Making an Action Plan for 2019
As 2019 gets started, I decided not to make a resolution for the year. For some reason it just seems that I never keep them. I decided instead to set the standard for my year. These are not really goals but it is more like an action plan. Developing an Action Plan I was thinking about making an action plan for the year when the monthly prompts from A Chronic Voice came out yesterday. These prompts were the perfect way to develop the plan for my year! I love it when something you are looking for just comes right when you need it. If you are not familiar with the…
Migraine Explained: The Stress Connection
Stress is a controversial topic because there is a misconception that all stress is bad or comes from bad things. The truth is that some of the happiest moments in life are stressful. Our bodies were also made to use stress to keep us safe from harm. Not all stress is bad but sometimes the way our bodies react to it is. The Stress Connection My Doctor tells me all the time that my “migraine brain” is very sensitive. Things that do not impact other people will wreak havoc on my body. Things like weather changes, lack of sleep, sickness and other “normal” events will trigger severe migraines. Basically, my…
2018 – A Year in Review
This is my last blog post for 2018! This year has been an amazing year and I want to thank all of my readers. With this post, I want to review my first year of blogging. This blog will be 1 year old in January and that is so hard to believe. So, let’s review some of my blog stats and then I will list five of my most popular posts. A Year in Review Total Views: 49,860 Total Blog Posts: 213 When doing a review of the year, these numbers blew me away. I never could have imagined on the day that I wrote that first post that I…
Chronic Illness Spotlight: Rare Bone Disease & More
Chronic Illness Spotlight is a series in which different illnesses are highlighted and a person that lives with the illness is featured. Today’s post will spotlight a rare Bone Disease. It is so rare that it hasn’t been given a name! Meet Sam Moss of My Medical Musings, Sam has several Chronic Illnesses, one that is so rare that it hasn’t been named yet. She also has Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogrens Syndrome, Trigeminal Neuralgia, a permanent Colostomy due to a severe rectal prolapse and a few other bits and pieces. Sam is an advocate for others that have Chronic Illness and runs an active Chronic Illness Facebook Group. This Group is…
Getting the Most of the Energy You Have
Most people can relate to there being too many days left at the end of a paycheck. When you are in that situation, you have to pinch every penny to make it to the next payday. It is very similar when you have a chronic illness and you have too many hours left after the end of the energy. Planning is the most important part of making the most out of the energy that you have. Nothing is worse than running out of energy. When I hit my wall, it is not pretty and always includes a physical collapse and hours of recovery. Getting the Most Out of the Energy…
Chronic Illness Spotlight: Familial Mediterranean Fever
Chronic Illness Spotlight is a new series in which different illnesses are highlighted and a patient that lives with the illness is featured. Today’s post will spotlight a rare Chronic Illness called Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). Familial Mediterranean Fever Meet Ashley Marie, she is recently engaged so congratulations are definitely in order! Ashley Marie has two Chronic Illnesses, one is called Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) and the other is Behcet’s Disease. Today, we will be focusing on FMF. If you would like to learn more about Behcet’s Disease, visit the American Behcet’s Disease Association. Here is the interview with Ashley Marie. Briefly explain your illness FMF is a rare autoinflammatory disorder that…
5 Signs Someone May Be Hiding Depression
Some people have been dealing with depression for so long that they have become extremely good at hiding it from others. They go about their lives like nothing is wrong, in fact, many of them have a seemingly productive life. They have gotten so good at masking their true feeling that sometimes they do not see it either. If you love someone that is hiding depression, it is important to try to get beyond the facade. 5 signs someone may be hiding depression. 1. Sudden changes in eating or sleeping Sudden behavioral changes can be a sign of depression. If a person is suddenly not sleeping or is sleeping too…
MIgraine Explained: Fighting a Stigma
Migraine in all of it’s varying forms is a misunderstood illness and it is accompanied by many stigmas. The fact that people with Chronic Migraine have 15 or more migraine days per month is only compounded when loved ones do not try to understand. Fighting a Stigma of any illness is difficult but when the illness completely isolates you, it can be even worse. Before I can talk about fighting a stigma, I need to talk about what some of the stigmas are. It is just a headache- Nothing could be further from the truth. A migraine brings nausea, vomiting, debilitating pain and visual disturbances (see Migraine Explained: What is…
5 Things Healthy People Don’t Understand about Chronic Illness
I remember being healthy and I remember being active in life. I enjoyed singing on the praise team, running my own virtual assistant business and nights out with my husband. My life was full, happy and I felt like I was finally happy in life. I can say now that I took my ability to be active completely for granted. Now, as I sit here getting ready to pack for a weekend trip, I realize what healthy people don’t understand about Chronic Illness. 5 Things Healthy People Don’t Understand How do I know what healthy people don’t understand? Because I was once one of them. I can’t do anything spontaneously…
5 Ways to Start the New Year Feeling Mentally Strong
As the year comes to a close, it is easy to become discouraged if you didn’t complete some of the goals you set. Dwelling on these can make starting the new year with a positive outlook difficult. While it is important to reflect on the successes of the year, it is also smart to set yourself up for success in the year to come. It is time to focus on starting the New Year feeling mentally strong. 5 Ways to Start the New Year Feeling Mentally Strong Reflect but Don’t Dwell on the Negative It is important to look back at the year to determine what worked and what did…
