This week has been another busy one, although we are still waiting for funding, services seem to be clicking into place which is such a relief. I went to see the palliative care doctor this week. He suggested a drug that may be able to help a little of my pain. If you could all send your good vibes this way I would be really grateful – hopefully this time will be my lucky break and it will take the edge off.

I also went and had an orthotics assessment. This is where you go to see if any splints or supports may be beneficial to help pain. My condition is now affecting my joints, and I have been getting considerable amounts of pain in them. So, I went to Preston Hospital and saw the most wonderful Occupational Therapy team. I am beyond grateful to my local OT for referring me there because my goodness did they know their stuff! I have been given two splints for my feet to be used for a few hours at night. These splints straighten a muscle that I can’t remember the name of, and will prevent problems with said muscle in the future. I have also been given two wrist splints to wear when I am working. So, right now I am wearing two wrist splints. They have been a little difficult to get used to when typing, but are so worth it. Yesterday I edited a video and typed loads of emails, and had only a small amount of pain in these joints at the end of the day! Let me tell you, when joint pain has been keeping you awake at night it is definitely worth looking like you have fractured your wrists during the day time! I have also been given some splints called Oval 8’s. These are finger splints to prevent my fingers from hyperflexing. I didn’t realise how often I hyperflex my fingers without realising it! They have also really helped in pain reduction.

I went to Katie Hale’s pamphlet launch on Friday! It was such a lovely atmosphere in the Old Firestation in Penrith. I thought it would be freezing in there but it was actually really warm and I loved the set up of sofas. Katie read her poems beautifully, and I loved that she told us the intriguing backstories to the poems before she read them. When I first met Katie about a year and a half ago I remember reading her poems and thinking ‘how does she not have a pamphlet out?’. I am so over the moon for her that this has all finally happened! I read a few poems at her launch, along with fellow Dove Cottage Young Poet Emily Asquith, and sat back soaking in poetry all evening. It was fab.

I am still loving making YouTube videos. I made one this week talking about some amazing poetry collections that I have read recently that have got me completely overexcited for the poetry festival as the poets I mentioned are coming! You can watch it by clicking HERE.  We are now nine days away from the poetry festival, and tickets are selling quickly so if you want to come to an event booking would be really sensible.

We are having an adapted bathroom done in our house. It has been going on for a fair few weeks now, and mum and I are really ready for the wet room. I have been fainting nearly every single time I have a shower. Hopefully the wet room will help with the situation, but the house is completely upside down while the contractors do their last bits. Mum and I went out yesterday just to sit in the library and get on with a little work because it was driving mum mildly crazy. I haven’t seen the bathroom yet but mum says it is lovely and will be fabulous when completed.

I have ramped up the revision this week, my exam is at the end of the month. The only problem with revision and a poor memory is that not much of it is staying in my brain. I can only do what I can do, I suppose.