In 2015 my friend have been absolutely amazing! Providing me with massive amounts of support and opening thier home and lives up to help me. A freind moved in to help me, other freinds visited me to keep me company. At the moment, two friends take turns to stay with me overnight to help me transition to living independently.
My friends are AMAZING, and i am very grateful to them for thier support.
This time last year me and my boyfriend of 7 years almost split up. We didn’t, we stayed together, but we stopped living together.
I am grateful to my boyfriend for taking this step. We were able to see that something was wrong and then work together to resolve it. It’s been hard going, but were both now in better places.
In the future, we do intend to live together again. Before we do, we need to develop in different ways. We know that we need less dependence on each other and more autonomy. So thats what we are working towards.
We have different needs when it comes to location. Our main friendship groups and our work are at opposite ends of the country. We’re not sure how this will work out in the end but were moving forward together and thats the important bit.
2015 was the year i had to really respect the autism again. I’d sort of managed to pass over some of it due to the support of my boyfriend, but this year wil my health very poor it’s making itself known again.
Rather than fight it, we’re embracing it. The first step on that path came from a freind. I’d always been aware of ear defenders, and sensory clothing, but i had avoided it under the premise of "i’m not that autisitc".
In the end, a friend ordered me ear defenders, and since that point i have pretty much ALWAYS had them with me or been wearing them. They made a HUGE difference to my life.
Fromt he ear defenders came a sensory vest and a weighted blanket. They have also both made big differences to my day to day life.
So 2015 was the year i started working with the autism and not against it. A very positive change and i am grateful to the friend who kicked it all off.
In 2015 my health became very poor for the first time in my life. The illness, operation and then the recovery have taken up my entire year!
I am grateful that my physical health is now resolved. My tummy is still a bit funny, but the life changing levels of pain have stopped.
Modern medicine is the reason i am healthy. A skilled surgeon was able to cut me open, fix the issue and then sew me back up. Due to the wonder of the NHS, the direct cost to me was zero.
I am proud i work for the BBC and i very grateful for how supportive they have been to me over the last year and a bit. I have been given all the flexibility i need to recover. Positive feedback and a "can do" attitude is huge.
I am looking forward to work this year, i am champing at the bit to get back to work tomorrow and i am really excited to see what 2016 brings.
2015 was challenging, but i have had astounding support. Going into 2016 many of the challenges remain, but i am in a really good position to make 2016 an awesome year.
