SWT Lackford Lakes Access Review

Suffolk Wildlife Trusts’ Lackford Lakes is 323 acres of wildlife paradise just outside Bury St Edmunds. The reserve features a mix of lakes, reed beds, meadows and woodland. There are 6km of trails and 9 bird hides. Lackford Lakes visitor centre is open from 10am till 5pm Tuesday till Saturday. The reserve is down a…Continue reading SWT Lackford Lakes Access Review

Ableism in the media ‘Anyone can run a marathon’

Earlier today I was watching the London Marathon. The commentator repeatedly emphasised that ‘anyone can run the London Marathon’ all you need is ‘enough training and enough belief’. I let this sink in for a bit and decided that I couldn’t stay quiet. I was encouraged by a friend to share what I thought. What absolute…Continue reading Ableism in the media ‘Anyone can run a marathon’

Cley Marshes Accessibility Review

Cley Marshes is a Nature reserve in Norfolk looked after by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT). The reserve it’s self is a good mix of shingle beach and saline lagoons, marshland and reed beds complete with a number of wildlife hides and viewpoints. I first visited in January and I went there again last week.…Continue reading Cley Marshes Accessibility Review

Models of Disability

Models of Disability

Today I had planned to attend an OT conference, this took a fair amount of planning and team work since I can’t drive and don’t often feel well enough to be far from home alone. Unfortunately since life happens everything fell apart at the last-minute. I don’t get to attend the conference so I’m using…Continue reading Models of Disability

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?

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

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

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?

Therapeutic Relationships

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

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