Managing Weight Bias in Healthcare

Good evening everybody!

I hope you're all doing really really well, massive that you to everybody who read the previous post it was an absolute pleasure to write it and the response to it was awesome! Because of such a fab response to the more practical advice based posts I'll be planning a few more of these to come up pretty soon. From this point on I'll be using my summer to do 4 things one being blogging for this account, blogging for my university blogging platform, reading for my dissertation and enjoying my time off with trips, so I'll try to write as much as I can for both of my blogging roles. So, today's post is a pretty important one all in all and I have to stress as a disclaimer that although this blog is aimed at promoting awareness for genetic obesity disorders none of the advice or tips/suggestions I provide are limited to those with genetic obesity. This post in particular will be about how to handle weight bias in healthcare, something that I know fine well that almost every single overweight or obese person in on the planet will have or will face at some point. I know I have done a similar post to this but this one is much more in-depth and should be so much more helpful, hopefully. 

Source: MyGutTellsMe.com

The fact that there is so much weight bias, hatred, prejudice or whatever you like to call it, in society is hard enough to handle at the best of times but the issue becomes more than hard to handle when that weight bias creeps into YOUR healthcare. To really kick off this post I am going to tell you all a story... It was about 9 months ago I went into my local GP surgery, West Cornforth Medical Centre for those who are interested in which medical centres to stay away from, and I had been suffering from a chest infection, sinus infection, the psoriasis in my inner ears had flared up and I had made an appointment to attempt to deal with my chest infection. Being Asthmatic from birth I know how serious chest infections can end up being, I sat and explained my symptoms to the GP manning the surgery at the time and the first thing out of that man's mouth was "May I ask how you are managing your weight?". This isn't an uncommon thing in the lives of obese and overweight people, we deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis in healthcare, then have strangers on the street telling us we are putting a strain on our healthcare system by being overweight... as a side note I will point out that it is not our weight that most often is wasting money or time for healthcare systems around the world, if Doctors were willing to listen openly and actively to our concerns as human beings maybe we wouldn't be wasting appointments constantly poking for new Doctors who understand out current, very personal circumstances. The following are tips and tricks that I have had to develop over the years to get the healthcare that I not only need but that I am entitled to as a human being. 

• Unless your appointment is weight related make it known that you will not be discussing your weight in the appointment - I don't know how many times I have had to do this. I've attended an appointment for dermatology or my chest infection and ended up being asked about my weight. Often times it can make you so angry you want to scream or hit someone but the most appropriate way to deal with that kind of question is simply say "that topic is not relevant to the matter at hand, I am here to discuss my original problem". It is as simple as that and you need not swear, shout or get upset. As long as you are confident in how you handle the doctor and remember that if it wasn't for people using their services they don't get paid, so make the most of your time at the Doctors office by only speaking about what you need to. 

• If your weight is brought up again, without you explicitly discussing or asking about it, leave - Again, unless the appointment was weight related, and you are asked about your weight repeatedly, leave. You have not wasted your time to be hounded by questions regarding your lifestyle which may not be directly related to the problem you are presenting with. I fully understand that weight does play a role in many other health complications but if you are aware  your problem is weight unrelated then leave. I had to do this with the situation with my chest infection, the matter was pushed by the Doctor so I left. I ended up making another appointment later in the week and specifically requesting another doctor who was much more objective. 

• Second opinion - This is a lead on from my last point. If your doctor is blatantly telling you that you health concern is weight related and you feel he or she may be incorrect then get yourself a second opinion and ask for an extended appointment to fully explain your concerns. Your health should be number one priority to all doctors but sometimes it isn't, often times doctors can be too focused on skin deep issues and associate everything with visible issues such as weight concerns. If you're not comfortable with your Doctor's decision, make an appointment at a later date and ask for a second opinion, it doesn't hurt and you might get a different or the same answer but at the least you have tried to ask. If it feels wrong keep asking, keep pushing for answers because you have been in your body all of your life and you know when something is wrong, a Doctor doesn't have that intimate knowledge of your body, this is especially true of those with genetic obesity problems as many doctors do not understand these conditions. 

• Make Leaflets - This is something that I have had to do for a long time and I know other parents and people with genetic obesity conditions have done also. I have created an information sheet and a leaflet outlining what genetic obesity condition I have, what it is, what it means for me and what medications I can and cannot take. I often find that doctors do not read my notes which puts a serious barrier between myself and and good quality healthcare as they often treat me as the average oversight individual which is absolutely not the case. If you have complex healthcare needs I would highly recommend making information sheets and leaflets that tell your doctor everything he or she needs to know, especially if you will be working closely together in terms of your health. Often I do this when I get a new Gynaecologist, dermatologist or GP because they simply do't know about my genetic condition. Make those Doctors read the leaflets, make them understand YOUR healthcare needs because after all YOU are the most important person in that room when you have an appointment. 

