Having your name turned into an insult isn’t something that is very pleasant, but there isn’t a damned thing you can do about it. Early on, I decided that getting upset about it was really not gonna help. So, I decided to embrace it. It is always good to learn to laugh at yourself, so… Read more Karen Rants
It’s been ten years since I got sick. It’s been one heck of a war, separated into times of high battles, prolonged sieges and relentless small skirmishes. I couldn’t have imaged ten years ago that I’d still be fighting this war. Things have been very, very difficult lately. I realized that I stopped writing because… Read more Ten Year Anniversary
Last week, I went to ambulatory care to get my access to my port changed. I often do it at home, but I go there once a month to pick up supplies and have a nurse change it, have a look at it. (Apparently they want me to come in every week now- which is… Read more The Virus Arrives: A Shocking Lack of Preparedness
I had a package arrive two weeks ago. It was sent on December 10th (guaranteed to arrive by the 16th), arrived the last day of January. It’s a box full of Finnish chocolates for Christmas. (Fazer Nougat will always say ‘Merry Christmas!’ to me.) it’s annoying that they were late- but that doesn’t mean I… Read more Better Late Than Never (or, Happy Valentine’s Day)
Physicians are people, falliable, imperfect, emotive people. And yet, they are expected to be perfect, to know everything, to never make an error. How silly! These expectations make physicians worse, not better. The fear of liability permiates, yet anyone who has ever tried to sue a doctor in Canada knows that it’s almost impossible to… Read more When Physicians Don’t have an Answer
Tryptase. The mere mention of it makes Mastie’s cringe. Physicians and patients alike seem to have a great deal of difficulty sorting to out. A recent discussion came up after patients had been to see Dr Vadas, the most well known Canadian MCAS expert. It seemed that he was giving contradictory advice. He had told… Read more Tryptase
I’ve been in hospital for well over a month now. I am feeling much, much better than I have in a long time. I suspect I may have been fighting this since late winter. I believe the infection started where a nurse had accidentally gone to the side of the port, not into it, twice… Read more A Month In
Firstly, I took some better snapshots of my view. Photography is definitely not my best medium, but it should give you a better sense. I definitely could never afford this view, but it’s easy to see why everybody wants to live here. The more important… Read more Well That’s Better!
It’s been ages since I gave you all a medical update. It’s been a very rough winter and spring. My nutrition is abysmal, and it’s catching up with me. I have had 3 iron infusions, and some extra B, and that has helped a lot. The winter and spring were kindof unrelenting on the Health… Read more The Silver Lining
This is for the young man at JJ Bean today. Thank you for noticing. Thank you for making others notice, thank you for caring. I went to JJ Bean today after picking up my daughter from school (coffee shops are a way of life here, JJ Bean is a local company- and they have access… Read more A Letter to the Man in the Peacoat