Angelicscalliwags Rag #05

The biggest news this week is that the rash is now under control! I know this may not be the huge news I am making it out to be, but I have been agonisingly itchy for the past four weeks, so much so I was unable to go to a wedding on Saturday 😢 But…today the rash has almost disappeared and the awful itching feels a bit more under control. I went back to the doctor’s last week and he gave me permission to add a second anti-histamine so that the nighttime itching was more bearable and it seems like the combination of the two, alongside the steroid cream, have worked their magic. This GP didn’t think it was an allergic reaction, but he wasn’t able to tell me what it could be. What can I say? I am indeed an anomaly 🤭

Insomnia Clinic

The main reason for going to the doctor’s was to be referred for an autism diagnosis. They had sent me forms to fill in and I’d returned them. They had been in touch asking that I make an appointment. The GP said I scored highly (9/10) for autism but fairly low for ADHD (3 out of something 🤷‍♀️ ). Anyway, I was told that children were prioritised over adults for autism diagnoses (as they should be) and it could take up to four years to be seen. I’m not too bothered. It was the sleep specialist who thought that I was maybe neurodivergent and it was that which caused the overstimulation which has made me an insomniac my whole life. I believe that if I am diagnosed, treatment options for my sleep become available which aren’t available without a diagnosis…although I’m not sure what they are. I’m happy either way.

Master’s Assignment

Last week I handed in my assignment and had it returned today. I don’t know if you’ll remember, but I wasn’t really sure how well I’d done because I wasn’t really sure what I was doing! I passed, which is marvellous, but got my lowest mark yet at 65%. The tutor gave amazing feedback though. And by amazing, I mean she told me where I was going wrong and what I needed to do to improve my mark. I particularly appreciated the depth she went into, because I had struggled to understand what was required of me. I think going forward I have more of an idea, which I can take into my next assignment. All this to say, I am feeling much more confident going into my second assignment than I felt going into my first. 😊

My Lovely Mum Had a Fall 😞

My mum is amazing. I think she becomes more amazing the older she gets. Last week she turned 80. She walks Harvey at the weekends for an hour in the woods and she also has a personal trainer who she goes to twice a week. Well, she was at the trainer’s gym doing step ups onto a high step and she tripped. He managed to catch her but her foot got stuck under the step thing and she knocked her leg and twisted her ankle. Mum was in so much pain, she wasn’t able to get up for a few minutes. Somehow, and I’m not sure how (we think adrenaline?) she walked the fifteen minutes home.

Once she got home and took off her shoes, she noticed how bad it looked. She walked home, people!! My mother is the most stubborn woman in the whole world, and trying to get her to take it easy over the last few days has been an uphill battle. On Saturday, she asked me if I thought she’d be okay to go to her trainer on Monday or if I thought she should cancel…

This Week’s Reading

This week I finished Ultra-Processed People #ad which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a great companion to the film I watched a few years ago (In Defence of Food) by Michael Pollan. It’s all about processed food and its consequences. Its author, Chris Van Tulleken, writes and narrates well and what he has to say is fascinating and a little bit disturbing 😳 . I am still working my way through The Hobbit #ad for the first time ever. I don’t really enjoy fantasy but I’m trying to stretch myself…

I’ve also finished the January chapter of The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2024 #ad. I am LOVING this! I love all things seasonal and this gives you every bit of information you could possibly want and more! Reading a tiny bit each night before I go to bed is such a treat. 🧡

Lillie’s Life

I continue to be blown away by Lillie’s university. Oh my goodness! For those of you who don’t know, Lil went to a uni near home to study graphic design. Whilst there she was bullied by a rather large, older male student. It got so bad that she made the decision uni wasn’t safe for her anymore. She saw the first year out, achieved a certificate of higher education in graphics design, and then left for a discipleship year with the youth leader in our church, earning her youth leader qualifications. Around February last year, she felt confident enough to try out a degree again. 

University of Arts London

This time she applied to UAL in London. This was a considerably better university, so we were delighted when she was accepted to study a degree in illustration and visual communication. She is loving studying there. The classes are huge (think 100 plus students) and there are at least four tutors in the room at any given time. Lillie had shared her experience of her first university and UAL had her tutor talk with her and ask how they could support her.

Flippy Floppy Joints

As a result, she has therapy to deal with the trauma of the bullying and extra help in order to support her joints. Lillie has a joint disorder (probably due to her being a twin). It means they pop out at any given time and are very unstable. Thanks to the university, she is now getting physiotherapy and now wears tape supports around her shoulder joints:

Her tutors all keep a close eye on her and, unlike the first uni, she feels so incredibly supported.

Oh, and she got a new job, working in a local stationers. Life is very good for Lillie right now. Everything feels like it is falling into place for her.

Small Business Journal

January is super quiet in small business land. I have had absolutely no orders this month, although watching some of my favourite YouTubers, it seems like it’s a thing in January. I have enjoyed making more products and this week I have been taking the photos so I can upload them onto my Etsy shop.

That’s it for this week! I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you 🧡