More than just a bag lady

I ordered some  CathDry dressings  at the start of the year with the plan to start going swimming again but my recent hospital stay meant that I never actually got round to using them. I’ve been packing stuff for my holiday and when I was sorting through all the medical stuff I need to take I came across them. The house we are staying in for the first week has its own pool and last year I had to sit on the side watching everyone else having fun in the water. So I decided to pack the CathDry dressings incase I decide I want to go in.  But because I’ve never actually used one before I thought it would be a good idea to have a trial run at home. So this morning I put one on and jumped in the shower. I was still hooked up to my feed so had to feed the giving set wire back out of the dressing so I wasn’t expecting it to be watertight… but it was! I was only in the shower for 10 minutes but when I got out my Hickman line was completely dry!  (Yes, I’m aware it looks like a condom for my line

On Monday the Council House and Green’s Windmill in Nottingham lit up green to support HAN week. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go and see them as we had gone to Birmingham to watch some sport at the Commonwealth Games but my incredible parents went and took these photos for me.  My story also got picked up by The Mirror and Walesonline…seems crazy to think of how many people may have read it and might have learned about artificial nutrition for the first time.  https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-describes-15-year-long-27629325.amp https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/real-life/i-diagnosed-bowel-disease-15-24638471.amp I’ve had lots of positive feedback, especially from friends and family about the articles but there is another side of living with bowel disease and all it’s associated complications. Lots of people have told me I’m ‘brave’ and ‘inspirational’ and I’m not a big fan of those words. Because what these people don’t see was me sat in bed crying this morning because I di

Home Artificial Nutrition (HAN) week this year is 1-7 August and way back in May I got in touch with buildings in and around Nottingham asking them to light up green in support 💚 This will help to raise support for  PINNT , the charity that supports people like me that need artificial nutrition to survive.  Nottingham Council have agreed to light up the Council House in the Market Square on 1st August to mark the start of HAN week. And Greens Windmill have also said they will take part and light up the windmill. Greens Windmill holds a special place in my heart as my Grandad used to take me, my sister and cousins there as children. I’ve continued the tradition with my kids and God-children and have so many happy memories there.  I also contacted:  ▪️Nottingham Castle ▪️Newark Castle  ▪️Nottingham University Hospital (NUH) Trust who have the ability to light up QMC and City Hospital ▪️Kings Mill Hospital which is about 13 miles away in Sutton in Ashfield  ▪️The Theatre Royal & Conc