By popular demand, here’s a quick introduction to using kinesiology tape. I am not officially trained in any way so if you’re unsure about taping please consult your physio or similar. This guide aims to provide a few hints and tips that will get you started with taping and help you decided if its right…Continue reading Beginners guide to Kinesiology Tape
Author: JBOT
I am an Independent Occupational Therapist & an expert patient with many years experience self-managing complex health conditions.
I began my working life in the sport and Outdoor Adventure industries. After being diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I returned to study and gained a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Northampton, where I was named Changemaker Student of the Year 2016. This is in part to recognise my efforts as a volunteer for the HMSA, for helping to bring Wheelchair Basketball to the university and for my blogging and online advocacy starting in 2013. The final noteworthy reason was my final placement, which made me the UK’s first OT practitioner to work in the travel industry.
I finished my degree in September 2016 after 5 years, thousands of miles of travel, 57 nights in 4 different hospitals, 5 different A&Es (some more than once), 4 ambulance trips, countless hospital and GP appointments, 3 work placements, living in student accommodation, hotels and friends’ houses.
Disability life lessons – Who cares what society thinks?
Life can be tough. Sometimes people with disabilities/impairments have to make tough choices and the impact of society can make tough choices even tougher. Using mobility aids, pacing and pain management strategies often come with judgments and assumptions attached. Over the last few years, I’ve learnt a lot about myself and I feel like I’ve…Continue reading Disability life lessons – Who cares what society thinks?
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Limitless Travel role-emerging placement
As part of Occupational Therapy degrees each student must complete one thousand hours of practice. How this is divided up varies from place to place. Northampton University divides practice hours into three placements. The first is shortest and is mainly observation. The last placement is the longest and it’s expected that each student will carry…Continue reading Limitless Travel role-emerging placement
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Travel with a variable health condition
Planning a holiday or a day out should be exciting but for many people with variable illnesses or disabilities it can be pretty daunting. To be honest, planning anything can be pretty daunting. I’ve lost count of the number of events I’ve called off at the last-minute. For any new visitors to my blog, I…Continue reading Travel with a variable health condition
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Chronic Pain – What does it actually feel like?
This is something I’ve been meaning to write about for a long time. While doing my dissertation before christmas I repeatedly read that most newly qualified healthcare professionals do not have a modern understanding of pain. I reviewed 9 articles for my dissertation, one common theme was the negative patient experience. Patients not feeling validated,…Continue reading Chronic Pain – What does it actually feel like?
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My Top Adaptive Life Apps
Ok so just a quick post. These are little reviews of my most frequently used or most useful apps. Some of these apps are aimed at anyone and everyone but others are more for people with illnesses or disabilities. If you see something totally irrelevant then please just keep scrolling on to the next one.…Continue reading My Top Adaptive Life Apps
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Hypermobility Syndromes – When to seek medical help?
Living with Ehlers Danlos or any of the other hypermobility syndromes does mean you are going to get injuries at some point. That’s not me being negative, it’s the truth. Living with these disorders is risky! Simply rolling over in bed or putting on socks can lead to ridiculous injuries. I do my best to…Continue reading Hypermobility Syndromes – When to seek medical help?
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Non-verbal communication
So this is a new topic for me but I think it’s probably going to help a lot of people. Communication is something we all do, usually without much thought but there are some times when communication can be a bit harder. The most obvious types of communication are talking and listening but actually, a…Continue reading Non-verbal communication
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Therapeutic Relationships – Getting the most from Healthcare
I’m often asked how I’ve managed to get the most out of healthcare appointments, there is no quick answer so I’ve decided to write a longer one. As always, this post is written from the dual perspective of expert patient and healthcare professional. Much of this post is written from my own personal experience. During…Continue reading Therapeutic Relationships – Getting the most from Healthcare
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Sleep deprived ramblings -Why I use a wheelchair & Life with a variable disability
It’s not often I write about how much disability can suck. I do my very best to stay positive. I write useful posts with coping strategies. I think I do a pretty good job when it comes to living a fun and meaningful life but there are some times when I genuinely feel like my…Continue reading Sleep deprived ramblings -Why I use a wheelchair & Life with a variable disability
