A poem from JoelvsArthritis about the current Covid-19 pandemic
Using the term ‘underlying health condition’ as a reason for the general public not to worry, is insensitive to those of us who have good reason to worry.
You may recall I mentioned Lindsay Reid’s collection of poetry entitled ‘My dark guardians’ a few months back. As a fellow sufferer of ankylosing spondylitis, her work is something I can easily relate to. You can find my earlier post below. I am delighted to say that I had an […]
Chronic illness and mental health – two evil partners in crime (part 2)
‘Oh, I see you’re limping away?’ *awkward pause as they wait for me to say* ‘How are you? You’re looking well?’ I deflect back, you don’t know my hell. Confused, they’re thrown. No gossip? Poor show. ‘What’s wrong?’, their patience expires. ‘Oh, just this long term thing’. I retire.
Any new diagnosis requires a period of adjustment, time to come to terms with the implications and a good support network around you – however, arthritis is particularly challenging. The chances are it’s a condition you have to manage for the rest of your life, dealing with pain along with […]
Background reading: Preparing for the Pain Management Clinic Some of you kind folks have been dropping me messages about how I got on at the pain management clinic; firstly, thank you and secondly apologies for the delay in writing an update from last week’s appointment, it didn’t exactly go as […]
This is a poem that I’ve had in my drafts for some time. As you can tell, I was quite angry and frustrated when I wrote this and it is darker than it probably should be but I thought I should share as the message is an important one. In […]
Arthritis blogger, writer and advocate who has had Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis from childhood. Raising awareness and sharing his experiences to help others, Joel specialises in writing about parenting, pain and the mental health impact of living with chronic illness and writes for several leading charities and organisations.
