Purity Belle Environmental Blog

Carotid Artery Dissection - Helen's Story

by Cliona Kelliher - Saturday, October 24, 2020

This is the second in my carotid artery dissection guest posts and this time I'm very grateful to hear Helen's story. When I embarked upon trying to share the stories to create greater awareness, I don't think I fully understood the emotional toll it would take to revisit the experiences.

Even for me, reading the stories brought back so many horrible memories and a sense of that original fear again. So for the writers, I am doubly appreciative that you have put this effort in and I know that it will help others who have gone through this feel less alone.

Helen's Story:

I’m Helen and I’m 52 years old , I live in Essex in the UK. I had an CAD/stroke 2 1/2 years ago in May 2018, I’d recently turned 50. During a yoga class I got a really nasty headache and as I thought at the time pulled something in my neck.

Fast forward 5 days of headache and neck pain and on the Friday I suddenly lost vision in my right eye and felt a huge sense of impending doom, luckily my husband was at home with me having taken the day of because he didn’t feel well! He said he’d go and pick out daughter up from school as it was the end of the day and I should stay at home and relax but I didn’t want to be alone - I knew something wasn’t right.

Whilst in the car I started crying, couldn’t speak and felt really weird, my husband kept asking me what was wrong and I couldn’t answer, I have never been so scared in my whole life by the time we got home (with my poor daughter in the car - which to this day I feel so terrible about), my left side wouldn’t move and my right eye had dropped.
The next thing I remember is being in the ambulance - I could now speak and my arm and leg were working again. I spent 6 hours in hospital, I had a head scan -all clear and was discharged with an appointment to attend the tia clinic 4 days later.
I spent the next few days feeling really rough and weird and absolutely exhausted but not for one minute thinking I had had a stroke, which now I think why didn’t I realise??

At my hospital app I had a carotid artery Doppler, which came back clear, heart tests all fine, blood tests, cholesterol test all excellent, and then a MRI which came back positive for a stroke!!

I was devastated- i was admitted overnight so that I could have a MRI of my carotid arteries the next day- which obviously came back with a tear - and then my fantastic stroke dr said -you don’t do yoga do you?? And it went from there.
I was discharged on aspirin and clopidogrel for a month, and then just clopidogrel, I went back for my follow up 6 months later and found out that my carotid artery was completely occluded and will remain so forever- that was really tough hearing that, it never crossed my mind that it would block completely and the anxiety that came with that diagnosis was and still is overwhelming at times.

But I know how lucky I am - it could have been so much worse, I suffer with almost daily headaches of some degree and a sore, dry droopy eye but I’m here, physically I’m as I was.

The hardest thing for me is the anxiety that I’m left with and I struggle with that a lot, lockdown made me go backwards with the worry, I was back to waking up scared and going to bed scared but I’m slowly coming out of that, I’ve accepted that the anxiety will always be with me and I’m never going to completely get rid of it but counselling has been a godsend to me. I’ll never lift anything heavy again and I know I’ll always be overly cautious but I’m here, and that’s what’s important.

I’m discharged from hospital now- I was 18 months ago, so I guess that must mean I’m well and doing ok.

I don’t think I’m really in a position to offer advice to anyone, but all I will say is stay as positive as you can (not always easy) and don’t beat yourself up when you have a bad day - be kind to yourself, always.

It’s a horrendous thing that’s happened to all us and we have to come to terms with it somehow and live our best lives.

Helen xx

Check out also: Linz's Story
Cliona's Story

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Carotid Artery Dissection, Continuing the Story - Guest Post 1

by Cliona Kelliher - Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Introduction

This is the first of (hopefully!) a few guest posts on the topic of Carotid Artery Dissection. I've documented my own journey and how much it changed my life but I thought it would help to raise awareness if others shared their stories too. I put a callout on the carotid artery dissection Facebook group and Linz was one of the first to get back. I've known Linz through the group for some time and I can honestly say that his story has been one of the toughest. I think we all feel a kinship with one another - we are the only people who really 'get' the struggles, the fear, the uncertainty of it all. And despite all that we each have going on, my experience has been of kindness and support and Linz has always been there ready to offer a kind word. So without further ado I will share below (in Linz's own words) his difficult story - for me, reading the story highlighted how unusual this condition really is and how difficult it can be to diagnose.

The Story

49yr old male, Healthy, non-smoker, only drank alcohol in moderation, healthy diet, life was good.

