I started my blog late August, last year, 2019 looking to inform, educate and bring hope by telling my story of experiencing domestic violence and overcoming a psychotic depression before studying to become a mental health nurse.
I didn’t realise how much I had to say about both my personal and professional journey. It’s been hard at times, not only writing but having both a mental illness and physical disorder called Transverse Myelitis (TM), which are exhausting.
TM is similar to MS in that it is a neurological disorder but the difference is TM has lesions on the spine only and MS has lesions on the brain – they are related and have similar symptoms. TM obviously affects my mood and I regret to say that – when I was initially diagnosed and couldn’t walk – I wanted to die. Had I not regained the ability to walk and look normal, I think I might have taken my own life.
That sounds terrible doesn’t it? I wanted to look normal. Perhaps you’ll think me vain and selfish, but that was how I felt at the time. Fortunately, though I do still have lots of awful symptoms and swallow hundreds of tablets each week, those dark thoughts have left me. I still experience depression and anxiety, for which I also take medication that helps.
One thing I didn’t expect when I first started blogging was the friendship and support of fellow-bloggers. I’ve not only been amazed, inspired, surprised and educated, but I’ve also been impressed by some fantastic blogs and had some great laughs along the way. And for that, I thank you all.
Now I’d like to give something in return and offer you, my fellow-bloggers the opportunity to tell my followers a little bit about yourself, your blog and why you started blogging. Do you have any advice or great tips you could share? You might want to leave a link to one of your top/favourite posts so that peeps can read your amazing blog for themselves.
You could do a guest post – I’d be absolutely delighted. I know you’ve all got loads of interesting things to say and I know lots of people will be interested in what you have to say.
I’m really looking forward to hearing from you.