I can cope with most things about my disability. I'm not saying it's easy, it's far from easy. I have though, over the years, developed a toolkit of chronic disease management strategies which I've written about previously. These help me greatly on a daily basis: My Chronic Disease Management PlanBody Behaving Badly) My pain is … Continue reading Sleepless Night Strategies
Stepping away from the noise of Social Media, reading a book, listening to music or just sitting quietly, can feel like heaven. Suddenly the birds outside can be heard tweeting, rather than Twitter chirping at you with a notification on your phone.
"Something isn't right. This is a new pain, a new discomfort. I feel like something is stuck in the middle of my abdomen, just below my ribs......plus I look 6 months pregnant!" This is the conversation I had with my husband just over a week ago. He was so concerned by what he was witnessing … Continue reading Another Day, Another Diagnosis
I was loading my dishwasher this morning and fighting with a plate refusing to fit in. It wasn't really the plates fault. I was in severe lower back pain and trying to get the task over as quickly as possible. I was also trying to fit way too much into this particular load.....as you do!! … Continue reading “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way”….Is It Really That Easy?
It's official! My spine is full of shenanigans and my Specialists can't quite find a way to fix it, not without creating even more shenanigans. My spine is completely unstable at l4/l5. L3/l4 isn't far behind it but the pain I experience from the severity of the instability at l4/l5, smothers pain I would be … Continue reading Spinal Shenanigans….It’s A Little Complicated
I thought my body couldn't possibly surprise me anymore. I thought I had a good handle on the reality of my diseases and on so many levels I do! I wrote a blog post recently, called "Sending The What Ifs Of Life Packing" It's all about focusing on "What Is" rather than "What If". So … Continue reading “Do I Get Fries With That?” Dealing With Chronic Illness Side Dishes!
My title might suggest a study in economics but rest assured it is not where I am heading with this. The Law of Diminishing Returns Refers to a point at which the level of benefits gained is less than the amount of money or energy invested. When you live with chronic illness, over time your expectations, … Continue reading The “Chronic Illness” Law of Diminishing Returns
When you've lived with Chronic Illness for a number of years, at some point, you adjust to a new way of living. You eventually find a new norm. While you might expect a few highs, lows and some disease flares along the way, generally life evolves into a settled and comfortable pattern. Until it suddenly, … Continue reading “Would You Like A Second Opinion?”… Surreal And Scary!
You know that feeling when you are completing a jigsaw puzzle only to find that a piece is missing? It’s a devastating moment. Your stomach turns just a little. All that work, all that effort, all that anticipation of a final outcome. A completed picture was the awaiting reward but it’s been snatched away from … Continue reading Finding Your Way Through A Chronic Illness Conundrum
Only 3 months ago I was writing about how "surgery can't come soon enough" We knew even then there was a risk of surgery failing. We knew my bone disease was behaving erratically and had a mind of its own. Despite the risks of surgery failure we just didn't have a choice. We had to … Continue reading Here We Go Again…..Spinal Surgery Take Two!
