Yesterday I attended my second Walking Workout session at Fletcher Moss Gardens in Didsbury, Manchester. I was expecting a very similar session to last week, but due to the awful storm the night before and the unusually heavy rain parts of the park were flooded or too churned up with mud to use. So instead of walking we had a body conditioning session, and I can really feel it this morning!
I arrived at the Visitor’s Centre and waited for the instructor and other participants to arrive. Despite the dramatic storm the previous night it was warm, really too warm and I knew I would be a puddle by the end of the session. The park was partly flooded and some of the paths were slippy and not ideal. We went into the Botanical Gardens and the instructor decided that instead of a cardio session that we would do some body conditioning instead.
She handed round some resistance bands, and in an area shaded by a wisteria covered pergola we worked our whole bodies in a series of exercises. Some were tougher than others. We did a lot of quite intense leg work and I think every muscle in my legs is screaming at me today.
It was a tough workout and she offered suggestions for making the exercises easier or harder if need be, and encouraged us to drink lots of water and stay in the shade. It was hellish hot and I was in part glad to not be walking around in the hot sunshine.
Next week when the flood waters have receded I think the session be back to normal, part walking workout, part body conditioning. I did enjoy it and the soreness I’m feeling today is just reminding me what a lazy bones I’ve been this year. It feels good to be doing something again and I’m hoping I’ll start to see as well as feel a difference soon.
Not a bad view to have when you’re exercising!
ParkLives Manchester offers free and fun activity sessions across the city and is now in its second year in Manchester. There are a huge range of activities available, from multi-activity fun camps for families, walk to run sessions, buggy fit and more.
There are hundreds of activities listed on the ParkLives Manchester website and you can quickly and easily book yourself in for an activity session in advance.
For more information on ParkLives Manchester, or to book and activity visit the website.
In August we went to the Just So Festival for the weekend. I was incredibly excited and a little bit apprehensive about going for various reasons. We were camping together as a family for the first time, and for me that felt like a bit of a challenge, as I have chronic pain and nerve damage which means I can’t really feel my feet and legs.
I’m used to it now and ordinarily I am able to manage it to the point that most people can’t tell until I walk on an uneven path or down some stairs or a hill where I have to concentrate hard and maybe hang on to something or someone for stability.
The pain and the medication I take to manage that mean that I get tired more easily and need to rest regularly. I was worried about managing my pain levels, being able to rest, struggling to walk and stay on my feet for longer than I ought to and having somewhere I could relax, take my pills and stretch out for an hour.
I try not to let my pain and funny legs stop me from doing much, but the thought of camping for a whole weekend was challenging for me. Happily the people behind the Just So Festival are the most amazing, accommodating and helpful people I’ve probably ever encountered.
They have a very detailed information page on their website with pretty much everything you need to know about Just So Festival accessibility for people with additional needs or who are disabled. They’ve thought of almost everything, from wheelchair charging, fridge space for medication, dedicated quiet spaces and advice on how to make the best of some aspects of the festival, like the famous lantern parade.
This is one of the glamping tents in the accessible camping area
I decided to apply for an accessible camping space, this area is located next to the main entrance and has a wheelchair-accessible shower, accessible toilet and a water point within 50 feet. In this area you are also able to park next to your tent. Just So reviewed my application and allocated us a spot. I was really pleased as I knew being closer to the entrance would really help me manage myself better over the weekend.
Our tiny tent in the accessible camping area
The next challenge for me was sleeping in a tent. I stiffen up overnight and I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with sleeping on the floor. We thought long and hard about it and decided to buy an airbed. We had a tent which we used a few times before my accident, so we decided to give that an airing and camp in that. The small boy was beyond himself with excitement!
When we arrived on the first day, the accessible camping area was already filling up. We were welcomed by Callum, the Safeguarding and Accessibility Manager who was really helpful. We managed to pitch our tiny 3 person tent in the rain and head off to enjoy the festival.
Close to our small tent were a toilet and shower cubicle as well as a Mobiloo, a small truck which looked spotlessly clean. The Mobiloo is a place where disabled people can use the loo and have a wash in comfort and warmth. I didn’t use the Mobiloo, but I can vouch for the disabled toilet which was emptied each night and was pretty clean and tidy. I remember hideous festival toilets of the 90s and these were a world apart.
