So watch this and know what you’re looking for - for your children, your families, for your neighbours and colleagues and friends. #SepsisSavvy #SepsisAwareness /6

youtu.be/OkNCivHkf80

I’m not saying this to get sympathy. I tell my story so that you all know the signs. Sepsis is frighteningly common, really misunderstood, and is a medical emergency. A few years later my Mam also had sepsis, and do you know what, I didn’t recognise it again! /5

My wonderful friends and family looked after my kids, did my job for me, didn’t mind that I slept an awful lot, and held my hand while I cried on their shoulder. /4

The incredible team at Lewisham Hospital saved my life. They took one look at me and admitted me with suspected sepsis.

What followed was a week in hospital, a month at home feeling like I'd had the wind knocked out of my sails, and five months of being a little bit mad while I recovered. /3

What had felt like flu wouldn’t go away. I was freezing cold and shivering constantly, confused, exhausted, and really not functioning. I remember lying on my sofa that day looking at a 2-year-old Annie playing on the floor and thinking that if she was in danger, I couldn’t move to help her. /2

Ha! Here he is with Mr Maria. We partly chose his name so that future dogs could inherit the family name. I suspect there’s a canine Abigail in our future too! We did almost call him Leo McGrrry but my kids vetoed that because they said we were being weird 🤷

Aw! I remember you looking that young @rickmuirbskysocial.bsky.social 😊

@artsprofessional.co.uk has started one

I’m also married to @garethconyard.bsky.social We have 2 fab teens, a cat called Mak who is up to something, a bouncy spaniel called Jed Barklet, and a project house. We do talk about things at home which aren’t related to education policy, mostly related to whose turn it is to fill the dishwasher

Also being a Mam, Teesside, Northumberland, London, Lewisham, cats, dogs, books, history and the humanities, food, kindness. Follow me if any of that is interesting to you, and I’d love to connect /2