An author has spoken of how she copes with a crippling autoimmune disease that left her in a "dark hole".
Karen Quinn, 42, was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, a chronic condition that causes a person's immune system to become overly active and attack its own tissues.
In 2018 she thought she might die after being rushed to hospital with a mini-stroke.
Karen, who lives in Washington in Tyne and Wear, also gets extreme tiredness and Lupus migraines, and at one stage was diagnosed with antibodies that cause blood clots, Chronicle Live reports.
She said: "I honestly didn't think I had long left to live at one point and was blue-lighted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary stroke unit for a Transient Ischaemic Attack.
"Over the course of my extreme illness, I came to terms with the trauma throughout my life, and decided to write poetry to help express that.
"I also started listening to sleep subliminal and meditation.
"I started exercising in 2019 as it’s really good for lupus and during my really bad years I couldn’t do it because I struggled to get up in the morning, let alone try and motivate myself or move without pain. I couldn’t grip anything properly due to swelling in my hands, or even move out of bed without assistance."
After the life-changing diagnosis, Karen turned to poetry to help her come to terms with the trauma, and has now written a book based on her dreams.
'Fall from Grace: Myth and Magic' came after a recurring dream showed her the beginning of the world, and she felt compelled to put pen to paper.
Karen, who currently receives weekly chemotherapy, said: “I just wanted to get it out of my head at first, every night I had the same dream and I knew I needed to write it down to get it out of my head.
“I felt I had a message to relay."
It is the latest work in the series by Karen who also wrote 'Fall from Grace: The Lost Goddess Asherah'.
Karen has written a number of books called 'Pictures, Thoughts, Dreams', 'Spiritual Beings' and a book about healing from trauma called ‘The Road To Heal’, and a book on manifestation.
Karen said: “After I began writing, it was like the darkness had faded and I could see the light, that's when the dreams started again.
“I knew there was more to add, more of the story, I’ve tinkered with the details but not the bones of the story.
"The plan is a four-book series but possibly more based on these dreams.
"The trauma book I have written throughout this year too as a help for anyone in a dark place such as I was to try and help them to heal their body and their mind even just a step at a time as I did."
The biomedical graduate wanted to share her experience to help other people struggling mentally.
She said: "Sometimes it’s just darkest before dawn and we can get through no matter how tough life has become.
"We just need to plough through and take each day. Just one positive step can make a difference and change your life."
