Author Archives: Stacie-Mai

About Stacie-Mai

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September is PCOS Awareness Month!!

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© https://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is something that cannot be cured, despite some claims, although symptoms can be improved and managed (for some) with medication, exercise and other lifestyle changes. It is a hormonal condition that manifests itself differently in each person. PCOS is very common and impacts how ovaries function.

Symptoms of PCOS can vary from person to person and no two people are often suffering the exact same symptoms. Some symptoms include;

  • Weight gain,
  • Difficulty losing weight,
  • Irregular periods or no periods,
  • Thinning hair,
  • Acne,
  • Excessive hair growth,
  • Fertility issues,
  • Miscarriages,
  • Cysts that burst and cause pain or internal bleeding,
  • Mood changes,
  • Depression,
  • Bloating,

These are just some of the symptoms. Many Healthcare Professionals will suggest weight loss will solve all problems, however for those that suffer with PCOS, we know that this is often very difficult and untrue.

PCOS puts a person at a higher risk of;

  • Type 2 Diabetes,
  • High blood pressure,
  • High cholesterol,
  • (High blood pressure and cholesterol can also lead to strokes or heart disease,)
  • Sleep apnoea,
  • Depression,
  • Endometrial Cancer.

September is PCOS awareness month and social media will see an increase in posts about this life changing syndrome. I will be uploading more posts about how PCOS impacts my life, however this post is a very basic, introduction to PCOS.

Please message me if you have questions and I will do my best to help you.

Is this really happening?

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UCAS really do like to keep you waiting. Personally, I think the site may have got sick of me checking the Track system.

I have been away from blogging since last year, so have a lot to catching up to do!!

So when off work last year I decided things needed to change, I only had one year left of my Open University Degree, but wanted to do something that involved more time out of the house (plus I have 16 years to complete my OU Degree). I decided to look at other Universities and rang my local University Nursing Department to enquire about whether they have places in the next cohort and, most importantly, whether they would accept an application this late into the year. Luckily for me they would accept an application. I told them I would have it sent in by the end of the day and they were happy for me to tick the box to not include a reference, but supply details for one. 30 Minutes later an application was sent in. That was the fastest personal statement I had ever written.

I was also very lucky as the next Open Day was within a week and the next interview day was also very soon after. I found out within a couple of weeks that I was successful and given a conditional offer. Conditions were not based on grades but as I had not submitted a reference with the UCAS application, this was needed as well as confirmation of my OU studies and credits achieved. Once submitted, amazingly that August my place was confirmed. Although the September cohort was full, so my place was for March, but I did not care. I was going to be a nurse.

I even got a head sweatband in the post – I have not had the heart to use it yet!!

And that is my short story of getting into Nursing.

Found this on Google

What is going on in the world?

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TW (Trigger Warning) Discussions of bullying and suicide.

As I have found myself with a lot of spare time this week I have been trying to keep up to date with the news and one topic seems to be coming up more often than others and it has really hit me….

BULLYING

Seriously, what is wrong with the world? Why must people hurt others so much it makes them want to be dead?

A 14-year-old boy has ended his life in Wales this week due to bullying in School. I’m sure that this is not the only death this week due to bullying, especially in younger people and children.

Other young people are reported to be afraid of returning to school following the Summer Holidays because of bullies. Schools have bullying policies but are young people really being protected.

I was bullied when I was in school, towards the end of Primary School and in Secondary School. It possibly played a part in my anorexia in Secondary School but I sought help for the bullying when things got to a certain stage (most of the time but a lot of incidents went unreported because it was just too much effort to report). It really affected me and quite often the only thing done was a discussion between bully and teacher, sometimes with me present-nothing seems to ever be taken further. Not that I am saying that every time someone is bullied it should go to the police, but when we live in a world that is seeing an increase in Mental Health difficulties and awareness, suicides and the carrying of weapons such as knives and guns, we never know when things will get really serious or how long it will take someone to be tipped over the edge. Some people will brush bullying off their shoulders and their feelings build up over time , but other times that first instance or first severe threat or comment can result in the end of a life.

