Strategies for Surviving Celebrations (and Daily Life) with Chronic Illness
Updated November 20, 2021 We all have energy-sucking events and tasks in our lives. They can range from doing routine household chores to planning a big celebration, such as a family party or a wedding. When you have a chronic illness, approaching any of them can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? Will you have…
Hästens: The Best Sleep I’ve Ever Had
I have a new bed. I have never slept this well and it has reduced my chronic pain levels significantly. It is a blue checked Hästens bed. Earlier this year, I wrote about my quest for a new bed. To recap: every bed I found was too high, too hot, too smelly, or contained latex…
With and Without: Comparing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Pain
Updated June 16, 2021 Explaining the difference between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain and fibromyalgia pain isn’t easy. Articulating what pain feels like is extremely difficult to begin with, adding an attempt to differentiate different kinds of pain is even more of a challenge. I have both RA and Fibro, the latter adding on to the…
4 Stress Busters for Writers with a Chronic Illness
Updated September 28, 2021 There are distinct benefits to working for yourself and even more benefits to having an office in your home. The commute is ideal, the dress code very relaxed, and you can set your own hours. This is fantastic when you have a chronic illness. There are also drawbacks — you’re the boss…
New Ebook – 7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain
Pain is a funny thing. Not just to live with (in which case it’s not always very funny), but in terms of the myths and the silence surrounding it. Talking about pain is uncomfortable, especially for those who don’t have it. Pain is hard to understand. You can’t measure it, it’s difficult to describe and…
Nothing More than Feelings: How Doctors Minimize RA Reality
Updated August 30, 2020 Catastrophizing is a popular concept in medicine, particularly when dealing with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic pain. You’ll find endless studies and articles on the concept, described as negative self statements, feelings or coping strategies. For instance, someone saying “this is the worst pain I’ve ever had” or “what if I can’t…
Like Me: Finding My RA Community and Why It Matters
Updated November 12, 2022. Being different is both external and internal. Being the only person who looks a certain way set you apart in a group, designates you as Other. Even when the members of the group are your friends, there is something that makes you feel set apart. Finding your community, the people who…
Everything
Updated June 21, 2020 In December of 2004, I looked into the abyss and the abyss looked back. It’s hard to write about this — doing so with any emotional truth means going back to a place I’d rather never feel again — but there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time and…
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