All I Really Want

All hail Alanis. (With that out of my system, I can now proceed.) I’ve been finding it really hard lately to accept help from PSWs. There are several reasons for this, chief among them that support workers represent, to me, what I’ve lost in terms of independence. As I’ve become increasingly capable, I’ve also become … Continue reading All I Really Want →

MVP

I’m the first to admit that I’m pretty bad when it comes to remembering and remembering to care about my wedding anniversary. It’s inevitably around Canada Day—July 1—when it occurs to me that I got married the weekend between July 1 and July 4. Then comes the part where I try to remember whether the … Continue reading MVP →

The Patio

Every spring for the past many, my husband and I told ourselves that we were going to make better use of our patio, which is remarkably large for one belonging to a city apartment. In March, April, May, those shoulder months when the weather is periodically warm enough to allow you to imagine being outside … Continue reading The Patio →

Creative Solutions to Practical Problems

My husband took a well-deserved vacation last week. He spent it both relaxing and getting things done, and I spent most of it in his office, which I commandeered the Friday his time off began and quickly turned into a low(er)-stimuli retreat—my version of a spa, minus the pedicures and saunas and without the danger … Continue reading Creative Solutions to Practical Problems →

Pretty Much the Best

It’s been just over a week since I came home, and I’m happy to report that I’m still here and that it’s still pretty much the best (and that I took down the stray Christmas decorations that my husband had left up since last year). Though I was feeling pretty darn good about leaving the … Continue reading Pretty Much the Best →

Ninth Wedding Anniversary: A PDA (Sorry, Husband)

New visitors policies for this hospital system were recently announced. I was told yesterday that under the updated guidelines, my husband can now be classified as an "Essential Care Partner" and visit me twice a week for two hours at a go. My nurse was fantastic about getting the requisite paperwork filled out so that … Continue reading Ninth Wedding Anniversary: A PDA (Sorry, Husband) →

Ask and Ye Shall Sometimes Receive

I'm continuing to make lots of progress and am super grateful and all that, etc. etc. However, as you've probably gathered from the extensive complaining in which I've indulged in previous posts, it isn't all sunshine, unicorns, and high-energy ketogenic supplemental beverages. Although there've been many challenges, the one that's made me wallow the most … Continue reading Ask and Ye Shall Sometimes Receive →

Lost Engagement Ring, New Hero at Waste Management: A Happily Ever After

You might (rightfully) wonder why I decided to write about a lost object and a newfound friend at the City of Toronto's Solid Waste Management Services in a blog that's ostensibly about living with chronic illness(es). I asked myself the same, or at least a related, question. OK, questions—plural—since my brain isn't good at stopping … Continue reading Lost Engagement Ring, New Hero at Waste Management: A Happily Ever After →

We Are (Now Both) Canadians!

Eight years after we met studying abroad in Germany, six and a half after he moved to Canada, my American husband is now officially my American-Canadian husband. (As of not last Monday but the Monday before, but life's been a little weird as of late, so it's taken me forever to get around to documenting … Continue reading We Are (Now Both) Canadians! →

Pill Organization and Eternal Love

In what amounted to a grand romantic gesture, my husband surprised me by filling my long-abandoned pill organizer while I was on campus the other day. There've been a few times over the past month in which I've had a seizure in an unfortunate window that left unclear whether I'd already taken my evening meds. Of … Continue reading Pill Organization and Eternal Love →