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Free Resource: Live PelvicSense Session With Evelyn Hecht
The fabulous Evelyn Hecht (and our comrade of the pelvic pain world), who created Pelvic Sense, has an invitation for you. If you are experiencing persistent pelvic pain, urgency, or burning symptoms and need help learning more about these issues and how to manage them (yes, you can!), then here’s a must-attend event for you. I know these events can be difficult. I’ve often sat and stared at the thing I know will help me, but for some reason, remain frozen and unable to reach out and do something about it. I get it! [...]
Magnolia Season
I’ve been productive and my Magnolia season is on track to bloom. I refer to winter as Magnolia season because when I lived in Collingwood, I would extend my morning walk during August to the top of Gertrude Street to see the glorious promenading Magnolias bloom day after day for a few weeks along the block from Brunswick Street to the Exhibition Centre. If you live in Melbs, it’s worth a special trip to see them. I have always loved winter, and even more since the pain saga began in 2007—I am so much [...]
The Beast Matures – My 18th Anniversary
There are so many ways I can write about this 18th anniversary. Will you entertain me while I think aloud this year? I’m angry… that’s the first emotion that comes to mind every year, and the anger isn’t about chronic illness; it’s towards WorkSafe and their unjust system —calm your farm, Soula. I must cool my jets, remain positive, rise above the cruelty of the worker’s compensation system, and acknowledge that the beast has not managed to defeat me—oh, well done, Soula (and I celebrate with buttery, vegemite toast this morning on bread freshly [...]
Keeping Busy, Living Life, and Staying Pain Free(ish)
The essence is all in the ‘ish’, right? But grant me this: at least I did use the words ‘pain-free’. And the words ‘busy’ and ‘living’. You would not have read that years ago. I’ve decided to check in with my health family as it’s been too long, and messages are dribbling into my inbox and met with replies, ‘I’m not advocating anymore’. I feel terrible! But then I get distracted with some lovely life activity and realise I don’t miss advocacy, and my decision to stop regularly writing about my lived experience was [...]
Busy Advocating and Making Art – My Life Management
Although pain management is the undercurrent of my life, it no longer rules my life activity. This is a tricky mind battle that underlies everything I do. Working around my limits is very hard, but I no longer let that be the surface of my day-to-day life. On the surface, instead, is my creativity and ongoing advocacy for health management. It’s not enough to focus on treatment alone for ongoing health issues because our health is at the core of our whole life – it’s life management we need to conquer. There are always [...]
Four Corners… More like One.
I’m so disappointed in Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett. I can’t believe this is an ABC story. Firstly, I do want to express my sadness for the people in the story whose lives were taken, destroyed and affected. Apparent to me from my life experience (sorry, only real life data available!) and this story is that shonky operators and insurers are not healthcare professionals. I’m also concerned for anyone who might be in line for surgery – Four Corners, you may have killed their possibility to obtain great treatment. An investigation into the prevention [...]