When I started high school, I went to a Catholic all-girls school. The school was dutifully briefed on my medical history, including the fact that I’d already had three open-heart surgeries and lived with congenital heart disease. They knew I was, in some ways, fragile and needed extra support. With...

Living with a chronic illness can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Even when things are stable, there are routine check-ups, procedures, and the constant balancing act to maintain our health. Today, I’m sharing my experience with one such routine inconvenience: a precautionary colonoscopy. Nothi...

Living with a chronic illness has its fair share of challenges, and exercise always seem to be at the top of my list of challenges. For me, managing complex congenital heart disease has meant undergoing five open heart surgeries. Through these experiences, I’ve had to learn how to incorporate exerci...

Traveling for medical care can be a significant part of managing chronic illness. While the focus is often on treatment and recovery, the logistics of travel can add another layer of complexity to your healthcare journey. Luckily, each state and territory in Australia offers a Patient Assisted Trave...

Living with a chronic illness can often feel like a lonely journey. The day-to-day challenges, the emotional rollercoaster, and the constant adjustments can leave you feeling isolated and misunderstood. But there is one sure fire way to cure the loneliness, and that’s to find your tribe.

The Loneli...

Living with a chronic illness can often feel like navigating through a stormy sea. The unpredictability of symptoms, the constant need for medical attention, and the emotional rollercoaster can leave you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. However, amidst this chaos, there is one powerful tool that c...

Tired of endlessly Googling your symptoms and feeling more confused than ever? Say goodbye to the uncertainty and frustration, because I’ve got the ultimate health hack that's about to change the game!

Say hello to the HealthDirect Symptom Checker - your new best friend in navigating the maze of sy...

Living with chronic illness is a journey of constant adaptation and evolution, and nowhere is this more evident than for your personal identity.

Identity is not a fixed construct but rather a fluid and dynamic concept that continues to evolve over time, shaped by our experiences, relationships, and...

Living with a chronic illness often leads to difficult decisions. One common dilemma faced by those of us with chronic conditions is whether or not to disclose their health status to their employer. While sharing this information with your employer can have both positive and negative implications, i...

Trigger Warning:

Before proceeding, please be aware that this blog contains discussions of medical trauma, including experiences of feeling powerless in medical settings. These topics may be triggering for some readers. If you are currently struggling with similar issues, we encourage you to priori...

Living with a chronic illness presents a unique set of challenges, and managing finances is often at the forefront. Budgeting becomes more than just a matter of balancing income and expenses; it becomes a delicate dance of navigating medical costs, fluctuating abilities, and unforeseen challenges. H...

Warning: A Compassionate Note Before We Begin

Before delving into this blog, I want to extend a compassionate note to all readers, especially those who have endured illness first-hand. The vulnerability of being sick, particularly in hospital settings, can evoke a range of emotions, from discomfort...