Hello. This week has had its very high, very nice bits and it’s hard bits as well.

Firstly, my wonderful high moment. I won the personal achievement award at the North West Cultural education awards! It was a huge shock. When mum and I were shown to our seats I realised that I hadn’t been shown how to get on to the platform stage and could see no ramp. I nudged mum, quite disappointed, and told her that I was sure I hadn’t won because no one had told me about access. However, when my name was announced I was taken backstage and shown a platform lift! It was pretty slow and I did have a vague feeling of being a pop star as they rise through the stage floor. I was so happy. Thank you so much to the Wordsworth Trust for facilitating my poetry and resulting arts award.

I have uploaded two new videos onto YouTube since my last post. One was talking about which books I enjoyed in April and will be taking into June, and the other was based on Katie Pipers new book Confidence. She made me realise how self deprecating I am when it comes to my illness, and her book gave me lots of new ways of thinking about the things that bother me. My channel is here: www.youtube.com/c/HannahHodgson .

On the hard note, I have been suffering terribly with my blood pressure. I have suffered with it being low ever since becoming poorly, but this week I lost a whole day to not being able to wake up properly, that horrendous purgatory of consciousness and unconsciousness when you have fainted. It usually takes me at least a couple of hours to ‘come around’ in a morning when waking up from sleep anyway. I have to go from my sleeping position, to slowly increasing angles to a chair in order not to faint. That’s okay, it’s part of my routine – but it’s a blumming nuisance not being able to get up at all sometimes!

We had my final Educational Health care meeting this week. The last two years have been a journey for me, through discovering what my body can and can’t do anymore, and those boundaries have also changed in the last two years. If any of the team read this, I would love to say thank you so much to the those who have helped me to keep in education and for all of the support along the way.

On a final note, did any of you watch Line of Duty on the BBC? What a good series it was, very possibly the best yet. I don’t usually watch much telly, but was gripped by the intricate storyline of corrupt police officers – and there were plenty of twists and turns along the way.

I have my X-ray as to tube placement on Tuesday, hopefully I will know where my tube is by the next time I write!