Around 2007 I woke up to get ready for school and complained to my mum about a headache, over 10 years later that headache still hasn’t gone away; then around 6 months later the migraines started, piling pain onto something that was already draining me at such a young age. Years on from this many, MANY, failed medications inc. botox injections, I was recieving occipital nerve blocks and the specialist nurse explained to me why I was having so many issues, in the most basic rewording, he told me my pain was odd because in unexplainable and unmanageable which is rare. Now years on from that conversation I am receiving Ajovy injections and after the 1st month of being on it I have noticed an improvement, don’t get me wrong I am in no way cured and even as writing this a migraine is very present and I am not allowed ANY pain medication to help, but at the same time I am experiencing more mild/moderate pain days than severe. There is a faint light starting to appear at the end of the very long tunnel I’ve been walking down and it’s comforting.

Since a young age I’ve so battled depression and anxiety, this included self harm and even suicide attempts, I stopped “activities” for years however in 2020 a sexual assault plummeted me back down a very dark hole that I am finally starting to climb out of. It’s also being questioned if the assault has triggered other mental health issues but for now that’s undecided.

Despite the chronic illness and mental health card I was dealt, I am now 25, have a BSc in sociology and criminology from Salford University, am engaged and set to marry (3rd time lucky – thanks covid) in April 2021 and have the cutest little dog.

Life is never perfect but goodness can be found, sometimes it’s just hard and I’m still, and probably will always be, learning this and manoeuvring through life keeping it in mind.