Author: 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…

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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?

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.

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!

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…

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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…

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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

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

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. 

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

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,…

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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

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…

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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

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…

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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.

Musings & Meditations – June 4 2020

This is dedicated to every human being who looks different, feels different and thinks differently. I see you. I feel you. I am you. Stay different. Our world needs the difference we will make. – Cleo Wade, Heart Talk