A Pause I Didn’t Plan: My Myositis Diagnosis and a Six-Month Sabbatical
This isn’t a post I ever imagined writing, but here we are.
On 24th December, after several weeks of increasing soreness and weakness in my legs, I was hospitalised and diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis.
After urgent blood tests, I was admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve, and placed under the care of the rheumatology team there.
As of 2nd January, as my condition worsened, I was admitted as an in-patient for further investigations to determine the specific type of myositis I have and to begin the most appropriate treatment.
This will involve a series of tests and close monitoring, and while it has been intense, I am making good progress and am hopeful of a positive outcome.
Myositis is a condition where the immune system attacks the muscles.
In my case, it has targeted my legs.
Right now, that means I can’t stand for any length of time, walking is difficult, and climbing stairs is virtually impossible.
What’s been equally challenging—if not more so—is the exhaustion.
This isn’t normal tiredness. Some days, I am completely wiped out and unable to do anything other than sleep.
Even though most of my body still technically “works,” the inflammation causes a level of fatigue that takes its toll on everything: focus, energy, decision-making, creativity.
The important thing to say is this: Myositis is treatable and manageable, and remission and recovery are a common outcome.
I am being well cared for, and there is a clear plan in place. That said, recovery takes time, and it can’t be rushed.
I’m Taking a Sabbatical
As a result of this diagnosis, I’ve made the difficult but necessary decision to take a six-month sabbatical from work.
This wasn’t an easy call.
My business was at a real high point, and the 50 Over 50 Project in particular was gathering incredible momentum.
To step back from work I love, and from people I was so looking forward to photographing, is genuinely heartbreaking.
But the reality is this: I can’t recover properly while trying to push through. And if I don’t prioritise my health now, I risk delaying—or undoing—my ability to return at all.
This pause is about giving myself the best possible chance to heal, to regain strength, and to come back able to do my work properly, safely, and with the energy it deserves.
What This Means Going Forward
For the next six months, my focus will be on treatment, rest, and recovery.
Some days will be better than others.
Progress may be steady, or it may come in frustrating fits and starts. That’s the nature of autoimmune conditions.
The sabbatical may be shorter than six months—I am hopeful that recovery will begin well before that—but I’m planning conservatively and honestly, rather than making promises I can’t yet keep.
Projects, launches, timelines, and plans are on pause for now.
They’re not cancelled. They’re simply waiting until I’m physically able to return.
A Final Word
I won’t pretend this has been easy. It’s been shocking, disorienting, and at times overwhelming.
But it’s also forced me to slow down, to listen to my body, and to accept help—something many of us find harder than we’d like to admit.
If you’re reading this as a client, a collaborator, or someone who has supported my work: thank you.
Your understanding, kindness, and patience mean more than I can properly put into words.
This is a pause, not an ending.
I fully intend to come back—stronger, steadier, and with a renewed appreciation for what it means to be able to stand behind the camera and do the work I love.
For now, I’m resting. I’m healing. And I’ll be back when my body allows me to be.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MYOSITIS AT https://www.myositis.org.uk
GET SUPPORT, OF YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ANY AUTO-IMMUNE CONDITION, AT https://www.wrenproject.org
