A health, wellness and chronic illness blog that aims to articulate lifelong illness from various perspectives.
Hello autumn/spring! I’m quite envious of those of you who get to experience this nice transition period, whilst it’s ever hot and humid in Singapore. We’re entering the final quarter of the year, so I’m sure 2019 has some kind of sketchy blueprint to how it’s looking from an over all perspective by now. But […]
Continue reading "October 2019 Linkup Party for People with Chronic Illnesses"
The Many Negative Associations with Painkillers Painkillers – hero, villain, friend and foe in one. What’s your opinion about them? Have you been told: Don’t take them, they’re bad for your liver and body. You’ll become reliant, dependent, or addicted to them. A good-for-nothing, pathetic junky. You’ll need more and more of them to kill […]
Continue reading "Why Painkillers are One of My Biggest Allies for a Decent Quality of Life"
When Pain is Chronic and Unseen Physical pain is no laughing matter, that’s for sure. When we mention the word ‘pain’, the type of pain that often comes to mind first is that of a physical nature. In fact, unbearable physical pain that becomes chronic is a major contributing factor to suicide risk. For people […]
Continue reading "Sometimes, Physical Pain Isn’t the Worst Part About Chronic Illness"
Ancient Communities vs Modern Independence Independence is a much revered trait in the modern human being. But total independence is a bunch of bullshit. To be completely independent is to live in a bubble in which you’d die within minutes. To be alive is to be dependent; every living being breathes, and that requires synthesis. […]
Continue reading "Asking for Help (and Why Everyone Needs to Learn this Important Life Skill)"
When it Hits A sharp pain struck the left side of my abdomen whilst I was asleep, and I just knew. I hurried to pop a pain pill, in hopes that the ache would subside. Sometimes that’s a small, albeit hacky, hint that it’s ‘just’ one of those mysteries that sneak up on you. When […]
Continue reading "What it Feels Like to be Refused Treatment by a Hospital’s A&E"
In order to know ‘how’ to rewire our brains to manage chronic pain, first we need to understand ‘what’ pain and neuroplasticity even are. Let’s take a closer look at their definitions and causations to begin with. *Note: Whilst this post is sponsored by Pathways, all opinions expressed are my own. I am also not […]
Continue reading "How to Rewire Your Brain to Manage Chronic Pain (& Resources to Help)"
*Note: Whilst this post is kindly sponsored by Handicare Stairlifts, all opinions expressed in it are my own. As we know by now, living with a visible or invisible disability imposes many challenges on your daily life. Simple movements are not that simple and add up quickly. Many of us keep an ‘energy cheque book’, […]
The Final Instalment to the Pain Flare Series: Pain Management Tips In part one everyone shared what their biggest triggers are, and in part two their best tips for prevention, which is definitely better than cure. But what happens if you land right smack in the middle of that dreaded flare anyway? Those who live […]
*Note: I am not a doctor. This article is based on my personal experiences as a patient, and research from medical journals and resources that are reliable as far as I know. Nothing should be substituted for medical advice. Everyone is different, so please consult your own doctor before changing or adding new treatment protocols. […]
Continue reading "The Annoying Thing About Antiphospholipid Syndrome (and Then Some)"
*Trigger Warning: This post is about chronic illness and thoughts on suicide, and may be potentially triggering. Here is a list suicide hotlines to contact if you need help: The Fears of Aging with Sickness While I did not ask others with chronic illness how they feel about this, I know that many of us […]
Continue reading "Why it Feels Like Suicide is Always an Option"
*Note: Contains affiliate links. It will not cost you anything to click on them. I’ll get a small referral fee, and you’ll get 10% off your first order. Subsequent purchases from this page will also earn you reward points, which you can continue to use. I love iHerb like that 😉 All images are from […]
Continue reading "My Favourite iHerb Products for Everyday Life"
This question pops up on my Quora feed every so often: “Would you date or marry a person with chronic illness?” So I thought I’d address it once and for all, by first asking – would I, as someone with chronic illnesses, date or marry a healthy person? I have been fortunate enough to date […]
Continue reading "Would You Date a Person with Chronic Illness?"
*Now comes in a beautiful e-book filled with uplifting messages, quotes and illustrations! Sign up for our mailing list to download now! Some reflections I had while writing the post, “Why Not From Beautiful, to Still Beautiful?”. I’m not here to dispense advice, because god knows I’m struggling to get my own life in order! […]
Continue reading "7 Reminders For Those Dim Days When You Lose Your Way"
Friday, 11 October 2019. Issue #182. In this issue: Our pain and how we handle it is personal, and not for anyone else to judge. I cannot imagine how I’d look like if all my invisible illnesses were manifested upon my physical form. We are responsible for taking care of ourselves, and that comes in […]
Why is Being Eco-Friendly So Expensive? So, I have a problem. A huge one in fact. It’s difficult to be eco-friendly, especially when a harsh, chemical laden product costs a fraction of that environmentally friendly product you’d much rather buy. Governments need to step in to do something about this for change to happen on […]
Continue reading "How to be More Eco-Friendly at Home for Free"
Friday, 04 October 2019. Issue #181. In this issue: Why giving unsolicited health advice is not okay. It can become dangerous to not treat pain when it’s chronic and unyielding. The sadness that naturally comes with giving up passions due to chronic illness, and how to manage it. If a wheelchair helps you to regain […]
*Note: These writing prompts are part of a monthly community activity I host. You can find the link to join us at the bottom of the post. We’d love to have you with us! This post contains affiliate links. It will cost you nothing to click on them. I will get a small referral fee […]
Continue reading "Life is All Sorts of Crazy, but She’s Definitely a Keeper"
Friday, 27 September 2019. Issue #180. In this issue: Chronic pain always comes with depression, anxiety and yet more pain. The need to stay within your energy envelope with chronic illness which changes all the time. The anger at society’s labels on ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ disabled people, based on how ‘inspirational’ they are. The sensitivities […]
Friday, 20 September 2019. Issue #179. In this issue: Sassy disability parking stickers by Blue Badge Co. Ikea launches ‘ThisAbles’ with disability advocates to improve the accessibility of their products. The future as a sick person is scary – can you work, have a relationship, recover? An open letter to an ex-doctor who caused unnecessary […]
I am finally getting around to the third installment of book recommendations, specially dedicated to my fellow chronic illness friends! Not all of these books are solely about health and illness; we need a break from these topics sometimes, don’t we?! But they are more or less related to humanity, the human body, and the […]
Continue reading "Book Recommendations for the Chronically Ill: Part III"
Friday, 13 September 2019. Issue #178. In this issue: It’s easy to presume there are medical solutions in modern society, but chronic illness lurks even whilst in remission. When you’re defeated mentally, it’s impossible to cope physically. Never force your body to handle more than it can, though a gentle push can have beneficial cumulative […]