cancer fundraising
When I look back now to October 2021 when I sought help for my anxiety and depression, it’s amazing how far I have come. It wasn’t easy as no-one, not even those close to me, had any idea of my struggles. I presumed that I had been carrying on as normal on social media back then and hiding how I was feeling.
I am someone who firmly believes that Spring starts on March 21st, so we still have a way to go yet. However, this spring like weather is most welcome and I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but this week heralds the start of few little changes for me and maybe this mild weather has
I’ve been writing a lot over recent months, but mostly lyrics for the new Fields of Dawn record. A lot of the lyrics I’ve written are of a personal nature and an honest account of where I am in life. The Next World is one of the tracks on the new album. Perhaps the most fitting song title given my recent health niggles. Yesterday, I saw my consultant in Urology. This was a scheduled post op assessment, but after Pathology threw up quite a big curve ball with the results of my recent procedure, the appointment had become quite a big deal, certainly from my point of view.
It was gut-wrenchingly sad today to hear the news from Melbourne about the death to bowel cancer of Nicole Cooper. One of the kindest and most wonderful souls, who did so much to advocate for bowel cancer patients and raise awareness about bowel cancer.
2009 was a year to forget. On my birthday on February 21st, I got a phone call from Mum saying that Dad had fallen over and we had to take him to hospital. He had suffered a mini stroke. Although he recovered well from this, it had left him more tired and when pneumonia and then sepsis struck a few months later he had nothing left in the tank to fight it.
A little over a year ago I sought help for depression and anxiety. Hard to sum my issues up in a few words, but I was unhappy, lonely, anxious, plagued by guilt and self doubts and living under a very dark cloud. Taking that first step of acknowledging I’d been living with these problems for so many years was a big step. I just thought it was a my “normal” and had just accepted it all as a part of life.
I have come to quite a big decision today. After exactly a year on anti-depressants, I have decided to come off the Sertraline.
On World Mental Health Day here is my own recent personal experience. By coincidence it was on this week one year ago when I first called the doctor’s surgery to seek help. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I was put on Sertraline and had a course on CBT sessions.
October is bound to be a month of reflection for me, especially for someone who has been a chronic overthinker in the past. Removing all the horrendous going on in the UK and the wider world at the moment, the last 12 months has been a time of great change for me. Certainly as far as mental health goes and I am much the better for it. Work in progress, but hopefully taking steps in the right direction. I am sure I will be speaking more about this during the next few weeks.
This week I received the results / outcome of my recent appointment with Urology about a lump I have. It is good news as the path forwards in monitoring and not surgery at this stage.
