The Pillow Fort Archives

In Chronic Illness

Thriving and Exciting News!

September 22, 2014 No Comments

Hello to readers new and old.

I hope everyone is doing well and have enjoyed the latest posts that I have written on the blog.

As loyal readers of the blog will know, I have developed my writing further by contributing to a new digital magazine for those young people living with chronic illness. The Pillow Fort Magazine ethos is to provide a positive space for those living with chronic illness, and the magazine is a small part of their mission.

The latest issue is the 4th edition to be published and the theme was Thriving. As a result therefore there are many submissions from those who also live with chronic illness who have not wallowed in misery due to their circumstances but how they have used their personal experiences of illness to grow and thrive. Each page will inspire and lift your spirits. It’s a fantastic read, I promise.

I wrote a piece on the chronic illness community and how that our experiences with illness allows us to grow and thrive as individuals and as a community. I compare the chronic illness to flowers that grown and bloom after being inspired by a quote from Mulan – “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all”.

To find out more and to purchase your own copy of the magazine just click on the picture below.

If however you are unsure that you will enjoy the magazine and so don’t want to spend the £3 for the magazine, The Pillow Fort Magazine is also offering a sample issue FREE which includes highlights from the first four issues of the magazine! Just head on over to the The Pillow Fort website and scroll down to the Pillow Fort Magazine Sampler enter your name and email address and voila it will be sent to your inbox for you to enjoy and savour.

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In other news I am very excited to announce that I have been nominated for two awards for the upcoming WEGO Health Activist Awards. Two members of the wonderful chronic illness community has nominated me for:

Best in Show: Blog
Best in Show: Twitter

I am s overwhelmed and humbled that there are people that have taken the time and thought of me as worthy of such a lovely accolade so I would like to thank those who nominated from the bottom of my heart. This year, WEGO Health has set up a Nominee Directory where you can find out the other nominees, find out more information about them as well as the awards they have been nominated for. Also, you can even endorse nominations by pressing a button and entering your name and email address.

Therefore, I am asking everyone who regularly reads my blog and enjoy my posts to take the time to endorse my nominations if you so wish. You can view my page in the directory by clicking here.

And you can also take the time to thank the health activists and bloggers that have made a difference in your life or community by nominating them for one of the fourteen awards this year by going to the nomination page.

In Chronic Illness

Spreading my wings…

July 18, 2014 No Comments

As most of my regular already know, I love to write and although this very blog gives me an excellent opportunity to do so, I often wish that I could have an opportunity to write for a wider audience.

So, I am very pleased that this week, I have been published in two excellent publications.

Firstly, several weeks ago, I received an email from a journalist from PharmaTimes magazine, which is a very well-respected healthcare and pharmaceutical publication. The magazine offers independent, authoritative and trustworthy content on key issues and topics that are of relevance for those working in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. As part of the development of the magazine, they have began to interview one patient per month regarding their own views and issues that affect them as they navigate the healthcare system from the ‘other side.’ The email therefore was to ask me if I would be interested in taking part in an interview giving my own personal views on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

I agreed as not only was it a great opportunity to discuss my views on a subject that affects much of my life as one piece of my identity – a patient. It however was also an opportunity to help professionals gain an insight into the patient perspective and represent the patient population by doing so, especially as a patient living with a rare neurological condition.

The Patient File

In addition, I have again been published in yet another edition of the wonderful ‘The Pillow Fort’ Magazine. For new readers, The Pillow Fort Magazine is an e-magazine for and written by young(ish) people affected by chronic illness. Each issue has a different theme, and this particular issue was based around “Self-Care”. This edition features many informative, interesting and relevant articles based around the concept of self-care from an ‘A to Z of Self-Care’, through to exercise for well-being and even delicious recipes for ‘self-care’ cocktails.

As a result I wrote an article based around self-care and holidays and how we can still take care ourselves even when away from our regular routines and everything that provides us with comfort. This article was inspired by my recent cruise and how I participated in self-care when I felt at my worst and stuck on a moving ship.

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To check out this wonderfully positive and inspiring magazine and/or purchase this particular issue (or previous editions) then please do so by clicking my affiliated link below:

In Chronic Illness

Back from cruising…but writing hasn’t stopped!

May 24, 2014 No Comments

Welcome to all readers new and old.

Sorry for the lack of content recently, but as some of you may remember I wrote a post as part of the WEGO Health HAWMC on how I was about to embark on a cruise; the first holiday that I have been on for some considerable time ( you can read the post here). Anyway, yesterday I arrived back from that very cruise. I would love to say that the experience was amazing and completely enjoyable, but unfortunately the neurological condition and the symptoms that go along with that, very much got in the way and made the holiday experience very difficult at times. I will write a post all about my personal cruise experience in due course, but at the moment life is busy with unpacking and sorting through all of my many emails!

Anyway, just wanted to make you all aware that again I have contributed to the wonderful ‘The Pillow Fort Magazine’, which is a fun, positive and inspirational digital publication for young people suffering with chronic illness. The premise of the magazine and the wonderful community that the editor Lizzy has established is to provide a safe, positive and fun sanctuary for those battling chronic illness to be uplifted, inspired and make the experience of living with illness a little more fun, or in the words on the website ‘make chronic illness suck less.’ Inside the magazine there are approximately 20 submissions including written articles and beautiful photography from a variety of young spoonies battling with different chronic conditions (of which I am one!). Each page is beautifully designed as well as being unique. It is a wonderful magazine, and one which is particularly uplifting on those bad days stuck in bed. The articles are beautifully written and thought-provoking in the sense that it makes you look at living with chronic illness in a different way. As an example there is a wonderful article on the similarities between various superheroes and those living with chronic illnesses.

Here is a sneaky peek at my pages in the magazine!:

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To read more of my article in the new issue of the magazine and be generally uplifted and inspired by each and every contributor then you can go and get your own personal (digital) copy of the magazine here

And please get in touch and let me know what you think of my article or on the magazine in general! Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions in the comment section below…

In Chronic Illness

Need something to make chronic illness suck less? Then check out The Pillow Fort Magazine!

January 15, 2014 No Comments

I love writing, and am always looking for new opportunities to share my writing, other than my blog. Therefore, I was excited when I heard about a new digital magazine which is aimed for young people suffering with chronic illness to make living with such conditions, not only suck less but help to maintain a positive attitude through the battle of illness. So, when I read that the editor and creator of the magazine, Lizzy was looking for submissions, I dug out one of my many notebooks and began writing and editing a piece that I could submit to the magazine. And now, I am happy to announce that the magazine has been published and is ready for you all to read. I have had an in-depth look at the magazine and I can tell you that it is a fantastic one for anyone battling chronic illness to read. It is not only beautifully designed, but is filled with amazing photography and inspiring stories from other young women. To show your support, and help living with chronic illness suck less than you can buy the magazine here

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P.S: If you have read the magazine and my article, would love to hear your thoughts and comments about it!