11am 22nd December 2017 finished work for the festive period, my first Christmas off work in 35yrs, had a few drinks with work colleagues, 3pm left work colleagues and met-up with wife/ family/ friends at my local pub for more drinks (in moderation) enjoying the atmosphere, 9pm walked home via local chip shop (tipsy but certainly not drunk) got home 9:30pm, watched tv till just before midnight, took my dog for a comfort-break and got to bed 12:30am 24th December 2017.

5:30am 24th December 2017 woke up in agony. Had severe head pain (not what I would class as a headache).

In all my life, I’ve never suffered from a hangover/never had a migraine/cannot remember ever having a headache but I was approaching 50yrs old, had been drinking on and off all the previous day so thought perhaps, just perhaps this is what people call a hangover in which case it’s my own stupid fault

Took 1500mg paracetamol which didn’t help at all. Drank loads of water to see if hydration would help (it didn’t) and tried to carry on as normal doing my best to ignore the pain, went to bed 8pm still in pain hoping to sleep it off.

7:30am 25th December 2017, woke-up, pain even worse, had a metallic taste in my mouth and my tongue felt like it had stray hairs on it, no other symptoms , got up/ dressed, thought this isn’t right, surely this cannot be a hangover, no pain relief that I had in the house helped, by 10am went back to bed in agony, spent the day in bed, Christmas Day ruined.

7am 26th December 2017, woke-up, still in severe pain, pain at a level I never knew existed, metallic taste still present and my tongue still felt like it had loose hairs on it but I could not see any in the mirror and the left side of my face was swollen. Got dressed, went downstairs.

Wife took one look at me and gasped, the left side of my face was severely swollen, the left side of my tongue was also swollen (it was 3 times thicker than the right side).

Immediately thought this was an allergic reaction to something I had eaten/ drank or touched recently, we were due to meet-up with my in-laws for a Boxing Day meal at a local restaurant, mother in law took one look at me and agreed it looked like an allergic reaction so I put myself on antihistamine. Because of my swollen tongue, I really struggled to eat as I could not move the food around my mouth.

Wednesday 27th December, woke up exactly the same as I had the day before, no improvement to swelling and by now, I could hardly speak because I could not use my tongue. me and my wife were booked into a local hotel for a spa session/ swimming/ hot-tub/ Steam-room/ Massage/ beauty treatments followed by an evening meal (Christmas present from our children) I was in too much pain to have any treatment so my wife had double, I simply relaxed (as best I could) in the hot-tub and had the occasional swim eventually fell asleep on a lounger at the side of the pool.

Thursday 28th December, my tongue had now swollen to the point it was starting to block my airways, with it being Christmas my doctors was closed, I called the NHS 111 helpline for advice, was on the phone for 90 minutes waiting for it to be answered and eventually gave up. 10am, now struggling to breathe I drove myself to my local hospital A&E, I was expecting long delays, didn’t want my wife to be sat their for hours on end so she finally agreed to wait at home for me.

Arrived at hospital, went through triage, my Blood Pressure was very high 180+ over 100+ something but cannot recall the exact number, in fairness I was fast-tracked through the system and 30 mins later a locum Consultant saw me, he was from Africa, hardly spoke English, he told me he was only in the UK for 10 days through the Christmas period.

He took one look at me, and said it was angioedema, he prescribed a stronger dose of antihistamines and Codeine for the pain and said I should be ok in a few days.

1 week later, with no improvement to the swelling, my tongue was still severely swollen and having ran out of medication (he only prescribed 7 days worth) I called NHS111 for advice, they said to go back to hospital, my doctors were still closed so I drove myself to hospital, went through triage, waited 2hrs to see the duty consultant, he was not interested in my situation, was not interested in past treatments, was not interested in my symptoms, he wasn’t even willing to see me, he made a nurse take me to PC24 (that’s Primary Care 24hrs) a small area at the side of the hospital where a doctor (typically a GP) is available 24hrs a day as a walk in service.

The nurse registered me so I sat down and waited 2hrs, in absolute agony, noise/ lights/ children running around all making it worse. After 2hrs and having seen numerous people come and go I asked how much longer I was to wait, 45 minutes later I was called, I was sat in front of a prescribing nurse (not a doctor) she took one look at me, and when I told her my situation she could not understand why they had put me down to see her, I clearly needed a doctor so I was sent back to the waiting room, 30 mins later I was called to see a doctor, she took one look at me, listened to my symptoms and said I had cluster headaches, I argued that this was not a cluster headache but she ignored my protest, prescribed Tramadol for the pain (Codeine was ineffective) and antibiotics (just in case it was an infection).

