I'm a top blogger in this day and age of youthful influencers! And I'm also really proud to be a representative of the lived experience among a stream of companies and services listed on FeedSpot's 70 Best Pain Management Blogs and Websites. And, I'm the only Australian-listed blog in the top 40. Rated number six and facing the world with a profile image among business logos, I feel quite chuffed about this achievement.
Self-management is hard, chronic illness is overwhelming. Chronic illness robs you of your independence and control, leaving you feeling defeated and mentally and physically drained. Add to the endless appointments required; now, we also have to be considerate of healthcare systems under pressure. Guess who gets the short end of the stick? We pay with our lives. Perhaps healthcare systems were destined to burst their stitches because healthCARE was never built to care for people; it was made to keep people relying on it. That's not care. Can taking more ownership of our health make a difference?
Here and There exhibition: paintings, drawings and etchings of Venice by me at Queenscliff Gallery. It's thrilling to be writing this post. To my friends and followers further afield than Melbourne, I will have a virtual tour of the exhibition published on the Queenscliff Gallery (QG) website where you can view the works forming the exhibition and some of my other available artworks. Here and There is a culmination of my recent trip to Venice... to date!
(Image: Soula Mantalvanos, founder My Health Story features in Women in Business, Bellarine Times International Women’s Day special edition 2023) Feature, Women in Business, Bellarine Times International [...]
In 2011 when I built pudendalnerve.com.au, the internet was starved of helpful communities and resources. It was the very reason my advocacy began. I didn't want anyone to be as lost as I was on my search for important health information. There were few online portals where people could connect, and the only health information available was through science journals – no individual could understand them! Health orgs that did have a web presence seemed not to have a dialogue with the consumers they claimed to exist for. Thank goodness that's changing, but we still have a way to go as the usual questions remain; What is chronic pain? How can we manage chronic pain and its symptoms and effects? What are the best treatments, and why is there such a lack of understanding? etc This is where Nerita Lewis comes in with her idea to democratise healthcare with Jaspen.
I am skipping more breakfasts; my body manages far better (cutting out goat's feta on the seedy cracker). The less work my body does in the morning, the happier it seems. No pressure! An empty belly is no pressure on the gut. Feeling hungry does not cause pressure and is easier to deal with than the pain effects. I treat myself a couple of times a week to a croissant. On those days, I avoid carbs for the rest of that day. Carbs have to be in very little moderation for me. So finding a non-carb lunch is important, and it had to be easy to put together. Cereal! Well, most cereals have loads of carbs. Granola! A great idea; make a batch and just add fruit. But wait! Most granola mixes have heaps of sugar (and pepitas, which I am allergic to).
(Image: Me in Cortona, Italy 2022) I’m signing off this year with Italian flare. I’m trying to stay positive after yet another messy year. It almost feels [...]
Near impossible! Slowing yourself down when you’re feeling great is a pathetic concept for a person living with chronic illness. It’s not like you ever go very [...]
WorkSafe Victoria Instructed to Treat Injured Workers With Dignity and Respect My letter has arrived informing me that I am one of the 1,500 long-term injured workers WorkSafe is contacting. So, I had to learn what this was about. It would be best if you were prepared in these distressing situations even though you anticipate the return to the fire pit. A letter from WorkSafe is never a simple letter. It will never be pleasant, never hopeful and nor will it ever be about justice, support or care. Letters from WorkSafe are about WorkSafe and steered at ticking their boxes. Injured workers now have to help WorkSafe clean up their mess.
Can visualising the personal health experience lead to better care and understanding? You all know what I think and believe about this. But now, I'm aiming to inform the rest of [...]
