Charlotte's scratch post

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Was a bit scary getting out of my street this morning in the car. The snow around me was pretty deep, over 20cm for sure. Luckily although not winter tyres, I did get new decent ones put on the front over the Christmas break. This paid off as I had decent enough traction to get onto the clear main road. Lots of snow to clear off the car wearing my big wooly jumper and leggings 🙂

Deposit now paid for SRS so just got to gather the funds before late Jan 2027. My FFS will be well healed by then so will be more than ready.

Glad to have made it through my first week back at work. I actually enjoy the job when it's not stressful e.g. spend my week designing, coding and testing electronic kit.

Charlotte 😻

[Lori Dee ✅]

Sounds like everything is moving according to plan. That is wonderful news!

[Dances With Trees]

Drive safely, Charlotte! In Montana, we use studded tires from October through April, and sometimes wish we had them on in May.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

I now have beautifully red hair 😻




So happy

[Lori Dee ✅]

Nice! That color works for you.

[Dances With Trees]

Absolutely gorgeous, Charlotte! I love it.

[Emma1017]

I am so jealous, Charlotte!!  The color looks great.

I am so tired of wigs.  I wish I had time to do a transplant, maybe when I retire.

Also, I am so glad that your are progress so well on your plans.

Excellent!

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Thanks for the kind words. Each little thing I feel takes me closer to the woman I am inside.

Emma, I hope if you decide to, you can get a transplant and have some similar experiments and joy with your hair!

I only just got on HRT soon enough before losing too much on my crown. Also luckily started finasteride a year before. As it stands minoxidil is bringing back some thickness, but was touch and go really!

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Another day written off with severe headache due to sinus issues. Seemingly a weekly occurrence this winter. I think mostly due to all the illnesses everyone at work have been bringing in since last year. Six aspirin have taken the edge off, but still just hurts everytime I move.

The sooner this winter and all the infections from work are over, the better.

[Dances With Trees]

I so hope winter ends soon! Sinus headaches are miserable. Hot tea with lemon and honey...Wait, your British, you probably know much more about tea than I do. Take care.

[Pema]

Charlotte, I think you mentioned it a while back, but have you tried using a neti pot to do a sinus rinse? I used to have exactly what you're describing every winter - sometimes resulting in sinus infections requiring antibiotics. I bought a lovely ceramic neti pot and began by using the prepared packets of saline powder (really just table salt and baking soda) but eventually started making my own.

The process takes some getting used to, but it really does work for me. It's one of the first things I do every morning (year-round). This time of year, I'll still feel a slight pressure in my sinuses, but I haven't had the headaches or an infection for decades now. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Charlotte, I think you mentioned it a while back, but have you tried using a neti pot to do a sinus rinse?

Hey Pema, I've started on the back of the previous advice using a prepackaged saline rinse which is helping keep things a bit clearer, but need to see I it improves after a week or two more. If no joy I will try the neti pot method. I'm not sure if one or other has an advantage.

I think the cold air is not helpful as seems to make it worse. Today I'm struggling to get the house warm and my nose feels pretty cold as a result.

Thanks for your help and advice 😊

[Pema]

Oh, good. I hope you'll see improvement from what you're doing. My experience has been that the key is really getting the stuff way up in there to clean things out well. I literally do it with my head tipped down into the basin. After the inflow, I'll plug one nostril and gently blow through the other, switch sides. I repeat that whole cycle at least 4 times if not 8. Oh, and I switch sides when I'm pouring the solution in, too.

It takes some practice to get it as far up/in there as possible, but that really is what is required. Without getting too graphic here, I get visible results as I'm doing it, and their volume correlates with how clear things feel afterward vs. before.

Cold air is probably the biggest factor for me, too. We sleep outside, and nighttime temperatures are now just above freezing.

I've been doing the neti pot since 2004, and the only times I've had even moderately bad sinus symptoms since then has been when I got complacent and stopped using it. As soon as I resumed, they'd clear up again.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Thank you Pema. That sounds like a very comprehensive routine and so glad to hear it improved things for you. I'll have a look for a pot and give it a try incase it works a bit better. I'd love to get it sorted as it's also stopping me being able to control my voice. The congestion causes my voice to be very crackly. On the phone people have asked if I've got a cold even when I didn't and felt well!

[Lori Dee ✅]

Thank you Pema. That sounds like a very comprehensive routine and so glad to hear it improved things for you. I'll have a look for a pot and give it a try incase it works a bit better. I'd love to get it sorted as it's also stopping me being able to control my voice. The congestion causes my voice to be very crackly. On the phone people have asked if I've got a cold even when I didn't and felt well!

I have seen an electric version that doesn't require twisting your neck. It has two ports (one for each nostril) and a pump circulates the solution in one side and out the other. I have not tried one, so I can't say how it works, but it is an interesting option. Especially because I have fused vertebrae in my neck.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Eyebrows microbladed now. I love the look and the process was completely comfortable. I went natural as I'm getting FFS including temporal brow lift in March. This will exaggerate them and also my surgeon will know my natural form whilst working it all out.

[Northern Star Girl ✅]

@Charlotte_Ringwood
 Thank you for sharing your success with your eyebrows.

  Very nicely done and a feminine appearance.

HUGS, Danielle

Eyebrows microbladed now. I love the look and the process was completely comfortable. I went natural as I'm getting FFS including temporal brow lift in March. This will exaggerate them and also my surgeon will know my natural form whilst working it all out.

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

I've just joined my local running club this evening although had to take it essy on account of fresh bladed eyebrows! Everyone was very welcoming and friendly.


I joined as I don't really have friends so it's a bit of social interaction and it might help with my depression. Maybe 10 years back I could run 5km in 27 minutes. Would be nice to get back there again too.

Finally helpful to be fitter for all this surgery!

Charlotte 😻

[Charlotte_Ringwood]

Had a very tough morning this morning. Woke up getting ready for work and felt like I don't want to be here anymore. I think the problem is that in reality, I feel that way deep down all of the time. Just some days I do a better job of masking my feelings and pretending I'm ok! Honestly if I didn't have a boyfriend who relies on me I really doubt I'd still be here as things stand. I keep wishing for major complications through surgery and that i don't make it.

My appointment for therapy can't come soon enough tomorrow, although it's only an intro session. I'll need to sort a therapist I want after this. Hopefully they can make sense of this as I can't. There is nothing major wrong in my life at all. Nothing right now is bothering me. Stress is really low. Yet all I feel is emptiness and disinterest in life. Just really tired like my whole body is wrapped in heavy bags pulling my body and heart into the ground. It's my mind that's betraying me, my whole reward and attachment system seems very broken.

I'm a little better now in that I'm  not feeling completely broken, but still struggling to understand the point of everything. Logically none of it makes any sense to me.

Some nice food will help a little I'm sure. My boyfriend is making Mexican wraps of some kind! He's good at those.

Charlotte 😻

[Dances With Trees]

There's nothing like spicy food to cure the blues! Your boyfriend sounds like the cat's meow. Charlotte, I've had down days but it sounds like you're scraping bottom. I won't give advice, but I will send hugs! Love you, girl.