It’s International Women’s Day and social media is alight with empowering memes! However just like with the Women’s March there seemed to be a lack of diversity in the cause to include disabled women. Kinda ironic given disabled females are amongst the most vulnerable group in society, and even more so; disabled, poor, brown women. āš½ Continue reading →
Crap. It happened again. In contrast to the ‘fake news’ I published earlier on Facebook showing photos of delicious food depicting a fab night out – the truth is quite a different story.
I booked a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend at Vanilla Black restaurant. Something a little bit fancier than our local (but equally fabulous) Turkish restaurant.Ā Continue reading →
Our Christmas trip to Mexico was planned way back in the summer but by the time it came around I was dreading it. And not because Trump says it’s full of murderers and rapists. š
Since I fell unconscious at my birthday dinner in September, I developed a blood infection which for anyone with RA means more than just a few days of antibiotics – more like 2 months of antibiotics. Continue reading →
Today I made it out of the house for the first time in 5 days. I was supposed to attend my partner’s family reunion weekender but it was not possible as all of my autoimmune illnesses are at war with each other. Due to this I have also been off my chemo and biological injections for two months and as a result I am exhausted and struggling in physical and mental pain.
This post has been republished for the UK General Election 2017 here
I, Daniel Blake hit closer to home than any other film in my lifetime. However, reviews by Camilla Long, Sunday Times film critic and Toby Young, Daily Mail,Ā mockĀ the disabled and vulnerable peopleĀ caught in the catch-22Ā welfare system in this powerful and beautifully honest film. To me that ringsĀ alarm bells aboutĀ the UK psyche. Continue reading →
Last month I was selected to take part in the Transport for London Please Offer Me a SeatĀ trial which is the first of its kind on TFL to alert passengers to those needing a seat. Badges and cards were given to qualifying people with disabilities and/ or ‘hidden illnesses’ i.e. that were not ‘visible’.
Personally I hate the term ‘hidden illness’ as I’m not hiding anything. It’s suggests something other than ‘proper illness’. It is a term that has been coined to basically describe ‘biology’ to the ignorant. But we shall have to continue to use it until we have equity. Continue reading →
I often get told I ‘look so well’. This is a story about how a birthday dinnerĀ can quickly turn into a trip to A&E when you have an autoimmune condition (or in my case several).
I don’t always organise something for my birthday but this year I thought I would. I have to admit though, by the time the date came around, I wasn’t in the most sociable of moods as another autoimmune condition of mine Continue reading →
I woke up in what seemed like a parallel universe on the morning of Friday 24 June. First, Facebook told me the Brexit vote had won with a referendum result of 52% to 48%. A few minutes later David Cameron was resigning, next I saw a clip of Donald Trump arriving in Scotland to open a golf club! What was happening?š± Don’t get me wrong I’m glad Dave is out but I wanted to have the opportunity to vote him out democratically via a general Continue reading →
As I sit here taking my weekly chemotherapy, I have just finished reading an article by Chanel White Dear Person Giving Me Unsolicited Medical Advice. Chanel has previously written an article raising awareness of the many autoimmune illnesses which are treated with chemotherapy. She initially wrote this article because she was fed up of people telling her she didn’t need it or that it couldn’t possibly be proper chemo because she didn’t have cancer! Continue reading →
Hi all! Apologies for my absence over the last couple of weeks but quite frankly I have been feeling pretty rotten, my RA is all over the place, the pain in all my joints, muscles, tendons, head and face is a little bit ridiculous as if I am carrying an obese baby hippo on my back night and day. And it isn’t even a cute baby hippo. Continue reading →
All Fur Coat and RA 