Raising awareness of, and supporting, young people with long-term health conditions
Having a long term chronic illness can result in feeling like you are ‘ losing’ lots of things. Being diagnosed at a young age perhaps lessens these feelings; growing up you only pick the things which you are capable of. For instance, I never really have engaged in sport, apart from climbing from time to … Continue reading Lost and Gained: Beth
Jenny, 22 Jenny: When I got diagnosed it felt like I had gained this huge weight of responsibility, like I had this massive load to carry around with me at all times. Luckily with Type One diabetes the advancement of the medication meant that it can fit in a little case, so the weight was … Continue reading Jenny: Lost and Gained
Hospital stays are a seemingly inevitable part of having a long term health condition, and can be difficult for lots of different reasons. There’s the isolation, stress, worry, missing out on things and the fact that you usually feel completely rubbish. We are writing this, Beth and Ally as both patients and visitors, and Ross … Continue reading Managing a Hospital Stay
by Niamh Adams When you are diagnosed with a chronic illness you think the fight is over, you think you will get the help and support you need. Little did I know that this was only the start of my journey in becoming my own advocate and fighting for the support I needed. I first … Continue reading Finding The Right Doctor For You
The loneliness that came with epilepsy is one of the things that has taken me most by surprise and that I have found the hardest to manage. I feel we all know the difference between emotionally and physically alone, but it feels an important difference to emphasise. Especially because I would be doing an injustice … Continue reading In the Same Boat: Ally’s Perspective
Hi! I’m Mirren, I’m 19 years old and I’m a Gaelic student at the University of Glasgow. I suffer from seizures, usually a few times a day, and while my doctors believe they’re caused by epilepsy they are still not sure. It’s been a year and a half since I was first hospitalised, and back … Continue reading In the Same Boat: Mirren’s Perspective
Loneliness is something that we tend to talk about purely in relation to elderly people, but it is something that can affect young people too. All young people experience feelings of loneliness; growing up involves lots of challenges: moving from school to university, changes in your support system, and new experiences that can be isolating. … Continue reading Loneliness; perspectives over time.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) at the age of 16 after falling ill with my first flare. UC is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and is an inflammatory condition that causes ulcers, which can bleed and produce mucus, to form in the large intestine. It is currently incurable but can be … Continue reading IBD: Conversations with Friends
By Isobel Crossley When Ally, Beth and Ross first asked me if I’d like to write a post, I was originally hesitant as I didn’t think I really had a place to say anything due to not suffering from a long term health condition myself, but I do have a sister with a chronic illness … Continue reading IBD: A Sibling’s Perspective
By Ella Crossley I am Ella, a sixteen-year-old girl with Crohn's Disease this isn’t something that I tell people very often, for the simple reason that I’m embarrassed by it. I’m not ashamed of the fact that I am ill, it doesn’t make me feel weak or less able in anyway whatsoever. It’s the disease … Continue reading I am Embarrassed
The LUNA Project Blog 