In terms of Just So Festival Accessibility, the festival is largely set around proper hard paths, with some firm bark chipped paths in the woods. It rained a lot during the weekend and this had churned up lots of mud. The festival organisers managed this by putting straw down which made the paths much easier to walk on.
There’s not much seating around the site, so I took my own camping chair which was lightweight enough for us to carry around and plonk down for me to rest on when I needed to. This is an essential for me, without my chair I couldn’t have managed more than a couple of hours each day.
There are lots of information points and volunteers around if you need any assistance, as well as a first aid point staffed with qualified first aiders. I felt very comfortable, secure and relaxed. The Just So Festival is so easy going and for me, as a person who at times struggles with mobility I just felt welcomed and not like I was being treated differently to everyone else.
The only thing I’d change would be our tiny tent and constantly deflating airbed. The tent was very bijou and a bit too cosy with us all in it, but we had lots of fun and midnight giggles, so we would definitely camp again, just in something a bit bigger.
I think that the adaptations and considerations the festival organisers made in terms of Just So Festival Accessibility were seamlessly woven into the fabric of Just So. It’s a truly accessible event. And that’s exactly how it should be for everyone, everywhere.
For more information about Just So Festival Accessibility visit their website.
Now the small boy has gone back to school I have a bit more time on my hands to do things for me. This week I’ve re-started the 5:2 diet, something I did last year which worked for me, but then I was poorly and never got back into it. Another thing I’m trying to do is take more exercise. I’m back swimming again, which makes me happy, and after I’d spotted the “Walking Workout” on the ParkLives website I decided to give that a go too.
The Walking Workout is a free hour long fitness session for the Over 50’s. The keen eyed amongst you will have spotted that I turned 40 on Monday, so I’m still a decade off 50. However, the class is for the Over 50’s, people new to exercise and people like me who have health problems (in my case I have chronic pain, a very bad back and funny numb legs and feet).
The ParkLives website describes the Walking Workout as “An Instructor led Health Walk designed to improve cardiovascular fitness.”
I booked my free place and waited by the Visitor’s Centre at Fletcher Moss Gardens in Didsbury, Manchester for the instructor and other participants to arrive. We chatted about what the plan was for the next hour and then made a start.
We began by walking at a steady pace for five minutes, then we stopped to do some stretches and squats. Once we were warmed up we walked for a mile, alternately walking at a fast pace for one minute and a normal pace for 30 seconds. It was a very hot day and by the time we had finished our mile we had all worked up a sweat.
We walked at a moderate pace to the botanical gardens. The gardens have several sets of steep steps which we climbed three times, we then did some exercises to hone our balance and work our core muscles. It was all good, it was pretty hard work, though I’m sure the heat and humidity made it feel harder than it was.
I love walking, especially walking around Fletcher Moss Gardens which is a pretty special place anyway. Although we worked hard, I think exercising outside in a small group made it much more tolerable and interesting. Fresh air and exercise are always good for body and soul.
I did the Walking Workout yesterday and I definitely feel like I’ve had a workout. I’m not sore, but I can feel that some long forgotten muscles have been used, and for a few hours afterwards I was full of lovely post-exercise endorphins. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going again next week too!
ParkLives Manchester offers free and fun activity sessions across the city and is now in its second year in Manchester. There are a huge range of activities available, from multi-activity fun camps for families, walk to run sessions, buggy fit and more.
There are hundreds of activities listed on the ParkLives Manchester website and you can quickly and easily book yourself in for an activity session in advance.
For more information on ParkLives Manchester, or to book and activity visit the website.
Constipation in children is very common, at some point between 5-30% of children will suffer from constipation at least once. As an adult, constipation isn’t much fun, but for children who perhaps can’t articulate how they’re feeling or what they need, it can be uncomfortable and upsetting.
Most babies and young children will have at least one bowel movement each day, for some children this may be a struggle and some will go as little as once a week. Anything less than three a week is generally considered to be constipation.
I know from my own son how distressing managing constipation in children can be. There are a number of potential causes of constipation. We have taken him to the GP several times to be checked out, and the GP has suggested some changes to his diet, including drinking more water. One problem he does have is holding it in, which only makes things worse.