I knew at this point, this was something more serious than cluster headaches.

The following day, my doctors was open for business so I called for an appointment. 2hrs later (10:30am) I was sat in front of a GP who took one look at me and was shocked at how I looked (all the swelling still very evident) he wasn’t happy with how A&E had treated me, said I should complain as complaining was the only way he felt things would improve. He called 2 other doctors to asses me, took over an hour, because of my tongue, I could not speak correctly, I could stick my tongue out but I could not move it left, the 3 doctors initially suspected I had suffered a stroke and gave me a thorough examination, I pointed out at no stage had I lost consciousness, at no stage had I lost strength or grip in my left arm or leg and a friendly left handed arm wrestle proved my point, they still didn’t know what the problem was, they called the local hospital and was able to get an emergency appointment with an ENT specialist (Ear Nose and Throat) that afternoon, I drove myself to hospital (again).

Met a young junior doctor who sat me down, read my notes then asked loads of questions.

After a thorough assessment he put a camera down my throat and observed the swelling was all the way down to my voice box, and the left side of my voice box was not working, he arranged a CT scan

Few days later I had CT Scan, it showed a swelling at the back of my throat but they couldn’t work out what it was, so an ultrasound scan was arranged and was carried out a few days later, the ultrasound scan implied my jugular vein was enlarged and at imminent risk of bursting, with my wife by my side, I was kept in a cubical as they tried to arrange an urgent ambulance to take me to my not so local specialist hospital for urgent and life saving surgery, my wife being obviously distraught at hearing such news but I kept saying there was nothing wrong with my jugular vein, sure enough 2hrs later the doctors told me, my scans had been sent to the specialist hospital, a cardiovascular surgeon had seen the scans and was confident there was indeed nothing wrong with my jugular vein, he suggested a MRI and MRA scan was needed so after all that stress I was sent home to wait for yet another scan.

MRI and MRA scans were carried out a few days later.

By now the swelling was starting to subside, the Head pain was not as severe, the Junior Doctor arranged an appointment with their most senior Consultant, with the swelling now subsiding and the pain levels reducing he was under the impression the Surgeon might release me back into the care of my GP.

Thursday, late morning (cannot remember the exact date) I walked into a room with my wife, the Consultant Surgeon was sat at a computer screen, there was 5 other doctors plus the Surgeons Registrar and 2 nurses, I immediately knew this was not good. The registrar took my wife by the arm and sat with her in the corner of the room around 8ft from me, the Surgeon having welcomed me into the room looked at me, looked at the screen turned and said, I had cancer, the MRI had confirmed it, it was at the base of my tongue and they needed to operate as quickly as possible (as he pointed to this mass on the computer screen).

One of the nurses in the room was called Sue, she was a cancer specialist nurse and would be looking after me, she went on to explain everything about chemotherapy/ radiotherapy and everything I would be facing, my wife was in a total mess, I was nonchalantly in denial, could not and would not accept I had cancer but my words fell on deaf ears.

I was well aware you do not suddenly wake up with cancer, if I had a cough for the past few months or difficulty swallowing etc perhaps so but with no health issues at all prior that day I was adamant I did not have cancer.

Friday morning I received a phone call, an urgent biopsy had been arranged at the University hospital (QMC in Nottingham) and I needed to be there by 7am ready for the procedure.

He introduced himself and asked why I thought I had cancer, I started to explain what had happened (as per the above) he rudely stopped me and said I had 60 seconds to tell him to which I replied, I cannot sum up the past 2 or so months in 60 seconds so with that attitude I suggest you read your notes before you cut me open (I was absolutely livid with his attitude).

I was put asleep and 2.5hrs later woken up in the recovery room, still drowsy from the anaesthetic he asked if I understood what he was saying, I said yes/ just, he said I didn’t have cancer, he had not carried out any biopsy, he thought he knew what it was but need to do more research first and could I return in 2 days time to see him.

