At the weekend I turned my central heating on for the first time. I debated whether to take that significant step for a few hours, before eventually my shivering body and blue fingers convinced me it was time. It was the day. It couldn’t be put off any longer. So I did. And although it … More Saying Goodbye To My Superpowers
My house reeks of vinegar. Despite opening all of the windows, my clothes have a sharp aroma, my eyes gently sting and I fear I’m slowly pickling the dog. No, I’ve not developed an unhealthy obsession with chip shop eggs… it’s chutney making season again. In my life before Pulmonary Hypertension, there was no chutney … More The Head Gardener
We’ve driven past the outskirts of the New Forest countless times, but never before been tempted to turn off at the junction. From the A338, it looks like an expense of knee-high bracken, wild ferns and the odd spiky bush. A perfect wilderness for walkers, but completely inaccessible for my mobility scooter. Turns out there … More An Accessible National Park
It was one of those precious times where the whole world is rosy and the face can’t stop grinning. One of those rare occasions where the specialness of a moment is realised at the very time it is occurring. I was bobbing at sea, aboard an inflatable dingy, laughing as Phil attempted to row us … More My Best PH Holiday
We have some solar powered fairy lights draped around the greenhouse in our garden. Throughout the winter months, they glimmer quietly and faintly, for just a wee hour, before shutting down and going back to sleep. However, come summer and sunshine, they are transformed. Beaming brightly all night long, they sparkle and shine, illuminating their … More Solar Powered Sarah
Today I woke up crying that I wasn’t a teacher. It always surprises me when this happens. When I was first ill, I would regularly think about my former job, and pine for the life I’d lost. But then over time, I slowly accepted it, and moved on, and found happiness again in my new … More I Miss Being A Teacher
I watched the Royal wedding from a ferry on the high seas. Excited and engrossed in the TV commentary, I thought little of where I was. However as the happy couple were eventually pronounced man and wife (incidentally in the exact same spot in Windsor, that Phil proposed to me, many moons ago), I suddenly … More Crossing The Sea
Before developing Pulmonary Hypertension, I’d only set foot inside a hospital a few times. Hospitals were not in my universe at all, not even in the far periphery. But after waking up seriously ill one morning, they swiftly become a central part of my world. And five years later, they still are. The reality of … More A Quick Check-Up
I’m a combination of both of my parents. I inherited my Dad’s short height and dark colouring, and my Mum’s ‘Mackness’ nose and straight hair. My musical ability comes from my Dad, and my athletic build from my Mum. And I inherited from them both -together- the gene to develop Pulmonary Venous Occlusive Disease. 😛 … More My Faulty Gene
If I win the lottery I’m going to buy a village. Yep, as well as a smart new campervan, an amazing off-road scooter, a house big enough for ten dogs… I’m going to purchase a whole village. Apparently for twenty million I could get a splattering of homes, an old forge and (most importantly) a … More Faraway Friends
