Remake of My Personal Development Plan by

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:05:50 UTC

Notes from a research study that I was involved in - me and a panel of other eating disorder survivors formed a panel in collaboration with researchers at UCL to create a research study looking into the impact of eating disorders in secondary school

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:12:18 UTC

Here we were gathering our ideas from our experience about what may possibly trigger EDs in school and suggesting solutions. This and other input from researchers/ others with lived experience will go towards a survey following those with EDs, their peers, teachers and headteachers in secondary schools over the country. The data from the survey over a number of years will be presented to the government who can look into implementing changes to support and prevent eating disorders

Notes on a research paper showing the benefits of using graphic novels in medical teaching

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:13:30 UTC

notes on graphic novels in med teaching, part 2

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:13:59 UTC

definition of graphic medicine - I wrote about this for my CHS essay and think that I might write my dissertation about it!!

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:14:50 UTC

Notes on use of graphic medicine in relation to Alzheimer's - there is a graphic novel called Aliceheimers which has been critically acclaimed for its portrayal of the condition

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:16:16 UTC

Evaluation of service of those who have FND in the NHS (2021) - depressing but shows how much stereotypes about FND need to change!!

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:17:15 UTC

analysis of 'Not there' - a graphic novel about FND

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:18:02 UTC

Analysis of 'Not there' - part 2

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:18:19 UTC

Comparative analysis of 'What is FND?' - a infographic animation on the face of the website neurosymptoms.org

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:19:09 UTC

Analysis of 'What is FND?', part 2

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:25:52 UTC

I thought these depictions of FND were particularly unpleasant. The visual depiction of the loss of bladder/bowel function that some with FND experience was hyperbolic - the script stresses the word 'even' ('it can even cause problems with bowel function'). In a disorder which causes seizures, the loss of normative bowel function really isn't the worst symptom and I think portraying it with a silly character only adds to the embarrassment and shame that people already feel about this symptom.

I also didn't like the fact that the doctor was portrayed in a halo of light - as someone who spent about 7 years being misdiagnosed, the doctors were not my saviours.

This is the link to the FND site the doctor gave me. It's got lots of information and it's quite stressful

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:28:09 UTC

I thought this was a really lovely portrayal of someone with a limb difference (graphic novel)

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:38:12 UTC

This got me thinking about portraying disability as part of a character's backstory. The novel does a really lovely job of making the plot nothing to do with the character's disability, but still making disability part of the character. Part of this was portraying the character's history with cancer and I wasn't really sure how to feel. Part of me was like: 'this detail is irrelevant to the story, we could know about the character and her disability without knowing about her specific medical history'. But then, knowing about her cancer definitely provided another level of insight to the character, because her disability is a big part of her, and particularly her having had cancer massively effected her relationship with other characters in the book. I guess having both types of representation is important...

Link for 'What is FND?'

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:39:58 UTC

I am a little bit obsessed with Mickey Atkins...🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:42:22 UTC

(she's a disabled, body-positive, research-informed licenced therapist and all-round ICON)

Songs from my animation playlist

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-15 20:48:06 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2szQz-Vx1s&list=PLxZ0godzsvmvSv1_cDX6Q9F1EfO0cVX6q&index=19

I'd really like to make a reply to my 'letter to my future self' at the end of the year...

Purely healing my inner child

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-20 14:41:45 UTC

I started listening to this before I went to France to be an Au Pair - one podcast did not qualify me to parent!! Having said that it's a great insight to gentle parenting and I still listen to it :D

Link to 'Not There' - a graphic Novel about functional seizures

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-20 14:44:26 UTC

I went into a bookshop in the summer to look for books about disability and this is the only book for adults I could find...

k2326530_1 — 2024-12-20 14:53:36 UTC

Before I became disabled I worked in a disability centre. I began looking for sources of media outside of traditional academic research in order to deepen my understanding of the kids' disabilities. I was specifically looking for a book by a disabled person which showcased their personal perspective on being disabled and this is the only one in the whole shop. I noticed that there was a fair amount of children's books which at least featured disabled characters, but there is a massive gap in the market for adult fiction in particular...

