Today I am sitting here alone in an empty and quiet house. And why is that? Well, sadly just over two weeks ago we had to make the hard decision to put our beloved dog Honey to sleep. [caption id="attachment_70280" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The last picture of Honey taken days before her death[/caption] It was a comfort to know that we made the decision that it was in her best interests, as well as taking the pain that she must have been enduring...
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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...
Continue readingRecently, 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,...
Continue readingAround two weeks, I made pre-arranged plans with my personal assistant to go to the cinema. On the morning of the day of the arranged trip, I found that the symptoms that plague my everyday life were dialled up to the maximum volume on my personal symptom-o-metre. On these days, I would usually cancel such plans and make the decision to go somewhere safe and familiar - surroundings where I feel comfortable no matter how bad I am feeling, and which are...
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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...
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