I will go further into bullying in later posts but there is an increasing level of stories about bullying in schools, homes, streets and workplaces and many of us are suffering and the bullies get away with it. Often bullies get away with their actions because of their status, their family or the fact that they have been in a company for a long time and ” would never do that” – even when other staff have reported it. One situation I have experienced is being treated badly and having a witness to this, but then this person has been spoken to and denied it and they are believed, even though I had a witness to the incident. It is incidents like this that make me not like people (and I like people!) but I have been let down and treated badly so much in life, one thing I hate is if I witness a bully, bad treatment, ‘slagging off’ or gossiping and talking badly about someone, it takes a hell of a lot of persuasion for me to make a good impression in my mind about that person, if you are one of these people I often hold a grudge against the person, you won’t know it, because I remain civil (unlike a lot of people) but secretly I do not trust you and do not like or respect you as a person.

I do not respect bullies. I will be civil and treat you with general respect – because that is the type of person I am. But I will not like you and probably not change my mind.

I am glad that Heads Together have started a campaign regarding workplace bullying.

I recommend a visit to this page, and encourage workplaces to use this also as the number of people who have experienced bullying in their current workplace is a huge 48%!! Here is the webpage the page also directs you to;

https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/

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Mental Health Monday – Monday September 10th 2018

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This week, it is all about Money.

hustling sabrina the teenage witch GIF

 

Mental health and money go hand in hand. Mental ill-health can make managing money difficult (not always!) and worrying about money can make mental ill health worse. It can be a vicious cycle.

I recently talked to someone from the Mental Health and Money Advice Service.

https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/

I had no idea how much they can support people ( I wish I used them and their help when I was off work!) Seriously check them out if you need some support with money. They can even help you if you do not know where to start; (The link below this screenshot is for Wales, so make sure you select the right part of the UK in the options in the top right corner of the website);

 

 

 

 

 

Why learning is important to me and how it’s impacted my life? – The Short Version….

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I have decided to answer this question;

Why is learning important to you and how has it impacted your life?

 

  • In my second Primary School I met my best friend.
  • In Secondary School I went skiing in France, visited Italy and had an audience with the Pope (and thousands of others), visited New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C as well as other trips around the UK.
  • In college I adjusted my hours to work and live with my first true love.
  • During University I joined the cheerleading squad, had a miscarriage and learnt to juggle 3 jobs as well as a Full Time Course, before leaving University, with nothing but the experience, 20 University credits and a diagnosis of Meares Irlen Syndrome and Dyspraxia.
  • During my time at my distance learning University I had difficulties with my physical and mental health, finding an online support system in a group format and finding life long friends (even though we have never met!).

Learning is my past, my present and my future.

The points above show some of the life challenges that have accompanied my learning. Without these events occurring hand in hand with learning my life would be very different. I have always been aware of those in the world that have to fight for education, those that are killed because of their fight and those that never experience education. For me, education is a privilege and to be in a country where I am given a free education (well until University anyway!!) is an amazing thing.

Learning has saved me in so many ways, I expressed my eating disorder through my art and escaped to the world of Hogwarts thanks to J.K Rowling. It is important to me to be a good example to my siblings and younger people around me, nobody in my family has been to University and whilst I am definitely taking the long way around gaining a degree, I have been rescued so many times thanks to learning and education. Education has at times been my mother, father, sibling, friend and comforting stranger when nobody else has been around.

At age 17 I started my University applications for Midwifery and Nursing and year after year was unsuccessful, I tried my hand at other things and had to move around a lot to find the work – I was chasing work to build my experience, to better myself for University and I am getting closer to my ultimate dream. There will be struggles and there will be (more) tears but I will do it!!

This Girl Can!!

cropped-healthwise-wales-promo-picture

 

I am a big believer that we all deserve an education and the right to knowledge and development during our lives, that learning doesn’t have to be University, learning is unique to each of us. Not all of us get the chance, so I grab it with both hands and love the experience. It also keeps me up to date and my brain ticking!! Learning is important to me as it helps me realise what I have overcome and allows me to believe in myself.

Learning has saved me.

Why is learning important to you?

https://www.activia.co.uk/scholarship-uk