Medical Musings With Sam

I'm so excited that "Medical Musings with Sam" has reached 4000 plays.

This is a huge achievement for a small podcast with a unique genre. I'm also in the top 10% of podcasts globally, according to Listen Score.

I can not thank my listeners enough. You are all amazing, and I am beyond delighted to know I am not talking to myself, and I do have a loyal podcast community supporting my vision.

To celebrate this milestone, I've included the very first episode I recorded on the podcast, which is simply my.."My Story".

Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart,

Love, Sam xx

I know there will be tough moments followed by good moments. As I’ve accepted my chronic illness diagnosis and consequential life changes, good moments are more than enough for me. They mean so much and are so precious.Rather than expecting a perfect life filled with halcyon days, I choose to love and cherish the moments of my life where I can engage with some of the activities I enjoy. I choose to live for moments of happiness, creativity, community, love, and moderate pain. I choose to hold on to hope for bright moments to follow tough ones.

July is my birthday month, and I’m very excited to announce I’m running a competition on my podcast and the blog to give away a copy of my book:

"My Medical Musings, A Story of Love, Laughter, Faith and Hope, Living With A Rare Disease "

All you need to do to enter the competition is listen to a podcast episode and leave a review or comment on either Spotify for Podcasters, Apple Podcasts, or Audible or your usual Podcast listening app.

If you are not a podcast listener, you can also leave a review in the comment section of the blog post at www.mymedmusings.com, also being published today, and you will also be added to the competition draw at the end of the month!!

So, without further ado, here's the first e-book style excerpt from my book:

Chapter 21, A Trip Down Memory Lane

July is my birthday month, and I'm very excited to announce I'll be running a competition on my podcast to give away a copy of my book:

"My Medical Musings, A Story of Love Laughter Faith and Hope, Living With A Rare Disease ".

All the competition details are in this Podcast episode.

I can't wait to give one of my listeners a free copy of my book.

Love, Sam 💓

#spotify #audible #applepodcaster

When we live with chronic illness, the concept of continuous improvement seems almost ridiculous doesn’t it.

But is it?

Our lives, while significantly impacted by our diseases, don’t need to be completely dictated by them. We can make changes which will catapult us into a new future. We can see our new circumstances as a time of opportunity, rather than a time of retreat and despair.

I’ve decided one of the hardest things about being medically retired is working out what day of the week it is!I have always loved Sundays. In our home it’s usually a quiet and reflective day. I say, usually, as I’m married to an Anglican clergyman, and Sundays were far from quiet in the past. It was actually the busiest day of our week!! They have always been reflective, though.

Thankfully, he is retired now, as my carer, so we can definitely reclaim Sundays as a quiet day.

Some days still feel like a Monday or a Thursday if I have medical appointments to attend, and they are extremely difficult days for me physically. Other than those odd, busy days, I can pace myself.

It should be like this as it’s why I’m medically retired, to care for myself, manage my disease, and find a new quality of life.

However, the biggest battle with embracing every day like it’s Sunday is with me.

In this podcast episode, I discuss what it means to embrace your chronic illness in order to find acceptance and create a new, rewarding way of living again.

If you are struggling with this concept, I really hope my story and my journey to choosing to "deliberately" accept my circumstances might help you on your journey, too.

I also give a bit of a health update at the start.

Take care

Sam xx

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you arrive home from a long hospital stay. Especially if there were multiple concerns about your overall health when you were admitted or you were having major surgery.

Life is short. It’s precious, and it’s fragile while being incredibly resilient and strong. My home is my safe place, and I’m convinced because I love it, and I love my husband, it’s the place that helps me heal in a way I never do in hospital.

I am heading in the right direction, and even though I have a long road ahead, I can feel that sense of healing harmony.

Join me for a health update and a few funny, or perhaps mortifying, stories from my hospital stay!

Thanks for listening

Sam xx

2023 is here!

A new year awaits. Will it be a good year, a difficult year, a happy year, a sad year?

One thing is certain, none of us really know.Have you looked closely at the back of a tapestry? Generally, they are full of threads in a bit of a jumble. It’s hard to make out what the image is from this viewpoint.

Turn it over and it reveals a perfect picture. It makes sense. The chaos of all those jumbled threads at the back is only half of the story. They are necessary to reveal something beautiful.If you’re sitting at home as the New Year approaches, feeling like you can’t see ahead, don’t lose hope. You are not alone. Chronic illness can feel all-encompassing and does place huge limitations on our lives.

It doesn’t have to make us a prisoner, though. We do this to ourselves if we only dwell on what we can’t do, rather than what we can do.