So those are my main tips for dealing with weight bias in healthcare on a day-to-day basis. Eventually you will find a doctor who truly understands you it just might take time. Often you have to wade through all of the rubbish to find some treasure. I hope you have found these helpful and I will leave you with some parting wisdom:

Doctors do not know everything! You have been in your body longer than most doctors have been practising, you know yourself and your body so trust your gut!

You are a human being who is entitled to care, good health and supportive healthcare professionals. You can always make a complaint if you feel you've been treated unfairly. 

Bringing a dictaphone to your appointments can be a godsend, especially for those with chronic illnesses or memory troubles, dictaphones are a lifesaver.

You never EVER have to accept the words of one single doctor. There are many more who are willing to give you a second opinion. 

If your problems are weight related you are entitled to ask for psychological support to manage your emotions during a difficult time, even if those psychological problems are caused by your weight. Being overweight or bees is a stress on your mental health too!

Bring someone else along with you, its a lot less scary if you have someone you know will support you next to you during any appointment. 

I hope this has helped you and I shall be back sometime soon, once I have more posts ready to go that is! :) 

Katy xx

Hate Free Zone: How I Cope with Hurtful Comments

Good evening all,

Image from Google.com

I hope you're all well and having a good day, the weather has been beautiful lately here in the UK so we have all been making the most of it. I had mentioned in a previous post that I had a number of other posts planned such as managing toxic friendships and such but a couple of days ago I had a bad experience. I woke up and did what i do everyday after waking myself up properly, I checked my email for my university, personal and blogging mail accounts and all was good except I had received a rather nasty email from someone who was clearly attempting to keep themselves anonymous. Usually I don't get a massive amount of emails on my blogging email account I've had some people talk to me and thank me for blogging so honestly and some women who have shared their stories about managing their weight and all of the people I've spoken to have been lovely up until today. The email I got today basically told me that what I was doing, what I had to say was pointless, I don't want to discuss everything that was said because it was absolutely vile and nobody should have to listen to or read that again, this blog is a safe space for larger bodied people and those with genetic obesity conditions.

I have been given so much support from so many amazing people since I mentioned this email online and I can't thank everybody enough but it was the mother of another warrior of genetic obesity who inspired me to write this post. I have experienced this kind of abuse all through my life, just as I am positive other oversight and obese, not just hose with genetic obesity have, and as much as this horrid person's words were upsetting I would like to share with you all how I cope when I have abuse directed towards me. 

• Stop obsessing - I struggled with this a lot when I was a child,  I would have something shouted at me in public and for the rest of the week, literally, I would spend every single waking minute torturing myself with the words that had been directed towards me until I started to believe them. One day I had been at College and someone had shouted something at me and I was so tired that day and so busy that I just smiled and walked away. I wasn't about to waste my energy that I could use working on assignments or trying to build up my own confidence by obsessing over a strangers words who didn't  know me whatsoever. Once I made the decision to smile and walk away the guy looked so confused and just mumbled something and he never shouted anything at me again despite me seeing him quire regularly in college. 

• I talked about it with people who understand - Throughout comprehensive school I had one particular friend, who is now an ex friend, who would not stand up for anybody but herself. She would regularly see me being berated at school and never said or did a single thing to stop it or make me feel better. When I started to surround myself with different people I felt so much more comfortable going to those people just to have a rant and get it off my chest, lots of swearing was usually involved, lost of shouting and usually I end up laughing at the stupidity of the people being involved. It does definitely help to offload to someone else who will listen then have a laugh about it!

•  I challenge them - I know this is extremely difficult to do for so many people but even  if you do it once it can make you feel so so much more empowered. I used to challenge people to shut up, tell them I would do this that or the other to them if they continued and as soon as they saw they were getting a negative reaction out of me they would carry on calling me names or hitting me and so on. Now when someone says something about or to me and I have the chance I am more mature and rational about it, I once asked someone what had gone so badly wrong in their lives that they had to be so abhorrent to a complete stranger and they literally didn't have an answer other than bright red cheeks and ears for me to look at. Other times when I can't be that bothered with people I will try and out do them with my vocabulary, I can almost guarantee that anybody who had the nerve to should rude words at someone in public is not very well educated either in qualifications or morals so try to confuse them where you can. It may sound mean but it is quite funny. The key to this is trying to deflate the commentator without provoking a negative reaction, ignoring them also works very well. 

•  Change how you view yourself - If you constantly listen to those awful comments, dwell on them and start to believe them you will never ever change how you feel when those comments come around again, which they will because we live in a society where fatness is despised, thinness is admires and aspired to and we cannot change that fact anytime soon. What we can change is our opinions of ourselves. Around 18/19 years old I started looking in the mirror every single day and telling myself 2 things that I was happy about one for my body and one for my personality. i started by telling myself that I had lovely eyes, because I do, and that I am a brilliant worker, because I am. Those 2 things everyday ld to 4, to 6 to 10 things I can list off that I am positive about. Eventually when you get those comments they start to roll off your back because why should I care about someone who things I am unattractive when I am a good friend, or really good at writing essays, I have a great bum and a pretty face. Eventually it becomes more important what you think of yourself than what anybody else can say to you to bring you down, because you will forget what was said 2 days ago and look in that mirror to see how freakin' amazing you are right now.

