Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Annie Spratt and Ella Jardim on Unsplash   Not a lot of people know what fibroids are. I certainly didn’t until I was diagnosed. They are non-cancerous tumours that grow in or around the uterus. Even then I didn’t think they were a big deal, but my mindset changed as time went on.   I was early in my pregnancy with my daughter, around 10 weeks. Due to my history with miscarriages, I was already a nervous wreck during that period. It’s said that 12 weeks is the “safe zone”, where you’re unlikely to miscarry from then. Of course, I knew better tha ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Teemu Paananen and Lucas Gouvêa on Unsplash   The Coronavirus pandemic swept the globe in 2020, indiscriminately infecting millions of people. The months that followed the initial outbreak in the UK, a pattern began to emerge in which Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities across the nation were being disproportionately impacted by the virus. During the first wave of the pandemic there was an over representation of ethnic minorities in cases of COVID-19, 34% of all critically ill cases were among ethnic minorities despite us only being 14 ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Ian Parker and Belinda Amoah on Unsplash   According to the NHS website, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse. Three major types of ADHD include the following: Combined type. This is the most common type; this is characterised by impulsive and hyperactive behaviours as well as inattention and distractibility. Impulsive/hyperactive type. This is the least common type; it’s characterised by impulsive a ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Michael Dziedzic and Jeffery Erhunse on Unsplash   As I reflect on my mental health journey through the years, I realise that I’ve come a very long way, however it wasn’t always like this. There were times when it seemed impossible to receive the support I desperately needed. Looking after my mental health was challenging due to the lack of services available ten to fifteen years ago. To add to this, the services that did exist always had very long waiting lists.   On one occasion when I asked my doctor for one-to-one counselling sessions, I was ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Chris Briggs and Sir Manuel on Unsplash   One of the biggest revelations that therapy has produced for me is having a better understanding of the weight that identity has in our lives. Some would say the more, the merrier but for the case of myself choosing to move overseas and adding the “immigrant” tag to my life; I was unprepared for the mental, and therefore, physical strain this decision would place upon me which would eventually lead me to seek out professional help.   In my mind there’s a thin line between expat and immigrant, and it’s ma ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Tess and Nadiia Ploshchenko on Unsplash   I remember the first time somebody spoke to me about the importance of my mental health. Extra points if you can guess what race they were. I suppose I had kind of heard of mental health issues but under the guise of "demon possession" and spirits that needed to be cast out by prayer. As an African Christian, I’d only ever heard of mental issues in this way, from television to family gossip. It was not something a “normal” person like me had to think about. But then all of a sudden, I did have to think about ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Pawel Czerwinski and Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash   It was only in 2019 that I found out about it. I winced in slight discomfort and pain as two bloodied latex gloved fingers re-inserted themselves between my legs. Looking up at the ceiling I sent a prayer to God hoping that the gynaecologist and the shadowing medical student did not find anything life-altering but would at least find an explanation as to why the last decade of my life for 7-10 days a month my vagina went through its own version of Armageddon.   It just so happened that my a ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Jordon Conner and Jessica Felicio on Unsplash   In 2019, I fell victim to the Instagram Infographic Industrial Complex. There, in shades of lavender and baby pink, was an infographic that gently sat me down and listed a few common signs of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in women. The infographic murmured sympathetically as I looked at the long trail of unfinished projects that followed me; it chuckled a little as I recalled the exam season prayer sessions which involved me fervently rebuking spirits of procrastination and laziness. A ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photos by Sam Burriss and Ivan Bandura on Unsplash   It’s been five and a half months since my resection surgery, and it’s given me a lot of time to look back on my last 11 years of living with a chronic illness. A childhood diagnosis was bittersweet and dizzying; although it greatly complicated my early years, it also meant early and accessible treatment from a team of dedicated pediatric consultants.   Crohn’s Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which can affect the entire digestive system, but most commonly the gut. Inflammation is caused wh ..read more

Artwork by Richard Kahwagi. Photo by Melchior Damu on Unsplash   I didn’t see myself as a carer until my late twenties. 1 in 8 adults are carers in the UK- 6.5 million in total. Half a million of those are from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds. The NHS England definition of a carer is “anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid. Many carers don’t see themsel ..read more