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3 Inspirational Disabled Heroines for International Women’s Day 2021

  • Post published:7 March 2021
  • Post category:Balance
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Read more about the article 3 Inspirational Disabled Heroines for International Women’s Day 2021

Introduction International Women's Day (IWD) is held annually on March 8th. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks…

Continue Reading3 Inspirational Disabled Heroines for International Women’s Day 2021

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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 #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
Do you take supplements? The global market for di Do you take supplements?
The global market for dietary supplements is valued at 152 billion (USD, 2021). This is obviously a huge business, however, not all supplements are created equal. Some supplements are excellent and others effectively useless. The sheer variety on offer is seemingly limitless. So, how to choose the best ones? 
For world wellbeing week we outline 5 key questions to ask when choosing the best supplement for you. Swipe to see what they are and head to the blog (link in bio and highlights) for why these questions matter and tips on what the answers should be. 
👉🏻 Head over to rosegoldreports.com and make sure you’re getting good value and maximum WELLBEING benefit.
Audio description:
A series of 6 slides with a bright yellow background and a selection of tablets and capsules spilling down the right side. Each slide has white text and “world wellbeing week” at the bottom. Slide text is provided in the alt text for each slide.
A further 3 supplementary slides feature “my favourites” these are 3 types of supplement. A photo of packaging is shown with bullet point text underneath, full text for these is given in the alt text of each slide.
#vitamins #minerals #supplements #wellbeing #worldwellbeingweek #supplementsthatwork
How did you sleep? If you’re suffering from sle How did you sleep?
If you’re suffering from sleep problems, whether occasionally or frequently you’re not alone.
36% of UK adults struggle to get to sleep at least once a weekly and around 1 in 5 have trouble falling asleep every single night. 
Good quality sleep is key for good health, so we have you covered with our latest sleep bundle giveaway to celebrate #worldwellbeingweek2022 
You could win a box of award winning @unbeelievablehealth Bee Rested sleep support, a copy of the Insomnia Diaries (a true account with added sections of advice from a sleep doctor) and a full size @thisworks Deep Sleep body cocoon lotion.
To enter: follow @unbeelievablehealth and @rosegoldreports like and save this post, then tag one or more friends who could do with a better night’s sleep, each tag counts as an additional entry! 
Optional bonus entry: share to stories and tag @rosegoldreports (so I can see).
Ts and Cs:⠀
- This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or in any other way affiliated with Instagram.⠀
- U.K. entries only.
- Closing date is midnight on Friday 15th July.
- Winner will be announced on IG stories here at Midday on Monday 18th July.
- Watch out for fake accounts asking for personal information.
Audio description: a white slide with a photo of the three prizes in the centre, there is a pale blue filigree design in the corners of the slide.
#Sleep #sleepaid #sleepbetter #unbeelievablehealth  #sleepsupport #BeeRested #Insomnia #painsomnia #sleepcoach #sleeptight #thisworks #thisworksforme #insomniadiaries
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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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