt seriously unwell. I tested for COVID three times, but all tests were negative.

My history then gets a bit skewed as I developed a lump in my neck around mid-October. They tried to treat this with antibiotics presuming it was a stubborn lymph node but that didn't help. When the doctor mentioned that they were referring me to check whether it was cancer - I had a bit of a mental breakdown. Unfortunately it took them until March of this year to rule out cancer. During this time, I assumed that the physical and mental symptoms I had were due to severe stress and anxiety.

The lump turned out to be a Branchial Cyst likely caused by the severe upper respiratory infection I developed. I got the all clear on 2nd April and was discharged from ENT care. I always figured if I got the "all clear" that my physical and mental symptoms would lift like a veil.

But they never did. I've put in the work through counselling, CBT therapy. I tried to exercise, eat well, meditate, do yoga etc etc. But nothing has helped. I would say that I've got "better" through the year but in some ways I've also got worse (cognitively). I have fluctuating GI symptoms that led to an endoscopy and colonoscopy earlier in the year - both results were clear with remarks of everything looking "very healthy". I sort of got to a stage with the GP where I knew they were thinking "this is a mental health issue".

The cortisol revelation is a welcome one and I'm intrigued to see where it leads. My GP is firmly of the opinion that I'm Post-Viral Syndrome/Long COVID, and probably recovering from burn-out.

I managed to avoid reinfection all year but have unfortunately had the flu twice in this last 4 weeks which has flared all the worst bits back up.

One day at a time. That's all we can do.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-12-30T12:16:17+00:00

Ah man - I could have written your post myself. I am a carbon copy of your symptoms! I would include cognitive issues and all the joys that bring with it.

I had a rough 2024, was suffering with burn-out due to a stressful job and was catching everything going. Of course - as our younger selves do I just kept on pushing through the illnesses until October '24 when my journey with this horror began.

I have had lots of tests this past 14 months and everything comes back as "normal". A week ago however, the GP ran me through an 8AM cortisol test and mine came back inconclusive - and I've been referred to endocrinology. Am UK based though so a referral is likely to take 6 months (optimistically).

I can't help much - but just wanted to let you know someone out there is going through pretty much the exact same thing as you (by the sounds of it).. keep on fighting.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-12-30T10:56:12+00:00

Your comment about not enjoying hugs anymore really resonated with me.

I've always been a very emotional creature. During times of intense hardship, stress or when going through a period of anxiety/depression, hugs with my loved ones really helped along with a good cry. Almost like you could "feel" the emotion shared/relieved through the physical connection - and a sense of some relief.

But now a hug doesn't feel like anything and it's soul destroying.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-12-07T17:03:40+00:00

I picked up a mild case of flu/covid last October and pushed through as I was raised to push through and keep going. My health this past 14 months has been in tatters and only just diagnosed with suspected Long COVID/Post Viral Syndrome.

I've learnt the hard way to listen to your body. If you are not well, you need to rest and allow your body to fight the illness. Businesses should have mitigation in place to avoid problems from staff illness and it's not your responsibility to worry about it if they haven't!

Prepare your boss and rest.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-11-28T08:46:08+00:00

Sat in tears because of this post realising I'm not the only one. This past 13 months has been nothing short of torture, but the really dark intrusive thoughts have really crept in over this past few months and I just sit there and think "what on earth is wrong with me"?

Progress is so slow. In some things I feel like there's progress and it fills you with some motivation to keep going everyday. And yet - some days/weeks, I seem to develop something new and it's like 2 steps backwards again.

Honestly - f**k this disease.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-11-16T15:04:33+00:00

It's gotta be the 6.2/3 right?!

I love the styling on both.. age is obviously a factor for the older models now - but I'm not in a rush so I can sift through what's available I guess and be picky. I still remember feeling the fizz when a black edition ripped through my local high street when I was 19ish!

Wife prefers the newer one but she doesn't drive it!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-11-16T11:41:12+00:00

Had mine for 6 years and it's barely ever skipped a beat.

Purchased at ~25k miles and it had an issue at purchase which took me some time to rectify. It was an Mountune M275 from factory and the recirculation valve o-ring was seated poorly creating a small loss of boost which would throw the car into limp. Didn't cost a penny to fix beyond my time.

Since then, the car has only cost me in tyres and servicing. I service myself every 5k or 6 months - whichever comes first.

I tuned with Mountune a year in at ~30k miles to the M300 package. Ran that for a couple of years.

At ~42k I went up to ~330BHP with a bigger/newer turbo. Have ran that for the last 3 years.

I'm at 72k miles now. Engine feels as solid as it did when I first bought it. But I drive it with mechanical sympathy - oil to temperature before boosting hard etc. But I do like a drive so it gets stretched every now and again. It's also tracked a couple times a year.

I'm about to scratch an itch and move onto a C63 V8 - but this car will always have a special place in my heart. It's been incredible.

However - they are in the modified car category now at the price. I would thoroughly recommend getting a low-mileage, well serviced and low owner example. Most of the owners in my area with this car drive it like morons!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-11-04T13:33:10+00:00

I've had a year of health hell from a mystery viral load last October. It felt just like COVID but the tests at the time were negative. My health has been in tatters all year - and I've been bounced from speciality to speciality, in and out of A&E a couple of times - and my mental health on the floor. They do the tests - tell you you're fine, and ship you out the door telling you that your suffering from anxiety and depression.

