...to try and do some travel writing when I am not really well enough...

[Punkatheart]

I am trying all sorts of things to enable me to stay in my home, look after my daughter and earn enough for some sort of future. So writing! I can do that! So far I am doing a bit of blogging and I even got a gig recently when I reviewed restaurants. I got to feed my daughter really expensive food for a short while - in a lateral way when I couldn't earn the money that would have paid for such extravagance.

I also found out that travel writing is fun. I won a comp and was sent, with my daughter, to a lovely place. All I had to do was write about it. My daughter got a holiday that we couldn't afford. But I was really poorly when I came back - exhausted. I have lymphoma and it's a debilitating and bloody cruel illness...just wipes me out sometimes.

But I am currently pitching ideas to newspapers and magazines. I thought I could combine the food and travel elements...I am now trying to find a largely undiscovered culinary city to write about.

All this takes energy and I am pushing myself. What I want to know is am I mad to think I make this viable on any scale. Are there any other Mumsnetters who have worked when ill like me? The controversial thing is that illness can be unreliable - that's why these bloody awful new assessments are so unreliable for the disabled and poorly. But I really want to give my daughter a good life - like every mum, I suppose.

Deluded?

I'm a freelance writer Punk and YANBU. I make a living at it and early on in my career I had to write an article two days after a c section. You can earn but it's hard work and you do need to give 200%.

Good for you, it's something I'd love to do. I hope you make it work, but sadly have bugger all advice to offer except my best wishes.

I wish you the very best of luck Op, you and your Dd sound great! I have no experience to offer in terms of writing but totally empathise with the many frustrations of coping with a long term illness. The unpredictability of it is hugely hard to cope with and to work around. Best of luck to you.

High five to Neo. What a woman! You're right too - it is hard work.

Thanks Manchester.

At least I wasn't trying to be a long distance runner! When my father was paralysed, a very patronising consultant told him 'Of course, dear fellow you can still continue your life and career as you did before. What did you do?' My father was quick to give that answer 'Long distance runner.' Also 'You git' under his breath. (he wasn't but it made the consultant stutter).

But onwards and bloody upwards. My daughter is on the edge of a mental health diagnosis too, which is going to be hard. But more reason to do well.

Thanks cherries!