Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
I am a creature of habit. It doesn’t take long at all before I settle into a routine and become utterly predictable. Around holidays and other family events I call it tradition and zealously defend these beloved moments against any attempts to mess with them (I should perhaps mention that my definition of such tradition…
Preventative Healthcare and RA
in the past couple of months, I have been writing a series on preventative healthcare and RA for HealthCentral. Many screening tests used in preventative healthcare are difficult or impossible to do for people who live with pain or who have mobility limitations. This week, I posted the last in the series (so far), so…
Lunch with the Tinks
Last week was March break here in Ontario and my sister brought the kids for a lovely lunch and a visit. Liam has joined the race to adult teeth and then some, losing both bottom front teeth and one at the top Time for a serious chat sister to bother Mormor and Liam playing squares…
In the Kitchen
I have attendants. Or rather, I receive attendant care services from an agency. Several times a day, staff come into my apartment to assist with various tasks of daily living (showering, dressing, washroom assists, cooking, etc.). Fairly recently, the field became professionalized in a way most people who live independently in the community do not…
Real RA: Side Effects of the Miracle
Yesterday, as I moved down the street with the first vague sense of woozy pressure building in my sinuses, it came to me that the next post in my Real RA series should be a look at the cost of the miracle. And by the miracle, I mean Humira and everything good and beneficial it…
How To Have Satisfying Sex Depsite Chronic Pain
In Febriary, a bunch of HealtHCentral writers participated in the Valentine’s Day project. We wrote about sex, romance and other relationships and how they can be impacted by various illnesses. I posted my last contribution today – yes, I am aware it’s March, things got a bit delayed: “Sex is important. It puts a smile…
The Girls with the Dragon Tattoos
Last summer, I immersed myself in Stieg Larsson’s Millenium universe and loved every minute of it. I wish I could read these books again with that fresh sense of discovery, but alas, this is not possible. Instead, I’ve been watching the movies and although I know the storyline, there is still a feeling of surprise…
Relationships and Chronic Illness: An Interview with Sherrie and Gregg Piburn
I had the opportunity to speak to two amazing people for an article for HealthCentral: “Marriages in which one partner has a chronic illness have a divorce rate of 75 percent. That’s a daunting statistic reflecting just how much stress a chronic illness brings to the mix. How do you get through with your…
Reprioritizing
It didn’t work. On Friday I had a 1 1/2 hour meeting. It was no big deal – we were meeting on Skype, from the desk in my office area and really shouldn’t use too much energy. Or so I thought. Because it turns out that thinking and focusing uses a lot of energy. At…
Respecting the Crash
By noon last Tuesday, I was exhausted. This is not a good sign two days into the work week. I kept going, pushing through the haze of tired and somehow made it to the weekend. Saturday was spent moving in glue and looking with dread at a week filled with entirely too much, but not…
In Other Words: Thoughts on Language and Disability
On January 23, someone I know forwarded me a link to an article (now gone) from the Canadian national newspaper the Globe and Mail. The headline “Rheumatoid Arthritis: not the life sentence it used to be” is certainly an attention grabber. It is a good article. It’s accurate in its discussion of the science and it…
Show Us Your Hands! Launches Photo Book Project to Help Raise Awareness of Inflammatory Arthritis
Show Us Your Hands! Launches Photo Book Project to Help Raise Awareness of Inflammatory Arthritis (February 14, 2012) – Show Us Your Hands! is pleased to announce its Photo Book Project, the latest in a series of successful initiatives aimed at uniting the community of individuals who are living with inflammatory arthritis, and increasing the…