Frills 'n' Spills

This post contains a spiralizer that was sent for review

Now I know some of you will be rolling your eyes at a bit of a cliche post but as it has been over 3 years since I have last done a 'what's in my bag' post, I think I am entitled to show off my new Fiorelli handbag without too much grumbling right?! ;) Usually you would find all of the stuff seen below... and a layer of receipts and debris filling up my bag but as this is a new handbag, it hasn't had chance to get completely full yet. Just give me a week...  ;) The colour of this was what first drew me to it, and the basket weave makes it feel very summery too. The fact that it is HUGE, is a massive bonus. I can fit everything but the kitchen sink in here...

Sunshine yellow handbag from Fiorelli c/o Spartoo

Like many other people, I carry round a lot of stuff. After the usual purse, phone, keys I have whichever book I am reading at the moment (P.S. I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling and it is really good!), my diabetes stuff with my beloved Frodo key ring, Sudoku book for doing on my daily commute and toiletries. I love the fact that the compressed deodorants are teeny but with the same amount of product, deodorant/bodyspray is a necessity in this hot weather!

My purse is a lovely red leather Radley with a really cute dog in a boat, the perfect summer activity,  The latest Radley dog to win my affections is this "Catch of the Day" as it has the Radley dog and a puffin, two of my favourite things... There was a really nice blue purse with them on but it has now disappeared from Radley's website - if anyone comes across it, get in touch! The brown pouch holds all of my diabetes stuff, after nearly 16 years I have managed to really pare down the amount of medical stuff I cart round with me (not that you would know if from the size of my bag!)

What's in your handbag?

This is a repost from last November but as #DiabetesWeek comes to an end, I wanted to share my story as diabetes is something I am incredibly passionate about. Some things have changed since then (moving house, graduating, getting a job) but diabetes has remained a constant throughout, for better or worse!

I know this is a bit of a heavy topic but diabetes is something I am really passionate about. I have written about diabetes on the blog before but I thought that 'World Diabetes Day' was as good a time as any to share this. I originally wrote this article for the Elle writing competition back in August but as I never heard back from them I thought it may be interesting to share it here. 

I was seven when it happened. I left the doctor's surgery with a feeling of dread but without truly knowing what it would mean. On 5th August 1997 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and nothing was ever the same again. Now I realise this all sounds completely over-dramatic, I mean there are people in much worse states all over the world, but adjusting to being diabetic has been an ongoing process and has led to more than a few ups and downs over the years. To be honest, I don’t know how my parents coped. I am the oldest of five children and my youngest brother had been born only a couple of weeks before, yet my parents (and my mother especially) just took it in their stride. For the first few years after diagnosis I refused to tell anyone, including my friends at school, because I felt that if I ignored it then it would disappear. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case at all and I was in hospital more often than I was in school. A yoyo is a fitting metaphor for me and my diabetes; I have swung from high to low (quite literally with my blood sugars!) over the years and at one point I was given only a few months to live if I continued at the same rate. After some horrific teenage years where I refused to take my injections, again thinking that denial would be the best policy, I realised the horrific impact I was having on both my body and my family. I also suffered from low self esteem and depression for a long time and I think this is a direct result of these actions. It wasn’t fair to keep putting my family through this, so I really tried to get it all under control but once again my body wasn’t co-operating. When I was 15 I had 50% attendance at school due to my hospital stays and my diabetes was spiralling out of control, despite the 4 injections I was taking every day. It is no joke to say that I felt like a pincushion for most of my teens... luckily this ensured that I would never ever try drugs as I failed to comprehend why people would choose to stick needles into their body. I’m sure this is one thing that my parents are grateful for!

Just before I took my GCSEs I started insulin pump therapy and started dating Mark, two other huge milestones in my life. The insulin pump meant that I was able to fulfil my potential at school and eventually college and the support of my boyfriend has ensured that I never gave up on my dream to go to university. My parents weren’t keen, after all everyone has heard the horror stories about the binge drinking and wild parties that go on at uni and diabetes has never coped well with either . Determination, and more than a hint of stubbornness, meant that I started at the University of Warwick in 2008 and I can honestly say that they were the best three years of my life. Of course it was difficult, I didn’t have the safety net of my family and I actually missed my first week because my diabetes decided to play up the night before I was due to move into halls. Luckily though, Mark ended up at the same uni and this reassured my parents that I wasn’t going to be completely thrown in at the deep end. University taught me a lot of things but most importantly it taught me that I can do anything I want to. 

For years, my diabetes seemed like a punishment; who was going to want to employ someone who wasn’t always capable of looking after themselves? Who would want to date someone who has ‘hyperlipotrophy’ or as I fondly named it, a ‘salami sausage’ ring around their stomach as a result of insulin injections? Who would want to be friends with someone who has to be more careful when going out, who may have to leave the party early to go home? The answer is lots of people. I have been lucky enough to have amazing family, friends and workmates. My diabetes is not the thing people remember me for but rather my love of floral dresses and bright colours, cheesy pop music and yummy food. Being a diabetic has made me stronger, more determined to succeed and made me appreciate the ‘smaller things’ in life. It also means that I am completely unfazed by hospitals or anything involving needles. Once you have spent hours waiting around for hospital appointments, any fear you may have is quickly replaced with boredom. I still don’t have my diabetes completely under control but I am trying and surely that’s the most important thing. My diabetes has shaped me but it doesn't define me and I wear my ‘salami sausage’ as a trophy, proof that things can get better and that it doesn't have to be the end of your plans. I graduated from university, I have a wonderful boyfriend, lovely family and amazing friends. I am also diabetic and living proof that there is no such thing as a lost cause. A lot of things have changed since 1997, and I for one, am glad. 

What has made you the person you are today? 

