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Qualities I Look For In Friends
If chronic illness has taught me anything, it is choose your friends wisely. We are all equals but some people are much kinder than others. I know this article isn’t like my usual ones but I think it’s important to talk about. It’s easy to cling onto people when friends are sparse. Easy friends are often the ones to leave when life gets difficult. I grow close to people that I imagine will be there for me in a crisis. It’s not a full proof plan but these are some of the qualities I look for. Empathy I think that this is the most important. Empathy is essential to walking…
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Running Into More Problems
As you may know, I’m finally off my surgery restrictions and I’m back to running. It has been quite the journey thus far. I’m genuinely shocked at how much endurance I’ve maintained. It feels incredible to be able to run a mile without any issues. The other day, I managed to run two miles with a short walk in between them. My heart has struggled to keep up but it’s doing its best. I can’t fault it for needing a bit of help after just starting up again. Shockingly, my heart is not the part of my body that is struggling the most while running. Running has always been a…
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Easy Ways to Clear Your Mind
I think everyone needs more resets lately. Personally, with school and everything I have going on, I do. I’ve found what works to clear my head and I thought I’d share it here with you. On the off chance you don’t know how to step back, try some of these tips! Let me know what works for you. Clean Your space is a projection of your mind. If it’s cluttered and overwhelming, there’s no doubt that you’re probably in overdrive. Take a second to tidy up. Even if it’s not a deep clean. Take the opportunity to slow down and focus on your space. It will likely get you into…
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Why My Health Will Always Come First
Having a chronic illness comes with some difficult balancing acts. When I was in the thick of it, my only focus was my health. Now, I am doing better and I don’t have to focus on my health as much. That’s relative to how much vigilance I had before. Still, I’ve gotten to take a step back and relax a bit from the rigid life I was living. That comes with mass amounts of relief but it also has come with it’s own learning curve. As I’ve gotten busier with school and a social life, my health has fallen into the background. With Crush by my side, it’s easy to…
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Five Businesses That Spread Dysautonomia Awareness
It’s still Dysautonomia awareness month!! I wanted to highlight a couple businesses that are run by those living with Dysautonomia. This is a great way to spread the word about Dysautonomia. It also supports those who live with a chronic condition. I really hope you find something you like, if you don’t go over and support their social media. All of their links are below! Spoonie Sister Shop This Etsy store is tailored to spreading awareness about rare chronic conditions. All of their items are cute, fashionable and affordable. Personally, I’m a big fan of the “Pumpkin Spice and No Unsolicited Medical Advice” shirt! Grace and Brace I bought my…
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How to Prepare for Removing Your Wisdom Teeth
I only recently got my wisdom teeth removed. I will be the first to say that I didn’t prepare super well. Unlike most surgeries, I assumed this one would be easy to recover from. I wasn’t wrong but I wasn’t right either. It still took a tremendous toll on my body. I forgot to stock up on everything that would’ve helped me recover. In an attempt to save you from my own mistakes, here’s how to prepare for your wisdom teeth surgery. Buy Soft Foods I’m sure that your oral surgeon will warn you about this but I missed the memo. It didn’t even cross my mind. Luckily, I bought…
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How to Stay Consistent with a Busy Schedule
The Fall semester is in full swing. I’ve already had multiple papers due. I’m filled with to-do lists. Throughout this semester, it’s been difficult to be consistent with my schedule. This has caused me to be living in a reaction state rather than a proactive state. It has been a trial and error process of finding ways to keep consistency. I have not mastered this but I’ve found what works. More importantly, I have found what doesn’t work. Know How You’re Motivated This is really important. I am a self starter. If I tell myself I’ll do something, there’s a 90% chance I’ll do it. Knowing that about myself, I…
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Why I'm Open to Changing My Plans
Right now, I’m sitting in a place of discomfort. I always have a plan. I’ve always known what I wanted. Suddenly, I’m clueless. I’m in my final year of school and up until a couple of weeks ago, I was going to Canada next year. That was my destiny. I got home from Ireland and made it law that I would once again leave the country to study. I still want that. I still want to go to graduate school, but I’m not sure if it’s what I want right now. I haven’t given up on Canada by any means. I will still apply. Fingers crossed, I get in and…
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Four Ways to Stay Warm in Fall
The weather is changing and whether you’re a fellow spoonie or not, you may be feeling the effects. I always struggle with the changing weather. For me, my circulation becomes a big problem with cooler temperatures. Having Raynaud’s phenomenon, if I don’t stay warm enough, my limbs will turn purple. That’s the best case scenario because once they start going numb, I know there’s a problem. Here are five ways to stay warm in the fall! Layer Up! This is obvious but there are lots of options you may not know about. When I started having issues, I’d end up sweating through clothes. I layered too much. Then when I…
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How to Prepare for Interstim Surgery
Recently, I had surgery to implant a battery into my back. This connects to a wire that stimulates my sacral nerve. This process of getting to this point was extensive. I started with PTNS, which is nerve stimulation that goes through your foot. After having success with a few trials, my best option was to move forward with Interstim surgery. I had no idea how to prepare for this. I decided to jot down a few ideas here. I hope you find them helpful. Track Symptoms I saw my surgeon only a day or two before surgery. At that point, they asked how my symptom tracking was going. I don’t…