As well as changes to his diet, the GP has recommended we use a gentle laxative formulated to help manage constipation in children. There is a new product available to treat childhood constipation, Docusol Paediatric Solution. Ducosol is for the effective and gentle relief of constipation in children and babies over six months.
Docusol is a strawberry flavoured liquid which helps to make stools softer and easier to pass by increasing absorption of water and fats. It also acts as a gentle stimulant to get things moving. Docusol Paediatric Solution is available in 125ml bottles, retailing at £7.99 from pharmacies.
Visit the Docusol website for more information and advice on constipation in children.
Yoga is a beautiful thing, something I used to really enjoy but can no longer do, which is a shame. When I was invited to the OM Yoga Show Manchester I really wanted to go but thought it’d be better if someone who would really appreciate it went in my place. My very lovely friend Naseema who LOVES yoga spent a day at the show and wrote this wonderful guest post for me – thanks Naseema!
I visited the OM Yoga Show last weekend as an attempt to learn more about Yoga and its practice since I am a little bit of a budding yogi myself. I had a preconception that this event only included professional yoga teachers doing headstands and handstands but much to my amazement I felt right at home.
The OM Yoga Show Manchester had over 100 exhibitors and was based at Event City in Manchester. The admission price was £7.50 (adult) for one day in advance, £12.50 (adult) for a two-day ticket and £16.00 (adult) for a three-day ticket. Upon entering Event City I felt really uplifted. I was able to purchase a copy of the OM Yoga magazine for £1 and started exploring the booths, speaking to different yoga groups in Manchester and from around the UK.
I met different yoga teachers who were based around the UK and in Manchester. One to note is Donna Noble who started her practice encouraging individuals of all shapes and sizes to get involved in yoga. Her aim is to create a powerful and open yoga practice where all genders and different fitness levels can feel welcomed in her class. Even though she is based in London she was still able to spread her message at the OM Yoga Show Manchester and even lead her own lotus open class on Curvesome Yoga. I would recommend visiting her website to hear the stories of women who are transforming themselves in their yoga journey. You can find out more on Donna’s website.
Other exhibitors which were at the show included Dru Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda, Yogacampus, Yoga mama, Sports yoga, Santosa Yoga and Meditation, Boxing Yoga, The Yoga Bank, the YogaLife Project to name just a few. One aspect that I really enjoyed the most was the section specifically for kids and the integration of toddlers into the practice of yoga. Yoga groups such as Relax Kids and Yoga Bears gave me information on meditation techniques specifically for kids and kids’ yoga. They combined mindful games and storytelling with stretching exercises, breathing, massage as well as positive affirmations. There were also classes specifically for children which seemed very popular.
The yoga show also had a selection of vegetarian and vegan hot and cold food, snacks and beverages both hot and cold. The Detox Yogi tea definitely was my favourite with its ayurvedic blend of liquorice, dandelion and cinnamon. My other food favourite was Urban Fruit with their gently baked fruit with no added sugar. I also purchased an all natural Whey Isolate Protein powder from She Protein. This product is aimed for women who workout and need a protein supplement as part of their healthy lifestyle.
Yoga merchandise was also on sale. Yoga mats were at very reasonable prices. Yoga clothing was also sold by Tiger Lilly clothing, Yoga Goodies, Pul Sera, The Power of Greyskull to name a few. Accessories were also sold in various booths all of them handmade and holistic inspired. The yoga workshops were extremely popular and cost around £5 per session. Each workshop differed vastly and can include one workshop on Yoga Nidra to another workshop on Boxing Yoga. There were also free open classes by various yoga teachers which were suitable for all levels and were on a first come first served basis.
I really enjoyed visiting the OM Yoga Show and I will definitely be visiting it again in 2017. If you missed out on the show in Manchester, the London show is on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd October! My advice is to get there early and enjoy the positive vibes!
You can find out more about the OM Yoga Show Manchester on their website.
When Beauty Bee opened in Bramhall a few months ago, I started to hear from friends how good it was. As something of a facial addict I decided to book myself in for a treat and to see if the buzz about Beauty Bee was correct.
Located at Moorend Golf Driving Range in Bramhall, it might at first glance seem to be an unconventional location for beauty treatments, but Beauty Bee offer a selection of deep tissue and sports massages to the golfers, as well as a full range of beauty and pampering treatments to non-sporting types too. Once you are in the Beauty Bee treatment room you’d never guess you were in a golf club and it has the benefit of having more than ample free parking too.
