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    • Aids and AdaptationsAids and adaptations are an essential part of living well with chronic illness and disability. It can be overwhelming to know which aids to choose or which adaptations might be most useful. Even more so for conditions which fluctuate or go through phases of activity and remission. By sharing honest reviews and tips, we hope to make choosing aids and adaptations easier; whether it’s for personal use at home or when requesting accommodations in public spaces.
    • BalanceThe Balance section of the blog is about finding our equilibrium.  Our health is made up of physical and mental wellbeing, which draws from a variety of components e.g. nutrition, habits, sleep quality, fulfilment and self expression, relationships, social and spiritual life, work (if we’re able to) and others. Many of these key foundation components have their own sections on the blog. Balance is vital because it’s only when we are in tune with each aspect of our health that we can fully experience wellness. In this section, you’ll find advice, reviews, recommendations and insights for helping to find balance, especially between physical and mental health. It also contains some of the more ‘fun’ posts. Working to improve our health can sometimes be hard work, so it’s important to also make time for enjoyment!
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Fairtrade Fortnight FAIR Drinks

  • Post published:5 March 2021
  • Post category:Nutrition
  • Post comments:0 Comments
Read more about the article Fairtrade Fortnight FAIR Drinks

Introduction: Fairtrade Fortnight Fair Drinks Brand Spotlight Regular readers know that I like to support ethical brands. So for Fairtrade Fortnight I am trying to help raise awareness of consumer…

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Seed and Bean: Fairtrade Fortnight Brand Spotlight

  • Post published:3 March 2021
  • Post category:Nutrition
  • Post comments:1 Comment
Read more about the article Seed and Bean: Fairtrade Fortnight Brand Spotlight

Introduction: Seed and Bean a Fairtrade Brand Spotlight At rosegold reports I like supporting companies whose products offer value, quality and sustainability. I care about ethical consumerism, so I try…

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Is Seed and Bean Chocolate Good?

  • Post published:26 February 2021
  • Post category:Nutrition
  • Post comments:1 Comment
Read more about the article Is Seed and Bean Chocolate Good?

Key Summary Hello! The first week of Fairtrade Fortnight is well underway and today I'm featuring a review for Seed and Bean chocolate. I'm gifted four different flavoured bars from…

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Calico Thunder Rides Again by T. A. Hernandez Spotlight

  • Post published:20 February 2021
  • Post category:Reading
  • Post comments:1 Comment
Read more about the article Calico Thunder Rides Again by T. A. Hernandez Spotlight

Introduction Roll up, roll up! Welcome to my spotlight post on Calico Thunder Rides Again by T A Hernandez. I received this book to read and review as part of…

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Review: The Burning Girls by C J Tudor

  • Post published:9 February 2021
  • Post category:Reading
  • Post comments:1 Comment
Read more about the article Review: The Burning Girls by C J Tudor

Key Summary Welcome to my review for The Burning Girls by C J Tudor. Many thanks indeed to Gaby Young and Penguin Michael Joseph for my blog tour space and…

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Review: Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

  • Post published:8 February 2021
  • Post category:Reading
  • Post comments:0 Comments
Read more about the article Review: Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

Key Summary Welcome to my review, Our Little Cruelties the latest novel from author Liz Nugent. My thanks to Penguin Ireland and Ellie Hudson for my copy and having me…

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Valentines Gift Ideas 2021 subscriptions and hampers

  • Post published:29 January 2021
  • Post category:Balance
  • Post comments:4 Comments
Read more about the article Valentines Gift Ideas 2021 subscriptions and hampers

Intro... Stuck for Valentines gift ideas in 2021? A well chosen gift is a great way to show those you love how much they mean to you. So whether you're…

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The Invitation by Katie Webster Review

  • Post published:19 January 2021
  • Post category:Reading
  • Post comments:1 Comment
Read more about the article The Invitation by Katie Webster Review

Key Summary The Invitation by Katie Webster is the first in a young adult fantasy trilogy. Published by The Conrad Press it's available as an ebook and paperback. It's the story…

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AMARI and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston Review

  • Post published:11 January 2021
  • Post category:Reading
  • Post comments:2 Comments
Read more about the article AMARI and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston Review

Key Summary Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston. Huge thanks to Dave of The Write Reads for my…

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Best Christmas Gifts for Foodies!

