Hi, Jill here, thank you for popping in!

Helping you to,
Be Your Best Advocate.

My aim is to share information to help you to be your best advocate.
Telling my stories of experiencing and recovering from the gastrointestinal parasite
Blastocystis Hominis and more recently, SCAD Heart Attacks.
Both of which, the NHS Scotland & England Wales, don’t know much about.
As well as telling my stories with a good dose of candour and humour, I want them to be useful.
I am Clinical Massage Therapist, not a doctor, nor counsellor, not a GI consultant nor Cardiologist, but a patient advocate – who passionately wants to help others to feel as confident as possible within a healthcare setting.
I cannot advise you medically, on what to do, but I hope to help signpost the way forward.

How to stand up for yourself. How to research your condition – looking at the correct websites for example, how to find support – whether online or in real life, how to prepare for appointments and, how to find a silver lining, if said appointment doesn’t go to plan!

Blastocystis Hominis

I suffered from the Blastocystis Hominis condition throughout 2014-2016 and continue to ‘look after my guts’ more than maybe most people do.
Many, many people had requested that I write down my story and many more had many questions!
So here it is; including some of the more negative situations that I experienced, due to the fact, the NHS could not find anything wrong with me.

‘Blasto’ is a little known condition unrecognised by NHS UK – at the time of writing.
Even if medics in the UK have heard of it,
there is currently no known nor available,
protocol for treating it.
(Within the UK)

SCAD – Heart Attacks

THEN, just back in March 2021, I had a heart attack and was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection,  SCAD for short.
After which, I began having cardiac ‘events’ instead of my monthly period.
Yes, I know,
“say whaaaat?”


 And hey, guess what….. not only is it a rare condition, but it is also a ‘newly discovered’ condition (within the last 5 years or so) so the majority of medical professions have never heard of it, never mind treated anyone with it.
It is potentially under-diagnosed and treatment across the UK is varied.
90% of all patients are female, with the average age of the patient 49 – 53.

Having a rare, potentially life-threatening condition does garner one somewhat (!) to stand up for oneself in medical appointments, in A&E and just generally in life to be honest!

Whilst feeling unwell, It can be very tricksy to fathom out who to speak to,
who to ask for help and support, what questions to ask. 
Having the guts… to take no sh*t from your healthcare provider
can be difficult at the best of times, ne’er mind when you feel like ‘death het* up’!
(*A Scottish word meaning, heated’)


So, my aim now, is to share useful information on gut health and women’s heart health and how to be your best healthcare advocate.
To help others to help themselves, whatever their age, sex, colour, health issue, race, religion, height, weight, music preferences (!)
To empower and encourage you, to feel confident in advocating for your own health.
It is not easy and don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not perfect at it, in way, shape or form.
But I have learned what is more likely to work and how to go about at least trying to be successful!
Whatever your reason for joining me here today, I very much hope that you will find some useful info and I thank you from the bottom of my heart – it is lovely to have you!