Becoming Spellbound by Magic I think everyone has a favourite film or series of films from their childhood.  For me, these have always been the Harry Potter films.  Despite even being 15 when the first film came out.   I fell instantly in love with the words, and how J.K Rowling transported you into an entirely different world.  I was already beginning to feel different from on account of my symptoms when the first film was released.  It was a time of loneliness and isolation as the so-called friends slowly ostracised me.  And my home beca ..read more

One of my favourite chronic illness bloggers, Sheryl from ‘A Chronic Voice’ has started a link up party! These parties are a monthly get together for any bloggers who live with or have experience with a chronic illness.  These will provide opportunities to ‘meet,’ share thoughts, information and learn from one another. To gain more information about these parties and information on how to participate then you can visit Sheryl’s original post here. The prompts for this month are: Missing Appreciating Striving Releasing Eating Missing: My late dog, Honey  I’m not going to lie, but I ha ..read more

All of us will have situations or places that we find difficult; situations that push us emotionally, revealing the depths of our strength and ability to cope with high-stress situations. Add living with a chronic illness into the mix, and the number of situations or places that we find demanding increase exponentially.  The reasons for the difficulties these places or situations may vary, for some it may be the fear of the ‘unknown’ for example, or even they are a potential trigger for symptoms associated with the condition.  What are some of the places or situations that you find u ..read more

As I have been enervated by symptoms, almost leading to the feeling of being trapped in a prison surrounded by invisible tormentors. However, I was not only trapped inside my own body; a metaphorical prison whilst enduring persistent and unrelenting symptoms but these were also keeping me inside my home due to their severity as well as the fear of the possibility suffering another fall in public.  It was as if the symptoms were acting as prison guards, keeping me imprisoned in my home and the same four walls in which I already spent the majority of my time, to begin with.  I longed f ..read more

Recently, after another hospital letter landed on the doormat, it was time yet again for a visit to the consultant neurologist, whose care I am under in the attempt to shed some light on the medical mystery that feels has become my life.   The beginning of the appointment was the benign initial chat on how I have been feeling since the last appointment (a really short time to cover a year in just a few minutes!) and the regular neurological examination, including testing of my reflexes, a not so favourite as it always produces the most violent of spasms, increasing the trem ..read more

Imagine walking down a busy street.  Look at the faces of the people walking past you in the street. Every one of those people will currently, or at some point in their history has faced a battle. One of them may be living with a battle that I currently face; a battle of living with an invisible illness. Invisible Battles, Known Only To Those Fighting Them Some of these battles may be visible, detectable to others, eliciting empathy and compassion.  Other conflicts, however, are invisible; concealed from everyone else, like a deeply hidden secret – a struggle known only by the person ..read more

Living with chronic dizziness is hell.  The unpleasant sensation of having your whole world constantly moving even when still takes everything away from you. Your friends, social life, independence, career plans to name but a few are lost when chronic illness strikes. Long-term illness pecks away at your identity; taking pieces of things that make you-you: the friends you meet, the places you like to socialise and your hobbies and interests. For me, living with this neurological condition has taken a lot, and one example of something that it has taken for me is being able to go ..read more

Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon given prompts. Wednesday 22nd April: Hobbies  Running and 3PM dance parties are some of our favourite hobbies at WEGO Health.  Tell us, what are YOUR hobbies?  Love to crochet?  Can’t stop collecting rocks?  Take photographs of everything?  Share your favourite past times. Sit ..read more

Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon given prompts. Sunday April 5th: Breaking News  The top story of today is…YOU.  Share with your readers your proudest accomplishments in the last 5 years.  Don’t be shy, tell us everything! It often feels that chronic illness robs us of our lives.  As a result of the debilitating sympto ..read more

Well, today marks the start of a brand new start month. The start of something new – whether it be a new day, month or year. It is like a fresh, white piece of paper, in which the past and everything that has come before forgotten, and instead, we are allowed to start afresh. To start our story anew. It opens up new possibilities and opportunities and allows us the hope for a better today and tomorrow (and beyond). And this is most important when living with a long-term health condition.  To live with illness every day is most difficult, and perhaps one of the most challenging a ..read more