Observations of the chronically ill

The sleep paradox. I do not sleep well at night yet cannot keep my eyes open during the day. So, do I not sleep at night because I sleep during the day? No. From the time my wonderful wife gets up until around midday (or later) I find it almost impossible to keep my eyes open, no matter what you might threaten me with! To try and stay awake I will play a movie, and have to restart it at least half a dozen times because I keep nodding off. Even loud action movies. So what is the difference? At night when I am lying next to the most wonderful, selfless, caring and beautiful woman in the world it is completely quiet. This enables me to hear clearly the loud ringing tinitis in my ears, and exquisitely feel the pain all over my body (even with prescribed pain medication). It makes sleep very difficult so I lie here and try to rest, and wait until morning when noises begin and sleep can come my way through distraction. The accompanying picture to this post is almost accurate as t

Centrelink is there for the needy, sick and disadvantaged, and yet provides the worst service of any government agency. The top level of management needs to be sacked immediately, along with their middle management that publish outrageously incorrect phone answering statistics. Then, and I know this will cost us, but there needs to be a Royal Commission into the whole Department and the policies currently in place. It could easily be a case of the right people being tied up by stupid beaurocracy. Until such a public, complete investigation is done those most in need of help in our society will continue to be treated with disdain. We should all be ashamed, especially the policy makers who make it so difficult for Centrelink staff to do their job, for treating our people so badly.

You never know when your working life will end. This time last year I was looking forward to the next stage of my career, now I am ill and will never go to work again. I say this not for sympathy, as those close to me give me more than I deserve already, but to plead with you to act now on what you want to do, start that study, or knock on doors for that start you crave, or change careers NOW. You have no idea how long you have, and regrets hurt far worse than all the "No's" you'll receive before you get your yes! Go for it, or resign yourself to decades of regret, your choice.