09/04/2025
APRIL UPDATE!
I've been living with Myalgic Encephalitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia for a while now, and whilst I'm still not out of the "crash" that originally sparked the diagnosis I am happy to say that I am now doing a lot better, mentally and physically. Thank you to all the people who have sent me well wishes and a speedy recovery!
It's been a big challenge over the winter months to have to outsource everything for the cattery on such short notice, and I'm really grateful for everything that so many people have done to rally around me.
I'd been feeling "kinda tired" for a few months through summer and autumn, but there were always things to be done, and of course, everyone is tired! Running my own business, being a stepmum, adjusting to new routines as a family... Of course I was tired.
Then, at the beginning of December, I just stopped being able to stand up. You know that lightheaded feeling when you stand up a bit quickly? That, but for every time I tried to stand or walk, even slowly. Lifting anything heavier than a kilo? Instant breathlessness. Stairs? I needed to lie down for 20 minutes with my feet up to avoid fainting. I would regularly get palpitations throughout my whole body that left me in pain and feeling exhausted, like I'd run a marathon. It's hard to explain all my symptoms (I could write a whole book) but overnight I became severely disabled.
I spent most of January, February and March in bed, sleeping or resting for around 16 hours a day. Taking that time off has helped and, I'm starting to feel a little bit more like my old self again. I still spend most of my days lying down, but I am feeling more well than a few months ago. Most days of the week, I can now climb the stairs and only sit for five minutes to avoid fainting rather than lying down. Simple things continue to exhaust me, and I'm not "better" yet. It will be a while before I'm able to stand long enough to dish out the meals for cats, clean a lodge or even scoop the litter trays.
Jay, my partner, has done a fantastic job of taking over the daily routines of looking after the cats. I get regular updates of how the cats are all doing, and I'm happy to hear about the cats doing well. Sometimes I feel well enough to walk down the garden to give the cats some fuss, but this doesn't happen as often as I'd like.
Considering Jay was only ever meant to be a part time worker so I could have a few hours off each week, he's adapted brilliantly to this new role, as well as having his partner no longer able to do any of the housework or driving.
From listening to our client feedback, the biggest problem area seems to be getting in touch with us. Our Internet provider is simply not up to the job, and because our phoneline comes through the Internet, we can't take or receive calls on our land-line at the moment.
Please drop a text or WhatsApp to: +44 7759 294747 (Jay) or +44 7824 079653 (Heather). We will be updating these numbers everywhere they're published!
For me personally, text-based communication is a lot easier than an actual conversation. I don't like admitting it, but talking is a very fatiguing activity, and so is multi-tasking.
Emails have been another big problem area, with an over-aggressive spam filter meaning we haven't received some of the messages, and delays in me having the ability to string more than two sentences together which are spelled correctly. Outsourcing the emails hasn't worked as well as I'd hoped, so I've made some staffing changes and I'm taking these back in-house again. It's not going to be easy, but I am hopeful that I can get our response times to within 2-3 working days, rather than the 2-3 weeks which some of our clients have been experiencing.
If you are able to use the automatic booking request form on our website, this puts the information directly onto our booking system and is much easier for us.
I'm feeling very vulnerable at the moment, and I'm hoping that by sharing some of the issues we've had, as well as the things we are doing to "put it right", we will continue to show that we have your cat(s) best interests at heart.
Jay and I adore running The Garden Cattery and we hope to be here for many more years to come.
