Hello everyone
This week I am returning to my original newsletter style and wandering through a few different topics. In the clunky style of all of my undergraduate essays, I shall let you know in my introduction where this post is heading. Firstly, a meander through my week, then a peek at some of the books I am reading, or have read recently, and then finally a return to the subject of last week’s post and some questions and suggestions for my subscribers.
Here is last week’s post, if you missed it:
Winchester and wasps
Last Sunday, my sister and I had a wet, and mostly rather unsuccessful, trip to nearby Winchester. The art shop where I get my pencils was closed, and the rain shower that I thought would pass over at 11am decided to hang around. We were both exhausted and in pain, and drenched. We gave up.
Sat in my sister’s car outside my flat, while we decided on an alternative plan for the afternoon, I realised that I needed to take action on the wasps that, each year in the late summer, congregate on my street. The parked cars are always crawling with them. The local authority who own the block of flats opposite me, which is where the wasps are, do not think there is a nest. They think it is the large, and very productive, fig tree which is attracting them.
I managed to accost a pleasant lady from the council who turned up in her Southampton City Council van while I was taking out my recycling. During my discussion with her it occurred to me that this was potentially quite a serious issue. As a child I was terrified of wasps. I still dislike them very much, but I now have the additional issue of feeling anxious about being stung. I’ve only been stung a couple of times in my life, and the last time, about a decade ago, I had a systemic reaction. A mild one, but still… My tongue and lips swelled up and were tingling, and I felt dizzy and faint. I persuaded my (very unconcerned) ex to take me to A and E, which may have been an overreaction. Possibly? I have no idea. Hours later, I was fine and was sent on my way.
I queried whether I should speak to my GP about the reaction and was met with a shrug and a non-committal reply. I didn’t. The thought of trying to beg a GP for a referral to immunology for testing (in case, you know, the next time I was stung I had a full on anaphylactic reaction) was just too depressing to contemplate. I resolved to try to remember to carry a shit ton of Piriton with me at all times and hope that would be sufficient.
What do you think, everyone? Should I cross my fingers and hope that I don’t get a more severe reaction next time I am stung, or should I try to get a referral to the local immunology department?
Books, books, books
As always, there has been plenty of reading (and some book buying) happening here. The first book I’m going to tell you about is very exciting to me because it is a children’s book written by my oldest friend! Kate, mentioned in various of my posts such as here and here, is a dedicated and talented language teacher who has lived and taught all over the world. The idea for this book was initially conceived when Kate’s students begged her to expand on a short story she wrote for them about a girl called Amira.
Kate loves language, culture and music, and her passion for these is evident in her novel. Here is the blurb for Not Just a Refugee:
Anyone can be a refugee and a refugee can be anyone…
Nine-year old Amira loves her city, Aleppo, but war threatens to turn her perfect life into a nightmare.
Forced to flee to Turkey, she ends up in a desolate refugee camp. Amira plots to run away back to Aleppo to escape from her harsh new reality. However, she is called upon to defend her family when her father is accused of a crime.
It is a race against time to prove her family’s innocence before disaster strikes. Will Amira be able to find a way to live again and help build a future for herself and her family?
This thought-provoking book is full of evocative descriptions, particularly of places and food. It examines the feelings of Amira as she faces heartbreak and uncertainty, and explores ideas such as memory, storytelling and the connections that exist between us all. Kate’s website can be found here and her book can be bought here.
Other books that I am currently reading, or am planning to read soon, are (with affiliate links):
Lucy Jones’ book Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood is the book I was searching for, and couldn’t find because it didn’t exist, when I was heading towards motherhood. I began reading it for Katherine May’s True Stories Book Club. You can find the podcast episode of Katherine’s discussion with Lucy below, as well as wherever you normally get your podcasts.
I was lent this copy of Neurotribes forever ago, by a friend with whom I am hoping to have coffee soon. That, and the recent sad death of Steve Silberman, has prompted me to want to finish reading the book this week. I have enjoyed the little I have read so far.
Embarrassingly, I have never read Great Expectations before. I am almost at the end of a two year long read along of Dickens novels (a DickensAlong) in publication order with BookTuber and author Katie Lumsden. I am now trailing behind the reading schedule, but only three novels to go!
And lastly, yet another productivity book: Feel-Good Productivity, by YouTuber Ali Abdaal. Is a life long obsession with books about productivity and organisation an ADHD thing? Just me? Anyway, I am enjoying this one so far, and will report back when I have read a little more.
Unwell Women and some next steps
Thank you to everyone who contacted me, both publicly and privately, about my post last week. Many of you have shared difficult stories with me. There were so many more things that I wanted to write about Unwell Women last week, but it was impossible to cram everything I wanted to say into one post.
I want to talk more about women and autoimmune conditions. About hormones. About menopause and perimenopause. About how we (all of us) can interact in a more productive way with healthcare professionals. I want to talk about women and chronic ill health, and the financial impact of that. I want to talk about the recent narrative in the UK about people who are ‘economically inactive’ and why this is partly (at least) a gendered issue. I want to talk about personal responsibility and healthcare, and how proactive we should be or not be. I want to talk about Ara Darzi’s report on the state of the NHS. I want to hear from people about healthcare in their countries, and what is working and what is not working.
And, most of all, I want to keep talking to people on here. I have been really moved by the many stories people have shared with me. I was so angry reading Unwell Women, and I have been so angry with healthcare failings that have affected my family recently (as well as being incredibly grateful for the NHS and for the enormous leaps forward in treatment that are available to us these days). I want to use that anger more productively. This is something that affects us all. And sharing stories and information is a good place to start.
Questions
So, some questions for readers and subscribers. A number of you have mentioned that you were planning to read Unwell Women, with some people expressing concerns that they might need emotional support to do so. Would any of you like to do this as a group? Perhaps a book group? I could create discussion threads with some questions and/or prompts. Or some kind of video group chat? A mix of these? Let me know in the comments, or message me privately, and let me know what you think.
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Bye for now! Emma
Another really interesting read Emma, more books to add to my list! I think I've read neurotribes, it might be in my kindle, I'm not as good at remembering if I've read something on there, the physical copy makes a book more memorable! I'm not sure I can manage well women at the moment but I have recommended it to L as it might fit in with her Master's.
Yes you should go to the GP re the wasps.
I read Neurotribes when it first came out and have since lent it to numerous people. It's a brilliant and enlightening book