  • Post published:21 December 2020
  • Post category:Balance
  • Post comments:5 Comments
Read more about the article Best Christmas Gifts for Foodies!

Introduction: Christmas Gifts for Foodies Welcome to my inspiration for the best Christmas gifts for foodies! If you're stuck for last minute gift ideas for the foodies in your life…

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Popular misconception: recovery increases steadily Popular misconception: recovery increases steadily over time.
Many people think that recovery is a straight line and each day/week/month is better than the previous one.
The reality is very different. Recovery is a difficult path; sometime things get better, sometime setbacks occur and things get worse. Sometimes it feels like you’ve stalled and sometimes you can’t even tell whether things are improving or worsening.
Wherever you are in your journey, never give up hope. You might think you’re fighting a loosing battle but you never know what’s around the corner.
✊🏻 keep it up warriors
#recovery #recoveryjourney #recoveryispossible #recoveryisnotlinear #restingishealing #stoprestpace #longcovid #longhaulers #mecfs #myalgicencephalomyelitis #fibromyalgia #lupus #eds #MS #arthritis #sjogrens #chronicillness #dynamicdisability
Your are uniquely special, don’t let anyone dim Your are uniquely special, don’t let anyone dim your light!
Life changing illness brings so much loss, pain and grief. But just because your reality is different, that doesn’t mean you’re any less worthy. You remain worthy of love, respect, support, kindness, compassion, friendship, joy, hope etc.
So stand strong in your uniqueness because there never has been, and never will be, someone like you.
#unique #everyoneisbeautiful #everyoneisdifferent #everyoneisworthy #worthyoflove #youareworthy #selfesteem #selfesteembuilding #chronicillness #spooniesupport
It’s totally OK to have mixed, complex or confli It’s totally OK to have mixed, complex or conflicting feelings about #DisabilityPrideMonth 
As mentioned in my previous one of these posts it took me a while to find my equilibrium after becoming disabled.
Today I’m sharing two more things I’m proud about within my disabled identity.
The first is advocating for myself. I fully appreciate I have a lot of privilege in this respect, I got my education before I got ill and having the title “Dr” automatically means that I am taken a bit more seriously. In fact, when meeting a new specialist the first question I get asked most often isn’t “what’s the matter?” But “what’s your specialty?” Nevertheless I still come up against stigma, or ignorance often (it would be great if more nurses had actually heard of ME/CFS). And even though in a hospital setting I’m always totally out of spoons, I try to make sure I inform those I interact with of my illness and explain my needs. This can be super hard (especially since covid when there isn’t enough of anything; time, staff, resources etc). But I hope the next time they meet someone like me, it’ll go a little easier for that person.
The other thing is trying to remain positive on difficult days. The ones with crippling pain and zero energy, the ones where I’ve been bed bound for weeks and all I want is some respite (and a shower!). It’s easy to be positive on better days.
Audio description 
A graphic slide with a blue background and white frame. Black text at the top says “What I take pride in this disability pride month” underneath on the left is a graphic of a doctor in a white coat, wearing a mask and holding a clip board, the text underneath says “advocating for myself when facing stigma or ignorance”. On the right is a graphic of a person in a wheelchair, their eyes are closed and their head is propped up on one hand with the elbow resting on the wheelchair’s armrest. A pink cartoon heart is above their head. The text underneath says “trying to stay positive on difficult days”.
#DisabilityPride #DisabledAndProud #Positivity #Advocacy #Hope #MECFS #myalgicencephalomyelitis #Spoonie #ChronicIllness #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityReframed #Accessibility
Can you recite all your meds? Can you do it even w Can you recite all your meds? Can you do it even when you’re poorly?
