I love turning over the calendar at the beginning of a new month. I have a pretty wall calendar in my study, so I look forward to revealing a new picture on the morning of the 1st day. It’s a symbolic act in some regards, of saying goodbye to the old month, the good and … Continue reading COVID, Chaos and Calm
When we think of Chronic Disease, we wouldn't usually have happy thoughts or find ourselves looking forward to a bright future. Fear, horror, uncertainty and grief are generally the normal response. However, the reality of living a chronic illness life can be quite liberating, as I've surprisingly found over the past 7 years. One of … Continue reading You’ve Created A “Chronic Illness Career”….Don’t Forget To Have A Weekend!
When living with chronic illness, and particularly chronic pain, life needs a level of certainty, of routine. To a large degree we can create workable daily routines, manage our medications and medical appointments, and keep life ticking along so we maintain our equilibrium as much as possible. I actually love change. Throughout my career I … Continue reading Nothing Lasts Forever
I've decided one of the hardest things, about being medically retired, is working out what day of the week it is! Every morning I wake up and need to look at my phone, or the pain medication dispenser on my bedside table, to work it out. If it's the day after my medication dispenser has … Continue reading What Day Is It?
How can we practically deal with the "Great Expectations" of an upcoming medical appointment?It happens to all of us with chronic illness. We look at our calendar and see an appointment looming in the future. It offers such promise. We feel a little excited at the prospect of what may come from it.Hope. It offers … Continue reading Great “Medical” Expectations!
My beautiful Dad passed away 8 weeks ago. The initial weeks after his passing saw me encompassed in raw grief. The kind of grief constantly creeping up on you, and opening the flood gate of tears, when you least expect it. The kind of grief where you grapple to make sense of it all. When you … Continue reading “Good Grief!”
“Life is too short, take nothing for granted” Catch phrases roll off our tongues at one time or another. I hazard a guess, they have a slightly different meaning for all of us. On my Facebook Support Group, we often have a segment called “Thankful Thursday". Members share a few things they are grateful for … Continue reading Life Is Too Short Not To Be Grateful !
You’re probably wondering what on earth the title to this blog post means. How can you be “Blissfully Broken”? No I haven’t gone mad…..ok, maybe just a little! I’m musing about my life as it stands today. When chronic illness is complex it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We can be diagnosed with so many adjunct … Continue reading Blissfully Broken
You would be forgiven for thinking this is a Valentine’s Day post given the title I’ve chosen. Please rest assured it’s not. It’s a continuation of my musings about acceptance being the gateway to a new life. Acceptance is not a sad resignation, it’s the pathway to peace, happiness and freedom from prolonged grief. For me … Continue reading Old Loves, New Loves
2021 is literally around the corner! A new year awaits. Will it be a good year, a difficult year, a happy year, a sad year? One thing is certain, none of us really know. This time last year, none of us knew how challenging 2020 would be. I doubt a rampant, infectious virus, creating a … Continue reading You Don’t Have To See The Whole Staircase!
