Ablepreneur Stories 

Hi, I’m Lorraine and I set up Holistic Hands Ltd almost 7 years ago.  I worked in admin for many years but, things started changing and I was increasingly unhappy so, at the age of 54 I retrained – I got my PSV license and drove coaches and open top site seeing buses for a wee while, until my health issues started getting in the way.  Time to retrain again!!  I became a holistic therapist offering seated massage, beauty facials and Reiki sessions, but the health issues got in the way again, so I now only offer Reiki sessions. 

I live with fibromyalgia, arthritis and anxiety, among other things!  These conditions affect me in many ways – pain, fatigue, nausea and brain fog to name a few.  All of these symptoms make it difficult for me to work in a “regular” way.  I can’t manage full-time hours as the fatigue and pain become totally overwhelming.  I have had anxiety problems for most of my life and that causes daily challenges and problems.  The fibro was diagnosed around 17 years ago, but it took about 4 or 5 years to get a diagnosis.  I was told I have arthritis in both of my hips around 11 years ago.

I really struggled with the fibro at first; I had adverse reactions to just about everything the doctors prescribed.  That led to me researching and trying holistic methods of dealing with my health problems.  Over a long number of years, I have used aromatherapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, mindfulness, massage, Reiki and many other therapies.  I found many of them helpful but, the problem with holistic therapies is cost and, unfortunately, I reached a point where I couldn’t afford to keep going for the various treatments.  I did some research and decided to save up and learn Reiki 1, so that I could do self-treatments.  A number of years later, when I was talking about changing my job, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do, someone suggested that I become a Reiki Practitioner so, after thinking about it for a while I did the attunement and training and set up Holistic Hands Ltd.

Working for myself has many benefits -

• •   it allows me to work the hours that suit me and my health issues. 

  •  I get to help people and support them with their health journeys.

  •   I have full control over how and where I work.

Despite my various health conditions, I refused to see myself as disabled for a long time but, in the last year or so, I have seen and felt a big change in my body and how it “works”.  I feel I have lost some mobility and have accepted that I have some level of disability but, if I sit in the house saying “I can’t do this or that”, I will become very depressed as well so, I am doing what I can, when I can; helping others definitely helps me.  I have to balance the physical health needs with the mental health needs, so it’s onwards and upwards.  I am lucky enough to have a number of people around me who are very supportive and they keep me going on the difficult days when I feel like packing it all in.  Having a disability doesn't have to be all negatives, if I didn’t have these health conditions, I wouldn’t have discovered Reiki and therefore wouldn't be working for myself.  Reiki is wonderful, it relaxes me and helps me in a way that nothing else does, and being able to share it with others, to help them with their health issues, is just the icing on the cake.