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Happy 1st Birthday to me!



More Than Just A Bag Lady is one year old and I can hardly believe it. The blog started out when I was stuck in hospital, in a side room with no tv and I couldn't go out as I was in quarantine. Funnily enough that's exactly the same situation I find myself in today. The year has gone completely full circle!

The past year has been difficult. There's no denying that. But looking back through my blog I'm reminded constantly by how lucky I am to have amazing friends and family to help me through those times. 

What has really surprised me though is just how many page views there have have been in the last year. Over 37,000! How mad is that? At first I thought it was probably my Mum just going in and reading them over and over but apparently not. I have readers not only in this country but in the US, Australia, Ukrsine, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, Turkey and South Africa. All those people reading about little old me! 

Looking through the stats it shows me the most read blog posts in the last year. These all seem to be from June and July this year when I was experiencing a particularly difficult time. But props has to go to my sister Kelly whose guest blog is the most read blog post of the whole year. If you've not read it, take a look but make sure you have your tissues handy! 

I haven't blogged much this past month as my health has again taken a turn for the worst so I still have to write about the Addisons test and my actual birthday that occurred last month and as I start to feel better I will do these catch up posts. 

I find blogging so therapeutic; the act of getting everything out of my head and onto paper (so to speak) helps me to make sense of what's happening and to be able to cope with life. Living with an invisible, chronic illness is difficult. And the only people that can truely understand are those who live with one themselves. But I have a great support network that try to understand and continue to include me even though there are times I'm too ill to get out of bed, let alone go out shopping or for dinner. But it's always nice to be asked because it means that I'm not being forgotten about. 

There are so many people that have played a huge part in my life over the last year, far too many to mention but I could not cope without my Hubby, who refuses to allow me to give up. Full stop. No discussion whatsoever. But it's Big Fella and Big Girl who give me the Raison d' ètre. Without them I would lay in bed all day wallowing in self pity. 

So Happy Birthday once again to More Than Just A Bag Lady. Here's to many more years of blogging 🎂

NB x
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