Loss @ 2013 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Illness and Loss

The main symptom of the disaster was the kitchen. For the past four weeks, supplies from the constantly aborted deck painting project mingled with dirty dishes, even though not much food was eaten. Food was a source of rough comfort when remembered: an accompaniment to the usual pain pills, and

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Where I Stand © 2013 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Where I Stand

I’m taking part in WEGO Health’s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Day 16 #HAWMC – Tell us 3 things that are true about you, your condition, or your Health Activism. Tell us 1 lie. Will we be able to tell the difference? I’m improvising with this prompt. I’m in a weird

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In the Shadow Lands
Interior life

Wordless Wednesday #2

I’m taking part in WEGO Health’s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Day 10 #HAWMC – It’s often hard to like pictures of ourselves – post your favourite picture of yourself. Though today is technically “Wordless Wednesday,” tell us why it’s your favourite and what it means to you.  Being wordless is

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Heart Song © 2013 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Emotions and Chronic Illness

I’m taking part in WEGO Health’s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Day 1 #HAWMC – Why you write – tell us a little bit about why you write about your health online and what got you started. Why do I write? My thoughts about my reasons for writing changed several

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Breaking the Waves #1 © 2013 Jane Waterman
Interior life

(Not) Identifying With Being A Sick Person

As strange as it may sound, approaching my 23rd anniversary of being a sick person (I remember it well – the food poisoning, giardia or whatever it was that triggered the whole thing and led to me spending most of my 24th birthday puking),  I think one of my best

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In Memoriam © 2004 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Momentary Presence Amidst the Chaos

From Jane: I apologize for the lapse in time between posts. On March 1st, 2013, my wife’s mother died. It was 18 years to the day of my father’s death in the antipodes, so many miles and years away. In the following week, my wife and I helped her stepfather

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The Wailing Pool © 2001 Jane Waterman
Interior life

An Interior Life

“Rain fell too, on the day they took you from me. It was not like this rain, which struck the dirty window and filled the barren room with its rhythm. That rain was different: flooding my thoughts, and driving me into a frenzy. I supposed that was why they took

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Tempest © 2011 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Disappointment

I don’t know why after so many years I still get disappointed when depression cuts me down, but I do. Just a few weeks ago, I felt a certain sense of mastery. The herbal meds my naturopath had placed me on were working well, I’d completed a rigorous but exciting

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First Snow © 2012 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Looking for Hope

It’s a bit of a rough time. I just spent some time outdoors in the chill air, which I love, and got to thinking a bit about my walking meditation of last winter. I thought a little about my dreams of the labyrinth too, but sensed the ambition too great,

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Lady of the Lake © 2004 Jane Waterman
Interior life

Becoming Jane

Day 25 – How have your goals as a patient/advocate/person evolved? My goals as a patient and person have evolved in so many ways, as I’ve talked about in several posts this month. And although I didn’t really recognize it, I have been an advocate for some time and that

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