When I look back in the early days of writing for The CP Diary, it's a scary concept looking back on those years, knowing how well I felt in those early days, and how my health has changed now and how poorly I feel.

My mental health struggles

A lot has happened in the last 4 years since the pandemic started, and while the pandemic has made my mental health struggles worse, losing my twin has further added to my physical and mental struggles. Eagle Syndrome is not an easy condition to deal with and the change is destabilising and debilitating, because I deal with continual face pain.

I can't exercise and it's a good day when I can get out for a walk.

Changing health

I am not grieving for the life I had, my writing has helped with all of that, but I am having to navigate my changing health now and a life without my twin in it. There are days when it's easy to feel panicked.

Ageing without my twin

With my twin I had a safety net and now that safety net is gone. I have no idea what my future without her will be and in the short few months without her, it's already difficult around my changing health.

Ignoring health

But this isn't just about me. My changing health is your changing health. I write the blogs for you to read. I am not alone, given the conversation on social media and the stats on mental health and the fact that more people are dealing with and dying of cancer.

My health has changed in the pandemic. What are your experiences in the pandemic? Has your health changed in the pandemic, how has your health changed? Are you worse now than before we went into the pandemic, what are your experiences around changing health?

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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