myhydrocephalusandme

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Merry Christmas - Wrapping Up 2022

Merry Christmas – Wrapping Up 2022

Merry Christmas everyone! This is officially my last blog post of 2022, the next time I post anything it will be 2023! Who can believe it? Another year has flown by and I can’t wait to see what the next will bring. Seeing as this is the last post of the year, I figured it would be good to do a recap of the past 12 months of this blog. January On January 17th, 2022, I handed in a personal essay…

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Raising Awareness For Bronchopneumonia

Hi everyone, this week I’m sharing a post which I hadn’t actually considered until I recieved a comment on a post back in February. I got really emotional reading the comment and was inspired to share a post that raises awareness for Bronchopneumonia. I decided to share this post now instead of back in February because November 12th is World Pneumonia Day. Pneumonia is a category of lung…

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Hydrocephalus Awareness Month

Hello everyone and welcome back! My name is Chloe and as we enter September, we are celebrating Hydrocephalus Awareness Month! September 4th is also my 22nd anniversary since I was first taken to hospital.  To celebrate the occasion, I’ve decided to share an original poem that I wrote in October 2021 as part of a university class. We were asked to write a piece that started with the phrase “I…

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International Dogs Day - Celebrating Our Four-Legged Hydro Warriors!

International Dogs Day – Celebrating Our Four-Legged Hydro Warriors!

Did you know that August 26th is International Dogs Day? I am a huge dog mum after growing up surrounded by a million Chihuahuas, 3 German Shepards, a Yorkie and now 2 Spaniels, basically to summarise, not a single outfit in my wardrobe has gone untouched by dog fur and my day often starts with sloppy kisses and waggy tails. Recently while searching through the void that is Facebook for…

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A Shout-Out To Alder Hey Children's Hospital!

A Shout-Out To Alder Hey Children’s Hospital!

Hello everyone! This week I’m shining a spotlight on Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. At the time of me writing this post, I have just been to The Walton Centre for a scan and a general check-up, and when I was on my way in I was pointing out to my mum how different it was and we even joked about how we wouldn’t be getting a phonecall from my grandad this time to say he’s gotten lost (he went to…

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I Did A Survey...

I Did A Survey…

Hello everyone! For the past who knows how long, I’ve been running a survey to find out how many people were aware of Hydrocephalus. The results were shocking and proved why I do this blog in the first place! I’ve been sharing the link to this survey everywhere I can think of and have managed to get 199 responses. Have you ever heard of Hydrocephalus? I thought I’d start off nice and easy by…

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A Letter To My Hydrocephalus

A Letter To My Hydrocephalus

This week I’m doing something a bit different, and I thought I’d write a letter to my Hydrocephalus. I’ve been seeing a few articles pop up here and there about writing an open letter to Cancer and I thought it could be interesting to try and write a letter to Hydrocephalus.   Dear Hydrocephalus,  You slip around invisible, roaming around like a shadow in the night. The occasional flicker of a…

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Interviewing A Family Member

Interviewing A Family Member

Hello everyone! This week I’ve decided to do something a bit different and look at an outsiders perspective of Hydrocephalus by interviewing my mum. My mum has been to every single hospital appointment whether they’ve been at Alder Hey or The Walton Centre and I thought it could be interesting to get her perspective. Had you ever heard of Hydrocephalus before I was diagnosed? How was…

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What Are My Hobbies?

What Are My Hobbies?

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Advice For Parents Of Hydro Warriors

Advice For Parents Of Hydro Warriors

There’s plenty of posts on here for people in my condition who have Hydrocephalus, but this week I wanted to shed some light on our parents and try to offer some help/guidance/advice.   Firstly, be understanding. Understanding Hydrocephalus is important, but understanding your child is just as important, no matter how old they are. Be a good listener, Hydrocephalus can have an impact on our…

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Shunts: What Are They? What To Look Out for If There's a Problem? 

Shunts: What Are They? What To Look Out for If There’s a Problem? 

Hi everyone! I can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner, but I’m a bit slow so bear with me! The main, if not only cure, for Hydrocephalus is the insertion of a device called a shunt. I had mine fitted in October 2000.   What is a shunt?  A shunt is a device which diverts Cerebrospinal Fluid around the obstructed pathways around the brain. The shunt stops it from accumulating and returns it to…

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Movies I Like to Watch When I’m Having a Lazy Day 

Hi everyone! This week I thought I’d share something a bit different and share some of my favourite movies for when I need a me day. Living with Hydrocephalus can be stressful, and sometimes you just need a day on the sofa with your duvet, some good movies and snacks. Oh, and a good cup of tea! And maybe a furry friend or two (Teddy & Tula love watching 101 Dalmatians!)  Also, it only took me…

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Tips To Help You Fall Asleep

Tips To Help You Fall Asleep

’m not sure if struggling to sleep is a Hydrocephalus thing, or a me thing, either way I’ve decided to take the time to share some of my favourite tricks and tips to help you fall asleep.  Create A Restful Sleeping Environment.   It might sound cringey, but make your bedroom your happy/safe space, and create a restful sleeping environment. You can’t sleep in a space where you’re stressed out,…

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Celebrities With Hydrocephalus

As I’m sure a lot of you can agree, representation is important. We see representation for mental illnesses like Depression, Anxiety, even OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) in the media, and when it comes to physical issues, we see Cancer all the time and the occasional case of Meningitis might pop up sometimes, I’ve never seen a Hydrocephalus Storyline on Corrie, Emmerdale or Eastenders, the…

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My Exercise Routine

Exercise is important. While I’ve been sitting here writing blog posts, I’ve seen 2 adverts for different gyms. When you have a condition like Hydrocephalus, exercise can be a bit more difficult than it is for the average person. Growing up, I was always told by doctors that I can’t do contact sports like football, rugby, hockey, even diving, in case I banged my head. This has been repeated to me…

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Explaining Hydrocephalus to Younger Family Members

Explaining Hydrocephalus to Younger Family Members

Explaining Hydrocephalus to anyone at any age can be tough, most adults can struggle to wrap their heads around the concept, and if you have children in your family, it can be even more difficult to find the words to explain this massive thing that doctors, and surgeons train all their lives to understand. Still, it’s got to be done. Whether you’re the one with the condition or trying to explain…

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Why Did I Start Blogging?

Why Did I Start Blogging?

In 2021, I took a module in University on Writing for Publication where we learned about blogging and the publication process. For the first semester, we were graded by creating a writers blog. Around the same time, I was working on a personal essay for a class in Creative Non-Fiction about life with Hydrocephalus. I really enjoyed writing the essay and learning more about the condition, and I…