Focus

September 17, 2025.Reading time 1 minute.

We measure our days by appointments – his and mine. At a recent appointment, the doctor asks me if I’m prepared to do more tests or need a break. I appreciate his empathy but decide to go ahead with testing. Soon Winter will be upon us and getting around will be difficult. Maybe in Winter, […]

Self-Isolating

July 2, 2025.Reading time 2 minutes.

“It’s like COVID all over again,” my daughter remarks. She’s right, of course, except I’m the only one isolating. After two rounds of bugs and an infection, I have chosen to stay away from others in an attempt to give my immune system a break. Besides, I have a procedure in ten days for which […]

Chronic Illness vs Depression

May 14, 2025.Reading time 2 minutes.

“How do I know if I am depressed or it’s just the exhaustion of ME?” I asked my therapist in the early days of being bedridden with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. “It’s simple,” she answered. “With depression, you lose interest in the things you usually love, so you don’t bother. With chronic illness, you want to engage, […]

To Shift or Not to Shift

January 1, 2025.Reading time 1 minute.

During our last visit, the doctor prescribed a new medication to manage migraines. We discussed not starting it until I was cleared of other issues that I was facing at the time. Turned out, I was able to start the medication on Christmas day. Fast forward a few days and I notice no signs of […]

Boxed and Categorized

October 23, 2024.Reading time 5 minutes.

“Let’s just talk about what is relevant here.” I nod as the doctor peruses my list of diagnoses and symptoms. It’s lengthy, I admit, but how am I to know what relates and what doesn’t? Isn’t it all a part of the whole? I’ve waited almost two years for this appointment, although he tells me […]

Ice

October 9, 2024.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Interesting how confinement plays tricks on the mind. Directed to remain motionless, I spent an hour yesterday in a MRI machine. Despite the headphones, the bleeps and thrums seemed to penetrate my psyche. My body, taking advantage of my hostage status, decided to bemoan past injustices. While I focused on breathing, I listened to the […]

This is My Life….

October 2, 2024.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Packing

August 21, 2024.Reading time less than 1 minute.

We’ve decided, after five years of being homebodies, to try travelling again. He’s making reservations, while I make to-do lists and try to decide what to pack. Excited by the possibility, he draws up ambitious itineraries, and I’m feeling reality close in. What won’t fit into any suitcase, I gently remind him, is the promise […]

A Rocky Path

March 27, 2024.Reading time 1 minute.

When health takes a hit, the road ahead becomes littered with unknowns. After months of waiting, I finally got in to see a neurologist. Actually, the call came on the very day I was about to tell my doctor to cancel the referral. For ten years I have lived with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Diagnosed, that is. […]

Santa’s on His Way?

November 17, 2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I created this piece a week ago. Weather was turning, and I got inspired to make lists, and then, wham….Ric and I tested positive for COVID. Damn! The doctor immediately prescribed Paxlovid with a warning that it would cause a terrible taste in my mouth (it does) and likely affect my gastrointestinal system. No joke […]