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. [...]
July 28th, 2024
12:34 pm
April 11th, 2024
2:04 pm
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 [...]
April 12th, 2023
11:33 am
PainAustralia Survey Report: Impact of opioid regulatory reforms on people living with chronic pain
When will patients be understood and listened to?! It’s obviously necessary to have a peak body addressing the needs of the pain community. Still, the frustration of [...]
February 25th, 2023
11:06 am
Introducing Nerita Lewis, Founder of Jaspen, a new social platform
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.
October 4th, 2022
2:30 pm
WEBINAR: Can visualising the personal health experience lead to better care and understanding?
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 [...]
September 24th, 2022
11:50 am
My Lived Experience at CODA Conference
The Primary Care workshop at this year's CODA Conference was my favorite lived experience contribution to date! The workshop approach was more effective than my other 'standup gigs'. Something has clicked with me lately – I've stepped out of chronic illness's emotional and physical sides and more often partaking in health education. I like it! We must believe that twitches, spasms, toilet function-changing effects, noise, screaming, soreness, stabbing, burning, itching, fatiguing, and draining effects of chronic pain can be controlled. If you had told me this between my first and 4.5-year mark, I would have felt angry and said, 'My issue is severe, far more serious than everyone realises, and my healthcare practitioners are all missing the terrible thing in my body, and I am going to die from it.'
June 16th, 2022
5:15 pm
Ian Cleary Lightning Process: Take Your First Practical Step
I have posted much info about Ian Cleary and the Lightning Process. Like my DNA investigation, this costs quite a bit but would be very worth it. [...]
March 4th, 2022
1:26 pm
CODA 2022: My Lived Experience and I Will Be There
I'm thrilled to be invited to another educational event IN REAL LIFE I might add. I really enjoy collaborating with Dr Paul Grinzi as a lot of his educational workshops have a great focus on communication. If people and their health teams can't connect then care isn't going to happen. So how do you reach, connect and help people who live with chronic pain? Come along and learn! PRIMARY AND ACUTE CARE Chronic persistent pain is a common clinical issue, and yet most of us have received very little training in how to best manage patients experiencing this. Not only do we have to manage the clinical and psychosocial issues presented by the patient, we have to recognise and manage our own biases as clinicians. The format for the workshop utilises patient experiences, clinical cases and new frameworks to help further our understanding of persistent pain and how to assist our patients. There is a specific focus on management within the community, but also opportunities to explore the challenges within the emergency and inpatient hospital interfaces. By the end of this half-day, you’ll have optimised your approach, and may find this topic a little less painful.
February 20th, 2022
2:00 pm
San Diego Pain Summit
Pain Management Conference The 9th Annual International multidisciplinary conference helping clinicians translate pain research into patient centered care. Rajam Roose is the CEO/Founder and sole organizer of the [...]
February 6th, 2022
3:31 pm
Evelyn Hecht’s Pelvic Sense
Evelyn totally has PelvicSense! And thankfully, Evelyn made an online pelvic healing home program out of it. It includes an easy-to-understand book, calming audios with music, downloads, and many gently progressive pelvic exercise videos. I was thrilled to chat and meet Evelyn Hecht PT recently. It is refreshing to speak to a healthcare professional who has the care factor and exudes warmth and understanding.