This might not have ben the most helpful post in the world, and these things I do to cope might not work for you but I can't stress how important it is for you to start viewing yourself as worthy, valued and relevant and stop obsessing over little comments that will not matter in 3 days never mind 3 weeks. Your mental health and self-perception is way more important, because the people who love you and care for you would tell you that nasty people aren't worth a second of your time. Life is too short. If anybody needs or wants to talk please go to the contact me page, find your favourite way to chat and send a message because I will always be here to talk, listen and laugh with you. 
Now get yourself to the closes mirror and compliment yourself ladies and gents! Have a wonderful evening. 

Katy xx

The POMC Series: A Partner's Perspective

Hello everybody!

Earlier this week myself and Simon celebrated our 3 year anniversary of our relationship together, there have been many ups and downs in our relationship but we truly love each other and I wanted to take this opportunity to develop a post that I've been meaning to do for a long time. When I started this blog Simon asked me how he could help. This is his contribution, he has chosen to write and article for the blog outlining what it is like being in a relationship with someone who has a genetic obesity condition, and I myself could not be more grateful and proud of him. I hope you all enjoy his perspective and the next instalment of The POMC Series. Here goes...

"When a person is born into the world, they never have a choice in the cards they hold. Hair colour, the colour of ones eyes, even down to their individual personalities, nobody ever gets their say on what they want. This is no exception when it comes down to medical issues, issues that can be, or is, the bane of our existence. Personally, Asthma is my Achilles heel, one which has affected my whole life (Thank you, asthma!) yet it is a condition which I will never hope to submit to. However, there are some people in this life who really suffer much more that what we could ever comprehend, ones which we could never hope to understand unless we walk in their shoes. This post aims to shed a perspective in the life of my long-term partner, Katherine Simpson. 

The first, and best, picture I ever saw of this gorgeous woman

Me and Katy (her preferred name) have met under weird circumstances but we have that chemistry that just simply took off. No idea how she puts up with my randomness but that’s respect for you! We have had many dates out, however, it wasn’t long until I noticed problems with the way Katy was walking. She needed to stop on occasion and this only escalated the more I’ve been with her. Katy mentioned early early in our relationship that she suffered from POMC, Lordosis and a very unique genetic coding which is beyond my understanding. I have attended multiple doctors appointments and assessments as support and even medical professionals struggle with understanding what really makes Katy tick.

From my understanding, Katy suffers from a what-do-you-ma-call-it genetic deficiency in which her metabolism is permanently off. Because the body assumes that it is starving, fat is biologically formed and stored as a back-up energy source, not a great understanding as I mentioned but I wanted to write this without Katy giving me any direction so as to you you all what I see of this condtion. Due to this nature, the body can never truly function properly and this causes Katy to go up in weight. Newcastle RVI and Addenbrooks, Cambridge, are able to explain to a degree, and its such a difficult thing knowing that the one you love do dearly is not able to get treatment or help for an awful condition. Operations, some drugs and even gym has not worked; I can attest to how hard this sweet woman works, only changing shape but not losing weight whatsoever. I have experienced Katy suffer from an ovarian cyst which further compounds how much exercise and activities she can participate in. It is so upsetting to listen to your partner apologise for being who they are, because a medical condition stops them doing things they they desperately want to. 

Personally, I encourage Katy to the best of my abilities to rest and take breaks, yet she always felt guilty that she cannot have a normal life like everybody else in society. Memories with her are much better than distance she can walk and I have bad  short term memory anyway so there is no likelihood I would remember how far we travel anyway! Walking around places like Newcastle and the Metrocentre has always been a struggle, 10 minutes of walking puts a huge strain on her back, legs and pelvis. She is always hungry and finds it very difficult to manage that, she can eat a bigger portion than me and be hungry again minutes later as if she has never eaten at all!, any deviations can physically knock her sick. This is a medical attribute which I am wholly in the dark about and I am still learning more each day. 

I do feel empathy that Katy, no matter how much effort she tries, will just continually struggle. As her supportive partner, we will fight tooth-and-nail for medical and practical solutions but there are very limited channels open. Aspects of our life together have been negatively affected, I can’t express the pain you feel when you are walking down the street, hand-in-hand, with a woman you see as truly beautiful when she gets some disgusting comments shouted at her from afar. You want to go up to them and tell them the whole story but some individuals do not comprehend other individuals circumstances. Because of this, Katy’s confidence with being around others is shot; I wish she could see herself as the beautiful woman I see her as. A medical condition should be no reason whatsoever to make people feel isolated from the rest of modern society. Despite the medical flaws, her conditions does not own her, she aims to own it!!

