Tag: Instagram

Posted in Archive, January 2023

Dysfunctionally Me – A Reintroduction

Posted on by dystoniaandme

I’ve had some new followers to this blog and it’s accompanying Facebook page recently, some of whom have been curious as to what on earth is wrong with me; after all the name implies Dystonia but a multitude of conditions get discussed. It’s a good question. So I thought I’d take a moment to write a short post reintroducing myself to you all.

I started this blog back in September 2012 after my life felt like it had been turned upside down. I’d been training as a midwife at Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford and felt as if I was living my calling. However I was plagued by ailing health that got more and more severe.

I had to go on medical leave at the end of my first year. Despite my determination I would never return to midwifery, which to this day still breaks my heart. My body was no longer my own. I was wracked with spasms, needing a wheelchair to get about, I couldn’t even feed myself. It took months going from doctor to doctor, hospital to hospital, ambulance after ambulance until we finally met my old neurologist who finally shed some light on what was happening to me.

Initially I was diagnosed with functional Dystonia. A diagnosis that I fought against. I’d been physically abused as a teen by my father and this trauma led doctors down the functional route. Five years later my diagnosis would be changed to Generalised Dystonia. Upon my diagnosis I felt so lost. I’d moved back home, had no independence, lost my career and no one really seemed to know what Dystonia was. I made it my goal to educate myself as much as possible. So I set up this blog and it’s Facebook page as a way of connecting with others who were going through similar experiences, and as a way of raising awareness of the condition. Advocacy has become a great passion of mine.

Over the years more conditions have been diagnosed, such as Classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardias Syndrome, Lyme Disease Osteoarthritis and more. I’m surprised I don’t shake with the amount of medication I take. Learning how to manage all these conditions and live a full life has been hard and is still something I am trying to learn to balance. The symptoms and pain I experience in a day change hour to hour, I dislocate multiple times a day, have vocal tics, spasm, etc. It can be a minefield to manage. I’m very lucky that I now have a career as an author with books 7,8 & 9 being published this year, which gives me the freedom to write around my health and my family.

This site has become a diary of sorts. Where I can let out the awful days, whether it’s a physically bad day or an emotional bad one. Or celebrate the triumph’s with you all, which is something I try to do often. It’s a way of processing my conditions in a healthy manner while also raising awareness and supporting others. I find when I need to reflect on how far I’ve come in learning to manage my conditions through medication/physio/wheelchair/splints etc reading back through my past posts is a great aid. I can easily reflect on my progress, and see the milestones that I thought I’d never meet; such as graduation (I studied publishing instead) having children, getting my independence back through my electric wheelchair.

I’ve had this blog for coming up to eleven years now. While I hope I don’t need to add anymore conditions to it, I don’t plan on stopping posting anytime soon. I’m so grateful for the readers and friends I have made through here and for their support. Thank you.

Posted in Archive, march 2022

Bandages & Bruises

Posted on by dystoniaandme

Last night I spent hours upon hours sitting in my local hospital A&E waiting room. I witnessed paramedics having to treat patients on board their vehicles as the hallways were already overflowing. Drs were having to discuss treatment and admit/discharge from the waiting room. It was heartbreaking. I’d have left if it weren’t for the fact my jaw had been out for three days and desperately needed relocating.

When I was called through, the Dr passed me the penthrox and told me to use it for five minutes and she’d me round to relocate me after. They left the curtain open to keep an eye on me. I vaguely remember feeling giggly. I’ve had this medicine a few times and that’s my normal response. But never this long. Next thing I know I’m coming round having lost consciousness and somehow ended up on the floor. They quickly got me back on the chair, manipulated my jaw into place and bandaged me up. The bandages must remain on now untill I see my neuro.

Ready for mass

I mentioned at the time I had considerable pain on my left pain but this was ignored. Despite falling unconsciously and somehow to the floor they never thought to look me over. I now have a significant bruise, my pain is high and I’ll be heading to the walk in tomorrow to get checked over. When I was diagnosed with EDS it was impressed on to that swelling and bad bruising always need to be looked at.

