soap and glory – Madeleine Swann

Basically, having endometriosis is rubbish. It’s not life threatening (as you’ll hear many times) but the frequent trips to A+E and having plans scuppered by chronic pain are somewhat grating.

I often think of it as a guest at a tea party who always turns up late and only ever brings Garibaldi biscuits, despite me telling them constantly I don’t like raisins.

However, there are a few small victories I’ve claimed. They’re not much in the scheme of things but they make me feel a bit better, and here they are:

Keep a diary: I should confess I haven’t got round to this yet but my doctor tells me I should keep a regular record so I know where I am in the month. I can see it makes a lot of sense. Perhaps tomorrow…

I have to spend several days at a time in bed with a hot water bottle, so I’ve taken time to ensure my hot water and bed clothes look brilliant. Whether its a Salvador Dalek t shirt, tie dyed nighties (find out how in this post) or a rainbow hot water bottle, at least I look colourful when I’m in pain. And that’s the main thing.

madeleine-swann-dalek — Rainbow hot water bottle and Salvador Dalek t shirt, yay!

Read Coping With Endometriosis by Jo Mears. It will at least make you feel less of a weirdo. Well, as much as could be possible for me…

Make a bath as pleasant as possible. Having a hot bath of course soothes pain and I make sure I have my favourite products on hand. As I mentioned before, the colourful soaps from Lush and the vintage inspired Soap and Glory range are brilliant.

If all else fails, at least you’re not one of these ants:

There’s no ‘right way’ of doing things. No one should read how one person lives their life and follow it strictly, and of course there’s no point in doing something purely for affectation. However, for me, I love Jeanette Winterson’s outlook in her introduction to ‘Oranges are not the only fruit’:

Pentax Digital Camera — My general attire

“Dinginess is death to a writer. When Keats was depressed he put on a clean shirt. When Radclyffe Hall was oppressed she ordered new sets of silk underwear from Jermyn Street.”

This has always worked for me and ever since I can remember I’ve been drawn to colourful things; clothes, decorations, and any bath products (baths are important to me) that are jolly or immature in any way make me ecstatic – Lush Cosmetics and Soap and Glory are the best for this. Soap and Glory’s packaging is fifties vintage which makes me feel like a burlesque queen, while Lush’s colours take me to a fantastical place.

How can you not love a ‘bath bar’ shaped like a mushroom? In order to remain able to think up bizarre and silly stories it is vital that I never grow up.