Tuesday, March 11, 2014

All About AmazinAdrielle - E!

After brainstorming some things relating to my life, I have created this lovely alphabet about me - so you can get to know me a little better! You can also find more information about me on my website =). 


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E is for...


Embroidery - I have been stitching since I was eight or nine years old. I was sick a lot as a kid, and used to get bored because I had no energy to play outside. I remember sitting in front of our heater in jarmies with my mum teaching me how to do my first cross-stitch and back-stitch =D. I started doing long-stitch a few years later, when my great grandmother gave me a kit. Now, I still do cross-stitch and long-stitch kits, but I have also branched out by learning different kinds of stitching and bead embroidery. I also like to experiment and make up my own patterns =D. I have won a couple of prizes for my stitching over the years, which is exciting! Some of my embroidery can be seen in my DeviantArt gallery.


Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) - the name of my genetic connective tissue disorder. People with EDS have a deficiency in the quality or quantity of collagen (a protein that acts like glue, giving strength and elasticity to muscles, ligaments, skin, organs, and other tissues) in their bodies.

Among other things, this means that I'm very bendy (what some people might call double-jointed) - my joints dislocate at the slightest touch, or with the slightest muscle twitch. Last year, I was averaging 4.5 dislocations per day, and my record for the most dislocations in a 24-hour period is 29. All of my joints are effected by EDS, and years of recurrent dislocations led me to be diagnosed with osteoarthritis at the age of 24. I take daily pain medication for chronic severe disabling pain caused by my loose and dislocating joints - and these mean that I can now do things like type, sit up, chew and hold cutlery again!

Aside from causing many musculoskeletal problems, EDS also affects most other tissues in my body. For example, I have problems with heart rate and blood pressure because of the stretchiness of my blood vessels, and have been diagnosed with POTS and SVT, my skin is very soft, velvety and stretchy, and I bruise more easily than other people do, and my dentist thinks it is a great novelty that my wisdom teeth could be pulled out with very little trouble - and within seconds!

More information about EDS can be found here!



Eggs - When I played Puzzle Pirates (as Adrielle), I used to enter the egg design contest each year, in the hope of having one of my designs chosen for inclusion in the game. I am very happy to say that this happened twice - once in 2010, and once in 2012! Various other egg designs of mine that were not chosen as winning eggs can be seen here!

In addition, I also speak English (and excelled in the subject at school), I am lazy with checking my email, I am a beta tester in Emerald Kingdom, I care about the environment, and I have a lovely sister - Ellenya! I also love Easter, and real-life Easter eggs - especially Creme Eggs!

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The next installment in this alphabet will be coming soon! 

~Ad =)

Monday, March 10, 2014

All About AmazinAdrielle - D!

After brainstorming some things relating to my life, I have created this lovely alphabet about me - so you can get to know me a little better! You can also find more information about me on my website =). 


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D is for...

Depression - when I learned (as a teenager) that my illness and disability would be long term, I didn't take the news very well. It was difficult to adjust to life in a bed or a chair, and being hardly able to think - after having been an active and intelligent kid and teenager up until then. I had hopes and dreams to have a career, find love, have kids, travel, and many other things - and at 18 years of age, it suddenly seemed that it had all been taken away. I was diagnosed with depression a few months later. I still battle with depression from time to time now, but I am nowhere near as bad as I was in the first few years after I was diagnosed. My bad days with depression now are directly linked to bad days with the physical and neurological symptoms of my illness and disability.



Disability - My disabilities are caused by a combination of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, POTS, SVT, and osteoarthritis, and the difficulties that their symptoms cause. I grapple with a range of symptoms every day, including: severe fatigue, problems with blood pressure, balance, memory and cognition, sensory disturbances, narcolepsy, tremors, tachycardia, heart palpitations, exercise intolerance, post-exertional malaise, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, tinnitus, depression, chronic severe disabling pain, chronic joint instability, multiple joint dislocations each day, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, restless legs, nerve pain, nausea, tummy troubles, loss of appetite, fragile skin, and easy bruising. My conditions are managed with medication, physiotherapy, rest, and splints, tapes and braces for my joints. I use crutches, my wheelchair, or mobility scooters to get around, although I am usually not well enough to leave my house. I also like to decorate my mobility aids and splints =D.



Digital art - I started making digital art around nine years ago. When I first started, most of the artwork I created was related to the Puzzle Pirates game. Since then, I have also created logos, pixel art, and art and animations in 2 and 3D. I also like to draw on my iPad (mainly using ArtRage or ProCreate).



DeviantArt - I have a profile on DeviantArt, and enjoy sharing my art, craft and writing on there =D.


In addition, I have many doctors, I love drawing and designing things, and I used to train and study dance and drama before I got too sick. I also dream in colour.



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The next installment in this alphabet will be coming soon! 

~Ad =)

Saturday, March 8, 2014

All About AmazinAdrielle - C!