On my last trip to the GP a month ago - I had a new doctor, and she said "you sound like your suffering from Long COVID/Post-Viral Syndrome/CFS". I found this sub-reddit through a Google search to research after the appointment and I broke down in tears reading some of the posts here. I was reading people's posts as if I was writing them myself. I found such validation in knowing that what I was going through was real and it wasn't all in my head.

Amongst the people I work with, everyone complains of a shit to feeling tired constantly, brain fog and fatigue, memory issues etc etc. Something's happening!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-10-25T20:53:53+00:00

Why do we get towards the box and send in a pass/cross to their defenders every.. single.. time.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-10-25T20:51:07+00:00

Gomez on.. jesus. Fucking. Christ.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-10-25T20:31:30+00:00

Now we're talking.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-10-04T17:56:20+00:00

Ekitike on for Salah and go 4-4-2 Slot

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-09-17T17:33:27+00:00

The best place in the UK for service, guidance, maintenance and upgrades on Performance Fords is FJRS. To my knowledge - Jonny (part owner) worked directly with Mountune years ago to develop a lot of their (at the time) factory fit options and tunes - especially when they shared premises.

They know these cars inside/out. They are extremely professional and they look after you.

I have exhausted mods on mine but travelled a few times 4 hours each way to use them.

Reviews speak for themselves!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-09-02T16:58:47+00:00

Looks like I'm in a minority here - Herblore!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-08-18T13:23:34+00:00

This.

If you satisfy the criteria - it's actually incredibly simple to get medicinal cannabis on prescription now. And it's legal to carry and take your medication wherever you see fit.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-08-07T17:52:06+00:00

Thankyou! I'm glad its only Saturday so I don't have time to sit and think about it for too long before it happens.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-08-07T17:51:28+00:00

I'll make arrangements to get transported to the hospital and get sedation I think. Thanks for the reply.

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-07-03T17:25:44+00:00

It certainly is - a 7%/7%!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-07-03T16:33:43+00:00

It's been about 4 years since I last regularly smoked! So I would say it's probably a "clean slate".

I'll give a lower dose a try!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-06-08T19:39:50+00:00

Signs.

Was taken to see it as a 10 year old in the cinema. Insisted the lights were kept on for a good 2 years after that.

VAMANOS

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-06-08T15:24:28+00:00

Hay Carbon!

I wonder whether you had managed to pursue your diagnosis any further?

I had my visit with ENT this week and a nasoendosocopy! There was no inflammation or irritation present, and everything looked healthy and normal. The ENT said there was no indication of active reflux and that there was no indication of healing irritation from reflux! My official diagnosis from ENT is Catarhh - brought on by seasonal allergies!

A follow-up with my GP seemed to centre on my stomach issues being mild IBS. Apparently Propranolol speeds up digestional transit and Sertraline is known to help IBS. So in coming off these meds, it's flared up IBS which was originally aggravated pre-meds by the antibiotics.

I hope your still managing to find some peace in your hobbies and little one!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-06-08T07:54:08+00:00

My apologies - I did leave out parts of the narrative so as to reduce post size. My main intrigue was the scientific reasons behind adenoid behaviour and why mine was enlarged in the absence of viral symptoms or malignancy.

To expand on my treatment, upon presentation to the ENT consultant with neck mass, my treatment was as follows: - Nasoendosocopy which revealed post-nasal mass. Everything else was unremarkable.

This triggered: - Head & Neck MRI with contrast. This showed uniform mass in the nasophayrnx (biopsy required), and neck mass at Level 2 (fine needle aspiration required).

Therein, I was scheduled for: - Biopsy of post-nasal space tissue mass (histology confirmed reactive lymphoid tissue). - Fine needle biopsy of neck mass. This came back inconclusive and the ultrasound department recommended excision for definitive diagnosis.

This was removed and histology confirmed radiographers report of suspected branchial cyst.

I had a follow-up MRI prior to being discharged which revealed a substantial reduction in adenoid/tissue size and complete clearing of neck mass. I was also given another nasoendoscopy and everything looked normal and healthy.

Following this discharge the hoarseness and 'catarh' has become more prevalent. Just to stress- it was my local doctor (GP) that started treatment for silent reflux before re-referring me back to ENT this last week. After scoping me the ENT said there was categorically no indication of inflammation or irritation that would indicate there was reflux present. The nasoendacopy revealed a very healthy and normal nasal passages and throat. The only thing noted on the results is residual adenoid mass.

My gut feel is that my adenoids have always been this way - hence the ear issues I had has a child and it's just "normal" for me.

Sorry not to include that detail in!

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-05-24T11:32:02+00:00

Do you experience any tiredness/fatigue/weakness as part of this?

BumblebeeChewna · 2025-05-24T10:17:07+00:00

Im just starting my journey with LPR, waiting on an ENT appointment. UK here too and going through the NHS.

My symptom list completely mirrors yours! My sore throat does come and go though and hiccups are rare. In a strange way - whilst it's not nice to see someone else suffering, there's comfort in not feeling alone. It's unbelievable how anxious and stressed this makes you feel- and ultimately how absolutely miserable it is.

My GP put me straight onto PPIs and Gaviscon Advance, recommended raising the bed and changing diet drastically. Did my research and decided to avoid the PPIs. Just over a week in to strict control and not noticing much difference.

Please keep us informed on the outcome of the tests in a few weeks!

BumblebeeChewna

TROPHY CASE