Brain Hospital.

A new series called Brain Hospital has started on Channel 5 here in the UK. The series documents patients with various problems related to the brain and the journeys they go through including becoming patients of The Walton Centre a neurological centre as part of the NHS in Liverpool. The first episode includes a young lady who has severe Epilepsy. It's a hard and emotional program to watch but very enlightening and I feel it will be a brilliant way to show the nation some much needed awareness of various condition involving the brain along with Epilepsy. Well worth a watch if possible. 

Published work

Some of my photographic work has been published on Paula Roid today! 

Paula Roid is a blog that showcases work from up and coming female photographers. Please do give it a view :) There's plenty of talented women producing some amazing photography out there. 

Definitely makes me want to crack out my camera some more, I need to get my head back in the game after taking some time off to try and sort my brain out. Obviously not getting very far with that task so best put it back into action in the creative world eh?! 

Much love! 

Fantastic weekend madness

This weekend has been like a whirlwind blowing through the house! Everyone was back home for a couple of days plus some lovely extra people so the level of energy was high with plenty of happy vibes. Friday was an evening full of people chit chat and hysterical stomach toning laughing. Saturday afternoon I met up with an old house mate who's recently moved down to Cardiff to live to visit a gallery and catch the last day of a photographic exhibition. It was lovely to have a catch up and get a fill of arty goodness. The evening was spent in Cardiff bay out for dinner with everyone followed by my first experience of a Bollywood film at the cinema, which ended with us all standing by the screen trying to learn the dance moves... SO fun! 

Then there was Sunday.. which turned out to be an interesting and amazing day!! It started with me waking up to find this on my room door...

I was then told by my housemates to put some really nice clothes on which I did, we then got in the car and I had to close my eyes the entire drive. I had NO idea where we were going! After been led out of the car and across the road (with the wind determined to blow my dress everywhere) I opened my eyes to find we were stood outside Waterloo Gardens Teahouse somewhere I've been wanting to visit for AGES!!! It's a lovely teahouse with about a billion teas from all over the world to choose from, fabulous cakes and arty exhibits hanging over all over the walls inside. 

My friends presented me with flowers, chocolates and bucks fizz, and an adorable card full of sweet messages :) SO CUTE!!! I love them all so much :)

We all stuffed ourselves full of afternoon tea consisting of delicious sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, amazing cakes and chocolates and our chosen tea's.

I chose Jade Cloud tea (obviously) with a big juicy slice of courgette and lime cake! Neither of which I'd ever tasted before and I can officially say that it was the best choice ever! It really was so lovely for us all to be back in the house for the weekend. 

I'm still not sleeping properly and having had such a busy fun weekend it's needless to say I'm very, very tired so taking it easy for a couple of days, the weather is really rubbish here at the moment so I think it's a good excuse to stay cosy! 

Hair today sleep tomorrow

I'm just going to have a tired and frustrated whinge. These last few nights sleep have been very unusual for me. Due to my meds and possibly teeny tiny seizures I'm not even aware about I'm pretty much always tired. I usually sleep all through the night (like a log) in fact I'm usually fast asleep by about 10:30pm having gone to bed at around 10 and don't wake up until anywhere between 8 and 10:30am depending on how my brain feels. Plus a nap in the afternoon most days. But over the last few nights I keep waking up at strange hours of the morning say 5:30 for example and I'm WIDE awake. It's driving me round the bend because it has a knock on effect for the daytime hours when I need to be getting whatever needs to be done in life.. well.. done. I don't exactly have heaps of energy normally so anything else that takes any away does not help!

Also, I had my hair cut today. I wear it as a pixie crop because it got so thin very quickly when I started taking my medicine particularly the Keppra which I've been on for over two years now. Having it short makes it appear much thicker than when I had it long! I recently changed hair salons and today (my second visit to this one) my hairdresser asked if I use a hairdryer or swim a lot. I instantly knew that he's noticed how thin it is and told him all about having to take a lot of medicine and how they dramatically affected my hair. I never use a hair dryer anymore (not that I used one a great deal before) and use a organic "gentle" shampoo which I really think helps but yes I do swim a lot so the chlorine obviously doesn't help the matter. It sucks though to have someone bring it up again. He was very nice about everything as we talked and has suggested a hair thickening product system which I MIGHT give a go... we'll see. May well just be a money making scam though.. but then for £15 for a whole kit it may be worth a try.