On arrival Abby greeted me and escorted me into her treatment room, it was warmly decorated and very comfortable. We sat and chatted about my skin and if it had any problems, then she left the room while I got undressed and I made myself comfortable on the treatment table. Abby wrapped me in towels and a blanket and offered to put the heated blanket on for me, but I was warm and comfortable enough without it.
I’d booked myself in for the Prescription Facial (£30) and Abby took a good look at my skin. It’s fairly normal, combination skin which is a bit dehydrated around the eyes and starting to show a bit of wear and tear (I am 40 this year so it’s time I started looking my age, if not acting it occasionally).
Abby explained that she would be using products from The Potion Shop, a Manchester based company who make organic and paraben free skincare products.
It was at this point I largely zoned out and just relaxed into my treatment. I was aware that for the best part of 45 minutes I was being pampered to death. My skin was exfoliated, massaged and treated to hot towels and lots of TLC. Towards the end of my facial, Abby applied a face mask and put chamomile and lavender soaked pads on my eyes whilst she gave my hands and forearms a massage. It was blissful.
My skin felt amazing and was really glowing. As you can see from the before and after photographs below, my skin is a much more even tone, it’s less shiny and I look incredibly relaxed afterwards.
The treatment lasted just under an hour and it was an excessively good pampering. Abby clearly loves her job and is very passionate about what she does. I can really recommend Beauty Bee and the prescription facial, I adored my treatment, the look on my face in the second photo is all you really need to know – I will definitely be booking to go back again soon!
SPECIAL OFFER: Maternity Mondays at Beauty Bee – 30% off all treatments if you are on maternity leave and book in on a Monday.
Beauty Bee is at Moorend Golf Driving Range, 177 Woodford Rd, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 1QE Phone: 07876 032125. You can find Beauty Bee on Facebook. They also offer treatments on selected days at The University of Manchester.
In the UK Allergy Awareness Week 2016 is on the 25th April – 1st May. It seems a fitting time of the year to focus on allergies, as the hay fever season has begun and is making life a misery for thousands of sufferers. Although I thankfully don’t suffer with hay fever, I do have a few allergies which I need to be careful of, including a dust allergy which can make me especially miserable. Because I’ve extra cautious about dust, I was looking forward to trying out my Snug Cotton Anti Allergy Duvet from Sleepy People and seeing how I got on with it.
Sleepy People are an online bedding retailer based in the UK. They offer a range of products including anti-allergy items. The duvet I chose, the Anti Allergy Duvet from Snug has an anti allergy treatment which is designed to protect you against dust mites, odour causing bacteria & mould residue.
The duvet comes packaged in a thin fabric bag which I guess you could use to pack it away if you were swapping duvets mid year for a warmer or colder tog.
The Snug Anti Allergy Duvet has a 100% pure cotton cover and is filled with anti allergy polyester hollowfibre. It has a tog of 10.5 which is kind of mid range, neither too warm, or too light and ideal for me all year round I suspect. In the summer I tend to sleep on top of the covers anyway and I don’t like to be too warm, even in winter.
The small boy helped me make the bed. He loved how soft it was and said that it felt like a cloud. My old duvet was about 5 years old and had lost its pillowiness so I take his point. Once we’d made my bed up I loved how it looked, my old skinny duvet now looked mean in comparison, now my bed looked like a comfy hotel bed.
That night I got into bed and snuggled down, I do believe there are few joys in life greater than clean, fresh bedding. Add a brand new duvet or pillow to that and you’re in the best bed in the world.
I’ve used my new Anti Allergy Duvet for a little under a week. I can’t hand on heart swear that it’s made a difference, but previously I was waking up every morning with a bunged up nose and a sore throat, but so far I’ve woken up feeling fine every morning. I’d not considered that I might be waking up feeling awful because of my dust allergy. Plus it’s super-comfy!
The Snug Anti Allergy Duvet from Sleepy People is currently priced at £29.99 and whilst you can pick up a cheap duvet for around half that, I think that given my dust allergy situation and the fact that I’m waking up feeling normal each morning makes that a good investment. Given the amount of time each year I spend hugging my duvet and snuggling under it, it’s probably worth investing in something a little nicer, like this one.
