The Handbook

Why do tablets not make me feel better?

Why do tablets not make me feel better?

Why Do The Tablets Not Make Me Feel Better? A h, the medication conundrum. ⁠ Before I became chronically ill I thought you went to the doctors, they diagnosed you, give you medication and then you get BETTER. ⁠In reality, there are a whole host of things that affect how well medication can help and […]

Getting friends and family to understand you're disabled

Getting family and friends to understand you’re disabled

Getting Family and Friends to Understand You’re Disabled E very body is slightly different and will react to medications in different ways. What works for one person might be a horror show filled with unwanted side effects for someone else and there is no way of knowing until you try the medication The problem we […]

Feeling confident as a visibly disabled person

Feeling confident as a visibly disabled person

Feeling Confident as a Visabiliy Disabled Person T here is nothing quite like the first time you go out with a new mobility aid. ⁠It doesn’t matter if this is your first time using one or you’ve just upgraded from one type to another. The questions, stares and insecurities all come flooding in and leave […]

Why is lived experience so important

Why is lived experience so important?

Why Do I Resent The Healthy People In My Life? O r, you know, what the hell is it? I have to explain the importance of lived experiences so regularly I feel like every person who reads this blog (particularly those who aren’t in the disabled community themselves) needs to keep passing it on to […]

my story has value

My story has value

My Story Has Value T his quote from Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette has always resonated with me but now more than ever: my story has value. When I launched the NYG membership I once again had the privilege to learn and listen to people’s stories of disability and chronic illness. Although our stories are similar, each […]

Finding quality of life in chronic illness

Finding quality of life in chronic illness

Finding Quality of Life in Chronic Illness L ife with a chronic illness can sometimes feel like work/sleep/clean – repeat indefinitely. It’s sometimes as if all the fun is sucked out of life because of fatigue and limited energy, but what if I told you doing things just because they make you happy is allowed […]

What is radical acceptance

What is radical acceptance?

What is Radical Acceptance? R adical acceptance sounds like the kind of new-age bull you might want to steer clear of, along with juice cleanses and ‘think yourself better’, but it’s not what you think. Before we talk about what radical acceptance really is, we need to highlight what it definitely isn’t! Radical acceptance is […]

Ever wished you could have a chronic illness fairy godmother?

How to create a support system

How to Create a Support System C aring for a chronically ill bod is tiring, not to mention expensive, but what if there was a better way? People living with chronic illnesses need access to so many things, in fact you need a team of therapists, physios, occupational therapists, nutritionists and so many more. However, […]

What is medical trauma

What is Medical Trauma?

What is Medical Trauma? M edical trauma is something you hear in the disabled community a lot but rarely do we talk about what counts as medical trauma – and I think you might be surprised to learn how much actually does! **Trigger warning for this post just because of the mention of medical trauma, […]

What are usable hours?

What Are Usable Hours And What Have They Got To Do With Chronic Illness?

What are Usable Hours and What Have They Got To Do With Chronic Illness? U sable hours is a way of explaining how fatigue affects your ability to do things. We all have the same number of hours in a day but for someone with fatigue, they only have a limited number in which they […]