October 22nd, 2014 10:07 am

‘The Hurting Strings’ wins International Film Festival Reel Health Award 2014

By |2017-12-11T16:40:26+11:00October 22nd, 2014|Categories: Advocacy, Blog, Events, Film, Online, The Hurting Strings|Tags: |

I must sound like a broken record by now, but once again, I am left bewildered by my chronic pain journey and the contrasting experiences that go from excruciating pain to exhilaration. Above all, I feel incredibly privileged at the opportunities presented to me and so happy to be able to help others by communicating my story. I could not have done this without Theo, my family and of course Peter Lamont and Jacinta Cashen.

October 15th, 2014 11:05 am

Semi Finalist for the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2014

By |2017-12-11T13:40:37+11:00October 15th, 2014|Categories: Blog, Creativity|Tags: , |

Very chuffed to be selected as a semi finalist regardless of the outcome. The portrait was flown up to Sydney for a second round of judging. She didn't make the final cut of 30 finalists but I feel so content that Ms Soula is going to great lengths to create awareness for invisible pain.

September 21st, 2014 9:08 pm

Commitment, sacrifice and granting myself the right permissions

By |2023-01-26T14:46:01+11:00September 21st, 2014|Categories: About, Blog, Living, My treatment|Tags: , , , |

Last week, I attended my last acupuncture appointment and for the first time in over seven years, am therapist free. Hang on, I have to just repeat that: I am therapist free Did I ever think this day would come? Of course I did and I believe that's why I am here. I have had my moments, but what I didn't realise through all that heat and whilst pacing like a snail, was that each flare up and pain episode was actually not an indication that pain was here to stay, but rather that it was actually beginning to leave. Although just a difference of minutes initially, eventually I felt the flare ups spreading further apart. And with recognising that change and NOT increasing my capacity past a snail's shell weight, I began to make progress.

August 9th, 2014 8:46 am

Cathartic collage, my self portraits

By |2024-01-21T15:26:16+11:00August 9th, 2014|Categories: About, Blog, Creativity|Tags: , |

Collage has been a little more therapeutic for me than my usual art forms. I think it must have been finding a technique that I could manage and one that didn't add to the fatigue and pain. Cutting small pieces of paper and glueing, drawing, attaching was just so light and easy. The painting of small pieces of paper and the careful ripping and tearing was like rocking. So gentle, so calming and at the same time feeling like I was handling my pain, expressing it and getting it out of my body and onto the art piece.

April 16th, 2014 12:52 pm

Insurer acts under WorkCover’s big circus tent

By |2023-01-24T16:12:31+11:00April 16th, 2014|Categories: Blog, Workcover|Tags: , , , |

It's astounding the levels the WorkSafe Agent will stoop too (which are the levels WorkSafe obviously set) in order to avoid their responsibility with my WorkCover claim. I'm going to keep up with this documenting as I want to encourage other injured workers to fight these pathetic insurer circus acts. It's unacceptable, not to mention, not what my WorkCover premium was paid for. Where's my 'quality income protection', where is my return to work help, and where is my income and medical financial help?

April 15th, 2014 9:21 am

National Pain Report, My Story: A Pain in the Coccyx

By |2021-02-20T11:17:13+11:00April 15th, 2014|Categories: About, Advocacy, Blog, My treatment, Online|Tags: , , , , , |

(http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/my-story-a-pain-in-the-coccyx-8823596.html) The National Pain Report, my story. April 14th, 2014 by Soula Mantalvanos I begged my neurosurgeon to do anything, even to chop my coccyx off. But after getting opinions from other surgeons, he suggested not to go the invasive path as we had the option for an implant called a peripheral stimulator, a treatment that was reversible. It made more sense.

April 9th, 2014 4:15 pm

No Partridge in a Pear Tree to be Found, I’m Preparing for Conciliation… Again!

By |2023-01-24T16:12:31+11:00April 9th, 2014|Categories: Blog, Workcover|Tags: , , , |

(Sing with me, to the tune of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'': 16 points of stimulation, multiple case managers, too many Independent* Medical Examinations, 9 anaesthetics, Several investigations, wasted complaints to WorkSafe, Four conciliation applications, Three operations, Two Medical Panel Opinions, One Impairment Assessment, and, no Partridge in a Pear Tree to be found...

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