Jake Borrett's Writing Blog

Brighter Future Days

Brighter Future Days

We are coming to the end of ‘Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week’, which has taken place between Tuesday 1^st and Monday 7^th December 2015. As I sit in my bedroom typing away on a laptop with a bad stomach ache I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect.

Some of the memories with Crohn’s Disease which will stay with me include the following:-

› From age nine to thirteen ‘Doctor One’ branded my symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, including that of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and stunted growth, as ‘imaginary’ and a product of an over-anxious mother. He was wrong though, my mother is not over-anxious she is brilliant. She fought for a second opinion where I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.

For further details on this memory please do have a read of the article called ‘More Than Just ‘Imaginary’’.

› After a number of tests including a colonoscopy and endoscopy I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of thirteen in November 2007. Unfortunately the way ‘Doctor Two’ delivered his diagnosis was unfortunately rather inappropriate.

Have a read of the articles ‘Next Stop: Colonoscopies and Endoscopies’ and ‘A Six Letter Diagnosis’ if you wish.

› Many with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis know that we are put on an assortment of medicine to help control our condition. Some of which I have been given include Pentasa, Prednisolone and Azathioprine. However the one which many will remember is that wonderful taste of laxative.

› Post-diagnosis I went on the ‘Modulen Liquid Diet’ for nine weeks hoping to settle my stomach. This is a challenging task as food is a big part of our lives, but it is additionally tricky over the Christmas period.

› On the 22^nd July 2010 I had surgery to remove the inflamed section of my small intestine.

› Over the number of years with Crohn’s Disease I, like others, have experienced a number of flare-ups. One of which I was taken to hospital in an ambulance in the middle of the night. One of the most difficult however was in October 2013, which involved bleeding. I was admitted into hospital for nearly a week, but this led me to defer my second year at the University of Hertfordshire. I am in my final year now so I got there in the end.

Whilst some of the experiences of my Crohn’s Disease have been emotional I believe they have made me a stronger person. What I have come to realise though is that I would not have gotten through any of this without the incredible support of my family, friends and the community. I truly admire the determination of those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but I also appreciate those who care about us, those we can reply on.

I came across this quote by Stephen R. Covey on the internet the other day:

I have been lucky that over the years I have met so many who listen with the intent to understand. I hope with this incredible support we can all have brighter future days. Stay strong everyone.

Wicken Woods

Wicken Woods

Imagine the fear hunting you through Wicken Woods. Each time your shoe crushes the wooden pathway something creaks below. You twist your head to the left and see hapless trees. You roll your head to the right and see depressing weeds.

Imagine the paranoia haunting you through Wicken Woods. Something casts a shadow on your eyelid. Perhaps something is hidden in the corners of the darkened forest, or perhaps it is your mind playing twisted games for fun.

Imagine the unknowing stalking you through Wicken Woods. The darkness surrounds you, stopping you seeing what lies ahead. Maybe the darkness is endless and the trees never cease.

Imagine if Wicken Woods is the place you go before your eyes permanently shut. Imagine finding yourself here, walking the route to your eternal sleep. The eternal sleep, it is never too far away.

Hope In Darkness

Hope In Darkness

We are coming to the end of ‘Dyspraxia Awareness Week 2015’ so I would like to take this chance to thank you for the amazing support you have all given me over the last few years. I would also like to take this opportunity to discuss some of my toughest times at an all-boy secondary school in connection to my Dyspraxia. I was not diagnosed until aged eighteen by an educational psychologist, but many areas associated with the condition were present throughout my childhood. ‘Hope In Darkness’ aims to show that even in our darkest times there is always light, always hope in the form of incredible people.

Dyspraxia in childhood and adulthood can affect our emotions, such as the tendency to get anxious and we often find it difficult adapting to changes in routine. Personally I do not like change, and found myself crying at the start of each term at primary school. I was petrified when joining secondary school, so I wanted to keep a routine of making sure I had my pencil case, textbooks and personal belongings on me at all times. I would find myself checking my bag on the school bus. Unfortunately some of the older boys noticed and used this as a way to antagonise me. Some would take my belongings, in particular my shoes, and then pretend to hide or throw them out of a window for a joke. I hated this, but hope came in the form of other pupils who tried to defuse the situation. For this I am grateful, but looking back I feel sorry for another boy who had his shoe thrown out the window. So when I reached sixth form I made sure those in the years below did not have go through similar situations as I did.

I have previously talked about my struggles with studying English, but another subject I found challenging was Music. This proved to be an issue in Years Eight and Nine with my music teacher, who also the deputy head of the school. Personally, he had a very strict approach to teaching. In one specific lesson we had to learn the ‘musical scale’ and we went around the room and everyone had to answer a question. If we got this wrong our name would be written on the whiteboard as a warning. I could not understand the theory behind the musical scale and so had my name written on the whiteboard. I felt humiliated and ran out of the class crying. The music teacher had a word with me during the lesson, but after I informed my wonderful family and the incredible Learning Support Staff, the next day he formally apologised to me. From this point onwards he adapted his lessons so we only had to answer questions if we felt comfortable in doing so.

