A health, wellness and chronic illness blog that aims to articulate lifelong illness from various perspectives.
Silence. Who knew silence could be so overwhelming? More suffocating than the humid tropic air, and not in the least bit golden. The rest of the flock is older and more placid, having laid their eggs, and had their mates. They even seem a tad jaded, or it might have been that Horace had stolen […]
In the first part of this series, people with chronic illness and disability shared their best tips for coping with isolation whilst stuck at home, often from pain or fatigue. With the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown, many healthy people have found themselves in similar situations. Perhaps with less pain and fatigue, yet the mental […]
Yes, it’s midway through 2020, and as usual – can you believe it?! As I get older, the years, months, and even weeks simply seem to fly by at breakneck speed. Yet some days are just terribly and painfully long. Strange how that works. Anyway it’s time for the June Linkup, and I would love […]
Continue reading "June 2020 Linkup Party for People with Chronic Illnesses"
People with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities are no strangers to being stuck at home in isolation. Many are unable to work full-time, or only have enough energy to go out for essentials tasks such as grocery shopping and doctor appointments. And even these activities require pacing and planning, to ensure that there is minimal post-exertion […]
In a previous post, I mentioned how everyone’s rest requirements can be different. A healthy person’s body is able to handle a bigger blow of stress, and recover with less consequences. People with chronic illnesses on the other hand, learn to pay constant attention to the state of their body. If there is one thing […]
Thich Nhat Hanh’s writings on mindfulness and peace are popular worldwide due to their simplicity. ‘How to Relax’ is one of the many books in his ‘Mindfulness Essentials’ series. There is also ‘How to Sit’, ‘How to Eat’, ‘How to Love’ and more. Today’s review features the best tips for stress management that I found […]
Continue reading "12 Simple Tips to Manage Stress (or ‘How to Relax’ by Thich Nhat Hanh)"
Some reflections I had whilst 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! But I just wanted to scribble these thoughts down as guideposts, for those bad days when I lose my way. Download the […]
Continue reading "7 Reminders For Those Bad Days to Keep You Going"
*Note: Whilst this post is sponsored by Drink Pure Wine, all opinions expressed in this review are my own. A parcel landed on my doorstep, and I glanced at the address. Could this be the parcel from Drink Pure Wine? Yes it was, and I couldn’t be more delighted to receive not just one, but […]
We all know the truth of the saying, ‘health is wealth’. But apart from the metaphorical aspect of this idiom, it’s actually pretty literal as well. It’s expensive just to stay alive if you have a chronic illness or disability, especially if you live in a country where healthcare is not subsidised. There are extra […]
I’m sure you’ve noticed the commodities of love mushrooming around us at an alarming speed. Yes, Valentine’s Day is coming right up 😉 Amidst all the expressions of romantic love, I’d like to take some time to honour the bond I have with my body. It’s after all, the most intimate relationship I’ll ever have. […]
Continue reading "How to Have a Healthy Relationship with Your Body (Even with Chronic Illness)"
The Need for Accessibility When You Live with Chronic Pain or Disability Adaptations and modifications of spaces are often required when you live with chronic pain or a disability. Many of us spend a lot of time at home, so it only makes sense that we transform it to suit our needs for a better […]
Continue reading "How to Maximise Accessibility & Improve Your Quality of Life at Home"
*Note from A Chronic Voice: Cynthia Hill is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience. She aims to help her clients – many of whom live with chronic pain or disability – regain their quality of life as best as they possibly can. She has always had a special interest in hand injuries, […]
What is the Chronic Illness Social Pod For? So I finally set up the social media engagement pod I’ve been talking about! It wasn’t so difficult, but kind of tedious at the same time. I had discovered (after all these years, I know right?) similar pages on Facebook a month or two ago, and have […]
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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 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’, […]
*Note from A Chronic Voice: Erica shares some simple tips on how you can be a good friend to someone with chronic illness. It’s difficult to put yourself in their shoes, and I wouldn’t expect that of anyone. But showing some empathy is possible, and providing a listening ear is always appreciated. Most importantly of […]
Why Many People with Chronic Illness Hate to be Known as ‘Sick’ From reading articles online, I’m aware that many of us with chronic illnesses don’t like to be known as sick or weak. No human being does, really. There are many reasons why one might dislike the association with their illness, such as: We […]
Continue reading "Call Me Sick Girl (Or How to Make Your Weakness Your Strength)"
Part Two of Three: Preventing a Pain Flare Before It Hits This is a three-part series all about pain flares caused by chronic illness. (You can find links for the other two at the end of this post.) In this second part of the series, we share our best strategies to stop a pain flare […]
Continue reading "Best Tips for Preventing a Pain Flare (from 40 People with Chronic Illness)"
To clarify before I begin – I have a variety of chronic illnesses that affect the blood, brain, heart and virtually any body part, but I know nothing about physical disability and have only been confined to a wheelchair once. So if I made a mistake in this article, feel free to correct me. Having […]
Continue reading "Would You Rather: Have an Invisible Illness or a Visible Disability?"
