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In Chronic Illness

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary

September 24, 2012 No Comments

Hey Everyone

I hope you are all well as possible (AWAP!). I haven’t been well recently so haven’t been able to keep up or take any photographs for the Weekly Photo Challenge, but as I am feeling slightly better thought I would start back up as it’s an excellent way of getting the creative juices flowing! This week’s challenge is solitary which is defined as ‘the state of being alone’. The photograph that I have chosen is taken from my sick bed when I was so unwell that I my legs were so weak, and I was feeling so dizzy and sick that I was confined to my bed. And so my faithful dog, Honey stayed with me lying on the floor by my bedroom door protecting me.

In Chronic Illness

Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge

August 19, 2012 No Comments

Have to say, that this week’s challenge was a tough one!! According to the dictionary, merge is defined as ‘the combination or cause to combine a single entity’ or ‘to blend gradually into something else so as to become indistinguishable from it.’

The following photograph was taken by myself during a holiday to Devon during a long walk (when I was able!) with Mum and the dog and thought it was the most beautiful view! I love how the landscape and the sea merges together so you are not able to see where one ends and the other begins!

In Chronic Illness

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wrong

August 11, 2012 No Comments

There are many definitions of wrong. These include:

a) not in accordance with what is morally right or good

b) deviating from truth or fact; erroneous

c) not correct in judgement, opinion, method, etc

d) not proper or usual; not in accordance with requirements or recommended practice

e) out of order; awry; amiss

Many people make false judgements based on appearance, colour of skin, race, gender and so on. Below is a picture of me on a night out:

Looking at the picture you might assume that I am healthy, that there is nothing wrong at all in my life. However, this would be wrong…

This was taken on a rare night out; usually I am too unwell to go out in the evening; instead putting on a pair or pyjamas and watching television cocooned in my snuggie. Often my legs are far too weak to be able to enjoy a good night out, too dizzy and sick to sit in a restaurant with lots of stimulation surrounding me.

This is also a problem with the disability benefits assessments; too many false judgements are made; on one occasion where I had failed a medical, the report commented on how I looked well, dressed smartly. So, does that mean that just because I suffer from a chronic illness and am disabled that I cannot dress in nice clothes and look smart? Seeing me for approximately 20 minutes which mainly involves sitting down, that made a judgement that I was able to walk a certain distance, where in reality it was completely inaccurate, instead my legs give way and left unable to walk very far.

I think it is an important lesson for us all; not to judge people on a first meeting or just by looking at them – as the saying goes ‘When you assume , you make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”!

Love to know your thoughts and comments – what does the word ‘wrong’ look like to you?

In Chronic Illness

Weekly Photo Challenge: Growth

August 5, 2012 No Comments

Growth can be defined as an increase in some quantity over time. The quantity can be physical (e.g. growth in height, growth in the amount of money possessed). However it can also be abstract or metaphorical (e.g. a growth in one’s personality or psychological development. And it is the former that has based the inspiration for this week’s photograph:

This was a picture taken at the recent ‘Life 4 Living’ Party and the subject of a recent post entitled ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like…A High Ceiling’ . As you may remember the party took place in a large hall with a high ceiling, which as you may recall is one of my main trigger for severe attacks of vertigo.

Before, my diagnosis my first instinct would have been much more leaned towards the flight part of the flight or fight response and would have left the room. However on thus occasion and whether it is now due to the knowledge of why I was feeling the way I did and why, I managed to stay at the party for the entire 3 hours despite the vertigo and nausea! That’s what I call growth!!

What does growth look like to you?

In Chronic Illness

Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple

July 28, 2012 No Comments

For me, purple is my favourite colour – a lot of my clothes are purple – a lovely bright colour which makes me feel good and instantly cheers me up. I also love my Kipling bags and have a couple in deep purple. And so for the Weekly Photo Challenge I have used a photograph of my case for iPhone which is purple.

Due to my medical condition I have a lot of falls, and one item that I have always have on me in case of an accident is my phone, which will enable me to contact someone immediately for help. As I have an iPhone, as others users will know the case is made of glass, and so can easily be broken – and am sure will be costly to have it fixed!! So, I was very interested when watching ‘This Morning’ they featured the LifeProof iPhone Case.

The LifeProof case boasts that it can protect your iPhone against every-day hazards, even the ability to take it swimming or underwater with you if you so choose! And it is the fact that it can withstand drops, knocks and tumbles that appealed to me. It now gives me the freedom to take my iPhone with me everywhere without the fear of it breaking during a fall!!

So, what does purple look like to you?

To find out more about the LifeProof iPhone case visit: http://www.lifeproof.com/