One of our best nights together at Russell Howard

When I first met Katherine, it was a first for being with someone with such debilitating medical conditions. I was petrified when her cyst flared up two years ago, now I’m so relaxed she jokes that I’m too relaxed! Truth is, If I cannot compose myself to be of help, I should not be a lover at all. I am not size-ist so I do not judge on weight. However, I have have learnt so much about her and myself throughout the three years of us being together. I have adapted to Katy’s needs and as long as we make preparations, we still enjoy days out, even with back pains and struggles and my asthma! My general rule of thumb on looking after people is this;

• Whoever it is you are with, Love them 120%. Yeah, time management is hard, yet, everyone cares for their love. The addition of unorthodox medical conditions are no exception.

• Always keep calm. Managing tasks and looking after Katy is challenging but we always got there in the end. Patience can be low but do not snap and always try and communicate.

• Never go in a relationship if you are not willing to commit. A no-brainer, this one!

• Take time to understand your partner and what makes them tick. They will undoubtedly feel uncomfortable with themselves and they are humans too. No different to the rest of us!

• People can be abusive, what do they contribute to life anyway? You and your partner will be 100% better people than what bullies will ever be. 

People are still people, those with these medical conditions challenge life in hardcore mode, only strong souls can cope, I don’t believe things in life are given to you unless someone, somewhere knows you can cope. Katy copes so well. It is a strain on our relationship at times because I just want to help her but I know I am limited, if I could wave a wand and change things for her I would. Anybody who cares for someone with a long-term condition who loves them would change it for them. The only thing I can suggest for those living with, caring for and loving people with genetic obesity is be there for them and love them and make amazing memories with them, because just like everyone else on the planet, people with genetic obesity conditions are still people and I will always love my amazing partner and accept her for who she is."

By Simon Steel

And there you have it. My wonderful partner wrote those beautiful words as he writes everything else in his life, with passion and meaning. I hope you all found this post enjoyable and enlightening, I am off to give my fella a massive cuddle!

Katy xx

Exercise tips and Tricks - The POMC Series

Hello everybody!

Happy Sunday once again and I hope you've had an amazing week. Things have been absolutely maid here as Simon started back at University on Monday and I'll be getting ready to carry out more buddy duties this week, hospital appointment on Monday and dentist on Wednesday, feels like things are non-stop to be honest. Well, it means I'm not bored ha!

Anyway, I know I have been pretty delayed in posting recently but what with York and uni I've had a few post scheduling mishaps, mainly because one post that should be coming soon about a possible POMC "treatment" for want of a better word, will mean I'll need to do a massive amount of research on it and a lot of the information online I'm finding quite inaccessible so I'm relying on my doctor at the RVI to tell me a little bit more tomorrow. Obviously there's a post going up today about exercise tips and tricks that I've learned over the years, this one will include information on the best kinds of exercise I've found really helpful and what you can do to make the exercising process easier if you've got a genetic obesity condition. So, without further ado lets get on with it!

Exercising for anybody who is obese can be a difficult and emotional thing, I know a fair few obese people who simply don't want to exercise partly because they are scared of failing in terms of weight loss and partly because if they were to go to some local gyms in my area they are likely to get abuse shouted at them, which I always find infuriating... Why discourage somebody from going to the gym to improve their health when that is what a gym is for?! However, for people with a genetic obesity disease often they can put far too much pressure on themselves to work harder and lose the weight which as I've mentioned in many previous posts, with certain genetic obesity conditions it doesn't matter how much exercise you do the weight just won't drop off like the average person, so this can result in these people injuring themselves or putting too much stress on their bodies. I mean I'm not an exception I've spent hours doing stupid exercises trying to 'drop the belly fat' and lose 4 stones in a month' with crunches and such but it never works. 

Eventually when I got to 18 I realised that because of my disabilities the exercises that I was trying to do were harming my body and making me worser overall, I was trying to exercise to lose the weight rather than to be healthy and that was when I knew I had to change my mindset. The thing is if you exercise to lose weight you're not looking at the big picture, you're only looking at the outside and surface of your body, if you start to think that the reason you're exercising is to get healthier, to be more flexible and fit then you can open your mind to different exercise and routines that are out there and develop something particularly appropriate for you and your body. Getting fit on the inside might help the outside but in all honestly being overweight doesn't mean you're unhealthy, I have friends who cannot walk up the stairs without becoming breathless that are smaller than average sizes and have no medical problems like asthma, then I have obese friends who can walk a mile easily and not break a big sweat. 

I'm going to make a list now of things that I did once I had a change in outlook towards exercise, hopefully it will give some insight into how I managed to develop and exercise routine that is appropriate for me. 

