Lady In The Lighthouse

Managing Celebrations With Chronic Condition

Anyone with a chronic condition can tell you that going to celebrations or large events can be quite challenging and exhausting. With some careful planning and sensible self care, we can make the event much more enjoyable and last longer than Cinderella before the carriage turns into a pumpkin!

Musings & Meditations – November 19 2020

Look on each day that comes as a challenge, as a test of courage. The pain will come in waves, some days worse than others, for no apparent reason. Accept the pain. Little by little, you will find new strength, new vision, born of the very pain and loneliness which seem, at first, impossible to…

Maybe She’s Born With It

So often we can fall into the trap of assuming that someone is naturally gifted with skills, habits and traits. But what if they weren’t born like that and worked hard to be that person?

Musings & Meditations – November 12 2020

Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you see it you’ll never make it through the night. – Princess Leia, Star Wars

The Danger of Setting Completion Dates For Things We Can’t Control

I have learnt that time and expectations are two very dangerous things to try to predict and manage. Now we are all learning that with COVID-19 too.

Musings & Meditations – November 5 2020

The beautiful thing about reading old books, is realising all your struggles, aren’t a ‘you’ thing but a ‘human’ thing. – Atticus Poetry

Reading Gives Us Someplace To Go When We Have To Stay Where We Are

When life gets too much we can retreat into familiar places and stories that give us comfort, and which feel better than the place that we are currently living in. Escaping into a book is the perfect balm for a tired soul in need of rest from yourself, your life and the world.

Musings & Meditations – October 29 2020

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” ― James Baldwin

Tips For Booking Appointments

I’ve had a lot of medical appointments over the years and I have learnt a few tips from my experiences and from the medical practitioners and their staff.

Musings & Meditations – October 22 2020

You can not prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. – Chinese Proverb

Managing Both A Chronic Condition & An External Crisis

Being in pain or managing a chronic condition while also having an external crisis play out in front of you, can really add to the stress and therefore the symptoms that you manage. From my own experiences, here are my suggestions for managing both a chronic condition and an external crisis.

Musings & Meditations – October 15 2020

The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis’. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognise the opportunity. – John F. Kennedy

The Chronic Condition Emergency Plan

We never know when something could go wrong or we need additional help, and the best way to manage this is to be prepared and have a plan. Here are my tips to cover all bases!

Musings & Meditations – October 8, 2020

In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you. – Andrea Dykstra

Book Therapy – The Poetry Pharmacy + The Poetry Pharmacy Returns

I would love to introduce you to The Poetry Pharmacy. If you are a poetry beginner, or a literary lover, I am certain that you will find joy and comfort within these pages.

Meditations & Musings – October 1, 2020

The secret is to never lose sight of the simple, everyday miracles in life;good food, literature, laughter, music, compelling conversation, nature, and art. Look for them in every day,and even when it feelslike your whole world is unravelling,you will never be too farfrom a needle and thread. – Beau Taplin • N e e d…

The Survival Kit

Nurturing ourselves with familiar and enriching activities that restore our energy is what keeps us afloat when everything around us is uncertain, rough and stormy.

Musings & Meditations – September 24, 2020

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us…

Sharing Your Story With The Right People At The Right Time

Knowing who and when to share your story with takes skill and awareness, and can be incredibly supportive and rewarding.

Musings & Meditations – September 17 2020

Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands. ― Linda Hogan

Progress Is Not Linear

Once we have taken care of the immediate issues, diving into medical investigations can make it hard to work out if you are making progress.

Musings & Meditations – September 10 2020

I’ll never know, and neither will you, of the life you don’t choose. We’ll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was important and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn’t carry us. There’s nothing to do but salute it from the shore. – Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things

Activities For Slow & Quiet Days

Some days you just need something to do that is quiet and not too taxing on your energy levels.

Musings & Meditations – September 3 2020

Look for the ones who lean into your story. The ones who don’t shrink back from your pain. The ones who hear what you are not saying. These, are your people. Love them fiercely. -Liezel Graham

How to Handle Motion Sickness Like a Pro

Finally getting out of your house only to suffer from motion sickness? Here are my tried and true tips to manage it.

Musings & Meditations – August 27 2020

If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it! – Ruthie Lindsey

Become A Regular At Your Local Chemist

The pharmacist is probably going to be a frequent person you’ll see when managing a medical condition, so it is reassuring to get to know them and their services.

Meditations & Musings – August 20 2020

Dedicated to Australia’s Golden Girl of love & light.

Welcome To… The Unexpected

How do we navigate it?
How do we understand it?
How do we explain it?
How do we accept it?

Musings & Meditations – August 13 2020

“Rise and shine. I’ve always held such fondness for that sweet old phrase. As though we are all little Suns. As though we are all someone’s day.” – Beau Taplin // R i s e A n d S h i n e

How To Master The Afternoon Nap & Get Quality Rest

With a little experimenting, rituals and preparation, you can master quality rest time.

Musings & Meditations – August 6 2020

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. – Frida Kahlo

Book Therapy – The Secret Garden

The perfect book to be reading at the end of a long winter that is about to bloom into spring.

Musings & Meditations – July 30 2020

Storms make trees take deeper roots. – Dolly Parton

How Someone Looks May Not Be How They Feel

We all just want to be seen and heard for how we really are.

Musings & Meditations – July 23 2020

People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don’t need help. – Glennon Doyle

Clothes Can Change Your Mindset

Clothes help us to transition into different states of being and doing, and can transform your mindset and mood in an instant.

Musings & Meditations – July 16 2020

This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt,…

Rest Before You Need To

Don’t wait and miss the opportunity for a quality rest break.

Musings & Meditations – July 9 2020

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. ― Kurt Vonnegut

My Biggest Game Changer: A Health Diary

One of the most transformative things that I have implemented in my medical journey was to start a daily diary.

Musings & Meditations – July 2 2020

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s…

Self Care Is Being A Responsible Adult

Self care that make us feel good and nurtured for our long term wellness.

Musings & Meditations – June 25 2020

“When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?” – Marie-Laure LeBlanc, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Taking Care of Yourself First

As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Musings & Meditations – June 18 2020

The Guest House This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest…

Uncertainty & Being Uncomfortable

Hey Readers,
If you have ever experienced a crisis, a medical condition, a major change or been impacted by the current COVID-19 situation, you may probably have noticed the secondary effect of a level of uncertainty and discomfort. I wish I could wave a magic wand and help it disappear for you. Instead I have hard truths and some hard work to practice, which is well worth the effort for your mental and emotional well-being and for those around you.