Whilst I appreciated the hospital was indeed ran off its feet. People like myself with chronic complex conditions can’t afford to slip through the net. I hope the demand eases off them soon.

Posted in Archive, February 2022

Saturday Spent in A&E

Posted on by dystoniaandme

This morning was meant to be normal. For us that meant breakfast, chair yoga, meds, get the kids ready for their football club and rush out the door. Then it quitens down from midday. We do homework, see family, and enjoy nature. Today life had other ideas. Damon had already tried to relocate my jaw several times with no success before the kids football. By the time we were on our way home I was crying and asked to be dropped at the hospital.

I knew in myself that this was the right call. I don’t get upset over pain easily. If I’m like this then I need to be seen. Despite being rushed off their feet I was called through and quickly wheeled in to resus very quickly. The reason for this being that jaw dislocations can pose a risk for compromising ones airway. Normally they don’t bother x-raying me, but today they did. A number of drs were shocked at how bad it was, and that I’d let it stay like that since Wednesday.

The doctor looking after me wanted to try a few different methods before resorting to sedation. So a wad of tongue depressors were inserted into my mouth for half an hour to attempt to tire the muscles. Personally I don’t find this helpful, it just hurts, but I’ll do what I’m asked if it gets me treatment that I need eventually.

In the end they did have to sedate me. The Dr told me after that it was a extremely strong spasms pushing the jaw out and it was very difficult to relocate. The first time they got it in the jaw dislocated again immediately. Once they managed it for a second time they quickly bandaged me up to encourage/help support the jaw to remain in place.

I’m now home feeling worn down, emotional, bruised and tired. I’ve got to remain bandaged for a while as it settles and start being more conscious of my jaw movements. Not the sort of headwear I’d been planning on wearing to church tomorrow but heyho. Got to keep laughing.

Posted in Archive, November 2021

Prolapse, Painsomnia & Filters

Posted on by dystoniaandme

It’s hard to know to where to start. I’m so tired from the painsomnia and I know that is partially responsible for my level of frustration, emotional upheaval and general anger towards this current situation. Focusing on one hour at a time seems to help.

Being very much limited in my capacity to move much is hitting me hard. Having finally found a medication that helped my Dystonia, then developing this prolapse and adapting to its limits feels like a slap in the face. I cannot empty my bladder fully due to it, which is resulting in bouts of incontinence with no warning, I haven’t been able to go the loo properly since Thursday last week and that’s causing its own pain. I move around with my thighs clamped together terrified of making it worse. There are 36weeks to go before the first consultant appointment.

Acknowledging that this hit my mental health is important. I was already in a bad patch due to ongoing hair loss causing anxiety. This new complication on top knocked me down, hard. I know I’m a fighter and will adjust with time. However it’s important to recognise that what I’m feeling is valid.

Before I sign off I want to touch on one thing; look beyond the filter. In the first photo above the filters has smoothed out most signs of exhaustion, my eyes almost look sparkling and awake. It’s a nice image with little hint of what’s going on. This is an image I would post on my personal profile or my author page; it doesn’t reflect my current issues. The second photo is filter free, the bags under my eye are clear to see and the dark rings obvious. The puffiness in my face from my meds hasn’t been smoothed out. This I would post on my Dystonia and Me page. It is a truthful image.

I never posted either photo (until now). It got me thinking about the need to act ok when I’m not. It’s quite a damaging reality. We see it everyday. Just some food for thought. Personally I’m going to stop using filters, see the reaction to truthful imperfections and struggles. Live my truth. (unless me and my daughter are using it to be bunny’s)

Posted in Archive, COVID-19, January 2021

Disability & Discrimination During Covid-19

Posted on by dystoniaandme

As the world adjust to Covid-19, those of us shielding in the UK (and the thousands of other impacted disabled folk) have read multiple news report to see how it will impact us next. Reading through each new regulation brought in to ‘flatten the curve’ screamed ableism. Whilst I agree the new rules were needed there was no consideration for the disabled people in society. Even under tier three regulations when we were allowed to reemerge from our homes after months of shielding, the regulations had no adaptions for us. They were discriminatory at best; put yourself in our shoes and suddenly being faced with having no access to a public disabled bathroom, having to que to shop with no where to sit when your physically need to, a lack of parking because many disabled spaces are now being taken up by outdoor seating for pubs and restaurants. Many disabled people who were being interviewed for research by Inclusion London reported that they felt excluded and marginalised.

