The Power of Blogging About Illness

May 21, 2013 in Anecdotes, Body Image, Featured, Health, People, Self, Society, Stories

I’ve been telling my story on my various blogs on and off for 12 years. It’s been seven years since I revealed my face on MySpace – since I’ve told my true story about Ichthyosis. And doing so has been the most empowering thing. I am a strong believer that blogging gives people a powerful voice that is heard. Many patients and parents of children with Ichthyosis have encountered stares, comments and hurt around their condition that has sometimes scarred their confidence and quietened their voices. Additionally, it is often perceived that because of a person’s visible difference, their life [...]

Welcome To Polite Island

May 17, 2013 in Entertainment, Fiction, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle, Money, People, Society, Stories, Travel

Welcome to Polite Island! You have been selected to live in this modern utopia because you embody the values of a considerate unselfish person. Polite Island was founded by a woman who was becoming increasingly frustrated with her considerate behaviour being met with inconsiderate behaviour. Instead of giving up on being a polite person and falling into pit of selfishness she came up with a plan to make the world fairer. Instead of eradicating those devoted only to themselves and who frequently engage in behaviours that can be classed as ‘douchebaggery’ we have simply excluded them from our society. This [...]

The Help: Teen Mothers

May 16, 2013 in Anecdotes, Children, Lifestyle, Mothers, Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth, Stories

How many times have you walked past a pregnant female who looks far too young to have a child and judged them in your head? I’m sure I have at some stage in my life, which is not something I am proud of. Society paints teen mums as ‘irresponsible’, ‘immature’ and often feeds the stereotype that teen mums can’t be good mothers. I have heard many people say “They just want the baby bonus, it’s about money. Wait till that baby screams all night, the novelty will wear off and the money runs out and it’s not so ‘fun’ anymore, [...]

What To Say (And Not) To Someone With An Invisible Illness

May 13, 2013 in Health, People, Self, Society, Work

A lot of people suffer from many forms of Invisible Illness, including but not limited to CFS, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, TMJ disorder, Cushing’s Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, MS, Anxiety and Depression. Many of these conditions are related to a malfunctioning immune system. Mine is faulty, bordering on being totally incapable of defending itself from illness. I have Fibromyalgia which includes a diagnosis of Chronic Pain. I am a high school teacher and love my job. Unfortunately due to my health and its unpredictability, I work part time. I find it hard to commit to social engagements because [...]

My Child has Osteogenisis Imperfecta and an Unbreakable Spirit

May 10, 2013 in Anecdotes, Children, Family, Health, Mothers, Parenting, Relationships, Stories

Imaging looking at your newborn baby. Their tiny lips their long figures That cute button nose. Now imagine being told to limit the amount of times you hold your baby. That every time you pick him up you need to carefully plan every aspect in handling him or you could seriously injure him. That’s what life is like with a baby born with Osteogenisis Imperfecta. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI, sometimes known as brittle bone disease, or “Lobstein syndrome”) is a congenital bone disorder. People with OI are born with defective connective tissue, or without the ability to make it, usually because of [...]

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry No Fail Individual Cheesecakes

May 9, 2013 in Anecdotes, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle, Stories

Those who know my family and me are aware of my mother’s culinary skill. Mum is a full time nurse who spends large parts of her time off cooking. Mum is passionate about food. She loves trying new recipes and puts an incredible amount of effort and care into cooking, especially when we have guests. Having said that, mum also cooks for her family with the same attitude- attention to detail, taste, and presentation: she’s not afraid to experiment, and we are only too happy to be her test subjects. She is a dessert queen. Fluffy soufflés, moist cakes, creamy [...]

A Moment of Perfection

May 9, 2013 in Anecdotes, Family, Self, Stories

Standing on my parents’ balcony, looking over the edge. A whip bird cry some metres away. The distant sounds of a wallaby startled and bounding away through the bush. It’s warm, and I stand there in my red t-shirt and bike pants, baggy around my tiny little legs. I dip my cardboard toilet roll into a meadow lea margarine container full of water and morning fresh, the distinct smell fills my nostrils as I raise the roll to my mouth. I blow. Not too hard, not too soft. Just firm enough. The bubble forms at the end of the toilet [...]

Poem: The Quiet Season

May 1, 2013 in Fiction, Stories

Trees cast dark silhouettes against a hazy pink sky —misty, even though it is late afternoon. The day has never recovered from the morning fog, which promises to shroud the city in its embrace yet again. A fog so thick it covered the suburban roofs like a polar fleece blanket, wrapping and tucking itself about the bare branches; its dampness filling the air making everything feel wet — an illusion of warmth and safety.   A plume of smoke trails from a chimney, blending into the fog; lost in the mist. The last yellow leaves cling to branches, they too, [...]

“Never Say Never” And Other Stupid Sayings

April 22, 2013 in Anecdotes, Celebrity, Entertainment, Music, People

I have a friend at work who I love dearly. She’s my work BFF, and our friendship has jumped the work fence and we’ve become friends outside of the workplace. But something this friend of mine does has freaked me out a little: She’s started quoting Justin Bieber. Now the situation isn’t completely horrific, it’s not heaps of different Bieber quotes, it’s just the same thing over and over again. ”Never Say Never.” She applies it to so many things! Me: “N, I don’t see myself getting married again” N: “You know what Justin Bieber says: Never say never!” Me: “I feel like [...]

This Week: Heart Health, Anniversary & New Jeans

April 20, 2013 in Anecdotes, Comedy, Fashion, Food & Recipes, Health, Humour, Marriage, Nutrition, Stories, Style, Wedding

This week has been, and will continue to be, a busy one. After pulling on my jeans last Thursday morning only to discover they were ripped right in the crotch (stylish, no?) I began my search for the ‘right’ jeans. I had pretty specific ideas of what I wanted in this pair of jeans. They had to be tight, stretchy enough that I could move comfortably, long enough to scrunch a little at the ankle, dark blue in colour, super skinny and high waisted. Not a long list of requirements at all! It took 3 different shopping trips with the [...]