A Flare so Bright It Lit the Sludge
Pain takes up a lot of room in your head. I will forever be grateful to the social worker from The Arthritis Society who told me that at a time when I thought I was losing my mind. I wasn’t. I was just having a lot of pain and it messed with my ability to…
In Which I Appear on the ChronicSex Podcast
Most of the time, what I do involves sitting alone in front of my computer and writing down my thoughts, then posting them somewhere and and you read them and sometimes leave a comment. I like this. It suits my introverted nature, yet at the same time it is a two-way conversation. But one should…
Body Image and Chronic Illness: How to Be Bodacious
Chronic illness can seriously mess with your body image, leaving you feeling disconnected and far from attractive. In my new post for Mango Health I look at ways to get back to feeling bodacious: “Where did the vibrant old you go? The person who felt at home in her own skin, who laughed and danced…
Oscar Thoughts
My mother has abandoned me. Last night, she notified me that she had no intention of watching the Academy Awards with me on Sunday. And I don’t really blame her, because let’s face it, the Oscars are usually deadly dull. What makes it fun is watching it with someone and sharing snarky/admiring comments about the…
Dealing with Nausea in Chronic Illness
I have battled nausea for as long as I’ve had RA, so why not write what you know? My new post for HealthCentral looks at how to cope with nausea related to chronic illness: “Nausea is a particularly nasty symptom. Your stomach’s on a rollercoaster and you’re sure you’re going to throw up. It can…
Relationships and Talking about Pain Study
How do you talk to your partner about your pain? Or don’t you talk about it? A new study investigates the reasons why people talk or don’t talk about their pain. One of the co-investigators talks about the background for the study and how you can participate: “One of the hardest things about living with…
Photo Friday: Ironic
Earlier this week, the Fat Mum Slim February photo challenge included the prompt faceless portrait. This was my submission, taken on a cold Toronto day in the financial district.
Am I Single Because I Have a Chronic Illness?
It’s something almost every single person who lives with chronic illnesses wondered: am I single because of my condition? The answer in my new post for HealthCentral: “When you’re single in what seems to be a sea of happy couples it’s all too easy to look at reasons for your singleness with an excessively critical…
The Joy of Bread
“Bread is bread.” The Boy claimed. And I shook my head and told him he was completely and utterly wrong. I have not had good bread — proper bread — for at least 15 years. That’s when I became allergic to nuts and had to stop eating baked goods from bakeries. Most bakeries make things…