• I wrote down what I was looking for with exercise, I wasn't looking to lose lots of weight just to become fitter and healthier.
• I did a lot of research on what kinds of exercises fit the criteria of what I wanted. Happily I found that Yoga was something that would improve my flexibility, muscle tone and wasn't too strenuous for my body. 
• I took up Yoga and took classes once every week, I started to see a small improvement in areas such as better sleep, my body didn't feel as tense which was a much needed improvement. Yoga has now become part of my daily routine as have some particular stretches; I don't want to do too much exercise as it is extremely painful for my legs and back when I over do it but I do enough to maintain the level of health I have now so my disabilities don't get any worse. 
• I made small lifestyle changes, years ago, rather than parking in the closest bays to shops I would park as far away as I could so i would have to walk father which for a time genuinely did help me, however since my weight gain has not levelled out and I have put more on I am not able to do that anymore, walking in limited for me however I would highly recumbent it for those of you who are able to. 
• Swimming was also a wonderful exercise for me as it tightened up muscles in my body around the stomach area making me feel better about myself, however swimming is also great as you can use it to relax your muscles and just gently bob along! No exercise has to be very exerting as I mentioned. 
• Due to a faulty hypothalamus I overheat and dehydrate extremely quickly so I always make sure I am hydrated and I ensure I take all medication with me such as my inhalers, my pain medication and I make sure I either exercise with someone else or I take my phone so if anything goes wrong I have a way of contacting people to get help. 

I would also recommend that before you exercise, particularly if you have a genetic obesity disorder that you go to your doctor and find out if there is any support from professionals or practitioners who could help you develop your own exercise routine, sometimes if you do it alone you may be a little over enthusiastic and end up damaging yourself. Always remember as well when you are trying to get yourself into exercise, for whatever reason, you won't see results straight away. A cliché as it sounds Rome wasn't built in a day and the fact that you are trying at all is an achievement you should be proud of.

Thank you all for reading and hopefully get the next post out within the next few days!

Have a wonderful Sunday, bye for now!

Xo

Life Update and Worries - The POMC Series

Morning all!

Well, it's been an eventful few days and a very busy week! This post is going to be a quick update and a talk about a few worries I have at the moment. Me and Simon got back from York on Friday night and went to see out best friends Annie and Aidan before we went home,it was lovely to see them after a few days and catching up is always fab, Aidan and Simon are like a couple of kids laughing away at youtube videos they've been wanting to show each other over the last week; honestly, I love seeing Simon and my friends get on, makes me extra happy. 
Anyway, last time I posted an update I said I would be taking part in an interview with Sophie Dishman of University of Sunderland which I did Monday passed and honestly she was absolutely fantastic, such a professional and so kind, I'll be posting a link to the interview and talking a little more about that when I post later next week so please keep an eye out. After that myself and Simon, Annie and Aidan all went to Sunderland and Darlington to grab lunch and just relax together for a while, nothing special just a chilled out relaxed day. 

Flowers Simon bought me <3

On Wednesday me and Simon got to head down to York after a doctors appointment and it was SO hectic trying to get everything together it was really mad! We ended up forgetting our inhalers, both myself and Simon are Asthmatic so it was a bad move there but I just prayed that nothing would happen, however that's not our luck really... Anywho, we stayed in a B&B called The Willows near York and just passed Harrogate and oh my it was so lovely! The proprietor was so kind and welcoming and totally understanding about my dietary needs, he was accommodating and an all-round great man, the room we stayed in was lovely, very private and comfortable with beautiful views to his fishing pond. 

On the first night we decided we would get tea somewhere and decided on a Chinese restaurant called Sweet Basil, the staff were lovely but (and here comes the usual unexpected medical problem) Simon ordered chicken chow mien which didn't include any information on what it contained just how much the dish would be so Simon thought he would be fine, he is severely allergic to nuts and somehow there must have been traces of nuts in the food as he swelled up like a balloon and couldn't breathe so we had to get him to York hospital really quickly, he was given a strong inhaler and steroids and was thankfully alright after a few hours. Still I was out of my mind panicking... no epipen no inhaler, no idea how to get to the hospital and my husband-to-be haven an allergic reaction in the passenger seat! God that was scary. 

Lunch and cocktails!

After the ordeal of the night before we decided would go into York and headed straight for The Shambles and The Shop That Must Not Be Named, a Harry Potter themed shop full of awesome stuff, I managed to get friends and family some gifts like notebooks, fudge, decorative lights, drink flasks and stuff so everyone was catered for thankfully. We headed into other shops and had a general look around which was lovely to be in an area other than Durham or Newcastle; we started to get hungry after a few hours of shopping, albeit it took me around 3 hours to walk round the shambles as I needed frequent breaks. Simon found a restaurant called divine which looked as though it had food that both of us could eat which i was grateful for considering I'm not sure Chinese was the best idea for the night before. We got pasta and risotto which was very nice and filling and Simon bought us a few cocktails to be going on with. It's important to note that earlier in the week I had been discussing the possibility of getting on to a Setmelanotide trial for a drug that aims to treat those with genetic obesity diseases, up until this point I had not been eligible and was waiting for more information via phone call that day from my main Doctor in Cambridge. So, obviously I was quite stressed and the few cocktails I had definitely helped, and they were yummy. 

