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…
Life
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Christmas Wish List ~ No Gifts, Just Hope
Christmas seems to come faster every year! Or maybe I’m just getting older faster.
Have you written a Christmas wish list? In my latest post, I share mine — and reflect on how the best gifts are often the ones we don’t unwrap.
Please click the link to read the full post.
Uncategorized
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Stay Warm With Chronic Pain: Winter Woollies & Toasty Toes
Chronic pain and cold weather really don’t mix well, so my priority at this time of year is to stay warm. Cold weather makes my pain much worse, so most of the winter I have to do whatever it takes to avoid the chill. I’ve lived with chronic pain and…
Back Pain & Scoliosis
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Pain is Frustrating ~ Finding Ways to Cope
I can’t count how many times I’ve sighed, ‘This is so frustrating,’ because my pain has got the better of me.
Pain can be a bit of a control freak. It decides what you can and can’t do. It dictates everything — from whether you can attend an exciting event to whether you can manage the most mundane of tasks.
It can be even harder when you live with more than one type of pain, or when chronic illness adds extra layers to the struggle. Just when one part of your body starts to calm down a little, somewhere else flares up. The frustration is very real.
Please click to read more (and find out why you shouldn’t try to vacuum flies off skylight windows!!)
Guest Posts
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Reclaim Your Energy: Guest Post by Julia Merrill
Today, I am sharing a guest post from Julia Merrill, a retired board-certified nurse practitioner. Julia has offered suggestions to help women reclaim their energy in this busy world we live in. Sometimes it feels difficult for women to put themselves first, but especially when living with chronic health problems,…
Awareness
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Neuropathic Pain Awareness Month ~ NERVEmber
During NERVEMBER (the month formerly known as November), the International Pain Foundation shines a light (an orange light) to raise awareness of neuropathic pain. What is Neuropathic Pain? Neuropathic pain is a form of pain that comes from damage or malfunction in the nerves themselves. Neuropathy often has no visible…
Chronic Pain
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Finding My Own Pace ~ Guest Post by Melissa Reynolds
“Finding My Own Pace” is a book written by my blogging friend, Melissa Reynolds about her experience of living with chronic illness and pain. You might remember Melissa from her previous guest post about Yoga Nidra. Having lived with chronic pain for many years, Melissa has developed a range of coping techniques, many of which she shares in her new book Finding My Own Pace. Today, she’s kindly sharing a few of her tips here for my readers.
Awareness
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Understanding Invisible Disabilities — It’s All About Empathy
Understanding invisible disabilities needs to begin with empathy.
But, sadly, empathy seems to be disappearing in our country.
Invisible Disabilities Week takes place from the 19th to the 25th of October this year. It’s a reminder that what people need is empathy, not ignorance; support, not suspicion; compassion; not cruelty.
Awareness
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Trigeminal Neuralgia Facts ~ TN Awareness
Since Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day takes place on the 7th of October, I thought I would share some important facts about this painful condition. It’s not just painful – it’s also cruel and misunderstood. And even though I’ve talked about most of these facts before, they’re worth repeating because trigeminal neuralgia needs more awareness.
Chronic Pain
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Oops! Brain Fog Moment Last Week
Last week, I had a classic brain fog moment. I published a post on my blog for Pain Awareness Month and forgot to click the button that sends an email notification to subscribers. Oops!! Maybe it’s because I hadn’t blogged for a while. Or perhaps it was because my pain…