RA and Osteoporosis: Preventing and Managing Thinning Bones
The much-delayed osteoporosis post on MyRACentral is finally done: “Rheumatoid arthritis.Steroids.Sedentary lifestyle.Being low on vitamin D. All are risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Although being a postmenopausal woman tends to be one of the more familiar risk factors, men, children and young adults are vulnerable, too. If you feel as if a heavy sack of…
Life with Codeine
I’m finishing breakfast, about to take my morning round of drugs when I notice that I need to add some more of one of my painkillers to the Box o’ Meds I keep on my dining room table (because it’s a handy reminder to take my meds with meals). I also notice that my tea…
Fun with Attendants
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about living independently in the community and how that can be facilitated by attendants. These are people whose job is to be your hands and feet, doing things that you cannot do yourself or that would take an unreasonable amount of time or effort to do. In Ontario,…
Book Review: Linger
Updated November 21, 2021 Following up on perfection is a difficult thing. When I read Shiver, the first book in the trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater, I called it perfection and was in complete raptures over the beauty of the story, the beauty of the writing, and the beauty of the narration. So when I found…
5 Lessons Learned While Sitting Still
The first thing I learned came on the very first day of my 2 weeks leave. And it was the sheer exuberant relief of knowing I had 2 weeks, 14 long days with no responsibilities, no to-do lists, nothing on my plate but to sit still and heal. In a comment on last Friday’s post,…
Never Say Never
“Please shoot me,” I said, like an arrogant snot, “if I ever get a Twitter account.” I have a friend – who shall remain nameless to protect their dignity – who regularly sneers at television. Simply doesn’t believe that there can be anything of value, artistic merit or non-trashy on the small screen. We all…
Surrender
In a moment of stunning personal growth, I gave up. Stopped fighting. Let go. You know how when you stub your toe, it becomes a magnet for furniture, baseboards and random bric-a-brac lying about? So magnetic, in fact, that the aforementioned items tend to leap out to hit that particular toe over and over again,…
Independent Living with RA
The theme for July at MyRACentral is independence: “The key in the door wakes me and I listen as my attendant putters around in the kitchen, pouring juice and getting a plate, letting me wake up slowly. She pushes my wheelchair into my bedroom, laughing as Lucy the cat refuses to get off the seat…
Book Review: The Poisoner’s Handbook
When I first saw The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum, I hadn’t read more than the few sentences in the summary before I made up my mind that I had to get it. Forensics? History? In one book?? It doesn’t get any better…