After brainstorming some things relating to my life, I have created this lovely alphabet about me - so you can get to know me a little better! You can also find more information about me on my website =). 


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C is for...

Creativity - I love being creative! My hobbies include many different kinds of art and craft - and cross-stitch!  =).


Crosswords - I have been doing crossword puzzles since I was a kid, and I started buying crossword magazines (mainly from Lovatts) when I was 14 years old. It isn't a hobby that my friends understood growing up... but I still love doing crosswords!

Circus - When I was a teenager, I was a circus performer. My favourite things to do were contortion, acrobatics, hoop dives, diablo, juggling, plate spinning, rola bola, tightwire, and hula hoops! I had to give up training and performing due to illness when I was 19 years old, but I love that I got the chance to experience life in the circus!


Certificate III in Media - a course I studied through AIE, specializing in 3D animation for film, games and TV. Two of the projects I completed were The Factory and The Race =).

Collapsed lung - which I had when I was 15 years old. My lung collapsed in a way which meant that all the escaped air was placing pressure on my heart. I also had pneumonia at the time, and spent seven days in hospital, but I recovered well =).

Cardiologist - because I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I need to have regular heart checks from a cardiologist. So far, my heart is healthy, apart from POTS and SVT, and my cardiologist is awesome =D.




In addition, I have two canaries (Honey and Treacle), I began learning CSS (and HTML) last year, and my favourite part of the year is Christmas! I also enjoy cake decorating, and collecting pretty and useful things!

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The next installment in this alphabet will be coming soon! 

~Ad =) 

Friday, March 7, 2014

All About AmazinAdrielle - B!

After brainstorming some things relating to my life, I have created this lovely alphabet about me - so you can get to know me a little better! You can also find more information about me on my website =).


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B is for...

Bejeweled - I am addicted to Bejeweled games on my iPad - mainly Butterflies, Poker, Diamond Mine, and Lightening!


Bees - I am allergic to bee stings - but this doesn't stop me from really liking bees! They are really cute when you watch them! Bzzz!

Bachelor of Behavioural Science - the degree I completed at La Trobe University in 2009. I studied a range of subjects in the fields of psychology, behavioural neuroscience, sociology, statistics, management communications and scientific research. It was a really interesting course, and I got great marks and enjoyed my time studying =). Unfortunately, due to my worsening medical problems, I was unable to accept my place in the honours year class - which made me sad. However, I am very glad that I was able to complete the three years that I did before my illness and disability became too severe for me to continue =D. I love studying and learning new things!


Braces - having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), I need to wear a lot of splints, braces and supports to keep my joints in place (they dislocate very easily - even in my sleep). I got my newest braces in January. They are for my knees - and are glittery purple! My new braces mean that I can walk around on short trips - instead of always having to use my wheelchair!


Bruising - another symptom of EDS is easy bruising. Some bruises even give themselves a tick of approval!



Butterflies - as well as being cute and looking pretty as they flutter around my garden, butterflies of specific colours are the awareness symbols for some of the medical conditions I suffer from. Blue butterflies are a symbol of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and a purple butterfly is used for fibromyalgia =). I also like making little animated pixel butterflies, cross-stitching and beading butterflies, and taking photos of butterflies (and other creatures)!

 

Budgies - Last year, Ellenya and I adopted two baby budgies from the local market! Snowy (the whiter budgie) and Petri (the blue, black and white budgie) are SO INCREDIBLY CUTE! We love them! They are very friendly, and love to chatter away and play with their toys =D.



B is also for beaches (which I visit rarely, but adore), beading (one of my hobbies), and Baconian Feasts (a feast of bacon, eggs and toast of mythical proportions)!

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The next installment in this alphabet will be coming soon! 

~Ad =)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

All About AmazinAdrielle - A!

After brainstorming some things relating to my life, I have created this lovely alphabet about me - so you can get to know me a little better! You can also find more information about me on my website =)


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A is for...

Australia - the country where I live.


Animals - I love animals of all kinds, but I have a phobia of really big goannas and I am allergic to bee stings. I share my house with two budgies (Petri and Snowy), two canaries (Honey and Treacle), a severum (Shortie), three angelfish (Pearlie, Rain and Nilla), two silver sharks (Big Sharkie and Little Sharkie), two turtles (Franklin and Shelley), and a cat (Moke). They are part of my family =D. I also like to photograph all kinds of creatures!


Art and animation - two of my greatest creative passions! I used to make fan art and contest entries for the Puzzle Pirates game, and was very happy to have my portrait backgrounds, trinkets and scene designs appear in the game =). I have won prizes for my digital and traditional artwork over the years, and I still dream of one day becoming an artist.


AIE - where I studied certificate III in media! Some of my assignments can be seen on my YouTube channel.

Lastly, from the name of my blog and my Twitter account, you may also have noticed that I like alliteration =D

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The letter B in this alphabet will be coming soon! =)

~Ad =)