At the age of 26, I went in for what should have been routine eye surgery

That surgery didn't go according to plan

So, while my career was taking off, my personal life was falling apart

Immediately following the surgery, I knew something was wrong

It was more than pain. There was a dullness and a slowness in how my eye moved. At first, it was barely noticeable however, over the months and years that followed, my eyelid began to droop and the eye itself started to turn

In those early years I was on the hunt for answers - test after test and countless specialist appointments - all of which revealed nothing

To this day, there's still no formal diagnosis. Just a noticeable facial injury and no explanation as to why

For a long time, I buried myself in my career – using it as a way to avoid dealing with what was happening

Unsurprisingly, that strategy didn't work

Despite the fact that I was feeling so defeated, deep down I knew this was something I could overcome - I just had to find a way and so, I began to 'do the work' - reading books, listening to podcasts, completing online courses and in person workshops

One of my core values is growth – and for that, I'm
genuinely grateful – it meant that if I came across something 'that might help' I was willing to give it a go

More to come ...