Hard Days Are Construction Days
johndabell Recovering from multi-organ failure is hard work. Recovery is exhausting, frustrating, and full of uncertainty. It’s also full of the kind of courage that rarely makes headlines. People often imagine…
February 2026
Hope Doesn’t Arrive Built – You Assemble It
We often talk about hope as if it’s something that turns up on its own like sunshine breaking through clouds or a sudden feeling that everything will be alright. We…
The Real Hunger Games: Life on a RIG Feeding Tube
People hear the phrase feeding tube and imagine nutrition, support, recovery — something clinical and straightforward. A medical solution. A helping hand. What they don’t imagine is hunger. Yet being…
The Alchemy of Words
I own a book of magic. You probably have one too. You’ve certainly used one before. It sits quietly on the shelf. No glowing cover. No ancient lock. No warning…
The Shelter You Don’t Realise You’re Building
There is a strange misconception about resilience that it is loud, heroic, or dramatic. We imagine resilience as speeches, breakthroughs, or moments of visible triumph. In reality, resilience is usually…
There Is Nothing Normal About the “New Normal”
After a major health scare or a life-altering diagnosis, you will often hear medical professionals talk about finding your “new normal.” It is a phrase I find infuriating because there…