Christmas lights and baubles in some branches. Title reads: How I survived Christmas despite Severe M.E. My tips for coping during the festive season

How I Survived Christmas Despite Chronic Illness – How To Cope During The Festive Season

One thing that can really cause a lot of stress for people with Chronic illness is coping with Christmas and all that it entails. For me personally, Christmas has changed so much over the years. It’s ​changed from huge family get-togethers when I still lived with my parents, to multinational bring-and-share gatherings of friends once I moved to London, and then small meals with just my sister and I in my bedroom after I fell ill, ​and every combination in…

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A career woman sits in a corridor with her head in her hands

Outcome: Unfit For Work

I love Facebook memories. Each day you wake up to find a lovely look back at how much things have changed over the past year. Some people find this depressing or sad, but I love looking back. I don’t find it sad, I find it interesting and I enjoy being reminded of all I’ve made it through and how far I’ve come. Even if I am still very ill and inactive, much has changed through the years, but it’s only…

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Blogmas 2017 Christmas Tag

Blogmas 2017 Christmas Tag!

One of the things I love about blogging are all the community events. Things like monthly challenges, link-ups and interviews. Holiday link-ups are always fun! I stumbled upon this fun Christmas link-up on the first of December after I’d already started writing my gift guide and my brain was thoroughly fried, so I have decided to take my time with it and just post it whenever I’m done. More… It’s kind of like the game of “Tag! You’re it!”. You…

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Gift Guide, What to buy for chronically ill friend, ChronicallyHopeful

Gift guide: what to buy for your chronically ill friends, part 3

I’m so excited to share this third part of my spoonie gift guide, I hope you are enjoying this series as much as I am! ​These gifts would be great for birthday presents or a house warming gift or even Christmas too. This series will continue to grow as I think of other cool gift ideas, watch this space!  If you’ve missed any of my other gift guides, you can find them all here. Happy browsing! ​Disability Aids To Help…

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Christmas in Africa BLOG

Summertime Christmas in Africa

When people think of Christmas, they think of snow, father Christmas or Santa Claus, Pine trees and funky Christmas sweaters. We also think about the birth of Jesus and the whole reason for the season. What many people don’t realise is that people on the other half of the planet celebrate Christmas during Summer! I was one of these people. I was born and raised in South Africa where it’s Summer in December and Winter in July. Our school year…

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colourful flouting balloons with title, Gift Guide, what to buy for your Chronically Ill Friends

Gift guide: what to buy for your chronically ill friends, part 2

I know many people find such joy in shopping for gifts. They start shopping months in advance and they buy the most thoughtful, personalised gifts anybody would love, that’s not me. I’m so unorganised!  If you’re anything like me, you’ve waited till the last minute to do your gift shopping. Whether it’s for a birthday, Christmas or a house warming gift, I just cannot get it done unless it’s right around the corner and then I might just give up…

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God gives us the desires of our heart BLOG

God will give you the desires of your heart

This verse is often misinterpreted and then people are discouraged and think God doesn’t keep His word. It’s not saying God is a genie and will grant all your wishes, whatever they are, we know that not everything we lust after in this life is in alignment with God’s will or even part of the path He would like us to be on. I know my own desires were far from godly before I gave my life to Christ and…

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A bowl of colourful confetti spilled on a wooden table. Title says, Gift guide, what to buy for your chronically ill friends.

Gift Guide: What To Buy For Your Chronically Ill Friends, Part 1

It can be quite tricky deciding what to buy your friends with chronic illness because of all the limitations and intolerances we often have. What would be useful and not harmful in their condition? There are many lists out there, and they’re all slightly different depending on the condition they’re tailored for, so I’m making a list of the things I would have loved to receive over the years of being housebound. I have chronic fatigue and chronic pain as…

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Moving to a foreign country, homecoming BLOG

When moving to a foreign country feels like coming home

It was an icy November evening in 2010, exactly 7 years ago today, when my best friend and I hopped on a plane to London from Milan. I had spent the past ten years living in Northern Italy, literally all of my adult life, and this was the beginning of a new chapter. We landed shortly before midnight. We both had been unhappy in our jobs for various reasons for quite some time, so when we lost our jobs, which…

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Feet in a bath tub, water moving. Title reads Shakes and Tremors with ME/CFS. Myalgic Encephalomyeitis causes visible body tremors.

Shaking And Trembling With ME/CFS

One of the most frustrating and debilitating symptoms of ME/CFS is the shaking and trembling after minimal exertion. Something that healthy people might get after a strenuous exercise. I was lying in the bath relaxing last night when I felt the shakes coming on. This is what I get for walking just a few steps to the bathroom and getting undressed. I started feeling a bit of the internal tremors at that point, I imagined it might come to the…

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