Coping with chronic pain isn’t pretty — especially on the difficult days. It’s not just about the physical pain, but also about coping with the difficult emotions that come along with it. I often feel the emotional side of living with pain gets overlooked. But when pain is overwhelming, our…
Chronic Pain
Read more
Coping with Pain: Don’t I Deserve a PhD After 40 Years?
I’ve been living with chronic pain for over forty years, and sometimes I think to myself — don’t I deserve a PhD in Pain Management for coping with this monster that rules my life? I live with pain. I write about pain. I share tips, suggestions, and ideas to help…
Life
Read more
Turning Sixty ~ Life, Laughter and Memories
Well, as you’ve probably guessed from the title, I’m turning sixty, and I thought I’d celebrate by sharing a few snippets of my life with you. A Few Snippets of My Life to Celebrate Turning Sixty Oh dear… “a few” somehow became sixty — which seems rather appropriate! I should…
Chronic Pain
Read more
Dealing With Embarrassment and Shame — By Sigrid MacDonald
Living with chronic pain or chronic illness can bring unexpected emotions. Alongside the physical challenges they’re dealing with, many people also experience feelings of embarrassment or even shame — feelings that can be difficult to talk about. Today, I’m very pleased to share a guest post by author Sigrid MacDonald,…
Awareness
Read more
Motor Neurone Disease (MND / ALS) — Rare Disease Day
This year, on Rare Disease Day, I want to focus on Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as ALS in the USA. There are thousands of rare diseases which affect millions of people globally. I often write about trigeminal neuralgia, a rare facial pain condition that I live with. But…
Chronic Pain
Read more
Letting Go of Guilt — You Are Enough
It can be so difficult to let go of guilt, especially if your life is ruled by chronic pain or illness. “You are enough” is a gentle reminder from me to you — and the reason for writing this post is that I sometimes need that reminder too. We live…
Uncategorized
Read more
My Dog Is Allergic to Everything So No Birthday Treats!
What treats can you buy for a dog who is allergic to absolutely everything? Let me tell you the answer…absolutely none! Such a shame, because Kip, my Hungarian wire-haired vizsla and my little bestie, is celebrating her birthday today. Can you believe she’s five years old? Where did those years…
Uncategorized
Read more
Why I Needed a Blogging Break and How it Helped
A couple of years ago, I realised I needed a break from blogging, and I eventually gave myself permission to do that. I was tired — physically, mentally, and emotionally. At first, I thought a few weeks off would be enough, but weeks soon stretched to months, and my break…
Chronic Pain
Read more
Living With Chronic Pain: Protect Fulfilment, Function, and Joy
Living with chronic pain can be pretty soul-destroying because it affects every aspect of life. Today, I am sharing another guest post by Julia Merrill, a retired board-certified nurse practitioner. Julia has suggested ways to protect fulfilment, function and joy in our lives. Ways to Protect Fulfilment, Function, and Joy…
Self-care
Read more
New Year Without Pressure: Be Kind To Yourself
The New Year always seems wrapped up in hype, pressure, and expectation — and honestly, I could do without it. Everywhere you look, people are talking about resolutions — losing weight, exercising more, giving up chocolate 😱. And I can’t even begin to explain how I feel when I hear…