Chronic Illness
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Simply Prepared
Let me start off with asking you a question: Have you ever had a day, a week, a month, or a year, that you have to keep reminding yourself, just do today? Otherwise you think you might explode! If you have, welcome my friend. I hope that you find this post helpful and hopeful in some way today! Now, let me lead with a few facts about myself before we dive in. 1. The following “advice” (not sure if that’s what I should call it- but I’m going with it for today😂) comes from my life of live, learn, make mistakes, get back up again experiences and self-educated research. 2.…
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and then it was Spring!
Spring. Tulips. Buttercups (what we in the south call daffodils). Color. Pink. Yellow. Green. Orange. Blue. White. Easter. Hope. Promise. Children. Eggs. Laughter. Swings. Slides. Sand boxes. Chalk. What do you think of when you think or hear the word “SPRING?” The first things that come to mind for me, childhood core memories. The two metal swing sets we had in our yard. These were the metal swing sets that if you got to swinging a little too high, you started to feel the whole swing set start lifting out of the ground. Anybody remember these? Pretty much the only place that wouldn’t be blazing hot would be the swing…
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If it’s not one thing…
I come to you today a bit weary, but grateful. You know the saying, “if it’s not one thing, it’s another”? Well, if you yourself have chronic illness, or you advocate for someone with chronic illness, you know the impact of this phrase. First, let me make very clear how grateful I am to live so close to an amazing medical hospital and clinics. This truly is by far an incredible gift! So many have to move to get closer to the help they need, or travel constantly for medical appointments. Second, I am grateful to have insurance that this hospital and clinics remain in network. This being said, the…
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One Wave at a Time
Just a note before I start today’s writing: I am so grateful for the picture above, along with many more, you never know when these moments will no longer exist. And we have the opportunity in our pockets (phones), to take glimpses of these moments. I encourage you to not hesitate, take the pictures! Video all the firsts, seconds, thirds, the moments that you can’t get back! I know how these priceless treasures can make my day just a little bit more do-able, I never wish this on anyone, but believe me if you are ever left with just pictures and videos and memories, you won’t regret a second of…
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“She Keeps to Herself”
Before I start today’s writing, I would like to correct something I wrote last week. And that is, I wrote that there is an RSV vaccine, there is not. I fact checked myself, because I knew they had discovered something, and there is a treatment that high risk patients can be given. Therefore, I pass on this information and urge you to fight for those who are too weak to fight right now. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/prevention.html Now to today’s writing… Have you ever heard this comment made about somebody? “She/he is just shy/quiet/private, so she/he just keeps to themselves most of the time.” It’s funny because when my grandparents said it, it…
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Discerning the Invisible
Allow me to take you on a wild adventure, into the world that is the fascinating, yet misunderstood and unseen… As I wrote last week, this is an adventure that many have had, yet no two individuals have the same experience or lasting life after shocks. Also, there are many who haven’t had even a taste of the adventure I am about to take you on. So whether you have been on this rollercoaster, or are on it, or haven’t a taste, I’m going to do my best to walk you down my path of adventure of diagnoses of invisible chronic illnesses, and accepting that they are invisible. The thing…
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Name, Claim, No Room for Shame!
As I watch the coverage of Hurricane Ian, I am struck with all sorts of emotion. I am also remembering the documentaries that I just watched barely two weeks ago, “When the Levees Broke” and then the follow-up “If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” which are about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. The devastation, the brokenness, the loss of lives, homes, loss of everything they had ever known. No two stories were the same, but every person, every story was effected by the hurricane. The trauma, the loss, the reactions, no two were the same, yet they all experienced the same horrific storm. Have you ever experienced…
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Peace in His Presence… ALWAYS
Let me take you back to when I was little. The time in life when any performance, or sport, or school project, etc, was ultimately about the snack at the end of the game, or the flowers, or trophy at the end. And beyond that, what left the greatest impact on me, for life, was who showed up. Grandparents. Mom. Dad. My brother. Family. Close Friends. After the snack and flowers and trophies are gone, the lasting impact, are the people, who thought I was worth dropping all other things and decided to take the time to come see me. It was a gift to know my people would be…
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You don’t LOOK sick?
Question for the day: Why do we say this, “You don’t look sick,” as if we have to look a certain way to be deemed “sick.” And what does it mean to be “sick?” To one person, it could mean a momentary illness, a cold, virus, or infection. To another, it could be lifelong daily maintenance, caution, awareness, and appointments. And then there are the people that claim they NEVER GET SICK, good golly, at some point you have had to blow your nose or cough – just be real. (sense my sarcasm) The dictionary’s definition of sick is this: “affected by physical or mental illness.” I agree with this…
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Slow down… Consider…
Okay, as I begin to type this, my heart beats a little faster, I’m a little dizzy, but I believe I must write this for many reasons. (I wrote it over a month ago, but now I need to share it:)) If you will remember, I’m not a sweetie, nor do I like to argue. I LOVE facts, and when a fact is not available I ask for the next best thing, TRUTH. I am someone who has always known life with the daily medical world, and I am also a Medical Mama. My personality is a slower pace, quicker to pause, introvert. And honestly, I have had to be…