Chronic illness is a part of our life, it’s not all of our lives. I hope this first Podcast episode of 2023 helps you focus your thoughts in a way that ensures you are ready to embrace this New Year. I'm so looking forward to journeying through it with you. Happy New Year! #tapestries #newyearpodcast #happynewyear #chronicillness #chronicpain

As Christmas Day fast approaches I imagine most of us, in the chronic illness community, are musing about what we want to realistically achieve over the holiday period.

For those of us with chronic disease it can be an incredibly overwhelming time. Just trying to be happy for others, when your body is screaming at you, is enough to make you want to run and hide.Even for those of us who don’t suffer mental illness, the lead up to Christmas can be a melancholy time. It’s important to acknowledge all those feelings. They are real, important and very normal for the chronic illness sufferer.

If you are feeling a little melancholy…….you are not alone.

I will have a lovely Christmas but it will not necessarily be a season of constant joy. It will have moments of delight, moments of extreme fatigue, moments of excruciating pain and then moments of relaxation and rest.

This is the reality for those of us with chronic illness and pain.There was no big family gathering on the first Christmas. There was no turkey dinner, no champagne flowing.

There was love and joy, wonder, awe, no doubt a little fear and much uncertainty of what lay ahead for Mary and Joseph and their new born son.

Christmas is, or should be, a celebration within our hearts. We are celebrating the gift of a Saviour. The gift of redemption, forgiveness, new life.

A True Christmas Can Never Be Cancelled But It Can Be DifferentAs Christmas Day fast approaches I imagine most of us, in the chronic illness community, are musing about what we want to realistically achieve over the holiday period. For those of us with chronic disease it can be an incredibly overwhelming time. Just trying to be happy for others, when your body is screaming at you, is enough to make you want toEven for those of us who don’t suffer mental illness, the lead up to Christmas can be a melancholy time. It’s important to acknowledge all those feelings. They are real, important and very normal for the chronic illness sufferer. If you are feeling a little melancholy…….you are not alone. I will have a lovely Christmas but it will not necessarily be a season of constant joy. It will have moments of delight, moments of extreme fatigue, moments of excruciating pain and then moments of relaxation and rest. This is the reality for those of us with chronic illness and pain. run and hide. There was no big family gathering on the first Christmas. There was no turkey dinner, no champagne flowing. There was love and joy, wonder, awe, no doubt a little fear and much uncertainty of what lay ahead for Mary and Joseph and their new born son. Christmas is, or should be, a celebration within our hearts. We are celebrating the gift of a Saviour. The gift of redemption, forgiveness, new life. A True Christmas Can Never Be Cancelled But It Can Be Different

As Christmas Day fast approaches I imagine most of us, in the chronic illness community, are musing about what we want to realistically achieve over the holiday period.

For those of us with chronic disease it can be an incredibly overwhelming time. Just trying to be happy for others, when your body is screaming at you, is enough to make you want toEven for those of us who don’t suffer mental illness, the lead up to Christmas can be a melancholy time. It’s important to acknowledge all those feelings. They are real, important and very normal for the chronic illness sufferer.

If you are feeling a little melancholy…….you are not alone.

I will have a lovely Christmas but it will not necessarily be a season of constant joy. It will have moments of delight, moments of extreme fatigue, moments of excruciating pain and then moments of relaxation and rest.

This is the reality for those of us with chronic illness and pain. run and hide.

There was no big family gathering on the first Christmas. There was no turkey dinner, no champagne flowing.

There was love and joy, wonder, awe, no doubt a little fear and much uncertainty of what lay ahead for Mary and Joseph and their new born son.

Christmas is, or should be, a celebration within our hearts. We are celebrating the gift of a Saviour. The gift of redemption, forgiveness, new life.

A True Christmas Can Never Be Cancelled But It Can Be Different

My Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

I'm taking time to take stock of my life and this episode is all about the process I'm following.
When you own a shop you need to do regular stock takes. What stock do you have, what’s profitable, what’s not selling, what new products are available that would add value to your business?

It’s a similar process when reviewing our lives. The questions will be slightly different but it’s the same concept. If I have finished a particular chapter of my life, I like to ask myself a few simple stock taking questions to see what, if anything, I should do next.

My Life Stock Taking Questions

1. What’s working in my life?
2. What am I enjoying?
3. What is mostly draining my energy?
4. Are there new opportunities I would like to persue?
5. Should I cease or change any of my existing commitments/initiatives?
These questions need to be given time to answer. If you truly want to re-evaluate your current workload and commitments and make significant and necessary changes, you shouldn’t rush the process. Listen to the end of this Podcast episode for a very special message from me to my husband for his 80th 🎂

How many times have you wanted to invite family or friends over for a coffee but the thought of catering has just been too much? You may be surprised at how little effort it takes! For the purposes of this Podcast episode, I want to focus on how to cater in a way everything looks like it’s fallen out of a “Home Beautiful” magazine and you’ve been able to do it.

