Mind the gap

In the same way our ‘shoulder bone is connected to the neck bone’ and our ‘neck bone is connected to the head bone,’ the physical symptoms of any condition are linked to our mental wellbeing. Our minds are connected to our bodies and physical health has huge ramifications on our emotional state and vice versa.Continue reading “Mind the gap”

Voice and identity

Pretty much everyone cringes when they hear recorded versions of their voice. It’s hugely different to how it sounds in your mind. My voice has always sounded ‘normal’ to me. It’s been steady and regular and it’s developed alongside my vocabulary and life experience. Speaking objectively, my voice is a little higher than average. It’sContinue reading “Voice and identity”

Shouting in to the Google void

When I got the diagnosis of subglottic tracheomalacia. I sat there bleary-eyed and not really able to take stuff in. I’d just had a bronchoscopy which involves shoving a thin flexible tube (about the width of one of your finest HB pencils) up your nose and down in to the back of your throat. ThisContinue reading “Shouting in to the Google void”

It’s okay to be unwell

Posting this after another reminder from my extremely supportive partner that I need to stop fighting my own body and let myself be poorly (said in a lovely Teesside accent). Allowing myself to stop and let my body take control is one of the biggest learning curves I’ve struggled with. The reality is that chronicContinue reading “It’s okay to be unwell”

I’m 28 years old and my Dad blow-dried my hair today

I’m not talking about a professional curly blow that left my locks all glossy and bouncy, nor am I talking about a sleek straight blow dry finish. I’m talking about a messy but functional blow dry from a man who loves me dearly but who doesn’t believe in the power of using a nozzle toContinue reading “I’m 28 years old and my Dad blow-dried my hair today”

It’s a bit like the Truman Show

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been feeling very much like a bewildered Jim Carrey when he finds out that his life is actually a reality TV show. To illustrate this more accurately, I’ll describe some of the details of what has happened including the ‘juicy bit’ which includes a lovely hospital stay. TheContinue reading “It’s a bit like the Truman Show”

It’s just not working

I’ve always distantly appreciated The Verve. As a band, they’ve got some pretty powerful songs that have a nice familiarity to them whenever I hear them. I particularly like ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ on long car journeys through dramatic scenery, makes me feel all invincible. Anyway, one of their other hits ‘Drugs Don’t Work’ has beenContinue reading “It’s just not working”

Paranoid or prepared?

September is ‘Back2School’ time of year. It’s when social media floods with photos of children in over-sized school uniforms they’ll probably never grow in to. It’s when Clarks turns in to school shoe war-zone and it’s the month you see more cars on the motorway that are full to bursting with IKEA’s finest selection ofContinue reading “Paranoid or prepared?”

Everyone loves being listened to

Me included! Last week I had my first hospital trip of the season although unlike the football, I was hoping to delay kick off until at least September. It was the first visit (not counting my outpatient season ticket) since my tracheomalacia diagnosis so it felt a bit like a pre-season friendly to test outContinue reading “Everyone loves being listened to”

Trusting my body

I ambitiously set myself a goal in my head of making it through the summer without having any trouble with my breathing. The date (1 September 2018) became more concrete in my mind as I breezed through July without any issues…if I made it to September, the date that marks a new academic year, kidsContinue reading “Trusting my body”