Stunning Cathederal

Anyway I was meant to get the call from Dr Farooqi at 12:30 but she had been called into a meeting and I didn't receive it until 4pm, the same time we were due to be going to an escape room. I found out from my doctor that drug companies are refusing the trial for those with one genetic fault as it is deemed more helpful for those with 2 genetic defaults, however she did discuss with me the possibility of another "treatment" called Liraglutide, a regular injection into the fatty part of the stomach or thigh. Only issue is this drug causes Thyroid cancer in animals, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and a whole host of other problems in people... so now I'm panicking and hopping to get more information out of my RVI doctors as soon as possible, I want a treatment and my doctor says I need one as soon as possible but at what cost? Is getting an immediate treatment worth possibly risking my life? I have no idea but I'm scared and confused at the moment and will be writing another post about Liraglutide as soon as i know more info. 

After the call we ended up in Gr8 Escape York and it was amazing!!! We had lots of clues to figure out and had to escape to room to get our spy school diploma, unfortunately we are both bad at maths and the people monitoring us actually gave us the answers to a few clues haha! Still, we failed but honestly, it's the best experience ever!! I loved it as did Simon and can't wait to take out friends there! 

The next day was home time but we thought we would go into York city centre again and do a few things we never got to, we managed to get into a few shops which we never had the day before, Travelling Man where I bought a book called 'My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness" (awesome book by the way!), a Model shop so Simon could get some trains and things, and we went into the York dungeons which was hilarious, scary and utterly fascinating all in one! Overall it was a fab trip and we have made some wonderful memories,  got a lot of things to think about and will definitely be returning. 

Other than our trip to York I have become involved with the Sunderland University SU Buddies Scheme and and extremely excited about that, I go back the week of the 25th and my amazing best friend has been accepted into uni for her dream course which I'm so proud and excited for. I really can't wait for university to start but in the meantime I'mm be blogging more, reading up on course material, chilling and just doing me! 

I hope you all have had some amazing days this week as well! Thank you for reading and keep sharing ladies and gents! 

xo. 

Making the Most of University!

Hi all!

Today's post is something that I've only recently gotten into to be honest, I'm a firm believe that you must make the most of every experience in life and make sure you keep a positive attitude and because Freshers week is so close I thought a post on how to make the most of your University experience might be good for some. 

I'm going to speak from experience here so my situation was slightly different from others, as is everybody's experience; so, when I started uni back in September last year I was so nervous and anxious, mainly because I had 0 self esteem or self confidence. I was a wreck pretty much all year, jittery and scared, I only made 1 friend the whole year (who is awesome btw) but wanted to approach so many other people I was just too anxious and obviously anxiety got the better of me. It's only since I have truly embraced who I am and what I can do that has given me a kick up the backside and made me realise I am worth of friendship, love and a hella good time at uni!

Image from Google

Everybody will be nervous starting uni for different reasons whether it's the fact that they need a little extra support and don't feel they know or can ask for it, they're moving out for the first time, some people will feel anxious because of how the look (like I did) and not want to approach anyone. Whatever your reason for being anxious or nervous you've got to remember while you're probably feeling alone and like you're the only one who feels that way you are literally surrounded by hundreds or thousands of other people who are feeling the same wishing someone would talk to them first. Be that person. There are loads of ways you can make the most of your time at university and I shall list them below right now, there will be a fair few so please keep reading if you can!

Image from google - My University

• Go to freshers - You don't necessarily need to attend all of the parties or events going on, if partying isn't your thing don't go, simple as. Freshers is an event that caters for everybody, although it might not be portrayed that way, it really is. The university I attend puts on comedy hypnotists, beach walks with fish and chips, pride marches and so on. Honestly, it's a great opportunity to take part in something you wouldn't usually do and meet some awesome people along the way!

• Go to the freshers fair - The freshers fair is an opportunity to see a great deal of the things that your university offers you, you get to see people about volunteering opportunities, you can get yourself a buddy to help through your first few weeks at uni (if that service is offered at your uni), learn about the services available if you need extra help and support and find out about all of the clubs and societies you can join if you feel like it. 

• Sign up for the clubs and societies - Honestly, with most universities there is literally something for everyone! You can find anything from a community based upon your chosen course, volunteering societies, debating clubs, swimming clubs, drawing societies, gaming societies and so so so many more, in some universities there are even Harry Potter societies for those Potterheads among you! It's a brilliant way to meet people with similar interests and ideals. 

• Create your own society - Can't find a society you like? Why not create your own?! If theres nothing that piques your interest right away then that's a good thing and don't get disheartened!! There, in most universities, is an opportunity for you to build your confidence and knowledge by creating your very own society. So, remember that Harry Potter society I mentioned, if that's not your thing create a Lord of the Rings society or a society for those who like to travel. With university the world is literally your oyster and you're bound to be given a great deal of support to help you in your endeavours. 

• Access the support you need - This one is really important, if you feel like you're going to need extra support due to your circumstances then it's really vital that you get that help right away. If you've got a learning disability or think you might have one go to your disability support and they can test for certain learning impairments such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and such. If you feel lonely and worried about moving out enlist the help counsellors help, religious services in the university are available for those of you looking for spiritual guidance and financial support from specialist advisors is very helpful when first moving out. You can even access services in most universities libraries where they can teach you academic skills such as how to read properly, how to reference, write essays and revise to best suit you!

