Raising awareness of, and supporting, young people with long-term health conditions
by Regan (she/her) “the quality of being easily reached, entered, or used by people who have a disability” My name is Regan I’m 21 and would like to talk about the importance of accessibility to me on my journey living with Multiple Sclerosis. To me, accessibility means independence, it means freedom. Initially, when I was … Continue reading Accessibility and Me
“When your lifestyle is your medicine, changes to it can have a big impact on your quality of life.” Three years ago, at the onset of her chronic health issues, Sasha Donovan-Anns had lost a quarter of her body weight; this sudden weight loss made her very weak, having a negative impact upon her attendance … Continue reading Living with Fibromyalgia in Lockdown
This blog post features Beth, Laura, and Ally from LUNA talking together (on video call because of social distancing life!) about their experiences of being diagnosed with long term health conditions. They talk about how they found this, and the similarities and the differences in their experiences. What was your experience of getting a diagnosis? … Continue reading Diagnosis Experiences: A Conversation Between friends
I’ve always been a chatterbox. People are often amused by the pace at which I can talk and the sheer volume of conversation. I always put it down to being an extrovert, just something that was quirky about me. Even as a child I had no problem nattering away to unsuspecting adults. I’d never really … Continue reading Being diagnosed with ADHD as a young adult: Ella’s experience
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
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 Emma Illingworth Since being a young girl, I never felt quite right; I could never put my finger on what was making me feel so poorly. At the age of 12/13 I started going to the doctors more and more frequently: puberty, period pain, IBS, possible appendicitis, haemorrhoids and indigestion are a few of … Continue reading Living With Crohn’s Disease
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