If you live with chronic pain, you know it’s not just about your body hurting, it’s about waking up each day to a battle you didn’t sign up for. For years I fought against pain like it was an enemy I could conquer. But eventually, I learned a different truth: coping isn’t about defeating pain….
The glow of my laptop blurred into a haze. An Excel sheet stared back at me, but the numbers wouldn’t stick. My wrists ached, my shoulders locked, and my mind spun with noise I couldn’t quiet. I wasn’t working anymore, I was just sitting there. Stuck. That was the night I realized burnout had crept…
Why Budgeting with Chronic Illness Matters Budgeting with chronic illness isn’t just about numbers, it’s financial planning that supports your health. I was 24, just moved out on my own, living in a 244-square-foot apartment with a shared bathroom. Rent was cheap and I looked the part but I felt free figuring life out. My…
I learned early how easily chronic pain and laziness get confused. In grade 12, my teacher Mrs Smith had a word with me after the last bell rang.While my classmates spilled out into the hall, buzzing about Friday night plans, I sat slumped in a hard wooden chair. Knees swollen, neck stiff, and my back…
It’s late at night, and I’m lying in bed while the world keeps moving. My phone lights up with photos of friends at dinner, coworkers celebrating, people living lives I can’t touch. My body aches, but what really crushes me isn’t the pain. It’s the guilt. Because in the world we live in, where worth…
At 7 p.m., I’m staring at a blinking cursor, my body screaming to stop, but fear of disappointing others keeps me typing. That’s what living with chronic pain often looks like: silence, not screams. For years, I thought boundaries were walls. Saying “no” felt like pushing people away. But over time, I learned the truth:…
When I wake up on flare days, disappointment hits first. I go through a quiet flurry of negotiations with myself:“Can I push through this pain today?”“Can I pull myself upright for one more meeting?” After 20 minutes of internal tug-of-war, I ask a better question:“What version of my routine do I need today?” Flare days…
I didn’t set out to get rich. I just wanted to feel safe. Building a financial safety net with chronic illness wasn’t about luxury. It was about relief. When you live with chronic illness, unpredictability becomes the norm. Flare-ups don’t care about deadlines. Fatigue doesn’t respect ambition. That’s not laziness it’s logistics. What I needed…
Investing with chronic pain is messy. Nobody talks about the moment they hit rock bottom with money. But I have to. Because if I skip the part where I lost everything, this story isn’t honest and it won’t help you avoid the trap that swallowed me whole. I was 25 when I made my first…
When you’re 25, you think you have time. You think your body will bounce back, that working harder will eventually pay off, that one day you’ll arrive at a version of your life where everything feels stable. But chronic pain has its own timeline. It doesn’t care about your plans. I was 25 when I…