I returned along with my wife as requested, I sat down by his side and he immediately apologised profusely for his mannerism and attitude when he first saw me, he had just returned off holiday, had literally been back a few hours to find I had been placed on his operating schedule without his knowledge, he had no information why I was being operated on and initially felt I was taking the place of more seriously ill people but his attitude was wrong and he should not have taken it out on me, at this point his whole body language changed.

He confirmed he had since been able to read my notes and fully understands why I had been put into his care, having looked at previous scans he felt there was a small possibility I could have cancer but he needed more MRI and MRA scans first, he would get these sorted as quickly as possible.

He also said he was fuming at the consultant who had told me weeks earlier that I had cancer, before a cancer diagnosis is given to the patent, the patient must have a biopsy, without a biopsy, You simply have a mass, it might be cancer, it probably won’t be cancer, the biopsy confirms it and the consultant was wrong to tell me I had cancer without a biopsy.

Sure enough a week of so later I had more MRI and MRA scans, a short while later the Consultant telephoned me to confirm, I had actually suffered from a Spontaneous Internal Carotid Artery Dissection and I definitely did NOT have cancer, he explained what a dissection was and how the bleed created other confusing symptoms, the initial scan I had months ago also showed the dissection as did the CT scan but clearly everyone else including the Radiologist had not notice it. Being a Cancer Specialist, he could not help any further so would pass my care to an Endovascular and Cardiovascular surgeon who will want to see me for a follow up.

A week or so later, I woke up Saturday morning feeling very ‘rough’.

Wife took one look at me, the swelling was back (not as bad) and my head was pounding, not in the sense of a headache, more in the sense I was wearing a motorbike helmet 2 sizes too small.

She range NHS111 and as soon as she mentioned dissection they acted quickly, within 7 minutes (literally) I had 2 ambulances and a fast response car outside my home with the crew in my living room, my Blood Pressure was 186/110 (I’ll never forget that number) 1 ambulance crew stayed as the others left but as soon as they saw my BP, there was no discussion, I was off to Hospital.
Minutes later I was rushed into a n A&E cubical, the Consultant introduces herself, their records still showed I had cancer and it took a lot of insistence on my part and my wife to tell them their information is out of date and I had in fact had a iCAD, she started to IV steroids into me to bring the swelling down, from their I was moved to the University Hospital as my local hospital did not have a Neurologist on duty (my father in law had to take me as they could not get an ambulance for at least 7hrs and that was too long for me to wait apparently).

I was kept in hospital for 4 days, 2 days being injected with steroids every 4hrs, no scans, no consultation with any senior doctor, nothing, absolutely disgraceful.

After 4 days, 3pm told I could go home but needed to wait for some medication, 10pm, sent home with no medication because they ‘forgot’ to arrange it, so my GP sorted the medication the following day.

A few weeks later I was called back to the university hospital where I saw a Cardio/ Vascular Consultant who confirmed I had suffered from an iCAD, all the scans showed it but they are so rare they are usually missed, dissections are typically caused by trauma (car accident being one example) but a spontaneous dissection is as rare as hens teeth apparently.

My actual GP told me in all they years he has been a doctor, he has never seen a spontaneous dissection and indeed my doctors surgery has never had a case up until mine.

Numerous consultants/ doctors/ nurses have all said it a miracle it did not kill me at at least cause a massive stroke, especially considering I was swimming and enjoying hot-tubs as I had the actual bleed.

As a result of the consequences I now have to live with, a part of me wishes that it had have killed me.

The new you

This is based on my experience, hopefully others will add their experiences which will help balance out the opinions and experiences which in turn will hopefully help you plan ahead and in doing so aid your recovery.

Firstly you will eventually be normal, however it will be your new normal, your old normal went out the window when you had your dissection, especially if your dissection lead to further complications for instance a stroke. Its a learning curve that even now, for me, 28 months later, I am still trying to get to grips with.

For me, the old Linz has gone, working full time and then 6hrs sleep was easy, the old Linz is now replaced with the new Linz who needs 10+hrs in bed including an afternoon sleep each day and cannot work. Old Linz easily spent 4hrs doing his garden, cutting the lawn, trimming the hedges, weeding the flower beds, sweepings the paths, the new Linz needs 2 hours simply to trim the hedges followed by a day to recover.

Old Linz could spend hours with his head stuck in an excel spreadsheet, number crunching or hours typing in Word, now after what is in effect only minutes he gets number/ word blind and cannot make out what he is looking at, it’s as though the information on screen turns into hieroglyphics and this also applies when filling in forms using pen and paper.

