This ain’t no Fairytale …

… Mental Health struggles will not disappear at midnight alongside the strike of 00:00 on a clock.

#WorldMentalHealthAwarenessDay2022 can only mean something today on Monday 10th October 2022 if it also means something on 11th, 12th, 13th and every other day, of every other month … otherwise it means nothing.

My 2022 to date has been shit suboptimal … My life has changed dramatically in the past 5 months … temporarily but as my surgeon says ‘You’re alive aren’t you?’ 🤷‍♀️

Yes … Mr Surgeon, I am alive but at what cost? … 5 months of my life gone, my hair gone, my belly button gone*, my freedom gone, my literal strength gone, my mental strength gone, my self esteem gone, my ability to stand up without making an odd noise gone … I am not saying it was not worth it but at the same time it has come at a cost – even if temporary.

I have spent 5 months begging for Mental Health Support right up until this morning crying down the phone with the GP … how bad do I need to be before they take me seriously? Luckily my hysteria had barely subsided when the District Nurse arrived and bless her … she asked me that question … ‘How are you?’ 😬

Lucky for me todays nurse was Steph, lucky for me she came when I was already in the middle of a particular bad moment and lucky for me she asked ‘How are you?’ She listened to me, she made notes and then she went away and started sorting shit out.

Steph spoke to my GP and got ANOTHER Mental Health referral – one that I actually have text confirmation of this time and one that she is going to follow up on. She discussed with them the vaccinations that I need before I can start my Crohn’s treatment and has scheduled me another appointment for later in the week and has followed up with the IBD team to get some answers to my questions.

So I repeat – it is all well and good having #WorldMentalHealthAwarenessDay2022 but unless it means something on every other day, of every other month … even when the District Nurse named Steph is not around, it means nothing.

🌹