*Note: This was first published as part of my #100WritingDays Medium experiment. Is This It? It’s easy to get sucked into one way of thinking, when you only live your life one way. Staying under one roof, with one partner. Hanging out with the same group of friends, or not hanging out with anyone at […]
Friday, 10 August 2018. Issue #122. In this issue: My loyal cockatiel companion checking in on me post-seizure! The big difference between pain tolerance vs pain threshold. Lessons learned from being a patient, through the eyes of a nurse. What it’s like to survive depression again and again, with the weight of misconceptions heaped onto […]
Friday, 03 Aug 2018. Issue #121. In this issue: A sad loss of a loved one to kidney failure and COPD, RIP 🙁 Things not to say to someone who suffers from chronic pain despite the unpredictability, which can make it seem unbelievable. There are homeless people on the street suffering from mental illnesses, and […]
The Icefall Doctors I selected “Earth’s Natural Wonders by BBC” amongst a list of Netflix series, and began munching on my dinner alone. The first chapter shone a light on the Icefall Doctors, whose job is to secure the safest route up Mount Everest for other climbers. Call me ignorant for not knowing about them […]
Continue reading "Why Humility is the Best Tool for Advocacy"
Welcome to the second edition of book recommendations for spoonies! Like the first roundup, these are all books written by people with illnesses themselves, or revolve around related topics. They’re suitable even if you’re a healthy person with no medical issues, and provide many interesting cultural and humane insights from around the world. I hope […]
Continue reading "Book Recommendations for Spoonies: Part II"
Friday, 13 July 2018. Issue #118. In this issue: A Twitter poll and discussion, on what people with chronic illnesses struggle with the most. Yes, you’re allowed to feel upset for awhile when you’re having a bad day. What we wish others would understand about losing your career due to chronic illness. A major self-identity […]
Friday, 07 July 2018. Issue #117. In this issue: The need to erase stigma about mental illness by talking more about it. Life lessons from surviving college with chronic illness. Depressing thoughts that need to be shared. The mutual respect and coordination needed between doctors and patients. The fears of isolation from illness, and how […]
Friday, 29 June 2018. Issue #116. In this issue: The sad misconceptions surrounding the ‘right’ to use a disabled parking spot. Songs that comfort in a myriad of ways. Some favourite things and moments in June, and the struggle with beauty regimes. The one phrase that makes your pain feel invalidated. Chronic illness is a […]
Saturday, 16 June 2018. Issue #114. In this issue: Finding the way back to hope. Every tissue and cell in our body renews at a faster rate when we sleep. An invitation to speak about pulmonary hypertension at the COPD conference in Rome. That guilty feeling when you look well and go out, even though […]
Saturday, 02 June 2018. Issue #112. In this issue: Fatigue from chronic illness can’t be fixed by merely resting or sleeping, and exists on a whole new level. There is an important difference between pain tolerance and pain threshold. Putting medications and herbs aside, even regular foods can be dangerous for someone with Antiphospholipid Syndrome. […]
Saturday, 19 May 2018. Issue #110. In this issue: Life encompasses all ways of living; you don’t have to tie yourself down to a narrow frame of ‘strength’. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up, but focussing on what you can rather than what you can’t do. How many spoonies would like for society to treat them […]
