Helpful Hints
-
Dealing With Endless Possibilities
In life there are so many scenarios that make you scratch your head. It feels like in mine there are new situations that pop up everyday. Right now, life is filled with questions. New diagnoses, new symptoms, and new questions are around every corner. Some of them are hopeful, terrifying or even grim. Dealing with these situations makes me stronger but it doesn’t come easily. Here’s how I deal with endless possibilities…. Hope I don’t care what anyone says, I believe there is always hope. It may not be what you want or what you think you need but there’s a reason it’s happening. Despite two years of continuous and…
-
Service Dog Essentials I Carry With Me
As I was reminded during the training process, Crush is still a dog. It wasn’t Crush who reminded me of this, it was the trainer. Of course, Crush has his essentials. This includes his hard handle harness, halti, and leash. That’s not what I’m discussing in this article. Although few and far between Crush makes mistakes. Whether he needs more payment for his work and focus or if he ever had an accident, I’m well prepared. Here are all the things I carry with me for Crush… Extra Treats This is important. He may not need extra treats but there have been times where I forget his treats at home…
-
What I Learned From Hip Surgery
We all know that surgery, in one form or another, is not always an enjoyable experience. It’s not the worst by any means (at least mine haven’t been) but if given the choice, most of us would opt out. Orthopedic surgery is a whole new experience for me. It’s the first opportunity I have to jeopardize my health by trying to recover too quickly. It doesn’t matter if I want to walk, if I want to push through pain, or if I want to test the limits of what my new hip can do. I can cause damage. That scares me. Everyone who is close to me is aware of…
-
It’s Okay to Talk About You
This is more for the spoonie supporters, unless a spoonie out there needs to hear this. I have been getting this a lot lately, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t complain, you’ve got so much going on.” It’s true, sometimes I may have to dig deep for sympathy but most of the time I love to hear what others are going through. Most importantly, it’s okay to talk about you!! What I am going through should not impact how you talk to me. I want to hear your thoughts and feelings. They didn’t disappear because I had to go to a doctor’s appointment. Your experience is valid. Often, I love to hear…
-
An Appointment Survival Guide
Doctors appointments can be anything from exciting to downright terrifying. We’ve all had that one appointment. The doctor is running an hour late and has life changing news. You sit there anxiously awaiting the results and they have nothing new to tell you. No, just me? I’ve had several of these appointments and I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. Here’s how I survive doctors appointments… Bring Distractions It may be a book or an app on your phone but prepare to distract yourself. Zone out and let yourself forget where you are. There is always someone who is running late. Chances are you’ll be waiting at some point during your…
-
How to Build Your Support Network
Finding support can be a challenge. Depending on your support system and your mental state it can be an uphill battle. Fear not! I am here to tell you my tips in finding a support system. I am lucky. I have a very supportive family and a wonderful network of friends. Finding other individuals having a similar experience was a tough challenge. So I began my search for a bigger support network. Facebook groups and Instagram Social media is an excellent way to find others like you. You may be reading this because of Instagram or Facebook, if so, Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. There are great support groups on…
-
Taking Control of Your Life
Attitude is everything. This phrase has been around forever. What does it mean? For me, this means that in uncontrollable circumstances, I choose to focus on what I can control. When I had to move back from living abroad, I was angry and beside myself. It felt like my life was stolen from me, but it wasn’t. It changed drastically but I was about to go to one of the best medical institutions in the world for treatment. During this time, I chose to focus on the negative but after a month, that got old. No one wants to be unhappy but finding happiness in dark times is hard work.…
-
Why Meditation is Key
I love meditation. It’s something I found by accident, I started off with the app Headspace and evolved from there. When I first started, it was a challenge. I wasn’t meditating consistently and I wasn’t seeing any results. When I chose to start, I did it because it was something my doctors suggested. Being the dutiful patient I am, I ran with it. Well, at first I limped with it. Slowly, I got up to walking speed and now I’m finally running with it. I think there’s a stigma around meditation. We all have this grand idea that within one session we will have found enlightenment. It only takes the…
-
How to Find Radical Acceptance
Radical acceptance is often brought up in treatment for OCD. The concept is quite intriguing. It is the idea that we only need to accept what we are experiencing. In one moment, to the next we bring ourselves to a state of peace by accepting our circumstance. For me, radical acceptance has been very important in my chronic illness journey. After my last surgery, radical acceptance clicked for me. In times of pain, it’s easier to accept than in times of anxiety. So how can we find radical acceptance and how do we implement it into our lives? Here’s how I found radical acceptance: Be Patient Radical acceptance is a…
-
Navigating the World With a Service Dog
If you have a service dog, you know how much it changes your world. After having Crush for over a month, I realized there’s a lot of things people don’t tell you about having a service dog. Getting Crush is the best decision I ever made. I am free to do things independently, but it doesn’t come without a few ups and downs. There are times when people interfere, causing frustrations. When we’re out in public, there’s a spotlight on us. That’s not always a bad thing, most times it brings a smile to my face. Crush is such a helper, he is a safety net. When shit hits the…
