Category: CFS/ME

I was accepted by the NDIS

Warning: contains GIFs

Basically what the title says! After years of waiting and applying and providing evidence and having multiple breakdowns because of it, I’m finally part of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme, basically now the only way for disabled people to access social supports in Australia).

I received my “access request met” letter a few months ago, but couldn’t bring myself to announce it here in case it was some elaborate hoax. I’m still half certain that there is someone hiding behind the bushes out front, waiting for the day I expect a support to arrive so they can leap out with video camera in hand, yelling “PUNK’D!”*

GIF: woman in Nick show leans back in her seat and exclaims with hand gestures,

 

Continue reading “I was accepted by the NDIS”

NDIS Internal Review

For those following along with my NDIS progress (or lack thereof), I was recently contacted by the NDIA internal review team to inform me that my review was beginning – 14 months after I submitted my request for a review, and over 2 years after initially applying for NDIS. The system works, right!?!?

Continue reading “NDIS Internal Review”

Colourful knee high compression socks – review

Looking back at my photos, I realised that I bought some compression socks (and made a quick post on Instagram about them) many months ago, but they never made it to the blog. I’ve already written a fairly lengthy post on compression stockings, with reviews of everything from sports compression tights (2XUs, Skins etc) to Juzo compression stockings to cheap beige maternity stockings, so if you want to know the basics of compression garments for the treatment of POTS, head over there first.

Compression socks: black with coloured star print, red with small heart print, grey with yellow and blue stripe, black with floral print.
Black with coloured stars, red with hearts, grey with stripes, yellow and blue flowers wide calf.

Continue reading “Colourful knee high compression socks – review”

Zealana yarn reviews, and an unexpected break

Hello! As we’re now thoroughly into winter, I’ve been dreaming up knitting projects to keep me warm. I just finished an interim hat from scraps, which hopefully I will blog when I block it.* Next up is a jumper.

Six balls of Zealana Kauri Fingering Weight, a heathered grey fine yarn.

Continue reading “Zealana yarn reviews, and an unexpected break”

Juggling appointments

Warning: contains GIFs

Being chronically ill is much like juggling countless juggling balls, only to realise no one has ever actually taught you to juggle, and you have to muddle on as best you can on your own, with the threat of the full weight of your life’s obligations coming crashing down on you at any given moment.* Some assume that having a chronic illness absolves you from mundane life tasks, but the opposite is true: you have to deal with the same challenges everyone else does, with limited resources, as well as the other shit chronic illness throws at you.

Illustration of a red haired girl throwing her arms up to juggle three apples.
Ooooo, open source images.

Continue reading “Juggling appointments”

Some notes on my health

It’s been a while since I did a personal health update, largely because I just don’t like thinking about it any more. I was reminded of this fact when I had an appointment with a social worker yesterday. She is an advocate who I employed to assist me with my NDIS application (though she has nothing to do with NDIS herself, nor does her agency in any way, and therefore has no say in their assessment of me).

Continue reading “Some notes on my health”

Book review: Ask Me About My Uterus & Doing Harm

My ability to read books comes and goes, but definitely spends more time in the “gone” category! At least compared to the regular nightly reading I used to accomplish with ease. Two books I completed sometime last year were Ask Me About My Uterus by Abby Norman and Doing Harm by Maya Dusenbery. Both books were about women’s experiences of chronic illness, written by women with chronic illness. They approached the topic from entirely different angles, which made for little overlap between them. Continue reading “Book review: Ask Me About My Uterus & Doing Harm”