A meeting involving 50 others, all sat around a conference table was nothing for the old Linz, the new Linz struggle to pick up on conversations involving only a handful of people made worse if the environment is noisy and don’t get me started if loud music/ flashing lights are present.

Moving around heavy items was nothing for the old Linz, moving household/ garden features/ heavy suitcases on holiday meant nothing, the new Linz struggles with such tasks and as much as I can ‘Push myself’ to do it, I then have to accept the consequences which can take a couple of days to recover.

Old Linz could easily remember a shopping list, new Linz forgets he’s running a bath.

Headaches/ neck and head pain is the new normal, old Linz didn’t experience pain.

It’s not only physical or mentally challenging activities either, the old Linz loved sitting out in his garden, enjoying the sunshine, listening to the water feature and birds chirping away, lighting a fire as dusk arrived, I’d often sit out until 11pm with a glass of wine during the warm summer evenings, the new Linz, he sits out with the greatest of intentions but within minutes feels the need to go to his comfy chair and relax indoors where it’s a little darker and a little cooler and perhaps a little quieter.

I have almost accepted the new Linz, it’s tough, it’s frustrating, it’s broody annoying at times and yes it’s restrictive BUT it could be worse, could be a lot worse, so I do not beat myself up about how I am now, most of my friends and family are starting to understand how I am, my wife has been and continues to be very supportive and understanding and has adapted remarkable well to accommodation (or is that put up with) the new Linz.

Cliona's Dissection Story

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Donegal - Raphoe and Oakfield Park

by Cliona Kelliher - Tuesday, September 15, 2020

I'm a bit late getting to this post as we returned from holidays ages ago, but between work and family stuff, I just couldn't seem to find the time to settle down and write. However, I wanted to share two new places to visit in Donegal. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that Donegal is one of my favourite places and we go there almost every year. You would think at this point that there would be nothing left that is new to us, but there's always some wonderful new disovery - helped of course by having a Donegal native as tour guide :)

We headed to Raphoe in east Donegal (not too far from Tyrone border) for our first visit to Oakfield Park - en route though, we stopped off to visit the Bealtany Stone Circle. This is a really incredible place - there is a small area to park and a short track up to the field itself, where the circle is situated. It's very impressive as stone circles go, large and with an integral circular shape of 64 stones (remaining out of the original 80). Perhaps it is fanciful, but the sense of peace there was tangible - we all felt it. It comes upon you as you approach the circle and even if you don't believe in the power of past spirits, the harmony of the construction is something to behold.

Standing in the steps of our ancestors always feels a little magical to me and I imagined cloaks and horses and majestic rituals. The name Bealtany comes from Bealtaine, meaning 'bright fire', the Irish for May Day, a major Celtic festival which marks the beginning of Summer and which would have been marked with bonfires - for celebration and protection. So this magnificent place with panoramic views, would have undoubtedly been the centre of many rituals and it was something special to imbibe those ancient spirits for a little while.

We had a brief look around Raphoe also - interesting for its castle and masonic building. I think perhaps some people are more sensitive to the atmosphere of a place than others, and the castle here has a forbidding and shadowy presence which I found uncomfortable. Given its history, that is probably not surprising. It has a bloody association with plantations and violence - Bishop Leslie who built the castle, was known as 'The Fighting Bishop' and the castle itself was put under attack many times - by such people as Cromwell and the United Irishmen. The castle was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1838 and has been in ruins since.

Unsurprisingly, given the motto above the door 'Hear See and Remain Silent, I found little concrete history on the masonic hall in Raphoe, but it is an interesting building with masonic symbols on the front - the lodge dates from 1870 but the building itself from 1903 - according to Buildings of Ireland.

There are other things to see in Raphoe but we wanted to get to Oakfield Park so we headed off.

Oakfield Park is a spacious verdant estate with a house which was built in 1739 for the Dean of Raphoe. It was then acquired by Thomas Butler Stoney, who then left it to his son. The house has passed through ownership a number of times until it was bought by Gerry Robinson in 1996. Gerry and his wife Heather did major restoration and refurbishment work on the house and grounds and the estate is now a wonderful tranquil place to visit. As we visited in these pandemic times, we preferred to bring a picnic and stay away from people. This was easy enough to do as the gardens are spread out extensively. I loved the space and the varied sculptures and there is a train (interestingly, I saw recently on a tv program that Gerry is a talented carpenter and made some of the train) which goes around the garden. The lower lake has swans and a folly and there are little woodland areas and a tea room. Towards the house, at the time we visited, my favourite thing was the wildflower meadow. It was absolutely glorious, abundant with colour and happily buzzing insects. It was honestly one of the most beautiful wildflower meadows I have ever seen.

