overload and over-stimulation are quite common in people with chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome

How to cope with Fibromyalgia sensory overload

The intense light seems to glare down at me as the excessive noise continues all around me. I feel myself start to become overwhelmed. All I want to do it get home so I can sit in my quiet and dark room. As I rush out of the store someone brushes my shoulder and spikes…Continue reading How to cope with Fibromyalgia sensory overload

when you have a chronic illness, you are enough

When you have a chronic illness you are enough

Guest post by Megan Clark Neville: Megan Clark Neville worked as a children’s librarian at a public library for three years. She  published a chapter on Summer Reading Club Programs for Elementary Children through the Texas State Library in 2011. She has been chronically ill for the past sixteen years. She currently lives in the…Continue reading When you have a chronic illness you are enough

Pain awareness and being called to be brave

Sheryl over at A Chronic Voice hosts a monthly get together for people with chronic illnesses to write about certain topics. This month we’re talking about: Feeling, Grueling, Tempting, Running, and Mending. September is also pain awareness month and so I’ll be filtering my posts through the lens of chronic pain all month. Feeling I…Continue reading Pain awareness and being called to be brave

What people with chronic illness really want is to stop faking well

I often get questions from well meaning healthy people about what I want from them. I’m not great with words on the spot, so I thought I’d put a list of things I think people with chronic illness really want. 1. To not have to fake being well Many people with chronic illness put in…Continue reading What people with chronic illness really want is to stop faking well

How to recognize strength and bravery in your suffering. Learning how to be proud of how chronic illness has changed you

How to recognize the strength and bravery in your suffering

I used to hate being alone. I was always busy, every minute of every day. I didn’t have the time or the desire to be by myself. Being alone only gave me time to think, and I didn’t want that. Then one day chronic illness hit me like a mack truck, and I was forced…Continue reading How to recognize the strength and bravery in your suffering

How to prioritize your health when you have a chronic illness

Having a chronic illness or living with chronic pain can quickly become overwhelming and that’s why it’s important to prioritize your health. Because of this one of the most important things to remember is that it is okay to tell people no. Here are four things to keep in mind when it comes to saying…Continue reading How to prioritize your health when you have a chronic illness

how to be brave in the face of chronic illness

How to be brave in the face of chronic illness

Let’s talk about bravery. The word conjures of an image of heroes, fictional or real.  Currently we’re having conversations about the bravery of the nurses and doctors that are saving lives during this pandemic. These conversations are important right now and I don’t want to take away from them , but today I want to…Continue reading How to be brave in the face of chronic illness

being immuno-compromised in a Covid-19 world is terrifying

Being immuno-compromised in a Covid-19 world is terrifying

Being immuno-compromised in a Covid-19 world is terrifying. It’s been a while since I last blogged. At some point I figured that I had run out of things to say and considered giving up blogging forever. Yet for some reason I paid my hosting fees for another year, just to give myself the option of…Continue reading Being immuno-compromised in a Covid-19 world is terrifying

finding comfort when you're having a bad pain day

Finding comfort when you’re having a bad pain day

Bad pain days  take everything out of you. They suck your body and soul dry. You feel empty and destroyed. You try to distract yourself so you can have a better attitude, but the pain is so overwhelming you can’t get past it. You wish you could go to sleep and then magically wake up…Continue reading Finding comfort when you’re having a bad pain day

8 reasons why people with chronic pain feel misunderstood

Living with chronic pain isn’t easy and it doesn’t help that many pain suffers feel completely misunderstood.  Here are some of the things that people in pain regularly hear, and why they are incorrect. 1. I know what you deal with now because I’ve had (insert minor ailment here) this week. Having the flu or…Continue reading 8 reasons why people with chronic pain feel misunderstood