Chapter 35 ends and Chapter 36 begins!

 

Me on my birthday today x

I am now 36! 

🎂🎂🎂

I thought I would give an overview of how the last year has been...💖

It has been my year of the Chinese Zodiac this past year, the Year of the Dragon (February 10th, 2024 - January 28th, 2025).🐲🐉🀅 

This year of the Dragon has been the Wood Dragon's year specifically and I am an Earth Dragon. However, this year was predicted to be prosperous for all Dragons and it has been a good year for me in so many ways!!

 I read that all areas were predicted to be good for me this past year; career wise, wealth in a positive direction, relationships, with health being the best of the areas for me. 

Considering I started off 2024 nearly developing sepsis from two bacterial chest infections (I somehow developed whooping cough and pneumonia at the same time and the pressure of the coughing made me look like a Halloween horror character...↓), my health has been smooth sailing this year!! I have not had so much as a cold, since. *Touchwood*

 

Starting off 2024 with a bang...

I personally think it was high time the universe owed me some good health!😂

Speaking of which,

Here is a re-cap of my journey, as told to the Liverpool Echo last year.

Woman couldn't understand why she kept dropping things

Career-wise, this year I have managed to get back to work after being off long-term to have my spinal surgery and to recover. I am still in nerve pain which means I am on reduced hours but the good news is that I don't need a second spinal operation.

I am now going to have an MRI to confirm I don't have any further nerve impingement (they don't think I do as my nerve conduction study in December doesn't show nerve damage) and then be put forward for a nerve block injection and a Walton Centre Pain Clinic. But this is all such good news and a great way to enter the Chinese New Year of the Snake which begins today!💖

This year, as I get back to my best, I have decided I want to raise money for the Walton Centre Charity💙. I have many races this year which I want to do for them culminating in me doing the Great North Run (a Half Marathon!) in September!💙

Today my skeleton outfit arrived from Amazon which I am going to do races in to bring awareness to the Walton Centre who are the only specialist hospital trust in the UK dedicated to providing services in neurology, neurosurgery, spinal (hence the skeleton outfit😁🦴) and pain management. 

I also have a neuro-condition I am under the Walton Centre for too, that they found on the same MRI that found my multiple level herniated discs in my neck. I have a Chiari Malformation. 

The Walton Centre's care has been second-to-none and their spinal surgery that they performed on me in 2023 has given me my life back. I want to, in some small way, pay that forward by giving back to them this year!💙

You can click here to visit my fundraising page!

Please share it everywhere you can, with those in your life, tell people about my challenges and if you can, please consider donating.💙💙💙

 

This past year, I not only got back to work, I did my first solo trip(s) since my spinal surgery too!

London, York a few times, North Wales a few times, Manchester, Harrogate a few times and the North East...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

So many experiences and memories created!!💜

As I've written above as I still have nerve pain and my nerve block injection and pain clinic treatment ahead, I am probably going to keep my travels UK-based for now but once I am even stronger, my pain is being managed better etc I will be looking to visit places I have had my eyes on (Holland, Croatia, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, USA again...). 

Over the next few months my races are taking me to some great places. Birmingham (not to race myself like in the good old days but to enjoy watching others compete in athletics), the North East, Harrogate, Manchester, the Lakes and Newcastle another couple of times including for the Great North Run!😁

This last couple of months I have finally felt warm and open to meeting new people in a dating-sense and that's exciting. I am determined to keep living and building the life of my dreams, with or without someone else.💜

By the end of the year I am hoping to be looking for a home (and I will be so excited to have rescue animals and build up my at-home gym - I pretty much have a full home gym at the moment😂).

There have been some very tough moments this past year but I am keeping positive.

This past year has been amazing really and my birthday itself has been incredible!!

With that said, onwards and upwards!🍷😁

Cheers 2025, Chinese New Year and to closing a great chapter 35 and opening a fabulous new chapter 36!!

I am feeling the best I have ever felt in so many ways, genuinely.

I am so excited 💖💖💖

xoxox