Being an entrepreneur with a disability: Benefits and Barriers
I started my own business because I couldn’t find a job anywhere else. I write and publish books and work as a freelance writer, specializing in health, disability and advocacy topics. I did this mostly because it’s my dream job. But I got here because no one would hire me. This despite being a pretty…
Guestpost: Real Life Diaries: Living with Rheumatic Diseases
Living with Rheumatic Diseases (Real Life Diaries) is a terrific new book put together by some wonderful people from the community. Brenda L. Kleinsasser kindly agreed to write a guest post for The Seated View about the book and how it came to be. At the beginning of this year, a group of writers began…
How to Make Peace with Medication
So I did mention the thing about playing catch up, didn’t I? That includes a post that I’m particularly fond of. One of the things that’s a big struggle when you get diagnosed with a chronic illness is getting used to taking medication: “Getting diagnosed with a chronic condition often means getting one or more…
Being Fierce with RA
I’ve been running so fast this week that it’s been hard to catch up, so you get links to two new articles instead of just one today. Both show different aspects of channeling your inner fierceness to live with RA. In the first article, I talk about how we have a tendency to compare ourselves…
Bookend Fandom: A Letter of Gratitude to Johnny Clegg
It was Scatterlings that hooked me. I was in first year university at the U of T Scarborough campus, moving from one class to another, when I first heard the unmistakable joyful beat of a Johnny Clegg song, this one from his first group Juluka. Fairly soon after that, I bought the album Campus radio…
Living in Place: Fighting to Increase Accessible Housing
We have an accessible housing crisis. This will get worse as the population ages — not in some far-off future, but rather immediately so when the silver tsunami hits in a few years. Despite this, developers exclude accessibility in their design, continuing to build barriers to people with disabilities. This exclusion is in violation of…
Inspirational Interviews
I recently had the opportunity to talk to three gentlemen about exciting ways to live better with a chronic illness. First, I spoke to Jim Curtis about his new book. It’s a guide to changing your story to help you find the way to live better with a chronic illness. Fascinating book by a very…
ArthritisHack: Innovate, Empower & Inspire
© The Arthritis Society We talk a lot about empowering people who live with chronic illness, such as arthritis, to get to a place where they can live better lives and get better care. This weekend, I was thrilled to participate as a mentor in ArthritisHack at the MaRS Discovery District here in Toronto. The…
The Master of My Fate: Invictus Games Wheelchair Rugby
It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,I am the master of my fate,I am the captain of my soul. – From Invictus by William Ernest Henley There is something uniquely moving about watching your country play for gold in a sports event. I was privileged to do so a couple…
Five Tips for Better Mental Health with Rheumatoid Arthritis
How do you push back against the sadness, worry, and frustration of living with RA? That’s the first prompt in the 2017 #RABlog Week and today, I’ll share what works for me. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic illnesses aren’t just physical, they affect your mental health, as well. For instance, approximately one third of…
Tips for Wheelchair Travel
I have always loved travelling, still do even though I can’t do so at the moment. But when you use a wheelchair, travelling can have some extra challenges. In my new article for HealthCentral, I share tips to make wheelchair travel easier. Which includes photos from some of my travels! “Having physical limitations does not…
The Invisibility of Pain: The New Ontario Opioid Strategy
Sometimes, sharing the chronic pain voice and perspective on opioids feels like shouting into a gale. But you have to keep trying. Thank you so much to the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance for the great work they do and for hosting my article about the new Ontario Opioid Strategy and the missing missing voices of…