Anyway as I'm typing I keep having to stop to re-engage my concentration, my eyes feel like I need matchsticks to keep them open and my face is aching like there's little anvils clinging on. I think it might be time for bed. I hope I can get a decent nights sleep soon and for them to carry on as I cannot work like this and my job starts soon.. talk about bad timing.

Festive catch-up

The holiday period was a lovely one! I spent Christmas staying at my mums and New Year staying at my dads, both were fabulous and brilliant times to relax with family.

Britain decided it might want to sink just before Christmas, we had SO much rain it was unbelievable, there was serious and in some cases deadly flooding everywhere. I was VERY lucky to get up to my mums place for Christmas as I caught the LAST train out of South Wales before they shut the line. Phew!!

I got up to all sorts while I was away from home...

One thing being... getting back on a horse. Given that a particularly scary fall from a horse back when I was in my early teens is one of the possible causes for my seizures today, riding again was no mean feit... Before this particular fall I'd ridden most of my life from an early age. With both sides of my family having horses especially with my mum being a horse trainer and riding instructor it was just an everyday thing. This time though after not riding for years I was unbelievably nervous but I finally got on  one of my mums horses called Dancer. She was so calm and had always been a horse that can sense what the riders is feeling. She put up with my tenseness and silent panic very well and I eventually I even managed a smile, it still makes me smile when I think about it. 

The biggest news is... two yes TWO of my friends got engaged over the festive period :D one on Christmas day and one on News Years eve! The latter of which I was highly privileged enough to witness <3 so, so adorable!

My dad, sister and I took the current 4x4 off-roading for the very last time as my dad is busy building a brand new one scratch SO EXCITING!! We managed a good set of hours running it around the areas, off cliffs and in a ton of mud before someone else got stuck in a swampy area and we rescued him. Unfortunately just after a successful rescue of the other guy, we then broke down and become stuck in the same area! Typical! It was SO fun though so not all was lost. 

Plans now? Get my hair cut, wait to hear when I officially start my internship (super nervous and excited), volunteering on Thursday, thorough sort out of all my paperwork that's hanging around, book a GP appointment about my knee, get in contact with a charity project that I've heard about and see if I can help plus other bits and pieces.

Hello New Internship!

Well apparently my interview went well as... I GOT THE INTERNSHIP!!! I'm now officially employed in the place of my dreams!!! I cannot believe it, and absolutely delighted :) 

Best phone call EVER! 

I'm waiting for the forms to be processed by HR and will hear back from the lovely lady who was one of the people in my interview and who will be my support throughout, on Friday. Then it's go go go!

It's going to be hard especially in terms of tiredness and seizures but for now... Jade 1 - Epilepsy 0 !!!

I'm nervous I'm not going to lie, but I'm unbelievably excited too!

When it snows..

On a more cheery note compared with the last few posts... 

It snowed :D Yaaaaaay! 

Britain (mainly England I reckon :P) goes CRAZY when it snows. We don't usually get wide spread snow on this little island of ours so there isn't much money spent on keeping everything going in terms of road clearing etc (which I think is fair to be honest) so everything almost immediately comes grinding to a halt!!! School's shut, public transport slows right down to a snails pace if moves at all and people panic buy food like mad! 

I think it's wonderful :) People become so happy, we're so used to monotone miserable wet weather for a good chunk of the year that as soon as it snows or is sunny most (there's always the whingers) peoples spirits rocket, and it shows in the form of a brilliant atmosphere and gleeful faces.

These are just a couple of quick snaps I took on my little compact on my way to the arts centre yesterday morning to volunteer. Cardiff has had a surprising amount for a city near the coast and it looks so beautiful.