What diagnoses have been received and what medications have been prescribed, are common questions asked by paramedics, doctors and nurses. Often symptoms mean it’s hard remember the names or say them clearly and sometimes there are questions about spelling because the person asking won’t have heard that name before.
Having a printed list on hand that can go in a hospital “go bag” or be kept with appointment letters makes life so much easier. It can include information on dosages, plus any allergies, NHS or insurance number, name, address, date of birth etc.
Having a list ready to share means the ability to focus energy on rest and healing when its need the most.
Audio description 
A white slide with a photograph of some batches of printed papers with brightly coloured tags on them. Below the photo, black text states “printed medical list” and above the photo is a graphic of a lightbulb with the text “spoonie energy saving tip” around it.
#energysavingtip #spoonieenergysavingtip #spooniesupport #chronicillness #frequentflyer #covid #longcovid #longhaul #mecfs #fibro #lupus #MS #arthritis #sjogrens #myalgicencephalomyelitis
Our blog content in 5 seconds #ukblogger #chronic Our blog content in 5 seconds 
#ukblogger #chronicillness #spoonielife #disabled
Some of the characters you could meet in the chron Some of the characters you could meet in the chronic illness community.
Double tap if you see any you recognise!
Audio description:
A series of 10 slides each featuring one of the Little Miss and Mr Men characters, with the characters name and a short caption underneath. Our gang is comprised of
💙 Little Miss Gaslit: Doctors didn’t believe her, now she’s too traumatised to seek help
💙 Little Miss Bendy: thinks if yoga hasn’t cured you, you’re just not trying hard enough 
💙 Little Miss Dictator: runs her Facebook support group like a fascist state
💙 Mr Con Artist: wants to sell you his healing celery juice / herbs / tapping technique 
💙 Little Miss Competitive: Always ready to tell you how lucky you are because she has it worse
💙 Little Miss Positive: this illness has taken so much she won’t let it take her hope
💙 Mr Psychosomatic: believes no one could endure such symptoms, they must be imagined
💙 Little Miss Avoidance: Buys all the pills to avoid addressing poor lifestyle choices
💙 Little Miss Supportive: You’ve never met her IRL, but she’s always there for you online
💙 Little Miss Insomnia: obsessed with sleep spray, but won’t switch her screen off in bed
#LittleMiss #MrMen  #LittleMissMeme #SpoonieSupport #Spoonie #ChronicIllness #littlemisssunshine #MECFS #LongCovid #LongHaul #Lupus #MS #mswarrior #fibromyalgia #myalgicencephalomyelitis #rhumatoidarthritis #arthritis #ehlersdanlossyndrome #millionsmissing #medicalgaslighting #gaslight #lifestylechange #insomnia #celeryjuice #yoga #supportgroup #littlemissspoonie #littlemissgaslit
Today’s self care activity was trying out an new Today’s self care activity was trying out an new craft form… I had my first ever go at linocut printing!
It took a while to get the hang of the carving tool but it was really great fun 😃 and bonus: I managed not to get printing ink all over my bed! Crafting was recommended by my occupational therapist as a way to distract myself from ME/CFS symptoms (particularly chronic pain), I was so immersed I have to say it did help.
The taster kit is from @essdee_uk and contains everything you need to try it out and see if it’s the craft for you. The tropical palm tea towel is from @rexlondonuk .
Do you like crafting? What’s your favourite type of craft?
Audio description: a photograph of a linocut print in black and white showing a lighthouse, the sea and a puffin on the sand. The print lies on a pink tea towel with a white and green palm design, next to the print is the linocut, the cutting tool and ink roller.
#linocut #linocutprint #selfcare #crafting #creativity #occupationaltherapy #mecfs #myalgicencephalomyelitis #millionsmissing #spoonie #spooniecrafts #craft #art
📢 new series alert! A new series of blog posts 📢 new series alert!
A new series of blog posts is in the pipeline all about pacing for symptom management. Pacing is a technique used to help manage post-exertional malaise in a variety of energy limiting chronic illnesses including #mecfs #lupus #ehlersdanlossyndrome and #longcovid 
