AN EMERGENCY operation not only change Katie May’s life, it saved her life. While she lives with a chronic illness, she has never let this define her, but has used it to inspire her to help others. And her determination has let to the publication of her first e-book – ‘Learn to live well with chronic illness’
Katie May Chesworth joined the family business Chesworth Communications which publishes cumbria24, after successfully gaining her Masters in Law, however throughout her studies she has undergone surgery twice due to ulcerative colitis, having her bowel removed during her first year at University and having that procedure made this irreversible in the first half of her Masters degree.
Also during this time she has been an avid blogger on everything from fashion, make up and travel to support for people with gut conditions and disability rights.
She is using her experience of living with a life long health condition to help others, and through her blog ktmy.co.uk and also a series called Sponnie Diaries where she invites others living well with a chronic illness to share their stories, experiences and life tips.
Katie, 23 says: “I started my blog as a creative outlet whilst I was at university. Once I had surgery I decided to share my chronic illness experience. I wanted something good to come out of it all and hence the blog became a version of what it is today – a positive yet realistic vie of life with chronic illness and also a wellbeing and lifestyle blog.
“The feedback I have had from followers has inspired me to keep writing. For a number of years I really struggled to talk about living with inflammatory bowel disease and felt alone and isolated. I didn’t want none else to feel that way so I decided to talk about it.
“The launch of my first e-book is an extension of my blog writing and I hope will help other people who are going through a similar experience and show they are not alone.
“I have also developed an online community, The Chronically Living Collective based on the idea that just because you have a chronic illness doesn’t mean you can’t ;ve a full life. Yes, it can he hard. Yes, there are days when the thought of getting out of bed makes me cry because I am in so much pain. But that doesn’t mean that there’s aren’t good days and there aren’t ways to still have small achievements even on those bad days.
“Having a chronic illness can be isolating especially if you are young and all your mates seem to be living it up here as uour’re living in and out of hospital. That’s wh I wanted to create a community of people who are in the exact same position to inspire and support one another.”
Katie has been a finalist in the Northern bloggers awards and is an ambassador for the Invisi Youth Charity which works alongside teens and young adult patients dealing with both physical and mental health, visible and invisible illness.
- You can join The Chronically Living Collective by visiting ktmy.co.uk
- You can buy and download Learning to live all with chronic illness here
