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My Medication Philosophy
Let me start off by saying, this is how I handle using medication. It is right for me and my body. I’m not suggesting that this is right for everyone or that it is a universal truth. I don’t want to offend or infer that others are overusing their medication. I don’t deal with chronic pain and cannot speak to that experience AT ALL. That is completely different from what I am talking about. This is what is right for me. My view on medication has changed over the years. It’s grown, as I have. When I was young, I didn’t handle discomfort well. I chose to take medication whenever…
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How To Prepare For a Hip Arthroscopy
I was nervous going into my hip surgery. I had never had orthopedic surgery. The only comfort I felt was that it couldn’t be worse than the feeling of my labrum tearing. I didn’t know where to begin when preparing for this surgery. After searching the internet, I found a few ways to prepare. I put them all together creating a plan for after I got home from the hospital. So here is a compiled list of how to prepare for your hip arthroscopy. Strengthen Your Arms I thought of this on my own ahead of time. I stopped working out due to my hip and suddenly I realized I’d…
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Why It's Time to Start Sharing Other Peoples Stories
You might notice articles written by other authors popping up. Why am I doing this? When I started my journey of deciding what I wanted my career to be, I chose theatre. I chose this because it allowed me to share other peoples stories. This outlet shares in a way that conveys a universal message. I’ve always said, “how can I share other people’s stories if I haven’t heard them?” I’m lucky to have found such a wonderful community through social media. I have had the chance to interact and befriend people who are just like me. I am hearing their voices but on this platform, I want them to…
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Life As A Chronically Ill Parent
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Should You Get a Service Dog?
Before I got Crush, there was so much I didn’t know. I did hours upon hours of research trying to figure out if a service dog was right for me. It’s all about your condition and lifestyle. My dysautonomia makes it difficult for me to balance and bend down to pick things up. Crush’s tasks mitigate that really well. He has a hard harness and is trained to get anything and everything off the floor for me. To go through all of what Crush does for me would take a long time. Here’s what I considered before getting a service dog. Your Condition Like I said earlier, Crush aids my…
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Life As A Chronically Ill Parent
Written by: Laurel Moring (@FerntheServiceDog and @LaurelMoring) When I met my person at 22, fell in love and got married at 23, kids were obviously the logical next step. I was pregnant just five months after getting married. We were thrilled to welcome our first son nine months later. My pregnancy was healthy, however, my delivery was medically complicated and traumatic (both physically and emotionally). To this day I think that might have been the catalyst for everything that came next. I have always struggled with joint pain, low energy, and mental illness. After my first baby my physical health began to cause me more noticeable problems. I began having…
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Why It's Time to Start Sharing Other Peoples Stories
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Why I Prefer Female Physicians
This past week I saw a GI doctor. I was hesitant to even go in because my symptoms don’t feel worth addressing. The last time I went to GI they simply said the issues I had would always be there. My nervous system problems would propel the issues forward and create a cycle. They gave me no treatment or guidance for symptom management. When I spoke with my allergist about the stomach issues I was having, he urged me to go in. Reluctantly, I agreed. My appointment got scheduled and I braced myself for the myriad of dismissals I was ready to receive. While I was waiting, I checked to…
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My Experience at Mayo Clinic Rochester
Everyone has an opinion of Mayo Clinic. Whether they’ve been accepted as a patient or denied, people usually have something to say about it. The reviews I heard before going were difficult to follow. They were all specific to doctors or an isolated experience. I wanted to shed light on my experience as a whole. I’ve been treated at Mayo Clinic for a year now. I’ve seen hundreds of doctors and been hospitalized multiple times. I’ve had good experiences and bad experiences. This is an overview of my experience at Mayo Clinic Rochester. The first doctor I saw at Mayo Clinic was less than thrilling. I had an anxious stomach…
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I'm Getting My Wisdom Teeth Removed
I’ve chosen to get my wisdom teeth removed. For me, this is a big decision. Any procedure can cause stress to my nervous system. This could increase my daily symptoms making it difficult for me to function. So why now? It’s very simple, they’ve finally become a problem for me. I was told two or three years ago they’d have to be removed. My mouth doesn’t have the space for four extra teeth. I blew it off at the time, thinking I didn’t have the time or it wasn’t worth the hassle. Now, it’s clear that they were right. As my teeth are growing in, it’s causing a lot of…
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Stop Saying These 5 Things to People With Chronic Illness
I have had lots of poor experiences with people sharing their opinions on my chronic illness. The majority of people I’ve met with health issues experience this same problem. Everyone wants to help but unfortunately, it’s often more hurtful than helpful. I know that most people mean well. I know that everyone wants to come up with a solution. I know that it comes from a place of love. That said, if someone is sharing their experience, ask before giving advice. In my experience, I need to explain that I’m venting and don’t need any help. I just need to state how I’m feeling. If you can’t fight the urge…
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Dealing With OCD Spikes
My OCD has been calm lately. I knock on wood when I say that. Really, how well I manage my OCD is completely dependent on me. That’s not to say that I don’t have random spikes of anxiety. Some days I feel more anxious than others. Some days I see a million triggers, other days I see none. Some days, I automatically start compulsions and other days I don’t. The other day, my therapist wanted me to do research on a topic. I started to get anxious about this rather quickly. I didn’t know why she wanted me to research this. I started having a lot of automatic thoughts, “Does…
