@ClaireRWriter

Learning from a chronic, ‘incurable’ condition

Read more about the article Learning from a chronic, ‘incurable’ condition
Living with chronic pain and disease is tough

Sometimes life has a way of teaching us lessons we didn’t know we needed to be taught. There are a lot of ways it can do this: through our relationships with friends and family, through natural and unnatural disasters, and through our pursuit of professional fulfilment… For me, some of my biggest lessons have come from my body, which has sent me the gift of a chronic, ‘incurable’ condition to battle for well over half of my life.

Continue ReadingLearning from a chronic, ‘incurable’ condition

Notes on being different from a privileged whitey

Read more about the article Notes on being different from a privileged whitey
Me wearing a bright pink wig

Ever since the video of George Floyd’s death and the rapid amplification of the #BlackLivesMatter movement the world over, I have been pondering the privileged whiteys who don’t believe in white privilege. NEWS FLASH! Everyone is racist. Everyone is judgemental. I don’t care who you are. I have been asked about whether Australia is a racist country when I have travelled in India, the Middle East, and Asia and my answer is always the same.

Continue ReadingNotes on being different from a privileged whitey

The absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 2

Read more about the article The absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 2
Working on the computer - HELPING!

I never dreamed that extending a limb in bed to connect with a cold log of cat poo was something I would get used to, but in the small hours of this morning when I did exactly that, my first thought was no longer "Holy crap get me the #$%* out of here!" I had been lying on one side of the bed facing that side, and for whatever reason the little bastards like to sleep only the way you are facing. So they, and Max's little presents, were contained to a small part at the edge of the bed. I'm not proud of this, but it was BLOODY cold this morning, this 'special gift' occurred in the very small hours and I thought, "Maybe I can snooze a couple of more hours on the WHOLE other side of the bed that remains poo free?"

Continue ReadingThe absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 2

The absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 1

Read more about the article The absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 1
Max & Gus sausage roll

It all seemed to be going fine. Everyone was in and SEEMED to be settling down, when all of a sudden it was ON! Apparently this was the time for an all out, under the covers brawl, with some signature screeches before one of these tiny panthers decided to clamp his teeth down on my boob and just not let go. Hmmmmmmmm. I'm not sure how many of you have seen a cat's fangs clamped down on your boob, or anything that close to your face before, but their vicious fangs are as big as skyscrapers, and as creepy as Freddy Kruger's glove.

Continue ReadingThe absolutely true adventures of Max and Gus – The blind, geriatric, incontinent little bastards – Part 1

78-year-old ‘Knight Rider’ survives horrific bout of COVID19

Read more about the article 78-year-old ‘Knight Rider’ survives horrific bout of COVID19
78 year old Mick survives COVID19

Michael Knight, or Mick as his mates call him, is a 78 year old who has suffered from asbestosis for the past 35 years, has arthritis in most of his joints he has to take pain killers for, and recently survived a horrendous, protracted, and simultaneous bout of COVID19 AND pneumonia. If you think this coronavirus is just another flu; you need to hear Mick’s story. If you are curious about what it is like to get COVID19 and what you should do if you, or someone you know gets it; you need to hear Mick’s story. If you are one of those people who doesn’t think they need to abide by social distancing norms; Mick says you’re a “f*cking idiot.”

Continue Reading78-year-old ‘Knight Rider’ survives horrific bout of COVID19

Quarantine, kids, and Groundhog Day

Read more about the article Quarantine, kids, and Groundhog Day
Groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA

“We never get to see Lauren! Can we stop and see Lauren? I miss my friends!” exclaimed Lydia, Deana’s five-and-a-half-year-old daughter as they were walking past Lauren’s home with her four-year-old sister, Emilee. Deana’s heart was breaking. How could she explain to her five-year-old that although Lauren was likely just inside that house, she couldn’t go and see her because they were under quarantine for the coronavirus? She got down on one knee to get closer to them, and held their hands.

Continue ReadingQuarantine, kids, and Groundhog Day

Ode to the coronavirus

Read more about the article Ode to the coronavirus
Coronavirus in action

But shit really started to get serious; Now there isn’t a place it hasn’t been; They even gave it a shiny new name; Introducing… COVID19. While for many, the symptoms are mild; Their immune systems taking care of the rest; For an increasing and alarming number of people; This awful disease will result in death.

Continue ReadingOde to the coronavirus