14/12/2025
This was the turning point โ the moment I realised survival wasnโt enough.
Piece by piece, I began rebuilding a life that actually fit me.
Part 4 of 5 ๐
Part 4 โ Rebuilding a Life That Fits
Eventually, life forced me into a crossroads.
My health was declining again. I was exhausted from years of mere survival. The environment I was in wasnโt helping. Everything around me was draining what little strength I had left. And then came another blow โ an aggressive melanoma diagnosis. It was a stark reminder that something needed to change.
My eating disorder resurfaced violently. My weight dropped to a dangerous 6st 13. I was fragile both physically and emotionally. I needed real help.
And finally โ I got it.
A new GP stepped in with compassion and clarity. I received proper support for the first time in years. Slowly, I began to stabilise. I learned to manage ME rather than merely endure it. I strengthened my body. I soothed my nervous system. I rebuilt my routines and boundaries from scratch.
By 39, I still felt lost and incompleteโฆ but I also felt the first flicker of purpose.
Then, right when I least expected it, someone walked into my life who would change everything. A kind, patient, steady presence who took the time to understand ME, my limits, my strengths, my fears โ all of it. He helped me believe in myself again.
With his encouragement, I found something I wanted to study. Something meaningful. Something manageable.
In 2013, at 40 years old, I earned my first qualification in massage therapy.
The pride was enormous โ the first real moment of achievement I had felt since childhood. It was the start of an entirely new life.
A few years later, I opened my own massage business. I learned to drive.
And in 2017, I married the man who had stood by me through everything.
Today, approaching my 53rd birthday, I have a business I adore, a marriage I am grateful for every day, a body Iโve worked hard to strengthen, and a sense of self-worth I once thought Iโd never regain.
