Today is the 1 year anniversary of my Hysterectomy. Little did I know I would wake up not only minus 1 uterus, but also minus a number of Endometriosis lesions that my surgeon found during the procedure (after years of doctors telling me that nothing was wrong with my pelvic organs). It seems SO fitting that…
Living with a Chronic Illness? Consider These Things Next Time You’re Preparing For a New Doctor
(A collaboration with DiverseMedEd) If you live with a chronic illness, preparing for a new doctor for the first time can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? Will you have enough time to tell them about your complex medical history? Will they even be familiar with your condition? If you find the lead up to…
Should You Spend 5 Bucks a Month on the Corra Health Tracking App?
Content warning: descriptions of medical symptoms, blood, weight and food tracking. Corra is a personal health tracking app that is currently available in the Apple and Google Play stores. It can track a variety of health factors such as sleep, nutrition, and symptoms, which the app can then analyse to offer each user individual health…
It’s the Most Flare Inducing Time of the Year! (Coping With the Physical Strain of the Holiday Season)
The holidays can be a challenging time of the year, especially if you live with a disability. In the November newsletter, I asked you what the most helpful thing would be for us to discuss in the lead up the Christmas. The most popular answer was: coping with the physical strain of the holidays. My…
CBD: Separating Fact From Fiction
CBD or Cannabidiol has been gaining a lot of traction recently. Everywhere you look there seems to be someone offering it in a new form, accompanied by a new claim as to how it will benefit your well-being. Some of these claims are supported by solid evidence, but some are often exaggerated, and many even…
I Spent My Saturday Translating This Life-Changing Article About EDS and MCAS Into English
My doctor recently handed me a copy of a journal article on the relationship between Ehlers-Danlos’ Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (EDS and MCAS). It was co-written by Dr Stéphane Daens and Dr Daniel Grossin; the President and Vice-President of GERSED (Belgium’s Francophone society for EDS research). I am actually eagerly awaiting an appointment with…
A Comprehensive Review of the CycleSoother
Content Warning: descriptions of medical symptoms, blood. ATTENTION Do you have a uterus? Do you sometimes wish that you didn’t!? Well then, this is the article for you my friend! (If you do NOT have a uterus, I suggest you pause for a small moment of gratitude, then keep reading anyway so you can potentially…
“Did I Ask?” and Other Appropriate Responses to “You Don’t Look Sick”
If you’ve ever been sick for more than a fortnight or had some kind of invisible illness or disability, you will no doubt be familiar with this scenario: you mention taking a day off school or work, missing an event, or going home early due to a medical problem...and someone is overcome with the urge…
10 Non-Pharmaceutical Things That Have Helped Me With Chronic Pain
Content warning: description of medical symptoms One of the hardest things about being in chronic pain is the sheer amount of time we are expected to spend waiting around without adequate relief. We wait for a doctor’s appointment, to get a referral, to wait for a specialist appointment, to wait for test results, to wait…