Columns

I like to read online about how other patients experience systemic scleroderma, especially when I encounter unusual symptoms that don’t seem to have any relevance to the disease. So far, I have amassed a small collection of minor, but annoying and somewhat peculiar, ailments that puzzle…

This morning I went for a walk. I’m trying to introduce this daily activity into my self-care program in an attempt to claw back some semblance of a “normal” life. Well, at least that’s what my inner voice told me as I pulled on my…

I’ve had a rough run lately. Three separate kidney infections, medications to treat them, and additional medicines to deal with the side effects of the first lot have left me with little energy for anything. The addition of a nasty head cold and an inefficient immune system…

The last two weeks have been extremely challenging. Living the scleroderma lifestyle means I never know what is around the next corner. Waking up brings a daily surprise, sometimes good, and other times not so pleasant. I have learned to go with whatever the disease presents me with…

I have been feeling strangely unsettled as of late. My unease is not due to the current state of the world or a nasty flare-up. It is scarier than those things and associated with the next procedure for which I am scheduled. My cardiologist has me…

I always look forward to events that occur each year, particularly those involving special traditions. This Easter was no exception, and as usual, I made my “hot peace buns.” I attempt to make these every Good Friday, although it can be a mission to find the energy to…

For years, when I was a practicing counselor, I used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a part of my eclectic approach to to working with clients. One aspect of CBT is understanding what you subconsciously or consciously believe about certain problematic situations in life. The…

These last few weeks have been some of the worst I can remember. Not only have I been trying to process the terror attack in my hometown, but also we had to say farewell to our beautiful old ginger tabby cat Otis, who we were…

Two weeks ago my world was rocked by the mass terrorist shooting in two of our central city mosques here in Christchurch.   In February I wrote a column about finding healing in kindness. Reading back through it makes me very sad. It now feels…

The medical police, aka my cardiologist team, have advised me to do no more than very gentle walks. I am not permitted to do anything more intense because we are waiting for cardiology test results. No weight training, no cycling, no strenuous kickboxing sessions.