The journey I don't share

I shared a part of my story this week that I have never shared before and I've gotta tell you, it took a big deep breath to press send!

I've spent years being ashamed of that time of my life. I wasn't the easiest teenager and I honestly believed what happened was my punishment. There were other life events happening at the same time that compounded the feeling, and overall that time of life was a sh!t show!

BUT...I don't think i'd be here now, writing this blog without it. I have a huge respect for my health and my resilience. I picked myself up, watched my friends graduate but still got myself to uni and into a career where I get to help other women to feel empowered, strong, resilient, capable, energised and worthy. I LOVE THAT!

And it's only since starting this Health Coaching journey that I realised how this all fell into place. So much so that I'm no longer embarrassed by my story, but empowered by it!

Here is it...

Some of you will know that my health journey has not been straight forward. My teenage years consisted of chronic, ongoing illness, fatigue and ME leading to missed exams and ultimately, not many people know this, having to go back a year in school (you can imagine how that went down at 16 - not fun!) 

My biggest issues after the initial illness passed were body pain & aches, overwhelming fatigue and I guess, depression (although no one ever called it that but I didn't leave my bed for a few months so I’m guessing...) 

This worst of this cycle lasted from age 15 - 19, and although I had a series of treatments, the thing that worked for me in the end was having a plan. Sounds simple I know, but the key was having someone who believed me (many didn’t, teachers especially, tired teenagers were just lazy), who understood, who listened and who would hold me accountable! In those days, it was my GP, these days there is no time/budget for that, instead it would be a Health Coach.

As I began to get better I have spent the past 24 years working to stop this cycle recurring. Because I’m not fixed.  I need to be careful in my food choices, my social calendar, my diary, my routine. It's the practices I have put into place that keep me well.  Pilates is one of them, but it's not the whole picture and finding clarity about how and why I remain well has been a big part of my Health Coaching journey - the reason I started but also why I now want to share this with as many suffering women as possible.

I truly believe the trial and error approach I have cultivated could help so many people. I'm not fixed, but I manage my symptoms every day and live a completely normal  thriving, happy, energised, fit and healthy life that I LOVE despite the usual twists and turns of life, the parts of my health I can control remain pretty constant!