All tagged chronic illness
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.
Sadly, the message that the guidelines for assessing chronic pain in the UK should meet the unique needs of the individual is eclipsed by potential consequences of misinterpreted guidelines. It’s likely that this will become a blanket policy for all with chronic pain in the UK. This makes it highly likely that underlying conditions will be missed and pain relief will be withdrawn or not approved for those in desperate need. The guidelines are not mandatory but the chronic pain treatment UK could leave many with little or no quality of life.
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.
Carers Rights Day is a day for making Carers aware of their rights, where they can get help and support, as well as raising awareness of the impact caring has. The theme for Carers Rights Day 2020 is 'Know Your Rights'. Here I interviewed Lesley. who cares for her husband, about the stress she experiences as a Carer to raise awareness about Carers mental health.
For IIH Awareness Month, Amy has written this amazing guest blog about her experience as a 24 year old, newly single mum of a one year baby boy, recently diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension or IIH after suffering from crippling hypertension headache. She’s written an open letter to IIH about her lonely challenge of living with this rare brain condition.
This story is about the impact chronic pain conditions have had on my life. I have a rare brain disease called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension or IIH, as well as Migraine, Hypothyroidism, Depression and Anxiety. The strategies I’ve used help me feel like a strong Mum as I emerge with my story despite the challenges I still face.
MS Awareness Week 2020 UK began on Monday 20th April and is a chance to raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis so I’m sharing information about what MS is, the symptoms and how it affects those living with this invisible chronic condition. Everyone affected by this neurological condition will experience it differently and will have varying degrees of symptoms so the MS Society wants to raise awareness of life with MS. They want to show how someone may be feeling on the inside, when from the outside they ‘don’t look ill’. raising awareness of the hidden side of this invisible illness, by asking people to share their stories of living with MS.
