Create Another Narrative Thyroid Trust Webinar with Jenny Allen

Jenny Allen kindly delivered this Patient's Voice Webinar for The Thyroid Trust in August 2020.
Jenny is a teacher, community artist, Member Pioneer at The Co-operative, Service User at Edgehill University and creator of CAN (Create Another Narrative) affirmation cards.
Having experienced a rare presentation and difficult journey to diagnosis with postpartum thyroiditis and on-going thyroiditis Jenny has become a master of the career ‘jigsaw’, bouncing back and managing life around symptoms with little support.
For three years following a diagnosis of Postpartum Thyroiditis Jenny’s symptoms cycled from explosive to subtly debilitating and back again but with a TSH often remaining in the ‘normal’ range Jenny met many dead ends in terms of care.
Jenny shares with us how she overcame her lowest points, how she developed confidence in her voice and how affirmation helped her to really believe in the knowledge she had of her own body - changing her mindset and ultimately leading her to a life changing diagnosis and much needed support.
CAN (Create Another Narrative) affirmation cards are created as a result of Jenny’s own experiences, they aim to not only strengthen the patient's voice but to raise awareness of the challenges faced when, as Jenny experienced, illness does not fit the box.

[@notmyrealaccount8564]

Totally understand refusing to mention anything to do with mental health for fear of it being used against you. I spent over a decade trying to figure out what was wrong and now I have so many mental health misdiagnosis that they automatically ignore me before I even get in the door. It’s so stifling to be so powerless over your own health at a time when you are so unwell and need help the most. People say just change doctors but I don’t know how to find another local GP and there’s no guarantee that they would be any better.