Note: I was sent the Snug Anti Allergy Duvet from Sleepy People for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.
As a slightly less able person (spinal injury, nerve damage, chronic pain), I need to pace myself and rest more often than I would normally. I have adapted my day to day life so that I’m able to manage myself properly, take my medication when I need to, rest and exercise appropriately and generally maximise my wellness. But holidays throw that tried and tested routine out of the window leaving me in more pain, more tired and out of my medication routine.
We are on holiday in North Devon. It’s one of our favourite places to visit and we come back year after year. But from Manchester it’s a minimum 5 hour journey. This time it took 6 hours, but it has taken 8 hours in bad traffic. Sitting in one position for 6-8 hours is bad for anyone, but with my ruined spine it gets very uncomfortable, then very painful and it takes days to recover from.
Once we get there, put me in an unfamiliar bed and I’m gobbling painkillers like they’re smarties. Combine that with a lack of routine, longer than usual walks which are usually on the beach on sand, shale or pebbles which are hard to walk on its all a bit ouchy. At home I can plan my week, if I’ve got an active day then I’ll make sure I’ve got a rest day after it. On holiday every day is an active day.
So what do my holidays look like? My holidays look like car parks. I often have to just sit in the car and rest while my painkillers kick in and the boys race off to do their thing. It makes me a bit sad that I can’t fully participate in holiday activities, but then I can’t always participate in normal life activities either. Stop moaning kid, these are the cards you’ve been dealt. Live with it.
Reading this back it makes me wonder why I bother going on a UK holiday at all. But it’s beautiful here and although I’m half cut on prescription painkillers most of the time, it’s nice to spend time with the boys, to get some sunshine and sea air and to take the boys out of their routine for a while. It’s hard enough being me and living with my limitations, it must be equally hard for them, so they deserve a holiday and a chance to relax and be free from my routine for a week or two.
North Devon: so beautiful, but you can only access this beach via a cliff path.
Earlier this year my local holistic health centre, Healthyspirit in South Manchester added a new massage treatment to their already impressive list – AromaTouch. I was keen to find out more, and when a friend tried it and recommended it I knew I had to get myself booked in.
The massage sounded blissful, “a light relaxing massage technique of applying therapeutic grade essential oils to produce a profound whole-body experience. The many benefits of this massage include stress management, immune support, and support of your body’s autonomic balance. AromaTouch enhances essential oils activity and stimulates known body meridians and energy zones, while balancing body systems and function.”
I was shown up to the Crystal Room, a cosy and comfortable therapy room at Healthyspirit. The therapist, Helen Scott sat down and talked me through the treatment and asked me some questions about my physical and emotional health. I explained about my spinal injury and Helen reassured me that it was very gentle and the massage wouldn’t hurt me. We talked about how I was feeling at the moment and the reasons why I was feeling stressed and under pressure. Helen then left the room while I got ready for the massage and made myself comfortable on the massage table.
As Helen would be touching my back, ears and feet, I lay on my front covered in a warm towel. I had taken my jewellery, clothes and socks off, but she let me keep my leggings on as I was comfortable wearing them.
Helen began by getting me to breathe deeply several times to relax me, and as soothing music played in the background she gently and rhythmically massaged a series of essential oils into my back. Her hands felt like warm waves moving from my spine to my side, very gentle, but with each application of oil I could feel some of my stresses being stroked out of me.
Several different essential oils were used on me in a specific sequence, after each one was applied Helen would massage the oils into my back in that same wave like motion. It was blissful and I was incredibly comfortable, almost dosing off at one point.
Helen then moved onto my feet, applying peppermint and orange essential oils to them, she massaged them using a gentle rhythmic motion and I felt incredibly relaxed, I didn’t want it to stop. I have eczema on my feet which wasn’t a problem and Helen double checked if I was happy for essential oils to be applied before she started, which I was.
The AromaTouch massage was incredible. Afterwards I felt a bit woozy so I sat for a while and sipped some water. I often feel this way after a particularly relaxing treatment. Helen suggested I have a bath the following day so that the oils could stay on my skin for as long as possible, so I went home and snuggled under a blanket for a few hours whilst I enjoyed feeling blissfully relaxed.
