I've lived with Chronic Migraine and Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) since 2014. I’ve also had to manage Anxiety for many years.
I was a Primary School Teacher, Early Years Specialist and Mentor before I became disabled and mostly bed-bound from cruel and constant pain.
I share my experiences and provide tools and strategies to help Mums manage their live with invisible illnesses.
All in well-being
This March, I am joining in again with the monthly writing prompts Link-up from Sheryl at A Chronic Voice. I chose to use these prompts to tell you about breaking my nose. I recognised nearly all of the broken nose signs so I went to A&E. My experiences with the doctor there and the ENT doctor I saw 5 days later have made me think and compare how I was treated.
Do you feel like there’s something wrong with you? Are you struggling with depression or anxiety? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. In fact, millions of people struggle with these conditions on a daily basis. It’s important to understand what mental health problems look like so you can recognise them when they occur.
IIH or Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension is a rare brain disease that I was diagnosed with in 2014. I want to share how brain fog affects me as someone with IIH headache. Brain fog is not a medical term, but a term for those who experience a groggy mind. I’m going to explain how brain fog and headaches impact my life and share my tips for better managing the symptoms of brain fog.
Every July in the UK Good Care Month raises awareness of the caring profession in the UK. in this open letter to my PA or Carer. I thank her for the Carers skills she brings to our family as a member of the team. I also aim to break some of the stigma attached to caring younger adults, especially Mums.
I feel incredibly lucky that that person over the last 5 years has been Sam and as I wish I’d known what I know now when I was offered a PA/Carer, I hope others know what skills or qualities to look for in a Carer. The core qualities a Carer needs are passion, courage, dedication and compassion. One day it could be you needing care or caring for a loved one.
Your inner voice is naturally negative due to evolution but it can lead you to toxic negativity. To beat this you need to use positive self-talk phrases which is where the journaling guide I’m creating can help. It's focused on exploring emotions which are interlinked with your inner voice. You need to try different approaches to see what works for your mental health.
My Eldest son turned 18 last month, so here are 18 truths based on anecdotal evidence in the chronic illness community and my boys' views as young carers. What Are Young Carers? Young carers UK are under 18 or young adults who help to look after a relative with a disability, illness and mental health or addiction problems. Caring can be an isolating experience but with the right support there's a much better chance of future success. The difficulties one family faces will be vastly different to another, this is my boys’ personal narrative and our family’s truth. We’ve always included the boy's feelings and views in decisions we’ve made, removing any feeling of isolation. As they’ve grown older they’ve expressed themselves clearly due to the strategies we put in place.
The pandemic has affected every child so we need to know how we can support babies to school children and beyond, in moving forwards. Combining observation, research and knowledge we’ll see the impact on children through emotional development examples of the gaps in their learning. We’ll also find children who made progress being at home.
Life with chronic illness isn’t easy and can lead to depression. This is especially true when we know we need to make changes to our lives and realise that we have little to no control over our situation. I grieved my pre-illness life and couldn’t see how to overcome the challenges I faced.
Working with a professional let me know it was okay to feel and talk about being angry, sad and lost. She helped me recognise that my self talk wasn’t helping me move past grief and gave me the support I needed to overcome resistance to change.
Pushing down our feelings leads to explosive interactions as, just like the weather, we have no control over how it affects our daily lives. My emotional responses as a highly sensitive person or Empath meant I needed to set boundaries with myself and others. This allowed me to have emotional vulnerability, on the path to understanding my emotions. I developed a plan for coping with my responses to big feelings, whether this was negative or positive.
Do you want to be part of a network of Instagram mums supporting each other? My new @strongmumssocial Instagram group is a great place to meet other mums. The group is a supportive and inclusive community that empowers mums of kids of any age, including step-mums and carers. If you’re a mum to be, new mum, mum with teenagers or a mum with adult children we’d love you to join us. If you’re a stay at home mum, working mum or mum with chronic illness wanting support through life’s challenges join our private DM support group through @strongmumssocial.
Life’s hard for us all at times but some of us may be feeling low, stressed or anxious. We learn to self-regulate so that we can calm ourselves when mixed feelings and strong emotions become too much. This blog has 5 emotional well-being activities that can be made cheaply and used with children, teens or adults and as a family to improve communication skills.
On my self discovery journey, I’ve listened to 2 insanely good self awareness books that have helped me understand my feelings better. Being self aware is a big part of understanding who we think we are, rather than being truly self aware. Braving The Wilderness by Brené Brown on courage in finding where you belong and Becoming By Michelle Obama, a reflective memoir.
I believe that we need to build the foundations of our well-being and part of that is having tools for personal development. We have to open ourselves to a mindset for change and develop these seven skills to live a fulfilling life; positive thinking, setting boundaries, healthy relationships, managing stress levels, being self aware, drive for learning and emotional resilience. This gives us hope so we can keep see our hopes and dreams.
This October has hit me hard with one of those feelings so familiar: chronic illness relationships and trust. I believe we go through seasons of connections and I’ve been burned too many times. These are my thoughts on the consequences of ending old relationships with friends and connections in online communities and changing up other relationships so I only have those that I need in my life.
Mum Guilt is a term used to describe the inferiority a mum can feel. Guilt is described as a feeling of worry or unhappiness, explaining why so many mums feel this way. This blog tells you how to overcome genuine anxiety or chronic illness in 7 practical steps. Understand that feeling that’s holding you back in your parenting role and making you feel guilty so you can overcome meltdowns.
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