Why bother you may ask? Simply because many of us in the chronic illness community love to create and enjoy special catered morning, or afternoon teas, brunches, or lunches and we don’t want our disease to take this pleasure away prematurely. Remember "Chronic illness is a part of our life and not all of our life"

A Blog, A Book, A Podcast and Support Forum. My Medical Musings has something for everyone. Please subscribe, follow and join to be part of a community of friends walking a similar path as you. We truly care and want you to know you are not alone. Chronic Illness is a part of your life, not all of your life and My Medical Musings can help you find new purpose, meaning and passion for life, despite your disease. So grab a cuppa and find a comfy chair to sit down with your new friends who will truly give you a warm welcome.

SEIZE THE DAY
"Don't feel like you are being selfish. If you are like me, you are likely rarely able to do something just for you. You likely save your energy moments everyday to do things for others."
#seizetheday #birthdaycelebration #countrydrive #chronicillness #chronicpain #hope #moments #makingmemories

In this episode I'm announcing my reason for postponing my Virtual Book Tour for a while. I'm leaving you with 2 readings from the book, A Poem from Betsy Riley and a Love Letter to Peter. I hope you enjoy xx

In Week 2 of our Virtual Book Tour, I'm reading Chapter 18 (When All Else Fails Just Cancel The Day), from my book, "My Medical Musings". I am also announcing ,"new" competition rules to give you the opportunity to win a signed paperback copy of my book. The competition will run until the end of July.

Join me on my Virtual Book Tour as I share with you readings from my book, "My Medical Musings, A Story of Love, Laughter, Faith and Hope; Living with a Rare Disease", plus you can have the opportunity to enter a competition to win a signed copy of my book. Today I'll be reading you the beautiful "Afterword" from CEO, Arthritis Queensland, Emma Thompson. Plus I'll be sharing with you the online volunteer work I love to do for Arthritis Queensland.

I’m really excited to announce I’ve decided to do a “Virtual Book Tour” of sorts, through my Podcast, Medical Musings with SamIf you want to be a part of my Virtual Book Tour and not miss an episode, the best way to ensure you are with me “on the virtual bus”, (so to speak) is to follow both my blog and Podcast.

You can also like and follow my Facebook Page, My Medical Musings, as I’ll be sharing each Virtual Tour episode there.

As the “My Medical Musings” brand expands, keeping it all authentic and keeping my own integrity is paramount to me. Join me in this episode as I review my motives, check my integrity is in tact and announce my plans for a Virtual Book Tour on my Podcast!!

I recorded this earlier on a Spotify only podcast as I wanted to include a downloaded song. I didn't want my followers who listen on other apps to miss out, so I've re published with the downside being you have to put up with my signing 🎤😅

Only one week until my book is launched!! I can't believe it. This Podcast shares some little snippets of what you can expect from the book... I am sharing some of the Preface and Introduction. So hope you enjoy and celebrate with me this week in the lead up to my official book launch on the 20th May!

As my book "My Medical Musings" is set to officially launch on May 20th, I share with you my excitement at achieving a lifelong dream of becomingan Author....and more importantly I encourage my listeners to not give up on your own hopes and dreams. I also share some of my recent interview with Authority Magazine on what it means to be resilient and my thoughts on what are the characteristics of resilience. These are exciting days at Medical Musings headquarters and this Podcast has given me the opportunity to thank my listeners, readers, my admin team and my publisher. I truly love you all 🥰

Should I sound “sick” on the phone? Should I dress as if I had just got out of bed or don’t care about my appearance? I have severe pain and fatigue and sometimes I do lose my voice as a result, but generally I can talk. I often look drained throughout the day but if I’m seeing someone a lot of planning has happened prior to seeing them to ensure my pain meds are at their maximum effectiveness. Why would I want to sound terrible or look dishevelled if I’m able to do?When we have chronic illness, our minds are quickly programmed to think about all the things we can no longer do.



Don’t get me wrong, there is lots we can’t do when living with a chronic disease. My list sometimes seems endless and can cause me to feel as if my disease is in total control.

Is it though? Or am I at risk of allowing it to take over more than it should?

I ask myself this question constantly.

I don’t want to be a prisoner to my disease. I want to scale whatever heights I can safely push, and ultimately I’m the only one who can decide my limits.

If I was ever going to accept my change in life circumstances, I needed to start with changing my self talk chat lines.
No longer could I talk to myself as if I could conquer all. I could and can conquer a lot, but definitely not everything. No mind over matter, no cheerleading squads, no pushing through despite pain, is going to be suffice to achieve goals, like basic daily housework.
Should I just give up? No, it’s not in my DNA to give up but it is in my DNA to find solutions. I might have to give up my perfectionism but I can still hang on to my “problem solving” passion.
It all starts with self talk. Not the kind I used in the past but a new kind. I’ve created, new and appropriate, self talk chronic illness chat lines.