P.S. If you have any questions then I will be more than happy to answer them! 

I know this is a bit of a heavy topic but diabetes is something I am really passionate about. I have written about diabetes on the blog before but I thought that 'World Diabetes Day' was as good a time as any to share this. I originally wrote this article for the Elle writing competition back in August but as I never heard back from them I thought it may be interesting to share it here. 

I was seven when it happened. I left the doctors surgery with a feeling of dread but without truly knowing what it would mean. On 5th August 1997 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and nothing was ever the same again. Now I realise this all sounds completely over-dramatic, I mean there are people in much worse states all over the world, but adjusting to being diabetic has been an ongoing process and has led to more than a few ups and downs over the years. To be honest, I don’t know how my parents coped. I am the oldest of five children and my youngest brother had been born only a couple of weeks before, yet my parents (and my mother especially) just took it in their stride. For the first few years after diagnosis I refused to tell anyone, including my friends at school, because I felt that if I ignored it then it would disappear. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case at all and I was in hospital more often than I was in school. A yoyo is a fitting metaphor for me and my diabetes; I have swung from high to low (quite literally with my blood sugars!) over the years and at one point I was given only a few months to live if I continued at the same rate. After some horrific teenage years where I refused to take my injections, again thinking that denial would be the best policy, I realised the horrific impact I was having on both my body and my family. I also suffered from low self esteem and depression for a long time and I think this is a direct result of these actions. It wasn’t fair to keep putting my family through this, so I really tried to get it all under control but once again my body wasn’t co-operating. When I was 15 I had 50% attendance at school due to my hospital stays and my diabetes was spiralling out of control, despite the 4 injections I was taking every day. It is no joke to say that I felt like a pincushion for most of my teens... luckily this ensured that I would never ever try drugs as I failed to comprehend why people would choose to stick needles into their body. I’m sure this is one thing that my parents are grateful for!

Just before I took my GCSEs I started insulin pump therapy and started dating my current boyfriend Mark, two other huge milestones in my life. The insulin pump meant that I was able to fulfil my potential at school and eventually college and the support of my boyfriend has ensured that I never gave up on my dream to go to university. My parents weren’t keen, after all everyone has heard the horror stories about the binge drinking and wild parties that go on at uni and diabetes has never coped well with either . Determination, and more than a hint of stubbornness, meant that I started at the University of Warwick in 2008 and I can honestly say that they were the best three years of my life. Of course it was difficult, I didn’t have the safety net of my family and I actually missed my first week because my diabetes decided to play up the night before I was due to move into halls. Luckily though, Mark ended up at the same uni and this reassured my parents that I wasn’t going to be completely thrown in at the deep end. University taught me a lot of things but most importantly it taught me that I can do anything I want to. 

For years, my diabetes seemed like a punishment; who was going to want to employ someone who wasn’t always capable of looking after themselves? Who would want to date someone who has ‘hypolipotrophy’ or as I fondly named it, a ‘salami sausage’ ring around their stomach as a result of insulin injections? Who would want to be friends with someone who has to be more careful when going out, who may have to leave the party early to go home? The answer is lots of people. I have been lucky enough to have amazing family, friends and workmates. My diabetes is not the thing people remember me for but rather my love of floral dresses and bright colours, cheesy pop music and yummy food. Being a diabetic has made me stronger, more determined to succeed and made me appreciate the ‘smaller things’ in life. It also means that I am completely unfazed by hospitals or anything involving needles. Once you have spent hours waiting around for hospital appointments, any fear you may have is quickly replaced with boredom. I still don’t have my diabetes completely under control but I am trying and surely that’s the most important thing. My diabetes has shaped me but it doesn't define me and I wear my ‘salami sausage’ as a trophy, proof that things can get better and that it doesn't have to be the end of your plans. I graduated from university, I have a wonderful boyfriend, lovely family and amazing friends. I am also diabetic and living proof that there is no such thing as a lost cause. A lot of things have changed since 1997, and I for one, am glad. 

What has made you the person you are today? 

P.S. If you have any questions then I will be more than happy to answer them !  

(♥)

Diabetes is a topic that is very close to my heart. As you may know I was diagnosed with diabetes nearly 14 years ago and it was probably the most difficult thing my family and I have had to go through. I have had some horrific ups and downs and at times it has felt like I was the only person suffering with this. Luckily, despite the lack of information and advice given to us by some of the doctors and nurses, Diabetes UK stepped in with their magazine Balance. I don't receive it any more but it helped me and my mum through some very difficult times and I will always remember the time I won £5 on the crossword (I was nine at the time!) So why am I bringing this up now you may ask? It is diabetes week and Diabetes UK are aiming to raise awareness and to get people talking about diabetes:

"A Diabetes UK survey has found that nearly one million people in the UK could be risking their health and experiencing emotional distress by keeping their diabetes a secret.

As a result Diabetes UK is raising awareness of the importance of talking about diabetes during Diabetes Week this year (12 to 18 June) and we are encouraging anyone having difficulty opening up about their condition to call our Careline service for help."

I know that I found it very difficult to talk to people about my diabetes and even if I hid it away that it would go away. It really impacted on my confidence when I was younger and this is why I think things like this are so important. I am lucky enough to have amazing family and friends that have been there to support me through it but not everyone is that lucky. If you know that other people are going through the same thing then you won't feel so alone which can only be a good thing, right? To raise some money, I am planning to sell all of the clothes that I don't wear and split the money between Diabetes UK and the PSP Support Network, another organisation close to my heart. I don't want to preach, I am not going to try and guilt trip you into donating money (although obviously that would be nice!) but rather to talk to people, do a little research and celebrate Diabetes Week with me! 

Do you know anyone with diabetes?

P.S. If you have any questions then I will be more than happy to answer them !