I’ll be the first to admit that I love a good shopping spree. But with the economy being what it is and with a demanding and very expensive toddler to take care of, the days of splurging on designer pieces are far behind me. At least in the way that I used to. That is until I found Vinted. A popular second-hand online shopping platform here in France. Vinted has every high street and designer label item you can think of, and as I’ve discovered, there is a wide range of people who use Vinted, from stylists, editors, moms, housewives, students and everyone in between. In other words, you can find your Prada skirt or Gucci shoes for half or a third of the retail price, which is a HUGE relief. Not only is Vinted highly beneficial for my wallet and future spendings, but it will also come in handy for all the Christmas shopping that I want to do this season. I will find second-hand items of GREAT quality or those that haven’t even been used yet. I can also gift these items to my loved ones. 

Since using Vinted, I have also been able to offload items that I no longer wear and things my daughter has grown out of, which has been a great help in decluttering our cupboards whilst knowing that another family will get great use from the sold items. And as the heading of my article suggests, I have realized that whilst some of us may be put off from buying second-hand items predominately based on the stigmas around second-hand shopping, it is important to remember that second-hand shopping is highly beneficial. Not only is it a great way to save money, but it is also better for the environment AND is not as disgusting as people have made it out to be. Especially when so many measures have been put in place for your health and safety. 

Setting up and reselling second-hand clothes or home goods is also worthwhile. It is actually an excellent way to repurpose some of the goods you no longer need and perhaps benefit financially from that. It’s a perfect side hustle. After all, who doesn’t love a passionate side hustle? But if you are simply looking to update your look or even sell some items. Don’t overlook your local or national second-hand selling platforms as a starting point, with most sites and spaces offering support and insurance on items. You will likely get the real deal instead of some knock-off or something that looks nothing like what you ordered. 

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I believe that December is about hope, faith, showing appreciation and helping those in need. This manifests through giving, gifting, gratitude and generosity (G4), which is our theme for this month.

As a general rule, the G4 is what we do to show kindness to others and ourselves. And although the G4 generally seem synonymous or interchangeable, I have an opinion suggesting how they differ. From my experience, when I give my time, money, labour and extraordinary effort to someone or something that I genuinely care about, it cultivates love and kindness within me. That same love and kindness is what sustains my ability to give more generously and to embody a sense of gratitude in everything that I do.

On a personal note, giving and gifting played a massive role in boosting my self-esteem, destroying that “people pleasing” mentality, and helped me realise my self-worth. For me, I can confidently say that giving and gifting has become some of heights forms of self-care. Going beyond ourselves and stepping out of our comfort zones to serve others, to give to others has benefited me in more ways than I can ever imagine. From my experience, giving and gifting is meant to be a magical experience for both the recipient and the giver. So, when I give, I am reminded that showing kindness to others is a radical act of showing kindness to myself, and that is how the G4 resonates with me. How does it resonate with you? How can you make a difference this season of giving and gifting? How can your act of kindness change your life, and how do you want it to change the recipient’s life?

As we enter the month of December, join me as we inspire others and ourselves to show kindness through generous gifts. This can be done in any manner. For instance, you can choose to gift a family member a tangible gift, or you can give them an abstract and intangible gift such as your time, skill or talent – the giving and gifting list is endless. You can choose what works for you, and you can attach a personal intention to that choice.

As mentioned earlier, December is about hope, faith, showing appreciation and helping those in need. I am very well aware that December may also be challenging for many, where in addition to everything else that may be challenging, the G4 may also seems far from reach. This is either because some people feel as though they are in no position to give, while others may feel as though they are not worthy of receiving gifts. If you fall within this category, I would like to tell you that you are not alone. You are seen, you are heard, you are loved, and you are worthy. The same way the G4 contributed significantly towards transforming my mentaility is the same way I believe it can transform you too. I believe that giving, gifting, gratitude and generosity (G4) are superpowers that we all have, it is our birthright and cannot be taken away.

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Western medicine has become extremely popular. It is well known that such medicine is used for the slightest biological faults in efforts to restore some form of biological and physiological balance. The intake varies from headache medication to medication for chronic pain and for mental health related illnesses.

The indulgence in western medicine is prompted by the fact that people are encouraged to use such medicine to amend any biological and physiological imbalances. For instance, I suffers from chronic pain, clinical anxiety, and depression, and my brother suffers from epileptic seizures, and we are both mostly depended on western medicine to live meaningful and active lives. Evidently, this particular indulgence has become inevitable especially when polypharmacy is involved. This is the act of treating a patient with more than one type of medicine. Generally, patients are encouraged to take several and different medication, which may, become a detriment to the biological and physiological system. For instance, when a patient takes serval and different types of medication (self-medicated or prescribed), it may induce a sense of extreme dependency, and most importantly, it may lead to a ruthless addiction.

