Another painful month and a stressful month. I went to see an orthopaedic consultant who recommended I have injections to alleviate the pain in my left shoulder.
I attended the virtual World Pulse Community Mentor Graduation 2021 and after 4 years wrote my personal experiences about Invisible Disabilities and Chronic Pain.
For those that don't know I was admitted to hospital after a few weeks of excruciating pain in my left ovary and required urgent surgery.
My cyst was removed 17th March 2020. This was my third polycystic ovarian surgery since 2004.
During November 2017 I had my first rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder, and then a year later October 2018 I had the same surgery on my left shoulder.
Its been a long 4 years of excruciating pain, sleepless nights and slow healing.
I still have bouts of low energy, pain and anxiety.
This month was another particularly bad month, my left shoulder was very painful and typing has been incredibly difficult.
I met with and the orthopaedic consultant who specialises in shoulder, neck and pain and he has recommended pain relief with injections.
Thank you to all my friends and family who pray for my recovery and good health.
Minakshi Birajdar
This year I applied to World Pulse as a Community Mentor.
My application was successful and I was paired with Minakshi Birajdar from Aurangabad, India.
Minakshi is a social activist empowering women in her city of Aurangabad and its surrounding villages.
Minakshi was recently selected as a finalist in the television awards.
So proud of you!
Heartfelt Congratulations Minakshi...:)
I hope to continue encouraging Minakshi with her work and encourage her to post more of her photographs and videos about her initiatives and campaigns.
The exposure on her Facebook group would highlight her work internationally, domestically and hopefully a gateway to further funding opportunities, awards and media coverage.
I am grateful to Minakshi for sending me the following photographs.
Minakshi looking gorgeous in her beautiful sari
Minakshi receiving an award
Minakshi with a colleague
The industrious Minakshi looking lovely in her purple sari
World Pulse is an independent, women-led social network for social change.
By harnessing the power of technology to accelerate women's leadership, we're speeding up the pace towards gender equity.
Source: World Pulse
During September 2021 the World Pulse team organised a Zoom webinar inviting Mentors and Mentees to share their experiences of the Community Mentor programme.
The purpose of the midpoint check-in webinar was to share experiences of both the mentors and mentees, learn, motivate, encourage and acknowledge successes and resolve challenges.
It was lovely to be a part of the program and hear from other participants who called in from all parts of the world.
Many thanks to Jill, Manasa, Alexandra, Paula and Dawn for their support.
I am struggling to type and I felt reassured when the World Pulse team understood how difficult it was for me to type and respond to surveys and messages.
I explained how I would help Minakshi with her social media presence and hopefully create a Twitter account.
By establishing a Twitter account I hope that Minakshi and her team can upload and post videos and photographs of her current initiatives which include convincing the rural community to take the Covid 19 vaccines.
I am attaching some photographs of the webinar below.
Welcome slide
Dawn at World Pulse
Agenda for the midpoint check in webinar
Resilience slide
Resilience slide with Alessandra
Paula Elsten's segment
Next steps slide
Thank you for reading and I look updating this blog and celebrating the end of the programme December 2021.
Sadly due to a very painful left shoulder, I have been unable to schedule a second call with Minakshi.
I wish Minakshi all the best with her work and organisation.
I'd love to keep in contact and support her work health prevailing.
Congratulations to all the Mentors and Mentees who graduated this year.
World Pulse Community Mentor Graduation 2021
Sabeena Z Ahmed with Nurse Candy Lou, PCOS, Ruptured Cyst Surgery,
March 2020, Dubai, UAE
'Are you ill?
You don't look ill?
You look amazing!
What's wrong with you?
Well, you're not going to get any better if don't exercise.
You should exercise more.
You're getting fat!
You really need to lose that weight.
Are you in pain?
Oh! I'm sorry to hear that!
Have you ever tried acupuncture, massage, heat therapy?
Have you tried eating xxxx?
You should eat anti inflammatory foods?
Life's a test, you shouldn't say you're in pain!
Have your read this Surah (Chapter) in the Quran?
It's all about will power.
You need to will your pain away?
Stop being a pessimist!
You need to change your outlook on life.
BE POSITIVE!
Stop being overdramatic!
Stop being lazy!
Chin up and get on with life!'
These are some comments I've heard and tolerated regarding my invisible health conditions over the past 30 years.
Hello, Assalaam Alaikum peace and blessings World Pulse ladies!
My name is Sabeena, I love fair trade chocolate, travelling and writing blogs and producing films and about the fair trade producers and artisans I visit when I'm well.
I've lived with invisible disabilities for 30 years and chronic pain for last 4.
I've tried to keep the video as short as possible because my left shoulder is very painful.
It has been frustrating explaining my invisible medical issues and chronic pain to individuals who couldn't care less.
I'd like to change the narrative!
My personal experiences are often ignored and my conversations regarding chronic pain dismissed to suit a narrative or subject that is easier for non family and friends to understand.
In particular doctors, have ignored, laughed and shouted at me. Its been painful to experience medical professionals behaving badly and expressing no empathy,
When I meet people and I tell them I have Beta Thalassemia Minor, Asthma, PCOS and Endometriosis and Anxiety they look at me in astonishment. But, you look so well they say.
Yes! I do but I struggle with everyday chores others take for granted.
More recently I've been diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks.
Every day chores and actions are challenging.
I struggle with fatigue, breathlessness, chronic pain and anaemia.
I struggle with sleeping, the pain can be unbearable.
I have a very high pain threshold and control my pain by diverting my attention and focusing on my love and passion for fair trade, sustainability, a fairer world, the circular economy, literacy and support for breast cancer research and self care.
I work through my pain by multi tasking, blogging and vlogging when I'm well. I avoid taking high strength pain killers and exercise and eat well.
I'd like everyone watching to think about being more compassionate and kind.
Please think before you speak!
It's costs nothing to be kind.
Nothing is guaranteed in life particularly good health.
Today I'm struggling with chronic pain tomorrow it could be you.
Let's build a fairer, equitable world where those of us living with medical conditions and chronic pain aren't ignored, our opinions are respected and we have the support to live our lives with dignity and respect.
To read more of my blog click the link below.
Thank you so much for reading and I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!
Love, peace and blessings!
Sabeena
Living with Invisible Disabilities and Chronic Pain with Sabeena Z Ahmed
This month my right shoulder is still very painful and I have struggled to record this vlog and type this blog.
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
Here is my Easy Fairtrade Cocoa and Fairtrade Bananas Recipe which I baked for Fairtrade Fortnight 2024.
I have tried my best to translate this recipe in Urdu.
یہ ہے میری ایزی فیئرٹریڈ کوکو اور فیئر ٹریڈ کیلے کی ترکیب جسے میں نے فیئر ٹریڈ فورٹ نائٹ 2024 کے لیے پکایا تھا۔
میں نے اس ترکیب کا اردو میں ترجمہ کرنے کی پوری کوشش کی ہے۔
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
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I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
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