When the delivery drivers and neighbours know you work from home.

MCL is not great when my knee hyperextends. Back to NHS orthotics. Not holding out much hope as the plan is to ‘increase the size and bulk of the brace.’ Not sure this will be tolerated by my skin or my brain. Surely, there’s a better solution. I suspect I may be entering custom brace land. #EDS

#grammar #writingtips #amwriting #writingcommunity #writers inventingrealityediting.com/2...

Duolingo and I are not the best bedfellows. Shouting at my laptop on a Saturday morning wasn’t really the plan. Wish I could find a local, face to face, Polish class. ‘Trouble’ is that most Polish people have such fabulous English - there’s little demand.

Nothing kills excellence like micromanagement. Nothing. I’ve seen it across FE and HE. Talented people, driven people, then a leader shows up who can’t let go. Suddenly the energy shifts. Questions replace initiative, permission replaces judgement and people stop bringing their best thinking 1/

Progress! I may be able to begin weaning off my knee brace from the middle of May, following my argument with the stairs on Shrove Tuesday. #EDS

Hidden costs of disability - travel insurance. I have a £140 surcharge for my ‘conditions.’ Hey ho - lucky I can go away.

Our regular gentle reminder that autistic people are, on average, more peaceful than nonautistic people. Research shows that it is also generally a protective factor against crime, not a cause of it. Any person can claim that something 'caused' someone to be violent. That does not mean it is true.

“I remember reading this & thinking, “Why isn’t anyone talking about this?” We celebrate #grit & toughness. We talk about powering through, not giving up & being strong. But #joy requires #courage too—especially when you’re #suffering.”: buff.ly/HgseJU4 from tinybuddha #ChronicPain

This is an important lesson to learn when you barely have enough energy to get thru the day

"It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when or why fairies began to change from the capricious and frightening beings of folklore into the glittery-winged, delightful do-gooders many think of today."

Right, my hypermobile friends! Talk to me about NHS knee braces, please. I have a standard metal hinged wrap around fabric/velcro number. My skin is not loving it, even with a sleeve. Fingersfind the Velcro tough. Anyone managed to get an open metal ligament brace from nhs orthotics? #EDS

Gifted What “Gifted” is is a moving target but it generally describes Neurodivergent child who shows atypical talents and does not *yet* demonstrate clinically significant deficits … many articles on Gifted will literally talk *around* ASD (and ADHD) to avoid saying it. 📝:Pychiatric Times

Buongiorno from Rome. A walk to the Vatican City today. Avoiding yesterday’s attempted pickpocketing tactics: 1. ‘Your lace is undone!’ 2. Slam the emergency stop on the metro escalators as a distraction tactic. Now we understand why the taxi drivers and waitresses keep warning us!

Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.

Being in Rome on Easter Sunday is a bit magical and I don’t have a religious bone in my body.

#Gatwick security staff very impressive this morning. Thorough, but polite, friendly and empathetic examination of knee brace.

#Sirens on Netflix is

We must be approaching exam season - 350 copies of my book were sold last month! If you know a neurodivergent young person there are plenty of revision tips, as well as general study skills strategies, to be found in here. www.waterstones.com/book/a-study... Also available on Amazon, Foyles etc.

Whilst my osteopath was trying to sort out my spine last night, I discovered we went to the same nightclubs in our misspent youth, around the same time, in a different county. An enjoyable trip down memory lane, discussing which ones were roughest and had the worst bouncers. #Essex

Right. How do I stop seeing muscle bound men in gyms on my timeline? If I click on them and mute them, I just seem to get more. Probably because I’ve clicked on them!

I have a marvellous roofer. I can’t make money as he never takes it for small jobs. We often end up giving him some booze, to make ourselves feel better. Today he came a day early. Cash refused, nothing in the house. I’ve just asked if he knows anyone who needs help around dyslexia in exchange!

There is no right way to be a woman. Many of us only realised this as we hit 50. I’m definitely in no position to criticise others for doing it differently. So you do you. Be the woman you want to be & don’t listen to the critics. And build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

I really resent being ask to complete forms prior to a visit to my NHS dentist which asks me if I’d like to reduce my wrinkles. Yes, they do Botox there.

My knee brace has developed an almost imperceptible squeak. It sounds like I have a tiny mouse about my person.

Knee brace from NHS orthotics is vastly superior. They bent the metal to fit my wonky legs. No more dead foot! My skin isn’t enjoying it but my knee is so much happier. #EDS

When a group (where everyone is autistic) prioritises the struggles of whoever is loudest and most aggressive, it sets the terms for everyone. And that’s not inclusion - it’s domination by distress. It means the space quietly reorganises around whoever is most dysregulated in the moment.

