On the 14th October 2021, after 5 weeks bed bound in hospital, due to my “acute” spinal collapse and bone disease progression, I was finally allowed home. I was sent home via ambulance as my condition hadn't improved. I still couldn't sit or stand for more than 2 minutes at a time. Walking with a … Continue reading Overwhelmed and Under Prepared
Some challenges in life hit us so hard, as we never saw them coming. Such challenges don't allow us the luxury of preparing ahead of time. They give no warning. They simply arrive! My "acute" spinal collapse , would prove to be one of the hardest challenges I have ever faced, and I've documented a … Continue reading Hard Work In Hospital
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!
Pain can’t just be ignored. Disease can’t just be ignored. People with disease and pain can’t just be forgotten. I’m not alone in suffering horrific daily pain. So many in society struggle every day. Some manage to work or interact with the wider community in some way. Others like me, live a permanently reclusive life … Continue reading A Peek Through My Window Of Pain
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
"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?
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
My Medical Musings 