A Life Of Love, Laughter, Faith And Hope, As I Learn To Live Again With A Rare Disease
It was 3am Tuesday morning, 7th September, 2021. I desperately needed to go to the bathroom, so I rolled out of bed, the way physiotherapists had always shown me to do. I reached for my awaiting crutch and made it to the ensuite, not without pain, with my usual pain. I got back into bed … Continue reading An Acute Life Changing Chapter
A week ago I had yet another spinal MRI, my second in three months. Something new happened on the left side of my lumbar spine a few weeks ago, which caused a massive increase in my disability. I can no longer stand for more than 5 or 10 mins at a time, even using aides, … Continue reading An Honest Chat With My Specialist….It Just Can’t Be Fixed!
In 2020, I launched a new venture....my Podcast Medical Musings With Sam. Firstly I want to thank you all so much for your support. This has been one of the most rewarding, emotionally challenging adventures, I’ve ever tackled. Why? I think because it’s caused me to really go down memory lane in a way I wasn’t … Continue reading Listen To Your Own Story
Snap, pop and crackle…and just like that I can't move my back. I've been doing reasonably well so it's disappointing when my broken body decides to break a little more, but this is life with a crazy bone disease. I can't thank my beautiful husband enough for his love and support. When you can't do … Continue reading Love Conquers All….Even Acute and Chronic Pain
I never imagined feeling so excited about receiving an email with the subject header: "Your Wig Is On It's Way" I am, surprisingly, incredibly excited. It's time to embrace what has been one of the most challenging consequences of my chronic illness. Last year I began to face significant hairloss. To say it was confronting … Continue reading Wig On It’s Way!
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!
Many of us who have had multiple abdominal surgeries can find we later have issues with adhesions. I was reminded of this the other day when I was talking to someone about my story. I was further reminded yesterday of my abdominal adhesions, when I spent 8 hours in crippling pain, due to a bowel/stoma … Continue reading A Sticky Story!!
When we have chronic illness, our minds are quickly programmed to think about all the things we can no longer do. Doctors, allied health professionals, family and friends, can easily feed us messages which concur with our “I can’t do it” mindset. Don’t get me wrong, there is lots we can’t do when living with … Continue reading “You Sound And Look So Well!!”
(In loving memory of my precious Dad, who passed away peacefully on Easter Monday) One of my earliest childhood memories is being on the passenger ship "Aurelia". I was 3 years of age and embarking on a journey that would change the entire course of my life. I was migrating from the United Kingdom to Australia … Continue reading A Carousel Of Memories And Moments
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!