Tells you something that when I asked in a gentle tone, ‘Is it you, I’ve been dealing with?’ the person’s line manager asked why. I just wanted to thank her for being so fabulous! I suspect there’s quite a lot of abuse levelled at nhs staff.

Recently understood that you're autistic? My workshop is digging into regulation, meltdowns, shutdowns, burnout, unmasking and all the things you want to know about. www.theautisticcoach.com/newly-diagno...

On vets. I’m still cross about the vet who told me our ancient rescue probably had cancer and she’d bring him in, sedate him and scan. When I asked, “Will what you find change his treatment?” She replied, “oh no, he’s too old and frail to operate, and he’s on maximum pain relief already.”

Be careful of the free synonym buns at the bakery today. I ate one and got thesaurus throat I've ever had.

I have just been given an orthotics appointment for next Tuesday. Trying not to raise my hopes too much but it’s *possible* that I might be able to walk without significant pain by this time next week. #EDS

Morning started in the shed with us trying to improvise a less painful stabilising rod for the ACL side of my sprained knee. Amazing what a bit of drain rod can be repurposed for. Yes, I’m still waiting for orthotics.

Well, that’s a useful phrase, Duolingo.

I have a total of three rooms downstairs. Somewhere in those rooms, I have lost my copy of, ‘Those They Called Idiots.’ The irony is not lost on me.

The second best Irish phrase I’ve heard, used to describe someone who’s always engaging in one-upmanship, is “if you’ve been to Tenerife, he’s been to Elevenerife.” My number one favourite Irish phrase, and one of the most crushing burns you’ll ever hear, is “he looks like his mammy knitted him.”

‘Someone’ has taken a run at dyslexics today. As a member of a family choc full of them, I can categorically say that they’re the first people I seek out when I’ve got a thorny problem. You need an imaginative, yet pragmatic solution? Ask a dyslexic.

Anyone got a suggestion for a robust meltdown proof tablet? Helping a family member navigate some stuff and I’m wondering what other folks are using. iPad seems a little to fragile even in a case. FireTablet keeps breaking the change port. Anything else worth a try?

We are not a tidy household. I often don’t even ‘see’ mess. Nevertheless, my youngest (23) has just cracked me up, ‘I tidied four times last year and look where it got me.’

Metal parts of knee brace are digging in. Knee is much more stable. Foot is tingling. Quick Google shows that metal-dig is running straight over peroneal nerve which supplies sensation to foot. Brace off, ice applied. Still no orthotics appointment.

Join Archives Officer Penny Duggan for 'Memories of School Days', a reminiscence-style interactive session talking about where we live. 24 March 10.30am-12 at #Sidcup Storyteller Ageing Well Hub for Sidcup/Bexley residents aged over 50. No need to book, just drop in. #LiveWellAgeWell

Day three of wearing a knee brace with metal hinges and metal lateral side supports. Last night was the first night I was just ‘aware’ of my knee when turning, rather than ‘oh bloody hell.’ This is progress. I also need to buy wider trousers.

This vibrant and beautiful object is a mould-blown glass bottle from Iran. It dates from the 12th-13th century and features a globular body, tall slender neck and trailing at the bottom. See it on display in Gallery Gallery 31 on Level 1. 💚 EA1990.1260

Lola Young with poem lyrics - “Art is Rebellion” at her first U.S. show following a personal beak at #SXSW

Oh I have so much to say. I figured I'd do it tomorrow or my brain might explode. But key thing I think we all need to reflect on from my point of view as a #Autistic #ADHD #Disabled teacher. If we want belonging. My god we need to brush up on the history of #Disability & #Neurodivergency. ⬇️

Physio finally sent exercises minus link to cheap knee brace to see me through until orthotics. Orthotics doesn’t have the referral. Physio has written on my notes that she referred me. Physio admin can’t tell if she did, because that doesn’t show on the system. Meanwhile, my knee is unstable. #EDS

NHS admin is a time (and soul) sucker.

Irena Sibrijnsa, Dutch-born, UK-based potter #womensart

M&S a mixed bag. Fab staff helped me find a product. No queue at the self-service or the desk. I prefer to use the desk when my hands are sore. ‘Alright for me to use the desk?’ ‘It’s really meant for returns’ with a sigh & a frown. I don’t always want to explain my Ehlers Danlos, thank you.

“I know, right.” My red-headed colleague grinned. “You’re gay and you can see it.” [new blog post: CW cancer, death, suicidality] www.kerrycoran.com/writing/litu...