(As published on The Mighty) What are the rules for living with a chronic illness or rare disease? Where can I find the rule book to help me manage, especially when all my symptoms are flaring and are "Off The Charts"? This is the question my husband and I have been contemplating over recent weeks. How do … Continue reading Where’s The “Off The Charts” Rule Book?
Growing up I was often referred to as “Pollyanna” as I naturally played the glad game, always looking for the positive in a situation. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I was born with that personality trait given the health issues that have been thrown at me. As I moved into adulthood … Continue reading Taking A Professional Approach With Your Medical Team
I love turning over the calendar at the beginning of a new month. I have a pretty wall calendar in my study, so I look forward to revealing a new picture on the morning of the 1st day. It's a symbolic act in some regards, of saying goodbye to the old month, the good and … Continue reading The Ups And Downs Of Everyday Life Plus An Extraordinary Event!
We all know the saying; "When life gives you lemons, use them to make lemonade" It conjures up the notion of strength, determination, optimism, resourcefulness, resilience. All characteristics I've drawn on to deal with the "chronic illness lemons" continuously thrown at me. My lemons often feel like tennis balls in one of those practice machines. … Continue reading This One Is All About Handling Lemons
How often do you tell yourself " I should be doing such and such" or " I'd better do this or that" ? We all do it. It's like we are programmed from birth to constantly have a catalogue of "should do, must do, better do", all filed in the front of our minds for … Continue reading “I Should, I Better, I Have To” …..No, You Really Don’t!!
How many times have you written a "To Do List" this week? How many times have you looked at this list and felt like it's an impossible dream? How many times have you felt useless because you've only ticked off a few items? How many times have you looked at the list and felt like … Continue reading Can You Have A Chronic Illness And A “To Do” List?
When you've lived with Chronic Illness for a number of years, at some point, you adjust to a new way of living. You eventually find a new norm. While you might expect a few highs, lows and some disease flares along the way, generally life evolves into a settled and comfortable pattern. Until it suddenly, … Continue reading “Would You Like A Second Opinion?”… Surreal And Scary!
Have you looked at your Calendar at the start of a month and thought to yourself, " What on earth was I thinking. I can't possibly do all that!" I'm sure I'm not alone in this exclamation. As I scrolled through my calendar on my phone for the month ahead, I felt physically sick. It … Continue reading Calendar Chaos
I love life's little challenges. I love problem solving and turning obstacles into opportunities. I love putting positive spins on what would otherwise be a very negative situation. I've done that all my life, both in my personal life and my working life. So, chronic disease really wasn't going to change that about me. It's … Continue reading When All Else Fails….Just Cancel The Day
We all have moments in life when we hit a brick wall physically and perhaps mentally. It happens to the healthy and chronically ill alike. I remember in my "healthier" life, I'd get to the end of my working week and I'd be exhausted. It was a normal exhaustion. The kind where you just needed … Continue reading Running on Empty – Do Not Pass “Go”
