Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an exceedingly rare autoimmune condition whose many serious effects include thickening blood, increasing the risk of strokes and miscarriages.

It's a brutal disease and that’s not changing any time soon, unless we take action to change it.

APS Support is working to learn more about the disease and how it can be prevented. They’re our best hope of novel treatments that are more patient friendly, and maybe even cure the illness instead of managing it. If this resonates with you please do donate, and everything we raise will be go to help research https://aps-support.org.uk. I’ll personally match all donations up to £1,250.

I wanted to create something that could help people find the strength and resilience to get through whatever life threw at them. So I pledge to release a series of guided meditations in 2024. This is something that really helped me find some inner peace in chaotic times, and I’m proud to be able to share that healing with all of you at https://anchor.fm/meditationseries.

With a little generosity and a whole lot of science, we can make life a little easier for the APS warriors who need it.

~

My Story

On May 8, 2022, I powered through a slight hangover for an intense HIIT workout with a good friend. After, I made us brunch, tired, but still buzzing. At 3:05 PM I was in the restroom, washing my hands, and suddenly, there was a piercing, high-pitched ringing in my left ear. It was so intense that I said out loud, "What is happening??" As those words left my lips, the deafening ringing abruptly ceased as the entire left side of my body shut down. I dropped to the floor, propping myself up with my right hand, my speech slurring.

I called an ambulance immediately.

The medical professionals checked me out, reviewed my records, carried out detailed scans and tests and subsequently discharged me and said I must have been mistaken, but that they’d have a look at my scans and call me with an explanation. Thrown, and now also convinced that I was just confused, I came back home and started working. I had been blessed with good health all my life, so when I got the call saying they’d found tissue death in my brain scans, I gave myself a moment to digest, and then I got back to work. Fortunately, my doctor quickly told me that I needed to rest, and I stopped.

18 months later, I've had to make major changes in my everyday life and my lifestyle. It’s not ideal, but I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. My journey would have been far more challenging without the unwavering support and positivity from my friends and family. But while loved ones kept my hopes up and helped me through days where I could barely get out of bed, it’s a team of doctors and specialists, and a job that gave me the flexibility I needed to keep up. My parents flew in, literally, and stayed with me so that all I needed to worry about was feeling better.

Not everyone has that. Most don’t, and it’s not a comfortable subject but survival shouldn’t hinge on luxuries. Being able to take breaks, and having loved ones who are able to be with you at the drop of a hat is wonderful, but they’re privileges.

APS adds a threat to every stage of life, including pregnancy, which is why it’s time to put our best foot forward and find a way for us all the best this disorder. I am so grateful to have got through this mostly unscathed and be close to normal, but many people have their daily lives affected by APS. Help contribute to research that'll further improve the management and treatment for APS.