Chronic at Christmas – my best ideas for balancing the festivities with pain and fatigue

In 43 years I can’t remember a Christmas that wasn’t exhausting. When I was 7, the excitement of seeing whether Santa had visited became unbearable around 5am. Like all kids, I was eager to discover what exactly he’d left for me under the tree. As a consequence, my parents and I had heavy eyelids andContinue reading “Chronic at Christmas – my best ideas for balancing the festivities with pain and fatigue”

Pain bias – why is everything collectively coined as ‘backache’?

There are so many things to be frustrated about when you live with chronic pain and / or chronic fatigue. As soon as your pain becomes ‘chronic’, the level of explanation needed just to get across to family, friends, doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, what you’re experiencing can mean that you spend most of yourContinue reading “Pain bias – why is everything collectively coined as ‘backache’?”

Patience – I have none

Despite struggling with the act of ‘getting it done’, I hate delaying. If something is on my list, if a new thing that needs to be done appears, if information is requested of me and it needs to be sent over…I want it done… NOW. I feel for my family at times. Every now andContinue reading “Patience – I have none”

Mental illness emergency breaks – being brave enough to stop.

Since cave people prized open their bleary eyes at the dawn of human-time, readying themselves for another day of hunting and gathering, there was only ever one goal, one desire, one dream, for the end of their evening. Was it charring and devouring their fleshy prize? No. Was it seeing friends and talking about tomorrowsContinue reading “Mental illness emergency breaks – being brave enough to stop.”

The Chronic Pain Cyclone – Agony to Misery

I know I talk a lot, loads, infinitely, about pain. But, as anyone living with chronic pain will understand, it’s impossible to ignore. It imapcts and defines every second of your existence as you try and navigate life without making it worse. You wake up at night without a moment to feel dopey because theContinue reading “The Chronic Pain Cyclone – Agony to Misery”

Chronic pain – the drugs don’t work

They just make you worse. You know the song, but imagine living it. Imagine relying on medication that isn’t effective when all you want it to do is allow you to get to the toilet without pain. For those of us living with chronic pain, this is the norm. Trial and error of prescription medicationContinue reading “Chronic pain – the drugs don’t work”