When specifically looking at the polypharmacy from a self-medication point of view, the act of polypharmacy is not only a consequence of the excessive use of over-the-counter medication but also as a consequence of the lack of readily accessible health care needs, as well as the lack of transparency in relation to medical history due to fear of stigmatization, societal pressures, lack of knowledge and even due to ignorance. In retrospect,  apart from health related reasons, there are external factors (economic and social) that force patients to take several and different types of medications without consulting a doctor or a pharmacist. This is where the chaos of polypharmacy truly reveals itself, and the following are the adverse effects:

1. Polypharmacy may increase the duration of your healing process;
2. Polypharmacy may lead to medicinal dependency and drug addictions;
3. Your body might react negatively to the combination of medication which may lead to new diseases or infections;
4. At the most, you may increase your mortality rate due to drug interactions, drug-disease integration, severe adverse reactions, and other related complications.

If you can take anything from the article, take this:

Always consult with a trained and registered healthcare professional before adding other prescribed or over-the-counter medications. Furthermore, regardless of your circumstance, it is important to always be transparent regarding your medical history when acquiring medication.

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When I first found out that I had cancer, I was terrified. The word cancer itself upholds a weight that is shattering, draining, and discouraging. To add on to the fear, I tortured myself by reading about cancer and watching fictitious cancer films where almost everyone with a cancer diagnoses ended up dying.

Then the time for treatments came. First radiotherapy and surgery and later chemotherapy. Although all treatments came with their effects and challenges, chemotherapy stood out for me because of its systemic adverse effects. I remember preparing myself to lose my hair because I thought that would be the worst thing to ever happen to me. But once I started with the treatment, losing my hair became the least of my worries.

My first cycle of chemotherapy (Doxorubicin and Ifosfamide) was not that frightening. I continued my life as nothing had happened. Attending classes and going on with my daily routines as any other normal person would. However, that did not last long because by the second cycle, I had already started losing my hair and I could feel the “poison” flow through my veins to my brain and down to my feet. I also began to experience other side effects of the chemotherapy medication such as:

Tiredness and dizziness. Every time right after a cycle (1 cycle every 3 weeks for seven months), I would feel like I was struck by lightning. This effect was also made worse by the opioids medications (mostly sedatives) that I was taking for the neuropathic pain.

To ease these effects, I would make sure to only take other medications only if I need them so that I can at least do some schoolwork and attend classes.

Nausea and vomiting were always a given, especially during the first days of treatment. Although they usually administer medications for this before they put the chemo drip. It was never enough for me. They would, also, on top of that, prescribe antiemetic drugs (such ondansetron) to take home. Which I believe made a huge difference in easing my nausea. Eating non-greasy food, and in small bits was also helpful for me in avoiding vomiting.

Nutritional supplements (on top of vitamins and iron tablets) are also essential to keep your energy levels up. Especially if you are struggling to eat solid meals.

Always keeping a bucket by your bedside is also important. As is traveling with a brown paper bag to avoid making a mess when vomiting.

Mouth sores, loss of appetite, and metallic taste. This was the reason why I lost so much weight. I could not eat as much food as I needed and at some point, I developed a deficiency in some nutrients. What helped me in this instance was switching to a liquid diet and supplements as noted above. To boost my iron levels, I used to try and eat chicken or ox livers.

Prolonged wound healing. For some time I had no sensation on my left foot and some parts of the leg. This put me at greater risk of getting injuries without realizing it. Unattended injuries would consequently lead to infections and with low white cells count and general compromised immune system, healing can become a struggle.

Self-care and wearing protective shoes/clothing around the affected area can minimize the risk of injuries and infections. 

Constipation was another issue for me and not diarrhea. Which I dealt with by drinking a lot of water (applies for both constipation and diarrhea) and taking prescribed laxatives.

Dark patches on knuckles, nails, lips, and hands. Like other side effects, this usually goes away after the treatment. It is important to take care of yourself daily. Continue to put the effort into making sure that you look good. Moisturize your hands regularly to counteract the dryness. Do your nails if that is your thing, or just put nice nail polish, makeup, etc.

Cardiotoxicity. As I mentioned earlier, Doxorubicin is one of the chemotherapy drugs I was using. One of its long-term effects includes heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and shortness of breath. Among the long-term effects, these have been the hardest effects to deal with. Especially because they come unexpectedly and it is difficult to explain.

Loss of libido. If you are sexually active, it is important to speak to your partner about some changes that might occur during and post-treatment. Such changes may include loss of libido and or vaginal dryness.

Endnote

If you are (or taking care of someone who is ) undergoing chemotherapy treatment, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or the nurses for advice on how to better manage the symptoms and side effects according to your treatment. Also remember, a positive mindset can bring a lot more change than you can anticipate.

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