Posts

The Lighter Side of: Dietary Changes

Our perspective on food seems to shift on a regular basis. Foods and ingredients that were once considered healthy are now considered pote…

The Lighter Side of: Insomnia

I don't even know why I cannot sleep. I did not sleep well last night either and nearly fell asleep standing up this afternoon. I resi…

The Lighter Side of: Pharmacy Visits

Being on several medications means several trips to the pharmacy, at varying and staggered intervals. My pharmacy is in a grocery store. …

The Lighter Side of: Lots of Pain

There are millions of illnesses that cause pain of some kind. Suffering from several diseases usually means several types of pain - from t…

The Lighter Side of: Free Time

The idea of free time is a complex one. People who work several jobs or do nothing but work are often desperate for some free time. We h…

The Lighter Side of: Seized Muscles

My back seized today. I was not doing anything particularly physical, I simply sat down on our ottoman and went to pick up a ball from the…

The Lighter Side of: Nausea

This one is simple. There are not many things that are good about nausea. Nausea takes over your whole body, muscles, mind, and insides. …

The Lighter Side of: Failure

Almost every interview I have ever been a part of - whether it was for a job, for a gig, or a simple autobiographical blurb for a fundraisi…

Infinite Lives, Infinite Energy

My life has been filled with so many twists and turns, unexpected mountains growing in front of my path as I watch, and obstacles I have ha…

The Lighter Side of: Strict Diets

Due to my ever complicated Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, I have had to try a shocking number of really strict diets. All of them made it d…

The Lighter Side of: Losing Activities

Losing hobbies or modifying interests is something everyone has to do eventually. It is this idea of 'changing with the times'. So…

The Lighter Side of: Hot Flashes

I have suffered hot flashes for years - on and off from age 14 to age 27, and then consistently since, especially after my hysterectomy. H…

The Lighter Side of: Ankylosis

The Lighter Side of suffering from a disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis is that there is a dinosaur named the Ankylosaurus. This dinosa…

The Lighter Side of: Joint Pain

With anything, there is a negative side and a positive side. Here is a lighter side of having joint pain: Having joint pain means that ce…

Sacrifice (Part 5): Muscle Cramps

I think it is safe to say that we have all suffered muscle cramps. Those nasty cramps that come on suddenly and sharply and are so distrac…

Not Better

Every day we see people suffering and we see people offering their best advice. Many offerings are true and genuine, in an attempt to help …

Baby Blessing

Wrote a simple little baby blessing for a friend. This is the full version. I've been practicing some writing and some calligraphy and…

Sacrifice (Part 3): Stomach Upset

This is part three of a multi-part series addressing misunderstandings and stigma around people who deal with consistent pain. This post i…

Perceiving Someone Else's Pain

Today I want to speak about pain. The reason we have various types of pain scales and descriptions for pain is because of the ultimate sub…

Sacrifice (Part 2): Medications

This is part 2 of a multiple-part series addressing some misconceptions about people who are chronically ill or who have specific disabilit…

Sacrifice (Part 1): Lung Issues

Over the next several posts, I want to slowly address some of the misconceptions of people who have some kind of disability. Many people s…

The Lighter Side of: Nearsightedness

Who knew that being nearsighted could be ultimately beneficial in the realm of Macular Degeneration? As you may know, I was diagnosed with…

Preparing for Appointments

Sadly, there is no sure-fire way to prepare for appointments that make you nervous. There is no exact protocol, no cheat-sheet or instruct…