Posts

Story Time: Physio Surprise!

Today is just not my day.  So I've been having issues with my shoulder/rotator cuff/upper back/neck issue for over a year now. I've…

This Is 40

Wow.  So I will fully admit that I am overjoyed when people mistake me for someone younger, but at the core of everything is the awe that I…

Move For Sight 2026

Today I participated in Move For Sight 2026 to help raise funds for Fighting Blindness Canada .  I had vowed to reach 500 minutes of activi…

Summer Slo-Pitch

There is nothing like getting to participate in a loved activity.  Illness is so unpredictable that consistent participation in team sports…

The Darker Side of Medicine

Through this blog, I have been able to share and document my real struggles with illness, while highlighting the unexpected benefits. Life …

The Rollercoaster

I've always been a big fan of rollercoaster rides. The biggest and fastest with lots of loop-de-loops.  I mean, the ones at the parks..…

Medical Aid Stigma

I've been thinking a lot lately about medical aids & self-consciousness about public perception.  How many of us have hesitated to …

'Crazy Busy' But No News to Share?

Do you ever ask someone with chronic illness how a month or a season has been, they respond by saying it was super busy or they were swampe…

You Never Know When Something Might Be Important

I was sitting tonight and suddenly realized that I couldn't remember the last book that I was able to physically read.  Reading for me …

Why Do I Share So Much?

This is a big question that I get:  Why do I share my health online?  I know heaps of people who don't like to talk about their illness…

Celebrate Good News

When you have multiple different illnesses, it can get overwhelming and disheartening to go to an appointment. I remember being told (jokin…

Quick Tip

Quick tip:  If you have complex, chronic illness, having a note in your wallet that explains all pertinent medical information could be a l…

Acronyms

Karissa Pentlichuk,  BASc, IBD, AS, HT, OTS, BLD with GA, PsO, IAE, TMD, CM When I was in university, I would dream of the educational pos…

Why Are Medical Terms So Confusing?

Why do some medical terms/diagnoses have to be SO complicated?! Here is a rundown of my understanding:  Yesterday I met with my new Ophthal…

Slowing Down

One thing I used to say, and a phrase I hear often from many individuals with chronic illness, is "I don't let my illness slow me …

Head Pain

In July this summer, I woke up one morning with a brutal pain in my head on the right side. I thought it was maybe a migraine, but it didn&…

Growing Up

I believe that one of the most profound elements of growing up is realizing just how ridiculous the beliefs and judgements were that we hel…

Truly Invisible

We, the collective 'we'  of Spoonie-dom, speak a lot about Invisible Disease; the illnesses that cannot be perceived by a cursory g…

Spoonie S.A.F.A.RI

I explain what this is and how it relates in this video .  Essentially, it's the journey that every spoonie undertakes after developi…

General Medical Update

Here is the rundown and update as of Feb 2025.  I am currently 38 years old, turning 39 this August.  Diagnoses & Chronic Conditions: …