Who Am I?

Who am i?

It's a fair question. So here it is. My name's Kelly, I'm 29, I'm chronically ill, disabled and plus size. I live with my wife, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I love crystals and crafts, so I combined them and make gemstone jewellery. I am passionate about disability advocacy, accessibility and equality. I also love clothes, not that I'm very good with fashion.


What's wrong with me?

What an incredibly ableist question; so let's rephrase it. What are my conditions? I have a lot of diagnosed conditions. Some i was born with, some were caused by other conditions, some were caused by medication and some we don't know the cause. Currently my conditions are anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, arthralgia, costochondritis, chronic migraines, vertigo, PCOS, asthma, hayfever, high blood pressure, diabetes, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, gastritis, duodenitis, IBS, low vitamin d, low potassium. I'm also under investigation for a few things.


I'm very open about my life but it's important to remember that not everyone will be as open about theirs, so don't go asking random disabled people. Just because you want to know, doesn't mean we have to tell you. Your curiosity doesn't trump my right to privacy.


Why I'm body positive

As a result of my conditions (and the fact that I like food) I am fat. Some people may prefer the terms plus size or overweight. I say fat because there's negative connotations attached to the word. Fat is seen as 'bad', I was bullied and judged for being fat my whole life. A few years ago, I started loving my body for all the good things, rather than hating it for things it can't do. As part of that I reclaimed the word fat; no-one will be able to use it against me again. After all it's just a description, like tall, short, curly hair.


My wife's name is Katie, she's beautiful, kind and short. She's 28, we've been together for almost 11 years. She has the most beautiful caring soul. She loves my body for exactly what it is, no more, no less. Katie's been complimenting me every day, for as long as we've known each other, it only took 10 years to start sinking in. She was patient and understanding while I hated my body, and said "I'm just going to keep complimenting you until it sinks in"; and it did!


Here's your chance to start loving your body. Tell yourself something you like about your body, accept that compliment. It takes time, and it's not easy, but it's so worth it.


Location: Staffordshire, UK

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