9 weeks. 65 days. 1560 hours. 93,600 minutes. 5,616,000 seconds. That’s a lot of time. It’s exactly how long we have now been in lockdown here in the UK, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s exactly how long we have all had to stay at home and do, well, All The Things. Or at least that’s how it looks from the outside; as if weeks and weeks of being off work, out of school, away
Out of all the health-related incidents and circumstances I have experienced in my life, I have chosen exactly none of them. I’ve had no say over when I became ill, what my diagnosis was, or what I’ve experienced as a result. Admittedly I have chosen some of the ways I’ve responded to what’s happened to me, and I hope that I’ve managed to be mostly positive in the process, but far more importantly, I’m simply
“We have identified that you’re someone at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus.” I’ve heard and read these words so many times over the last few weeks. Logically, I understand why; I know my decreased immunity would impact my ability to recover from coronavirus if I caught it. I realise how vitally important it is that I follow the strict advice I’ve been given, to stay inside, shielding myself from the world for
I’ve written many times about the close friendships I have with other people who also have kidney disease. They’re part of my life via a combination of Facebook groups, social media platforms and (my obvious favourite) in-person connections. It’s also no secret that at times my mental health has been extremely poor and these relationships have been the only thing standing between me and what would probably have been a total emotional breakdown. What I
When I was first diagnosed, and as I started to understand how serious my condition was, going to clinic, and having the blood tests beforehand, became a massively anxiety-inducing experience. I would absolutely dread it. Even though PatientView was an option, and I had an account, I hardly ever used it. I didn’t want to know. At least in my mind, if I felt ok, or even “sort of ok” then I. Was. Fine. If
I’m Holly. I’m a writer, speaker and kidney patient advocate currently living in northern England.
