Bathroom stall sign with male and female icons, representing hidden spaces for rest during chronic pain flare-ups.

The Invisible Cost of Rest: Why Chronic Pain and Laziness Aren’t the Same

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…

Loose change in a glass jar with a small green plant sprouting, symbolizing financial growth with chronic illness.

How I Built a Financial Safety Net With Chronic Illness and Remote Work

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…

kalamata olive symbolizing the start of chronic illness identity loss

When Chronic Illness Took My Body, It Took My Identity Too

Living with a chronic illness doesn’t just change your health. It rewrites who you are. For me, psoriatic arthritis didn’t just mean pain. It meant losing the identity I’d built since I was a kid: athlete, competitor, future NHL player. This is my story of chronic illness and identity loss and how I started rebuilding…

Sticky note on wall reading “You’re gonna be okay” — part of a remote work setup for chronic pain.

My Remote Work Setup for Chronic Pain: 7 Essentials That Saved My Career

Most home office guides are built for comfort. Mine was built for survival. When you live with chronic pain, an Instagram-worthy desk won’t cut it. I needed a remote work setup for chronic pain that could flex as fast as my symptoms, from spine-locking fatigue to nerve flare in my wrists. Remote work gave me…

Hand holding a warm mug of lemon water — a ritual of calm in chronic pain

Living at a 6/10: My Chronic Pain Daily Routine for Remote Work Survival

This morning I woke up at a 7/10. My body begged me to stay in bed. But I’ve learned something in 25 years with psoriatic arthritis: if I don’t move now, I’ll pay double by noon. So I stretched, whispered “slower is smarter,” and started anyway. I don’t chase pain-free days anymore. I design my…

Figure walking toward light at end of a dark tunnel — symbolizing resilience and hope through chronic pain

How I Rebuilt My Life With Chronic Pain and Remote Work: 25 Years of Resilience

My Life Before Pain I grew up chasing the NHL dream. I was a AAA hockey player, skating daily, training like my future depended on it, because it did. Movement, strength, and competition weren’t just hobbies; they were my identity. Life was structured, joyful, and full of momentum. Until it wasn’t. Living with chronic pain…