• Get involved with volunteering and fundraising - This is something I've just gotten into myself with the awareness raising for POMC and fundraising, volunteering is an amazing opportunity to give something back to your community and support other people in need, you can get volunteering opportunities that link directly with your course or get involved with something you're passionate about, many students who have a placement in a year of their course choose to volunteer and carry their placement through their volunteering pathway. It's a brill opportunity to meet others who like volunteering and have the same passions. 

• Attend your classes - In terms of the academic side of things to really get the most out of your course you really do need to attend as many lectures, seminars and practicals as you possibly can, this is a given as if you don't go you don't get the extra  in-depth explanation of a topic... even if sometimes it does seem like lecturers are reading off slides you need to remind yourself that sometimes students in the class may bring up good points who you should be there to note down as every little helps. I think almost everyone would love a first class degree, right?

• Make a budget - Again, this is something I have only learned recently as well. Often when you get student finance for the first time it can be a shock to the system, especially if you're living at home, to have that much money all in one go and you might be tempted to go mad but really it's much easier if you set out a budget first. Make sure any direct debits that need to be paid are paid on time and all outgoings are sorted first because then you know what you're left with and can use that as you see fit. Just make sure that you aren't leaving yourself short so you have no money to g out and do fun things. If you need get help from the universities financial advisors.

• Keep in touch with the ones you love - This is very important regardless of if you're living at home or away. If you're living away you'll obviously feel lonely and miss your family and it can be extremely daunting the first time you leave, keeping in touch with them can make you feel at ease knowing everyone is okay (and they miss you as much as you miss them) but by keeping in touch things will gradually get easier, if they don't maybe consider if you've modes out at the right time. When living at home always make time for your family, sometimes with a very heavy workload and lots of exams you can lose yourself so make time for your old friends and family so they know you're still there.

• Read, read, read! - Reading in university can be very difficult going on to such a different kind of reading from sixth form and college but believe me it is absolutely essential. Reading gives you a greater knowledge of a topic and a much more detailed and in-depth look at it, most of the times reading will be set by lecturers and will be available online but honestly as much as it might be hard at first, do read the books, articles and journals you're given as it will definitely help and all of those little things can be used in essays and exams. 

Well, that's all the advice I have to give right now, but hopefully it has helped and I hoe you all have fun at freshers and have an amazing experience at uni!!

Thanks for reading.

xo

Blogging Tips & Tricks

Hello all!

I've been blogging for a while now and this particular blog is not my first, although it is my favourite of all 4 of the blogs I've maintained. I've had this blog for almost 3 months now and I think it's high time I put together a little list of all the blogging tips and tricks that I've learnt over the last few years of blogging. Hopefully some of you will find this useful, I think if I'd had a list of things that I know now before I began blogging it would have been a much smoother experience but I'm honestly very happy with my blog at the moment although a few things need to be tweaked soon. So, without further ado I shall begin. 

Schedule!

Once you've got through the main stages of starting your blog, so things like choosing on the type of blogger you want to be (e.g. I label myself as a mainly lifestyle blogger but I do like to throw a bit of fashion, beauty, food and other stuff in there too), creating the theme of your blog and so on, I would say it's then a good idea to plan or get yourself into a blogging schedule. Schedules will help massively because not only do they give you motivation to keep posting but life can be made much easier by scheduling particular days on which you'll post. This way you'll be able to keep posts consistent and give your readers something to look forward to regularly. 

Stay Consistent

In the previous point I mentioned that keeping posts consistent will keep readers interested and keep the traffic coming in. Traffic is definitely not the most important thing when you're blogging and t's a real shame that a lot more bloggers are focusing more on the traffic that the actual writing but admittedly we all like to see that we have traffic coming in because it means we're drawing the attention of readers and keeping them intrigued with content. By posting every other day or on particular days you'll get into a routine in which you'll become consistent in your writing/posting times. 

Carry Notebooks

I highly recommend that you keep a notebook or pad of paper nearby because the majority of bogglers I've spoken to personally say that inspiration comes to them in the most inappropriate of places... like when you're on the phone and there's never a pen near you. Notebooks, pads or even notes in your phone mean you're able to write down some of your best ideas for later on. It's a good idea to plan ahead on this one as well because the topics you're looking forward to writing about can be worked into your schedule so you can definitely get your best ideas out there at some point. 

Find Inspiration

If you're stuck for inspiration and need a bit of a helping hand there are a good few ways you can get over bloggers block. I'd definitely recommend having a bit of a brainstorm with friends or other bloggers you talk to, this means you're all sharing ideas in an open way and ideas can be shared that you may never have thought about in a million years! Another way of getting inspiration for posts is by asking your audience what THEY think you should write about, because who wants to read a blog that doesn't cater to what their audience want to hear about? By asking the audience also a sense of respect and value is given because you're listening to what they would like. 