The AromaTouch massage is currently £35 for an hour long massage. It’s very gentle and soothing, but I’ve rarely felt so deeply relaxed. The effects lasted for quite a few days and it was gentle enough that my rickety spine felt no ill effects afterwards. AromaTouch is so pampering and blissful, if you need some time out from life for an hour, a serious stress release or a pamper I can very much recommend this treatment.
The AromaTouch massage is available from Healthyspirit in South Manchester. For more information and to book, visit their website.
With what’s being called the “Liverpool Lurgy” sweeping across the country in recent weeks, I’ve felt it prudent to step up my vitamin intake. The Liverpool Lurgy is a nasty lingering virus which is knocking people for six, and I can do without that right now. I’m a big believer in taking Zinc to ward off colds and when I was asked by Pharma Nord, Northern Europe’s largest manufacturer of pharmaceutical grade vitamins and supplements if I’d like to sample some of their supplements, top of my list were their Zinc lozenges.
The lozenges are Pharma Nord’s Bio-InfluZinc + C supplement (the pink box below). They contain Zinc and a natural source of vitamin C taken from Acerola cherry extract. Zinc and Vitamin C contribute to the normal function of the immune system. The Zinc lozenges deliver the active ingredients to the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, you dissolve them slowly in the mouth and you can take 3-6 of them a day. They suggest that a high intake of Zinc may be useful for brief periods of 7-10 days if you feel a cold coming on. Zinc can reduce the length and severity of your cold.
The Bio-InfluZinc + C supplement costs around £7.99 for a box of 90 tablets. You don’t have to take them every day, just when you feel you might be coming down with something and also whilst you have your cold. You can chew or suck these lozenges, whichever suits you. They have a mild and pleasant orange flavour and they’re not chalky in texture, so I quite enjoyed taking them.
About 10 days ago I started to come down with a cold, whenever I get a cold it tends to fairly quickly turn into tonsillitis, something I’m understandably keen to avoid. As soon as I started to feel unwell I started to take the lozenges. I was pleasantly surprised when after three days my sore throat just disappeared and didn’t turn into something nasty. I can’t be absolutely sure that the zinc lozenges helped, but it’s the first time in a couple of years I’ve not ended up on antibiotics. I’ll definitely be keeping a box of the Pharma Nord Bio-InfluZinc + C supplements on hand in future.
Pharma Nord also let me try their Bio-MSM + Silica tablets. These came in a box of 120 tablets and retail for around £12.95. The Bio-MSM + Silica tablets contain MSM (methyl sulphonyl methane) and Silica. MSM is a naturally occurring organic sulphur-containing substance, which is found in grain products, legumes, eggs and red meat. Vegetable Silica, an extract of the herb horsetail grass, is a natural source of the essential trace mineral silicon.
The MSM +Silica tablets are taken to help the formation of bone and collagen in connective tissue and for healthy skin, hair and nails. MSM and silica help maintain the flexibility of joints and arteries. As someone with a bad back and the general aches and pains which come with age, I thought these would be a good supplement to take, plus I’d heard they could be helpful in reducing period pain, something I do suffer with. These tablets are suitable for vegans and vegetarians which is fantastic for me as a lot of supplements with these benefits are not vegetarian.
You take two of the Bio-MSM + Silica tablets each day. They’re a good shape for swallowing and I had no problems taking them. I often find I gag on large tablets but these were not too big for me. You take these with water and I didn’t find they left an aftertaste or anything like that.
I always find the effects of taking vitamins and supplements very difficult to quantify, they generally take a month or so to take effect. It’s hard for me to say for certain what has changed for me over the last month of taking the tablets. I have a vague feeling that skin and eczema are a little better and that my period pain was less than in the previous month. I suspect I’ll have to take the tablets for a little while to really notice a difference, but I’m feeling positive that small improvements are on the horizon.
Pharma Nord supplements are pharmaceutical grade and their effectiveness has been rigorously tested. I’m cautious about making any claims, but I will continue taking the Bio-MSM + Silica and I’ll see how I get on with them, and I’ll be keeping a box of the Pharma Nord Bio-InfluZinc + C supplements close at hand from now on.
You can see the full range of Pharma Nord supplements on their website.
I was sent these Pharma Nord supplements to try out for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.