The nymphaeum at the upper lake was another one of my favourite parts - it is wonderfully tranquil and gentle

In a little wooded area we came across this magnificent tree, isn't it incredible?!

Sculptures are dotted around and there are little ponds with fish and water lillies. There is so much to see and plenty of space for kids to run around too. There are picnic tables and good parking and toilet facilities on site and there is partial wheelchair access. (There is a wheelchair carriage on the train).

The fairy tree is adorable -

I spent a wee bit of time reading through the messages and I was struck by this one in particular:

Aaron seems like a lovely young man and I'm sure his parents are really proud of his kindness.

I really recommend Oakfield - it's €9 per adult at time of writing and there are family rates. There are also events throughout the year and Santa Express tickets can be booked at the moment. I think there is probably something to suit everyone here. You could easily spend an entire day and bring a picnic or go to the restaurant. It is outdoors of course, so weather dependent but it is open from Wednesday to Sunday in September so not too late to plan a visit for this year. Check out their website for current info and events listings.

So that brings me to the end and probably another year before I get to Donegal again but hopefully sooner!

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Visting Sligo - A Short Stay in Yeats' Country

by Cliona Kelliher - Saturday, August 15, 2020

We try to get to Donegal every year - it's my favourite place in the country and I have written about our visits there a few times - you can read some of my more recent posts here - Road Trip Home and Exploring Donegal and the North West. We've always tended to just drive by Sligo as we're usually tired at that point of the journey and in a hurry to get to Donegal. This year, however, we decided to spend two nights in County Sligo on the way back and take the time to have a proper look around. We had booked into the Coach House at Kingsfort. I want to give a special mention to this, as it was really lovely and good value. Our room was bright and airy and overlooking the family garden, continental breakfast was delicious and very substantial and the hosts were so welcoming and friendly. It just had a gorgeous relaxed vibe and was a great location in terms of getting out and about and visiting various places. The hosts recommended some places which was brill and the area is really gorgeous, very near Lough Gill.

But I am getting slightly ahead of myself - our first stop (coming from Donegal) was the Gleniff Barytes Mill area - I wasn't aware of this before but it's the perfect spot for a picnic. Maybe it was the sunshine but it felt a little bit magical and special. The sound of the river was murmuring in the background and we went a little way along the woodland path by the river and it just seemed a little bit dreamy and otherworldly with the lush green and mossy path. We didn't have a picnic but just stopped for a wee while before we continued on to the Horseshoe.

You can walk to the horseshoe from here - it's a 10k loop - unfortunately I have a chronic glutes injury which causes me huge pain if I walk too much - and also slightly embarrassing to explain to people that it's my butt that is the problem! So we drove around the horseshoe and it was absolutely stunning, I'm so glad we got there. Incredible views of Ben Bulben and you can also glimpse the sea in the distance - there are a few places along the route that you can pull in and take pictures or just look around.

We then went to have a look at Ballindoon Priory and if you like ruins (as I do!) it is well worth a visit. Worth noting though, that there isn't parking and it's necessary to park at the farmhouse opposite the field where the ruin is. We did ask permission so it was fine, but it felt a bit intrusive all the same. The Priory is also known as St. Mary's Priory and was founded in 1507 by Thomas O'Farrell and is a Middle English Gothic style church (source: Megalithic Ireland Website). There are a set of stone steps outside which lead to an upper level. The steps looked pretty precarious so we didn't go up them but they are an interesting feature for sure!

The following morning, on the recommendation of our host, we headed to Cullenamore beach for a relaxed walk. It is less busy than Strandhill and being quieter, suits me much better. Loads of rocks with fossils there if you have kids who like fossil hunting! Also lots of biodiversity and pretty flowers and butterflies in the grassy areas.

After that we headed to Sligo for food and sat outside Sweet Beet Café (another recommendation from our hosts) with a delicious vegan wrap and great coffee. I really enjoyed Sligo - it's a bit weird to be back in a bustling place again after almost two weeks of remote places but it has a lovely vibe. Lots of pedestrianised areas and nice shop fronts and places to eat. We got vegan carrot cake in the Sligo Wellness Centre - seriously delicious!

