Sunflower Diaries

My health journey – wellness, fashion, health and more.

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about

Those who know me best, know how difficult it can be for me to speak up! So here goes: Hi, I am Joy. I decided to write this blog to raise awareness of living with chronic pain and how to keep upbeat in even the darkest/ loneliest days. I am a mother to one wonderful daughter and a wife to my very supportive husband. I met my husband during our PhD journey (story for another blog/ reflections I am sure). I knew from the moment I met him that it was true love. Our research and personal interests aligned well which made it easier to communicate and grow together. My love for him has grown stronger every day and more so since our daughter was born. He is an inspiration to fathers. We knew we wanted a small family one day but did not realise the issues I had as a young woman/ teenager would impact our fertility journey and lives to the extent it now has. So, I am 1 in 10%. I have endometriosis. There is no cure. But to add complications I also had adenomyosis (more about this below as I document my health journey). I have chosen the name sunflower diaries for my blog to symbolise #endometriosis. The sunflower is synonymous with growth, vitality and positive energy. I also love #sunflowers. I am an #endometriosiswarrior and an #adenomyosiswarrior💜. Let’s raise awareness and compassion for all women afflicted by these diseases. The struggles are real but I hope to bring you some #NewJoy by sharing my story. I challenge you to think of what makes you happy in life and keep being #strongwomen especially if you have entered a transition phase of your life. This is even more important as I watch my own daughter grow up and hope she does not suffer the same issues I faced. In summary, #believeinyourself❤️ #loveyourbody and #bekind 🤗😊❤️‍🩹 If you like this blog, please read and share. http://sunflowerdiaries.blog

Category: Nature

  • Poetry Edition

    Poetry Edition

    I have written a lot of poetry during my recovery, and I thought it was a good idea to share this as one blog article. Expression through art and poetry has been the best thing to allow to heal. I have always enjoyed writing but as I have said previously I cannot always express my…

  • Nature photography

    Sunset walks in winter time Sunrises in winter ❄️ A time to reflect/ relax and unwind.

  • Nature photography

    Ponds ponds ponds and Loch Lomond

  • My Family

    So everyone (who knows me) realises how I find nature very healing and also the importance of expression. I love how we can combine art and science with drawings, poetry, creative writing, designs and of course photography. I created this drawing for my young family to show my daughter and husband how much they mean…

  • Art and nature – Jupiter Artland

    Some pictures of Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh. Beautiful place to visit. Great day out for a young family. Wonderful to unwind with nature. The weather was fair and sunny. I enjoyed seeing the autumn colours and walking through the crunchy leaves 🍃 🍂 🍁. I felt restored and relaxed after a two hour walk in…

  • Art and nature

    Art and nature

    Drawing therapy My road to recovery has been bumpy. I wanted to share some pieces I have drawn to express myself/ as a moment of self care while recovering. The last drawing I drew for a presentation at work to highlight importance of nature based solutions. Hope you enjoy and these brighten up your day!…

  • Nature Heals

    What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being? I am an #endometriosiswarrior and an #adenomyosiswarrior💜.  Let’s raise awareness and compassion for all women afflicted by these diseases. The struggles are real but I hope to bring you some #NewJoy by sharing my story. I challenge you to think of what makes you…

  • Surgical menopause / metamorphosis

    Sadness / grief Anxiety / hesitation Laughter / wit Happiness / delight Renewed faith/ hope/ joy/ peace… So many emotions, hard to contain. Sometimes I feel like a toddler with too much energy/ excitement and other times I feel like an older person (brain fog has luckily reduced) with body aches and fatigue. It’s hard…

  • Feel good vibes:

    Positive vibes and energy are needed for recovery. I could not have gone through the journey without positivity. I am told I sometimes have too much faith in humanity…I possibly do, but faith is what grounds me. Faith: Reminds me of the Bon Jovi song – Keep the Faith. Great artist and one of my…

  • Sustainability – water and environment.

    Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Water  Link to previous blog article focusing on sustainable water use. I am very passionate about water and the environment. I even featured in the CIWEM Environment article earlier this year discussing my passion for urban drainage/ career. I embed these…