Well, this is a weird time isn’t it? I have to admit, when the news of a new virus spreading in China first started trickling out I flashed back to all the post apocalyptic literature I’ve read over the years (The Stand and Station Eleven are two excellent examples I’ve read recently) and I wondered…

I posted earlier about the fact I had been offered a last minute appointment for botox, which was the next step in attempting to manage the chronic migraine I have had for over a year. I’m just back and have a few updates: Having a needle inject toxin into your face and neck 31 times…

I am now one year and three months into a chronic, intractable migraine. Basically I haven’t had a pain free day since December 4th 2018 and on a daily basis I either have mid level pain I can push to one side in order to get through the day, or severe pain which takes me…

It is generally pretty easy, with an invisible chronic illness, to look well. Healthy. Thriving even. A decent blow dry and some artfully applied make up can hide any amount of pain and fatigue and I can go about my day looking perfectly healthy, if somewhat slow moving. Sometimes it’s not a total lie. Sometimes…

On December 4th 2018 I was struck with my first ever migraine. I can remember the exact time and place it started – 8am at my desk in the office. By 9am I could barely open my eyes so went home, to bed. I pretty much stayed there for 3 weeks, other than trips to…

Up until recently I have felt that I have been making slow, steady improvements in how much I can do before triggering a fatigue ‘crash’ or a severe migraine. I’ve been able to push the distance I can walk, how far I can drive, how much time I can spend being a parent / wife…

It’s not exactly rocket science to know that stress has an impact on health, even more so when there is an underlying illness. And buying / selling houses, is pretty stressful as it turns out. At least it seems to be for us. This is our second attempt at moving house. The last one started…

One of the hardest things about being a parent with a chronic illness is the guilt you constantly feel. Guilt for not being present enough, for missing moments big and small, for never feeling quite ‘enough’. As someone who has developed this illness relatively recently, I also have a clear ‘before and after’ picture in…

I have been ill for two and a half years now. Not that long, in chronic illness terms. There are people who have been battling for decades. But long enough that I probably should have learnt by now that this illness fluctuates. There are times when I feel relatively normal and start thinking that maybe…

How are you? Such a simple question. But when you have a chronic illness, the answer can be pretty complicated. The standard answer, for us stoic Brits at least, is ‘fine thanks. You?’ Or maybe ‘oh god I’m so tired’ – everyone is tired, so no one bats an eye at that. They usually agree…