Manufacturing Morale: Why I Built a Dopamine Menu During Cancer
johndabell I recently went to the theatre to see Othello. The acting was quite superb and was it was brilliant to watch. Live theatre always gives me a buzz and a…
johndabell
Life Coach: You’re Hired!
If you are looking for a Life Coach, then look no further. You’ve found one. It’s you. Tempted to pay someone else and get their insider life hacks? Don’t bother.…
Survival Becomes Daily Problem-Solving
There’s a romantic version of survival. It involves dramatic music, bold speeches, and a final triumphant moment where everything turns around in a single, cinematic sweep. Real survival is nothing…
Hard Days Are Construction Days
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…
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…
This Is Not A ‘New Normal’: Life Through A Tube
I’ve been nil by mouth for over three months now, and I won’t dress it up: I don’t dislike it. I hate it. Not being able to eat or drink…