One main area in which Dyspraxia affects is coordination, both in terms of large ‘gross motor’ movements and small ‘fine motor’ movements. The signals sent from our brain to our body get muddled, which can impact on everyday tasks such as writing, driving and sport but can also cause clumsiness. This coordination was a problem in Year Ten. I was walking out of the library whilst a younger boy was carrying a cup of pasta. He accused me of bumping into him and spilling his pasta on his shirt. I attempted to apologise but he threw the remaining pasta all over me, constantly pushed me around the playground whilst demanding I pay him two pounds. I was trying to find a teacher, but none appeared so in fear I gave him money so he would stop hurting me. It was not long before this incident was notified by the school and we had a long meeting. In this meeting the boy’s behaviour was deemed unacceptable and I was given my money back. Whilst I appreciated this, what meant more to me was the teacher holding this meeting was the same music teacher I have just talked about.

One other area of Dyspraxia which is discussed least is the impact the condition has on social skills. Some find it challenging to talk in large groups of people, whilst others take all forms of speech literally. I find it hard making close bonds with friends and to an extent trusting others. This was tested during my Geography trip to Yorkshire in Year Ten. This was a week-long trip and therefore we had to share rooms with other students. I planned to be with four close friends of mine, but unfortunately due to limited spacing I was given a room with three others I did not know too well. This along with a change in routine left me devastated. I tried talking to my Geography teacher on the first night in Yorkshire but due to ‘safety regulations’ it was not possible for me to swap. A fellow student of mine, however, was a great comfort in this conversation and looked out for me during this trip. Even though I managed to get through the four nights away without my family I did feel like I had missed out an experience with my close friends.

These are some of my toughest experiences during secondary school where Dyspraxia has had an impact. I find them heart-breaking to reflect on, but even more so when I hear others going through similar situations. I am truly thankful to all those who helped me through the experiences and to everyone else who has supported me since. In many ways I like to think the experiences helped me become a stronger individual.

Since a very young age I have always admired sunsets. If I was having a bad day I would look up at the sky and look ahead to a brighter tomorrow. If, though, I was having a good day I would fully appreciate this moment. In darkness there is always light, there is always hope.

Star

Star

In the darkly sky one star shines bright

For it is watched through eyes below.

But one day the glow will burn away

And with it the happiness shall fade too.

Stunning YouTube Videos (9): Summer 2015 Edition

Warning: Some of the videos in this article may contain adult content

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the YouTube videos embedded in this article. All rights are reserved to YouTube and the YouTube Artists mentioned on this page.

If I have breached any issues, copyright or otherwise, please do get in contact with me and I will be happy to remove your video on your request. Thank you for reading.

Hey everyone, Jake here once again.

‘Stunning YouTube Videos’ is back for ninth time. For those who are unaware, this blog feature has been created to applaud the amazingly entertaining and deeply touching videos across the internet.

So without further ado are we ready for the ‘Summer 2015 Edition’? What videos have been selected this time?

Video 1: Post It – short film

‘Post It’ is a heartfelt short film written and directed by Michael Evans. On the surface the narrative looks about the importance of random acts of kindness such as giving compliments to another person, but there is also a deeper theme that runs throughout. This theme is the relationship between different individuals. Whilst there may only be stationary inside Elroy’s box it holds a personal value, that between himself and his recently deceased mother. It is through Clara that Elroy is able to open up to the world around him and see the best in everyone. Overall ‘Post It’ is a lovely short film which will make you reflect on your own life.

Video 2: A Decade Of Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are returning to our television screens on Saturday 19^th September 2015 for the ninth revived series of ‘Doctor Who’. Being a fan myself I thought it would be fitting to choose one video that encompasses the wonderful world of time travel. After going through some fantastic projects I have settled on John Smith’s simply flawless ‘A Decade Of Doctor Who’. The quality of the editing and production is sublime. Over the last year ‘John Smith’ has been known for producing outstanding Doctor Who videos, but his or her identity has remained hidden. They chose the name ‘John Smith’, the same name which The Doctor sometimes uses to hide his true identity. Hopefully John Smith’s identity will remain hidden too. If you are a big fan of Doctor Who I suggested having a look at their work.

Copyright © 2015- by John Smith. All rights reserved.

Video 3: Blind Devotion | Jubilee Project Short Film

‘Blind Devotion’ is a moving short film by the Jubilee Project. In one word the video is ‘touching’. The narrative follows the characters Cecilia and Louie and listens to their voices as they tell from their perspective of how a serious medical condition leaves Cecilia blind. The main theme which surrounds ‘Blind Devotion’ is unconditional love in its purest form. The directing, the photography, the writing and the acting combined with the melody comes together to create eight minutes of beauty. Nothing in the video is forced and it all comes across honest because blindness is a very real, but so is unconditional love.

Copyright © 2015- by JubileeProject. All rights reserved.

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Thank you to everyone who was involved in the creation of such amazing videos for all of us to enjoy. If you liked the films, then why not subscribe to the YouTubers’ pages?

Until the tenth edition of ‘Stunning YouTube Videos’ have a wonderful week.

Pages

Brighter Future Days

Wicken Woods

Hope In Darkness

Star

Stunning YouTube Videos (9): Summer 2015 Edition