I was very honoured to be interviewed about the COVID-19 vaccine and how important it is for those of us living with chronic illness.

Sometimes the path ahead in life can seem a little unclear.
Sometimes we are faced with a range of life choices, almost too many, which often complicate matters and require a great deal of thought….too much thought!!
Sometimes we have limited choices, none of which are particularly helpful, so instead of moving forward we feel paralysed.
Add in chronic illness, and the restrictions often surrounding our diseases, complications are taken to a whole new level when we are faced with which path to take.
So how do we deal with forks in the road, a change of direction, a smorgasbord of opportunities?

There are times I yearn to write but words fail me.
Is it because I am overthinking?
Is it because I’m too tired and in too much pain?
Or is it because if I wrote what I needed to write, it may be too raw, too much for my readers and even too much for me?
While tiredness and pain definitely impact my writing ability, I think what is stopping me today is my need to write straight from my heart, however it might unfold.

A new year awaits. Will it be a good year, a difficult year, a happy year, a sad year?
One thing is certain, none of us really know.
This time last year, none of us knew how challenging 2020 would be. I doubt a rampant, infectious virus, creating a global pandemic, was forefront on our minds. The year has read more like a movie script rather than real life. The kind of script you feel relieved is fiction.
I love this quote from Martin Luther King Jnr;

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, you just have to take the first step”

That’s it! I just need to step into the 1st January 2021 and take each day one at a time, step by step.
The details, the plans, the hopes, dreams, twists and turns will unravel as I go.

Every now and again it’s really good to stop and take stock.
The end of the year, and the lead up to Christmas, is a perfect time to let go of a few things and make some space to slow down a little.
So, I thought I would lead by example and take a step back from Blogging, Writing and Podcasting until after Christmas.

I have a “Now or Never” philopsophy to life that sometimes gets me into trouble.
Well, let’s face it….always gets me into trouble!
Living with a physical progressive disability involves a lot of pain, lack of mobility and extreme fatigue every day. This kind of disease is constant. It doesn’t ebb and flow with flares. It’s there all the time, slowly worsening.
The sensible approach to this kind of chronic illness life is to pace all activities, listen to your body and lower all expectations.
Generally I do. I advocate pacing, live and breathe it actually. Partly as I don’t have a choice, plus I know it helps enormously with pain management.
The problem is, despite living with a severe disability for 5 years, my mind still seems to disconnect from my body on occasion. I can still visualize myself jumping out of my chair and cleaning up the kitchen, dusting the shutters, wiping down the bathroom tiles, making the bed, getting dressed, doing hair and makeup and looking like “little Miss Perfect” with all the ease of a healthy 18 year old.
So how do I manage a Pushing and Pacing Approach as a person with a severe physical disability.......It's not easy but it is possible!

Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la” 🎵🎶
Is it? Do you feel jolly or do you feel exhausted, stressed?
Do you feel overwhelmed by your chronic illness, which refuses to understand Christmas is fast approaching, and you really could do with feeling healthy for the festive season?
We can dream can’t we of halcyon days, but the reality is our chronic diseases are generally here to stay. So we need to find new ways to live well during a holly, jolly Christmas time.
Let me share with you, some of my simple ideas for creating Comfort and Joy at Christmas at home, despite chronic illness.

Perhaps COVID is giving the world a Christmas gift. The gift of time. Time to stop. Time to get out of the rat race for a season. Time to reconnect with what really matters in life. November is a great time to set your realistic Christmas expectations. You can then head into this “most wonderful time of the year”, relaxed and ready to enjoy a very special and achievable Christmas…..one that’s just right for you, despite COVID, despite chronic illness.
You never know, this may be your best Christmas ever!

How would you answer the question "What if?"

"What if my health gets worse in the future?"

"What if I run out of money?"

What if I contract COVID-19?
A what if question tends to ignite our anxieties first, taking us on a scary roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Asking "what if” can be paralyzing, even soul destroying. It can cause you to worry about a future scenario which may never happen. It can cause you to miss out on the joys in your life today.
When you flip a “what if” question into a “what is” statement, your
life can change for the better.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MY LONG TIME FRIEND AND WORK COLLEAGUE,
KAYE SOUTH.
HER AMAZING STORY OF LIVING WITH A BENIGN BRAIN TUMOUR, BEATING BOWEL CANCER AND SO MUCH MORE, CAN'T BE MISSED!

Pain needs to become my friend so I can live as well as possible with it. A strange concept I know. How can pain be your friend?Will pain be my best friend? Of course not but it doesn’t have to be my enemy, and this is what I mean by accepting pain as my friend. I don’t want to make it worse than it is. If I stop looking at it as an enemy, it reduces its power over me. It disarms it!