The conversation circled around womanly issues, the perils and the woes. ‘I’ve got PCOS,’ one woman said. ‘I’ve got endometriosis,’ another replied. ‘I had a traumatic birth,’ yet another said. Around we went, lamenting the pitiful state of women’s health in Australia. Finally, one woman wrapped things up with a bombshell. ‘The only good thing […]
grief
Almost Cancelled
I almost cancelled plans this week. But I didn’t. Okay, Steph, big deal. Why are you blogging about almost-cancelled plans? Because when you live with chronic illness, you have to cancel things all the time. And it gets a bit annoying. (For ‘a bit,’ read ‘extremely, muchly, grievously.’ And for ‘annoying,’ read ‘devastating.’) I was […]
Care to Share?
I can’t believe it’s already that time of year! World Childless Week is almost upon us. It’s a collaborative event that happens every September, and it’s a time when members of the childless community from all over the world come together for a week of sharing, solidarity and encouragement. We share stories, thought pieces, poems, […]
Names of My Children
Here we go again: Mother’s Day. This day invariably brings up grief for the children I wanted but never had. This grief, while uncomfortable and distressing, is a natural reaction to the loss of carefully planned hopes and dreams in my life. But how to grieve for these children? There are many ways to grieve […]
Of Beauty and Rage
No one tells you about the rage. I wish someone had. I wish when I was first diagnosed with lupus that someone wise, a doctor, a counsellor, a pastor, had sat me down and said, ‘Now, Steph, lupus is going to change you as a person. You will come to resent your own skin and […]
Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 3
What about Faith? Faith can be a two-edged sword with chronic illness. On the one hand, God’s nearness and companionship have been a great comfort to me. On the other, God has not healed me of lupus. I have wrestled with this. After all, it would be a whole lot easier if God would simply […]
Continue reading Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 3
Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 2
Finding my Tribe It’s not easy to find support for a rare disease like lupus. But I have a few close friends with autoimmune conditions, and there is nothing quite like the breath of fresh air that is a friend who gets it. When they describe the sensation of brain fog and I say, ‘Oh, […]
Continue reading Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 2
Join the (Childless) Club
It’s the club nobody wants to join. I certainly didn’t wake up one morning and think, ‘I’d really like to become part of the childless community today.’ Yet here we are. It can be hard to find childless people who are happy to share even a small part of their story. Harder still is finding […]
Survival Skills: It’s Not Fair!
There are times when I get super jealous of able-bodied people. There, I said it. As much as envy is not exactly a fruit of the Spirit, this try-hard Christian experiences jealousy on a semi-regular basis. I feel it watching other people climb stairs without a problem. I experience it when friends regale me with […]
Survival Skills: Beauty and Breath
In the cool of the evening, I walk down the winding street toward the lake. The sunlight is fading gently into deep yellow and orange, the feathered clouds tinged with pink. There are a few joggers and dog walkers about, and we exchange a nod and a soft greeting. I pass gum trees, bottle brushes […]