If you have any questions about pacing or tips you’d like to share, drop them in the comments below 👇🏻 and they’ll be included.
Audio description 
Photograph of a woman’s arm and hands as she’s setting her iwatch above a marble worktop. On the worktop is a notebook with the words “activity log written on the top of one page. A white box in the centre of the photo has the words “pacing for symptom management” in black text.
#boomandbust #PEM #pwme #longhaulers #covid #lupusawareness #ehlersdanlos #energyimpairment #energyenvelope #payback #fatigue #pain #millionsmissing #millionsmissinguk #pacingforme #paceyourself #stoprestpace
A little reminder to get busy resting, breathing d A little reminder to get busy resting, breathing deeply and calming your mind. You are going to be OK.
#deepbreathing #anxiety #anxietyrelief #calm #mentalhealthmatters
When I first became disabled I had a lot of feelin When I first became disabled I had a lot of feelings to sort through, I didn’t really feel ready or able to participate in disabled pride.
But a few years on and I find I have a clearer understanding of my situation and have made progress with the internalised ableism and the grief, anger and shame (no doctors warned me about the psychological impact of physical disability).
I’m able to say - with pride - that there are aspects I feel I’m doing well at. 
Severe and moderate ME/CFS is so debilitating that it’s rare to see examples of people overcoming the magnitude of their illness to achieve “great things”. Or as we (in the disabled community) call it “inspiration porn”. 
But for me, pride isn’t about that (although I wholeheartedly applaud those who do great and inspirational things). For me it’s about the small things, those we come up against day to day, those we have to handle without others being aware of them.
Today I’m sharing two of those:
1) That I have the confidence to use a mobility aid. When you’re functionally disabled your needs are likely to fluctuate. I might need a stick to get from home to the car, or I might need a wheelchair. It can be difficult to get used to having a mobility aid when your disability is not absolute (I get judged *so much*) but I’d rather use an aid and be judged, than struggle and pay later with a worsening of symptoms.
2) Before I was sick I led a rich life; I was a research scientist who worked on active volcanoes and a reservist in the RAF. I was always on the go and lived for travel. Now my whole world is one room and I’ve had to find meaning in an existence where I can no longer do the things I love. Where some days I can only lie in pain, darkness and silence. It’s not the life I would have chosen, but it’s one I’m determined to make the best of.
#DisabledAndProud #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #ChronicallyAwesome #DarknessAndSilence #MECFS #MillionsMissing #MillionsMissingUK #myalgicencephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
Are you ready?! A state of emergency has been dec Are you ready?!
A state of emergency has been declared in the UK as the Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat. Temperatures of up to 40C are expected next week on Monday and Tuesday. 🔥 
I'm sharing my best tips for How to Survive a Heatwave, over on the blog. It’s especially focused on people who already experience symptoms of #dysautonomia 
It covers: 
☀️ Why heatwaves are challenging for spoonies
☀️ How to keep your environment cool
☀️ How to keep yourself cool
☀️ My no.1 tip!
☀️ Planning for bedbound spoonies
☀️ Signs of heatstroke
Swipe for a summary and head to the blog for further details and advice (link in bio and on highlight: “blog”)
Audio description:
A series of slides, the first shows a bright blue sky with the sunny and fluffy white clouds. A thermometer with bright red temperature indicator is superimposed to the left, to the right theres text which reads “Spoonie heatwave tips” the remaining slides feature a cream square with a white frame, on the square is text sharing tips and a small accompanying graphic. The text for each slide is in the alt text.
#heatwave #nationalemergency #heatstroke #heatexhaustion #pwme #lupus #dysautonomiaawareness #spoonie #diabetes #multiplesclerosis #MS #sjogrens #sjorgrenssyndrome #parkinsonsdisease #parkinsons #crohnsdisease #ulcerativecolitis #spooniestrong #toohot #ukheatwave
