Story
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Thank you for checking in!
My name is Tilly. I'm an author, founder @thatoxfordgirl and patient activist.
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​I am on a mission to raise awareness about the whole patient experience.
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When I was just five years old, I visited my great aunt’s farm in Ireland and ate a bowl of cereal with a jug of thick, creamy milk; an act which was set to change my path forever. Unbeknown to me this was unpasteurised milk, straight from the cow’s udder, containing
M. bovis Tuberculosis (yes, a cow, quite literally, ruined my life). This catapulted me into over 20 years of life as the patient.
When everything else was so beyond my control, studying became my unwavering focus. I taught myself, from hospital and home, and went onto read English Literature and Language at Jesus College,
Oxford University.
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My own challenging journey inspired me to launch That Oxford Girl; a powerful, free platform, increasing access, social mobility and diversity at
Oxford University. In 2018, my book
That Oxford Girl A Real Student’s Guide to Oxford University was published.
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I, once again, witnessed the power of social media for social good. Now with a following of almost 50,000, I have seen first-hand how my patient experiences have resonated with followers.
But my voice alone isn't enough.
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Enter
Later that year, I went into my first adrenal crisis and was diagnosed with
Addison's Disease.
Last spring, I finished my second lot of chemotherapy and antibiotic treatment for Tuberculosis. This was it; I was finally going to say goodbye to the 'patient' label. I was about to start living my best life. Only that’s not what happened. My life got worse, worse than I could ever have imagined. Last summer/autumn I spent almost 3 months on the open ward.
When things were getting pretty desperate, I began sharing ‘chapters’ on my Instagram @thattillyrose. Hundreds of people from around the world got in touch with diagnosis ideas, test suggestions, tips and messages willing me to get better.
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