There was a fantastic article in The Guardian today, with an interview by paralympian Sophie Carrigill addressing inequality, specifically around how the needs of disabled people have been ignored throughout our multiple lockdowns; you can read the article here. I completely agree with her, my social media is full of adverts every couple of scrolls trying to encourage me to sign up to one fitness program or another. Even my gym is going live and notifying me, along with influencers left, right and centre. Yet I am aware of only two people currently who cater with workouts for the disabled. What really shocked me though was when I went to comment under the article on facebook. It was disability discrimination and frankly simply disability hate comment after comment. The completely ignorance of people was astounding.

Adaptive Workouts – Disability FriEndly

A fellow Dystonia warrior Gina, runs Adaptive Martial Arts (I’m meant to be trying this when I’m having a healthy run myself!), which you can do via Zoom currently. The second, is a woman I recently found on instagram who teaches dance via her wheelchair her handle is @katestanforth .

Disability Discrimination – The evidence

There has been a significant rise in negative attitudes towards people with disabilities since the start of the pandemic, or to be more specific since the start of the shielding and need to wear a mask. Its not hard to find evidence of this, its all over social media but also sadly there multiple news and police reports on the subject.

A report by the neighbourhood watch found that a recent survey carried out found 62% of deaf and disabled people organisations reported an increase in disability hate crime referrals on the previous weeks – this was just after it was announced face masks were to become mandatory. I myself have twice been yelled at for not having mask on, once whilst relocating my jaw and once yesterday whilst having a sip of a drink.

The findings from Inclusion London Briefing are really quiet troubling about the rise in Disability Hate Crime during the course of this pandemic, you can read it here. To name a few examples 1) A rise in hate crime by neighbours including a rise in hate crime against disabled children whilst they are at home by neighbours. 2) A rise in verbal abuse against disabled peoples and instances of being spat at whilst out of the home due to inaccurate perception the disabled person being a ‘virus spreader’. 3) An in increase in online hate crime, often on social media platforms, in which disabled have been that their lives are inferior and that they are taking up resources from non disabled people.

Disability Inclusion Post Lockdown

Where do we go from here? It’s going to take a lot of work and advocacy to get us to some level of equality – which the Inclusion London Briefing article briefly does touch on. I don’t know when that will happen and how we go about getting the public to flip their perception again. Part of the way that perhaps that can happen is that when we come out lockdown the regulations allows for disabled people to use our bathrooms when necessary, and doesn’t turn our much coveted gold dust parking spots into garden seating for pubs. But that would only be the start, we need a whole lot more to turn peoples attitudes around.

Posted in Archive, Novemeber 2020

The Elephant

Posted on by dystoniaandme

I live with an elephant in the room; it comes with me wherever I go. Some people don’t mind the elephant, some have one of their own, others have a dislike for these elephants. It’s not always clear as to why. Maybe it’s worry, perhaps lack of understanding, and sometimes it’s ignorance.


Learning to accept my elephant of many names was a task that took great strength and many many years of learning to love myself all over again. I’m a sensitive soul; when my elephant upsets others it’s hard not to be offended. But I cannot change what I am, nor the diagnoses attached to me, or the symptoms that are ever present. Therefore the elephant is always in the corner. Sometimes small, sometimes big, sometimes putting on quite the performance.


However, I am who I am because of the path my life has taken. Disability has taught me a lot about myself, and it has opened my eyes to the need for self advocacy in a world that is a far cry from being disability friendly. The next time you are in a room with an elephant, address it, embrace it. Disability elephants are not scary things.