Firstly, I knew it was important to find people who could support me so I reached out to Nina at the start of the year

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-04 22:37:55 UTC

I had to organise LOTS of scary doctor's appointments:

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-04 22:44:23 UTC

blood tests / ECG
general review
more blood tests
discussing results / next steps to diagnose POTS
appointment to do with my gait deteriorating
appointment post-hospital, FND suspected
second 24hr ECG
mental health appointment
neurology diagnostic review
MRI / CT scan
mental health services assessment
GP medication review
Initial physiotherapy appointment
clinical physiology appointment
cardiology review
second physio appointment
neurology review

Uni health admin

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-04 22:53:02 UTC

meetings every 2 weeks with Nina (this was absolutely not a chore, genuinely needed to keep me sane!!)
starting the conversation with disability support services
making initial fun funky functional seizures doc
meeting with Paddy and risk assessment
holistically adding to the Functional Seizures advice and guidance doc
sending off my diagnosis documents to disability support services
filling in the SOSN form
meeting with Sam and Nina
Discussing options with Sam post flare-up
adding more information to Fun Funky Functional Seizure Doc and checking in again with Nina
meeting disability advisor
Meeting with level 6 team

Reset and Rewire FND workbook

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-04 22:56:43 UTC

Have found this workbook amazingly helpful! It also really helpfully references all of the sources its used to help craft the exercises, would like to look more into these for my dis research maybe

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:24:27 UTC

Rose Blake

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:25:09 UTC

re-take without fold!

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:25:20 UTC

Empathy

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:25:36 UTC

I really enjoyed this comic by John Miers - it linked to a paragraph I wrote in my essay about stigma around bowel function

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:47:39 UTC

I read this paper by John Miers after I wrote my essay - I enjoyed his critical discourse around portrayal of physical sensations / symptoms of chronic illness. Thinking of maybe focussing my essay on depicting symptoms through illustration / animation

k2326530_1 — 2025-02-17 20:50:17 UTC

Brief encounters

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 20:34:03 UTC

This was the hardest brief for me to do in terms of the fact that my health was at its worst - I went to hospital halfway through. I was super lucky that I was in a group of all disabled people who were super lovely and understanding. I tried to focus my work primarily around building a solid research foundation as I could do this from home. For the final piece I was in charge of the colour and layout, which again I could do from home.

A message to my future self

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 20:47:45 UTC

I spent the whole summer unsure of how to approach this project so made a whole research sketchbook, but eventually decided to make a piece about developing a chronic illness. It was a message to myself, but I also used it as a medium to communicate with friends and tutors about what was going on in my life. I hoped that the book would inspire empathy and provide a fresh and hopeful perspective on disability that other able-bodied people might normally not have access too

The Pitch

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:01:36 UTC

I had to make a really hard decision on this project - I had to make the choice to not go to Vintage Headquarters after our group was selected in the top 10. I really wanted to go, but my health was in a really fragile place and there was no guarantee that I'd be well enough to go, and I knew it wouldn't be fair to bail on my group at the last minute. It also wouldn't be fair to myself to head to London knowing that it would be too much and face the possibility of being really unwell and struggling to get home. We were given the option to do it online, but I felt it was important that the other members of my group had an equal chance to participate as all of my classmates. So, although it was really difficult, I decided to take a step back a few days before going. This meant that there were no surprises on the day, and it also allowed me to watch our pitch as an audience member and give feedback before the others pitched it

The portfolio

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:07:31 UTC

I decided to make a physical portfolio ready for my internship at Hay Festival - it is an arts and literature festival so I think having a tactile book would be the most familiar medium for the audience there

A logo I made for my dad's string quartet

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:09:35 UTC

Life drawing from a level 6 fundraiser

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:11:22 UTC

Collaborative drawing with Ricardo Vargas-Rios during a Wednesday life drawing session

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:12:53 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:18:28 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-02 21:18:57 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:09:29 UTC

Notes from an interview I did with the children at forest school (Brief encounters)

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:09:31 UTC

This helped us work out what icons to make and how the children represent their feelings

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:10:56 UTC

feedback I gave my group for the pitch

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:10:56 UTC

collage I made of our group for The Pitch

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:10:56 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 18:14:44 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 23:03:11 UTC

k2326530_1 — 2025-04-27 23:04:40 UTC