Look into Social Media 

When I first started blogging on a serious level I was told social media was a big part of blogging and it would definitely help get my blog seen and I'd get more feedback. Obviously thinking I knew better I didn't take social media very seriously but it's genuinely a pretty big part of blogging. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin' are significantly involved in getting blogs seen and networking with other bloggers from my experience. I've been able to meet some wonderful bloggers such as Danielle from Underland to Wonderland and Tamara from  Me Just Talking To You. Other fantastic bloggers have been able to give me advice and support throughout my blogging experience and I would say it's something you wouldn't want to miss out on even if social media isn't your thing. 

Write What You Love

I have always said whether it is blogging, writing novels, magazine articles or whatever it is you write always write from the heart. If a blogger isn't writing with passion or interest then it shows greatly in their posts. This can be a major put off for readers, I  prefer reading things that you can tell are from the heart because they tend to lure me in and keep me hooked! The same goes for writers who don't write as they speak, it's not believable when someone writes things like 'verily' or 'forsooth'... I have no idea who does write like that but you get the picture. It's not real. Give your readers the REAL you and they'll thank you for it in the end. 

Thanks so much for reading, hope this helped all you fledgling bloggers!

Love Katherine. X

Plus Size Fashion - Where to go?

Hello there!

I've been thinking a lot lately about clothes and my style in general as I've been fancying a bit of a change up, usually I just wear whatever is comfortable or whatever matches my mood and looks smart but I've always favoured the vintage type style and this, in turn, got me thinking about plus size fashion of all types and where us larger ladies can go without burning a huge hole in our designer purses (I WISH). Often plus size fashion can be very expensive, but you usually do get what you pay for so in this post I'll be writing about where you can go for plus size fashion, some places are more affordable than others and I will be including some underwear shops because I know all too well, the struggle to find large bras that don't make me look 70 years old. Let's get down to business then!

Simply Be - Simply Be is a high street plus size fashion shop, it's both online and there are stores around the UK that stocks fashion from sizes 10-36, so there really is something for everyone. The clothes from Simply Be are very good quality and I fin that they are durable and can last quite a long time. They stock everything from everyday casual dresses, wedding dresses, tops, knitwear, swimwear, footwear and lingerie. There is literally something from everyone, I personally like the vintage 50s type style and they have Joe Browns dresses and such in that suit me down to the ground. There are more modern and "trendy" styles of clothing there also which will suit toddy's fashionistas. The only issue with Simply Be is that this shop is significantly overpriced, one top could cost up to £40 which I think is way over what should be charged but if you have the money to spare I definitely recommend Simply Be. 

Yours Clothing - Yours Clothing is very much a similar type of shop to Simply Be, however this is my favourite go-to place for clothes at the moment, mainly because it stocks sizes 14-36 and it's much cheaper than Simply Be. Yours has a range of clothing, footwear, swimwear and lingerie perfect for the larger sizes, however I must admit that the lingerie isn't exactly varied in sizes when it comes to bras and such. Yours stocks more mature types of clothing, meaning there aren't as many modern type tends found here, their party/occasion wear is great and when it gets to summer they have a great selection of maxi/beach dresses and good prices. I find their clothes are very good quality and regardless of style preferences, I'm positive any larger (and not so larger lady) can take a look at Yours and find something they love. 

Pink Clove - Pink Clove is a pretty new discovery of mine, I do like their clothes very much as they're versatile and a lot of the fashion they stock can be worn as daytime and nighttime wear with a little mix and match. I love their lounge-y look tunics in Turquoise and Pink, I mentioned them in a previous post. They stock sizes 16-32 and their prices are fab too, I've been known to spend £30 there and get over 5 pieces of clothing which is pretty damned good for any shop if I may say so! Pink Clove is definitely worth a look, particularly their casual and occasion wear. 

ASOS Curve - A lot of my larger sized friends have always wanted to wear clothes like those ASOS models, that's when I told them about ASOS curve. This is one of my absolute favourites because it has such modern, trendy high street type fashions as well as some gorgeous pieces for going out in in sizes 8-30 so literally almost all sizes can get fabulous clothes! i recently spent nearly £100 in ASOS Curve because I love it so much! They are always up to date on the latest trends and styles. ASOS curve literally suits everyone and I'd highly recommend checking it out!

Ample Bosom - Now for those of you who have issues finding bras to fit I find that Ample Bosom is a gem of a find, the bras aren't the most attractive in the sense of patterns or prettiness. Ample Bosoms main aim is to provide bras that are comfortable, supportive, and look like proper bras, none of this frills and bright patterns. They are mainly aimed at mature women roundabout 30s and upwards but if you're struggling so much to find a bra I doubt that's a major issue. The prices are pretty steep but reasonable for the quality of bra you're getting. They stock lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear and other such pieces in sizes 28A-50N (back and cup sizes), if you're looking for somewhere you can find a strong and comfy bra Ample Bosom is the place to go.
I hope you've all enjoyed this post and found it useful. Comment some of your favourite places to shop, plus size or not. NOTE: All of the above images are pieces of clothing taken from each website, not my images. 


Love Katherine. X