Tag: Personal Experience
“Renegades”: The PBS Show About Historical Figures With Disabilities You Need to See
I interviewed the host & crew of PBS’s Renegades, about lesser-known historical figures with disabilities. Finally, a show that doesn’t just tokenize disability but centers it, celebrates it, & demands that we recognize it as integral to our history!
Beyond the Pain Scale: A Patient’s Guide to How Nurses Can Improve Pain Management & Combat Stigma
Last weekend (October 2024) I had the incredible opportunity to speak at the 2024 American Society of Pain Medicine Nursing conference about the importance of communication between patients and their medical providers. I’m no medical pro, but as a chronic pain patient for over two decades, I’ve experienced firsthand the transformative power of compassionate, patient-centered…
Navigating Relationships with Chronic Pain with Unity & Partnership
Despite whatever conditions are in play, there are ways to find and build a healthy romantic partnership where you thrive as a team. Here’s how! Building a healthy relationship despite chronic pain is a complex dance, one that requires grace, patience, and of course love. Whether it’s you or your partner who’s in this continuous…
Quotes About Self Care (& Self Care Quotes About Invisible Illness)
Quotes about self-care, especially self-care quotes about invisible illness, are hard to come by. Well, good ones at least– you can find sappy schlock everywhere. But there are also gems, little bits of wisdom that remind me to take time for myself, helping me through the chronic pain of my invisible illnesses. Click one in…
Chronic pain & trouble sleeping: sleep routines may cure your insomnia
A sleep routine (aka “sleep hygiene): if you have chronic pain, anxiety, ADHD and insomnia (or any combo thereof), like I do, this simple process might just be the “cure” for insomnia you’ve been seeking. “Sleep hygiene” is the process of creating an environment that can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are…
How To: Dating With Chronic Pain or Dating With Invisible Disabilities
Dating with chronic pain is tough, especially if there’s nothing visible about your condition. Finding someone using dating dating apps like Hinge or Tinder is hard to begin with, but dating with a disability, especially invisible illnesses, adds a whole other level of difficulty. In some ways using those apps would be easier if I…
Top Qs about Invisible Illnesses & Disability Pride Month
Invisible illnesses are tough: you never quite know where you belong. Since July is Disability Pride Month, here are answers to the top questions people with invisible illnesses ask about disability.
Why I Didn’t Write About Medical Cannabis On 4/20
Happy 4/21! I didn’t write about medical cannabis yesterday, even though I wanted to. Why? Texas, mostly.
6 Qs People W/Disabilities Should Ask Before Getting a Dog
For people with disabilities, getting a dog can be a life-changing experience. In addition to company and love, caring for a dog can get you out of your own head and off the couch at times when you wouldn’t or couldn’t otherwise. It’s a great way to meet new people and a great excuse to…
Guilt-Free Self-Care Tips for Introverts
These guilt-free self-care tips for introverts explain options for people with social anxiety, chronic pain, or who just need alone time.
Murderball: Massacring Misconceptions
Wanna watch Murderball? Stream it legally on Philo or Fubo.tv. Or use your library card on Kanopy. Youtube also has multiple full copies of it up.March 2024 update: Looks like Prime’s got it now too! Or you can just buy the dang DVD. Here’s a TL;DR up front: If you’ve never seen Murderball, go watch…
Pain Scales (1-10): How To Explain Your Pain
Pain scales are an imperfect attempt to objectively classify something that resists that categorization. There are so many types of pain, but even if you only have one (“only”), pain isn’t neat and tidy. Keep the bigger picture in mind when using a 1-10 scale to measure your pain.