United States of America
Copywriter. Bookworm. Foodie. Mom.
MA in English, Rutgers University
Covering women's and social issues, health, parenting, and food
Contributor for The Huffington Post, The Mighty, and Jersey Bites. Featured on BlogHer.
Moms with Pain (@momswithpain) August 1, 2016 As you can imagine, my followers have been on the receiving end of some pretty terrible advice. Some of the responses are downright infuriating, especially the ones that involve victim blaming. But some will make you laugh. Others will make you cringe.
I'd already lived with chronic migraines, occipital neuralgia, and thoracic outlet syndrome for seven years. When I learned I was pregnant, I knew that my pain would affect my parenting, but I didn't realize just how significantly. I remember one night in particular so vividly when my son was just a couple months old.
Overwhelmed with nausea, I sit down on one of our kitchen chairs. My fingers fumble with my medication injection pack as I open it, remove one of the cartridges, and insert it into the pen. I suck in air and hold my breath, pressing the pen into my thigh until it indents a circle on my flesh.
Upon entering Marlton's new Japanese restaurant OSushi , you might think you've stepped into a relaxing spa-if you haven't already heard the buzz about the food. OSushi's tranquil ambiance owes a lot to its decor, which emphasizes earthen shades of brown, black, and green.
You might think words like "local" and "seasonal" don't belong in the same sentence with shopping mall. Harvest Seasonal Bar and Grill , with six locations and two in the works, just might banish that stereotype. A few weeks ago, Jersey Bites Executive Editor Deborah Smith and I enjoyed a lunch at Harvest's Moorestown Mall location.
The drive to the Vincentown Diner always feels vintage, like a trip to a place time forgot. Farm stands, endless fields of crops, farmhouses, more farm stands, dairy bars straight out of 1950s Americana. Oh, and my cell usually loses reception, too. (Smartphones just don't fit in with the scene there.)
People who don't get migraines don't always "get" migraines. Sure, they might get the occasional one every so often, but you cannot fully comprehend what it's like to live with chronic migraine as a disorder until you've lived each day in fear of the next inevitable attack.
If there's one word that describes the Burlington County Farmers Market best, it's community. During my first visit of the 2016 season, my husband, toddler, and I watched from a spot on the lawn as shoppers relaxed with their friends and families.
I know, I know. It's a comedy. I need to "lighten up." I love "The Middle." I really do. I think it's one of the most genuine sitcoms on television today, reminiscent of the warm '90s shows I grew up watching. And I can take a joke.
Using a local yard sale page, I recently sold every pair of high heels I own. Knowing I'd never wear any of them again, I felt a bit of regret as I handed off the last pair.
Each month, Mothering with Chronic Pain will feature a different mom's story of life with illness. In June, we are featuring Colleen, who suffers from chiari malformation and pseudotumor cerebri. Please contact me if you'd like to have your story featured in the coming months.
I'd already lived with chronic migraine, occipital neuralgia and thoracic outlet syndrome for seven years. When I learned I was pregnant, I knew my pain would affect my parenting, but I didn't realize just how significantly. I remember one night in particular so vividly when my son was just a couple months old.
South Jersey features an eclectic blend of culinary delights from off-the-beaten-track diners to exotic, high-end cuisine. Here are a few of my favorites. El Mariachi L oco, 101 Bellevue Avenue, Hammonton, 609-270-7224 Hammonton, whose claim to fame is being the "Blueberry Capital of the World," is also home to a few great Mexican restaurants, and as such is one of the best places to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine.
I'm a breastfeeding mom. I fought hard to nurse my son. And I believe in a woman's right to breastfeed. But I don't call myself a breastfeeding proponent. Instead, I prefer to be an advocate for mothers with chronic illness (like myself) and their babies. What does that have to do with infant feeding?
I was sitting in one of those canvas painting classes, waving a paintbrush back and forth in a very amateur attempt to recreate Monet's Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies. "You're lucky you're young," casually comments the older woman sitting next to me, "You don't have to worry about arthritis in your hands."
Mostly, I'm a copywriter. But as a writer, I know that writing cannot be separated from design, especially on the web. If your content isn't clean, readable, and visually appealing, it probably won't be read - no matter how well-written it is.
Using a local yard sale page, I recently sold every pair of high heels I own. Knowing I'd never wear any of them again, I felt a bit of regret as I handed off the last pair.
People who don't get migraines don't always "get" migraines. Sure, they might get the occasional one every so often, but you cannot fully comprehend what it's like to live with chronic migraine as a disorder until you've lived each day in fear of the next inevitable attack.
Infant Risk Center - Anyone who has ever researched the safety of medications during lactation has probably heard the name "Dr. Hale" evoked. Dr. Thomas Hale, Ph.D, R.Ph., spearheads the Infant Risk Center (IRC) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, which provides some of the best guidance and most up-to-date research on medications and...
My educational background is in English Literature. A lifelong devotee of the written word, my insatiable appetite for language and voracious love for reading ultimately lead me to a Master's degree in English.
I was sitting in one of those canvas painting classes, waving a paintbrush back and forth in a very amateur attempt to recreate Monet's "Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies" (spoiler: I'm not an artist and the end result bore little resemblance to the original).
Teething, tantrums, sleep deprivation.Being a mom is hard work -- for all moms. But for moms with chronic pain, parenting can sometimes feel impossible. If you live every day with chronic illness, you know how it feels to balance the normal demands of motherhood on top of the worry, fear and misery that accompany a life with daily pain.
A popular anti-bullying meme has been making the rounds on social media for a while now. Several variations of it exist, but usually it begins something like, "That girl you just called fat?... She is overdosing on diet pills," and then continues, "The girl you just called ugly?...