Magic at the Marble Arch....

The Taxi door opens and like Willy Wonka I stumble, stick first, out onto the pavement. Our bags are whisked inside by a smart suited doorman. As we step through the door of the Montcalm Marble Arch Hotel we are greeted by Laura, our dedicated Guest Experience Manager. 

We are treating ourselves to a stay at this newly opened, elegant hotel hosting the UK Blog Awards so that when my fatigue digs its fangs in I can flop straight into bed.

The key adorned ticket invites us to enter the Awards evening via the red carpet at 7pm.

But when I take a peek, over 30 steps await the able bloggers. So back in the hotel, we pop out of the lift below the steps and cameras!

Inside the Wonderland of trees we are greeted by a giant green, grinning cat, toadstools and piles of tea pots, cups and saucers. A rainbow of alcoholic cocktails flow from waitresses trays. So we head to the bar to ask for our 'sparkling water champagne'.and get a closer view of the Cat!

As the buzz of bloggers chatting fills the tree lined ballroom, smiling, I ask a gent standing by my side 

Where’s Alice! Has anyone seen Alice?...

I chat to some fellow bloggers but my trembling, tired legs mean I have to take a seat in the auditorium before the other revellers come through the door. Mr H follows waitresses and brings us palm sized bowls of hot food.

With everyone seated in the sparkling pink room Gemma Pearce the founder of the UK Blog Awards opens the event. 

My heart is thumping when the host, Vlogger Andy Samuels, announces the ten short listed Individual health Blogs….

The silent drum rolls in my head when the two Highly Commended blogs appear on the screen...

I turn and grin at Mr H as he wraps his arms around me. And the Urban Kultur Blogger and his brother sitting by our side say well done Dawn.

As soon as the Awards are complete I wander to the front to thank the Health judges; Kath Evans, Head of Patient Experience in NHS England and Children's Nurse and  Dinh Tu, Social Media Consultant for Bupa. 

I am thrilled with my Highly Commended Award and as we swap tales of our nursing experience Kath tweets a selfie of us both…

All the standing and adrenaline have drained my energy tank so Mr H and I leave soon after, clutching our gorgeous goodie bag which have been filled by the sponsors 

Back in our room at the Magical Montcalm we sip camomile tea as I tweet and text my Award to the world of waiting family and friends...

I want to thank each and every one of you for reading my blogs and for voting and helping me reach the short list for these Awards.

THANK YOU!

Congratulations to 

Nic's Nutrition the amazing Winner of the Individual Health Blogs and to 

Ceri Jones also awarded Highly Commended for her Health Blog Natural Kitchen Adventures 

Evidently Cochrane for Winner of the Company/Organisation Health Blog Award

Click Here for the list of all the Winners and Highly Commended Blogs

Shake, rattle and roll...

This morning Mr H was up when the birds started twittering. Like a dormouse I slept on, curled up under the covers. I woke when my burring alarm got too hard to ignore to find Mr H standing like a sentry by the side of the bed,

it's 9 o clock you need to take your tablets...

My two doses of epilepsy tablets must be taken twelve hours apart. A long lie in is no longer an option. I could of course have my Sunday morning tablets by the side of the bed but once awake this dormouse needs food...

Before 2008 the only pills I popped into my mouth were paracetamol and brufen to keep the constant headaches (and nausea), which I ignored far too long, at arms length.

Now I take a purple and 2 white ones each morning and a handful at night. When a new pill needs adding, like Tamoxifen for my breast cancer, I slip into fret mode.

I hate taking these I grumble to Mr H.

He calmly reminds me they are my tools for living...

Sunday is my tablet morning, like any creature of habit I need routine.






And like a Girl Guide I like to be prepared.

 As I eat my breakfast I cover the table in boxes to sort my weeks supply. I pop all my drugs out of their packets into my weekly pill box. Then twice each day it only takes a second to tip my morning then evening allocation into my palm and swallow. My tablets control my health conditions. I control my tablets...







If I am going out in an evening I decant my epilepsy tablets into my precious pill tin, which once belonged to my dear friend Jon and is a treasured gift from Jacky his Mum. I then set a reminder alarm on my phone and like Cinderella, I take them before I turn into a midnight pumpkin...






Want to know more about how your body deals with drugs? Click Here A Medicines Life Inside the Body - National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Or on the Effects of Epilepsy on a Body? - HealthLine