We had just paid for 2 hours parking and that was plenty of time.

Back to our room then for a bit of rest and on our final evening in Ballintogher, we went to Slishwood for a walk. It's a Coillte owned forest right by Lough Gill and this whole area inspired W.B. Yeats - Slishwood is referred to in 'The Stolen Child' as 'Sleuth Wood in the lake' and it's not hard to see how it might inspire. We went quite late and didn't do the full walk, but the sense of peace was incredible - the lake stretches out into the distance, as still as glass, with reflections of different colours and a view of Ben Bulben in the far distance.

It was a beautiful way to spend the last evening but all good things must come to an end and the next day we had to set off for home.

First however, we did a quick visit to Parkes Castle which is very near Ballintogher -and also on Lough Gill. There is another Yeats reference here as the Lake Isle of Inisfree sits within Lough Gill. Pre covid it was possible to do a boat tour of the lake, passing by Inisfree, but sadly this is not going at the moment., Parkes Castle is an OPW site and although it is not possible (at time of writing) to see inside the castle because of Covid, the guide did say that it might be an option in the future when they can work out the social distancing aspects. There was no charge on the day we were there and there is a one way system in with sanitiser at the entrance. We could just see the courtyard and the forge but it was well worth a visit - it's an imposing building and the views are amazing. I would love to come back at some stage and see the inside also, as the guide said it had been meticulously restored.

Well, that brings me to the end of our Sligo visit, I hope you have gotten some ideas for places to go.

Click here for more of my Places to Visit

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Iron and Velvet Plastic Free Household Cleaner Review

by Cliona Kelliher - Thursday, July 09, 2020

In my quest to reduce plastic for #plasticfreejuly, I decided to try the zero waste sachets from Iron and Velvet, available from thekind.co. I also bought two of the amber glass bottles because I was making my own cleaner at the same time. This is just a quick review of the products and to be clear from the start, this is not a sponsored post, I bought the products at full price.

First up, the bottles seem to be in short supply because I had a wee bit of a wait - they are listed on Amazon also but I preferred to get them from a small supplier and was happy to wait. I had made my own cleaning solution which was a bottle of white vinegar, infused with lemon rinds (just whatever I had, which was maybe two large lemons) and some sprigs of rosemary from the garden.

As you can see, I used one of my Kilner jars for this so that I could just leave for a while.

It was approximately two weeks that the solution was in the jar and once I got the amber bottles, I decanted the fluid into one, removing the rind and rosemary, and tried cleaning with it. My verdict is that it's very effective as a cleaner. It left my kitchen sink super shiny and was as good as any other cleaner I have used, when tested in the bathroom. The one downside is that it does still smell quite strongly of vinegar - you can get the lemon also which offsets it a little, but if you don't like the smell of vinegar, it might be a bit offputting.

So an alternative you might like to try is the zero waste sachets - I thought these were such a brilliant idea. They come in a little cute brown box with 5 sachets for different uses and stickers - so there are antibacterial surface cleaners and a glass and mirror cleaner.

The one I tried was a pink sachet containing antibacterial surface cleaner. You basically just pop the sachet into the bottle of water (instructions are given in the leaflet) and it dissolves quite quickly. The fragrance is Ylang Ylang but it smells weirdly like bubblegum to me - which I quite like! I did wonder about the ingredients but when I checked the website I saw the following:

'Since the end of 2017 we have been developing our products using plant derived, sustainably sourced active ingredients as well as pure essential oils for our fragrances wherever possible meaning up to 70% of our products are fully natural ingredients'

This kind of reassured me, although not a guarantee that these products are completely eco-friendly.

Cleaning wise, again I tested in the bathroom and it worked perfectly, leaving sinks shiny, removing dirt easily and leaving no residue or anything.

The Amber bottles are perfect and I will probably get some more, the spray nozzle works great and they are a good size and very sturdy.

Price wise, the sachets are normally €15.00 but the Kind currently have reductions so they are (at time of writing) €13.50.

The Amber bottles are now €4.50 but normally €5.00

I think that either making your own or using the sachets, are both good options for reducing plastic and waste. So many things come in plastic that it can be very hard to avoid so I am delighted to see manufacturers coming up with other options.