July is disability pride month, a celebration of d July is disability pride month, a celebration of disabled people (it’s not related to sexuality, all intersections are welcome). 
The Disability Pride Flag has a new design, with straight lines and desaturated colors. This is because the older, ‘lightning bolt’ version of the flag causes a strobe/flicker effect when scrolled on electronic devices, and can be a trigger for seizure, migraines, disorientation and other types of eye strain. The previous version has now been removed from this account.
The symbolism remains the same, here’s a quick re-cap:
The Black Field: A color of mourning and rage; for those who are victims of Ableist violence, and also rebellion and protest
The Five Colors: The variety of needs and experiences (Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities, physical disabilities, neurodivergence, psychiatric disabilities, sensory disabilities)
The Parallel Stripes: Solidarity within the Disability Community and all its differences
The Diagonal Band: “Cutting across” barriers that separate disabled people; creativity and light cutting through the darkness.
It’s OK to have complex or even conflicting feelings about the idea of pride in disability, everyone is individual and all experiences are valid. I’ll be sharing what it means to me in a future post.
#DisabledPride #DisabilityPride #DisabledPrideMonth #disabled #disabilitypridemonth #disabilityawareness #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #disabilityadvocate #disabilityjustice #disabilitylife #disabilityblogger #disabilitysupport
In a world with so much pressure on productivity, In a world with so much pressure on productivity, multi-tasking becomes second nature. 
But dividing your attention makes it harder to complete each task, meaning it could take longer or not be done as well as if you’d focused on just that task. This is a huge energy drain and can lead to frustration and disappointment. The key tenet for managing an energy limiting chronic illness is: Stop, Rest, Pace. It’s difficult to rest and pace when you’re constantly layering tasks. 
Do a thing, do it as well as it needs to be done (often we pointlessly strive for perfection when “good enough” really is good enough) and then have a rest before doing the next thing.
Easier said than done I know, but with illnesses like #MECFS or #LongCovid you’ll find yourself drawing on super human levels of self discipline just to be able to do a thing without symptomatic repercussions. It sucks.
#mecfsawareness #mecfsrecovery #longcovid #longcovidrecovery #longcovidsymptoms #PEM #postexertionalmalaise #singletasking #energy #spoonieenergysavingtip #energtsavingtip #limitations #energyenvelope #stoprestpace #myalgicencephalomyelitis #spooniesupport #spoonielife #solotasking
A bit of #MondayMotivation for you 🌱 Bloom wher A bit of #MondayMotivation for you 🌱
Bloom wherever you’re planted 🌸
#plantednotburied #inspiration #inspo #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #overcomingobstacles #healthchallenge
It’s called “life changing illness” for a re It’s called “life changing illness” for a reason. 
Developing serious chronic illness and/or disability can impact many areas of your life and some are easier to come to terms with than others. 
There’s no time limit or “correct” way to overcome the myriad of losses and changes. We all adjust differently. So, if you’re coping with an illness and life changing circumstances on top of that, that’s huge already without adding pressure that you’re not doing it right.
What do you find helps you with the adjustment? Share in the comments if you’d like to swap ideas. 👇🏻
#coping #lifechanging #disability #chronicillness #seriousillness #spoonie #spoonielife #disabilityawareness #chronicillnessawareness #grief #griefawareness #lifeplans #lifechanges #mecfs #mecfswarrior #mecfsawareness #mecfsrecovery #longcovid #longcovidrecovery #longcovidawareness #longcovidsupport
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About Me

rosegold reports

Support for living well with chronic illness and disability. CEO Sabina has a PhD in medical geology and a background in media and marketing.

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  • 5 Best Bathing Aids
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