A Question for All Eternity “What is the purpose of my life?” It’s a timeless, eternal question that has plagued or intrigued humanity since the beginning of time. It is a thought that can be disturbing to me especially when I’m in the throes of extreme pain. What is the point to all this? Any […]
Continue reading "I Have No Purpose in Life, and Therein Lies My Purpose"
Life’s Ultimate Superheroes There’s no need to state the obvious I suppose, but many mothers are the ultimate superheroes in everyday life. They’re the ones who show up when things get rough, and showing up once is the easiest part! Unlike the movies where superheroes calm calamities in an instant, real life problems require steadfast […]
*Note from A Chronic Voice: Angela and I met at a party through our ex-boyfriends (talk about how life goes 😉 ), and I never knew that she suffered from chronic illness too. She was living overseas – which can be especially tough for a spoonie! – and seemed so outgoing. After I started this […]
Continue reading "I May be Chronically Ill, but I’m Also Chronically Resilient"
*This post was first published on februarystars.co.uk A Day in the Life of Chronic Pain My partner massaged shampoo into my hair as I hunched over in the bathtub, shivering with pain. His finger movements were awkward but gentle, which made it all the more endearing. The pain was unbearable, yet I had insisted on […]
Continue reading "Life with Chronic Illness: Happiness & Pain Can Co-exist"
Friday, 29 May 2020. Issue #215. In this issue: How painkillers help to improve my quality of life, by allowing me to do ‘normal’ things, which in turn benefit my physical and mental health. We are actually already practising neuroplasticity in our everyday lives. When you’re used to things going badly on repeat with chronic […]
Friday, 22 May 2020. Issue #214. In this issue: Pacing and planning regular rest breaks are essential for preventing a pain flare. It gnaws away at your physical and mental wellbeing when you’re in isolation for long periods. Don’t let someone else’s bad behaviour (ghosting) rob you of the possibilities of another beautiful relationship. How […]
Chronic illness is perhaps one of the hardest things that a person will have to deal with in his or her life. Whether a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, or a significant other/loved one is, chronic illness will take a toll on a person. Chronic illness is an issue that isn’t talked about […]
Friday, 15 May 2020. Issue #213. In this issue: To live with chronic illness is to live with unpredictability, and is a life lesson many of us have had to learn early the hard way. The damaging mental effects of steroids that are often ignored, with physical symptoms taken more seriously. Linkup resources you can […]
Friday, 08 May 2020. Issue #212. In this issue: Jo’s review of her website which we revamped! Acceptance and allowance of emotions, without attaching meaning to what it means for our future. May has a lot of awareness dates, which I’ve listed for the writing prompts this month. Our bodies are not passive whilst sleeping, […]
Foreseeing As this COVID-19 pandemic carries on, there is no foreseeable date as to when all this will end, if at all. I have a feeling it (and many other coronaviruses – there are over 500) will become more commonplace in the future, and vaccines will be developed to target them like the flu. Evolution […]
Continue reading "To Live with Chronic Illness is to Learn to Live with Maybes"
Friday, 01 May 2020. Issue #211. In this issue: Baskets are great simple tools to help maximise accessibility at home. People with chronic illnesses learn to pay close attention to their bodies; unlike healthy people who are able to handle a bigger blow of stress with less down time. It’s difficult to navigate a world […]