Monthly Archives: January 2014

I Finally Met a Scot in Scotland!

Posted on January 31, 2014 by leitis23

Alright, that settles it! I’m cold! Cold! Cold! Cold! Brrrrrr. It appears that we have hit winter; Scotland style and it ain’t pretty. I have already broken out the heavy artillery, silk long johns, polar fleece liner to my coat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, coping, cultural differences, Culture, Drinking, friends, friendship, funny, humor, Scotland, travel, travel abroad, understanding, university | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s a lie! You aren’t Addicted.

Posted on January 24, 2014 by leitis23

The media, our friends, our family, even our doctors tell us that long term use of opioid pain killers causes addiction.  I bet there isn’t a single person with chronic pain who hasn’t been treated like some twitchy drug-seeking addict … Continue reading →

Posted in Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, conditions and diseases, coping, Doctors, family, fibromyalgia, health, helping, humor, ilness, invisible illness, language, Medicine, pain management, practicing medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Santa is Selling Kilts in Edinburgh!

Posted on January 22, 2014 by leitis23

Life Before Chronic Pain This weekend we made our very first trip to Edinburgh.  My mind was full of castles, cute shops, good food…all the things a tourist such as myself could possibly want.  Well it didn’t quite work out … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, confused, coping, Culture, Drinking, friends, friendship, funny, humor, Scotland, travel, travel abroad, understanding | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Suicide is Not About You

Posted on January 13, 2014 by leitis23

Warning: This is a candid piece about a difficult subject.  Please understand I am not advocating suicide nor is this a cry for help.  I’m encouraging understanding and compassion. The chronically ill suffer from severe depression, grief, loss, and a … Continue reading →

Posted in chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, compassion, conditions and diseases, coping, depression, family, friends, friendship, health, helping, invisible illness, lupus, Medicine, mystery diagnosis, Mystery Illness, pain management, practicing medicine, suicide | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments

What Do You Mean You Won’t Tell Me What to Think?

Posted on January 8, 2014 by leitis23

I firmly believe that my brain has melted, drained out my right ear and made a wretched mess on the living room floor.  What I have left is the brain of an infant that is overwhelmingly distracted and entertained by … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, confused, coping, cultural differences, Culture, Drinking, funny, Scotland, travel, travel abroad, Uncategorized, understanding, university | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

My Shoes Fit Funny

Posted on January 2, 2014 by leitis23

My alarm goes off a half hour before I actually need to get out of bed.  That probably isn’t that strange, everybody likes the snooze button, but that isn’t the reason I set mine early.  I need the extra time … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, caring, chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, compassion, confused, coping, depression, Doctors, funny, health, helping, humor, invisible illness, lost, lupus, Medicine, pain management, practicing medicine, rheumatoid arthitis, Uncategorized, understanding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A Happier New Year

Posted on January 1, 2014 by leitis23

I usually do a review at the end of each year.  Take the time to think about what has happened, what I’ve learned, and what I can do or make better next year.  However, looking back on this year seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, compassion, conditions and diseases, coping, depression, family, friends, friendship, health, helping, practicing medicine, Uncategorized, understanding | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment