By wendy, on July 12th, 2010%
 I’ve been very remiss, but it’s time to make up for that . . . A couple of weeks ago, I found a wonderful surprise in my email. Dominique, over at 4Walls and a View, has awarded this blog the “One Lovely Blog Award.” I’m amazed and honored to be chosen, however, fulfilling the requirements has been rather difficult. Between them, Dominique and Jolene (Graceful Agony) had managed to pass this award to many of the blogs I follow, so I had to find 15 more blogs to pass it on to.
In order to receive this amazing honor, you should meet the following requirements:
- Accept the award and post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. (Check.)
- Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered (if possible). (Check.)
- Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. (Working on it.)
Finding 15 blogs to pass it on to was NOT easy, but I did it, and here they are: Continue reading Lovely Blog Award? Me? »
By wendy, on July 10th, 2010%
The new ChronicBabe Blog Carnival theme is “who’s on your team” and I thought it would be the perfect time to let some very special people know how important they are to me, and how much I appreciate them (and hopefully, to help others figure out how to develop their own support team.)
Like so many of us, when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness, most of my family and friends didn’t “get it,” and even the ones who tried to be supportive ended up making me feel as though I was at fault for getting and staying sick. It’s taken me a lot of years to find people who either understand “incurable but not fatal,” or are willing to accept my experience without actually understanding it. It’s been a painful road, with many losses along the way, but I’ve finally managed to surround myself with people who love me for who I am and provide the emotional support I need to survive. Continue reading My Support Team: They weren’t Easy to Find, But They were Worth the Wait »
By wendy, on June 30th, 2010%
The new edition of the ChronicBabe Blog Carnival is up! There are tons of tips for new (and not so new) chronic babes from 15 chronic illness bloggers who have been living with chronic illnesses of various “flavors” for a WHILE, and have lots of experience and resources to share.
Check it out – and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the previous carnivals as well . . . You never know when you’ll find exactly what you need to help you out.
By wendy, on June 24th, 2010%
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness turns your life upside-down, and it can take you some time to figure out how to deal with it. The sooner you start managing the illness, instead of allowing the illness to manage you; the sooner you’ll start finding ways to live a fulfilling life in spite of it. It can be totally overwhelming at first, but if you take one step at a time, you CAN do it.
The first, and most important, thing you can do is find out everything you possibly can about your illness. Continue reading New to the “Chronic Illness Game”?: How to Survive and Thrive Anyway »
By wendy, on June 18th, 2010%
I have a “Google Alert” set up for CFS, and when I checked today, it led me to an article in the Herts Advertiser titled “Death of “quite fit and well” Harpenden woman a mystery.” The article goes on to state that “Mrs Bellamy had a history of blackouts and had previously been referred to a neurologist for her dizzy spells. But aside from a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome and a prescription for antidepressants, no doctor could find anything wrong with her.”
This is a brilliant example of how misunderstood Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is among the general population, who seem to think that it’s a very minor diagnosis. Continue reading CFS/ME and “Quite Fit and Well” are Mutually Exclusive »
By wendy, on June 13th, 2010%
“Passion is the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do.” –Curt Rosengren
When I saw the topic of this edition of the ChronicBabe Blog carnival, it threw me a bit. After all, passion requires energy, and energy tends to be in short supply when you have a chronic illness because dealing with all the crap that goes along with being sick drains you. As I thought about it, though, I realized that passion also PROVIDES energy, and the more passionate you are about something, the more energy that passion gives you.
Work is a good example of this idea – watch the people who love their work. They always have the energy they need to do what they love doing, even when they’re sick. The passion they feel for their work helps them find a way to do what they need to do, and even seems to help reduce the severity of their symptoms.
Contrast that with those who hate their jobs, who are just putting in the time they have to so that they can bring home that check, or keep that insurance, and survive just a bit longer. Continue reading Find Your Passion, Find Your LIFE . . . »
By wendy, on May 30th, 2010%
Chronic illness is a life-changing experience for everyone, and each person’s journey is very different; but there are experiences we all recognize as well. How many of us have lost jobs, friends, spouses, homes, and family members to our disease? No matter what illness we have, we share so much that we can connect on a level that many will never understand unless the journey comes to them. We share symptoms, and losses, and lessons; and we share the understanding that our lives will never be the same because the illness, the journey, has changed us in ways that can never be undone. Even if we were to wake up tomorrow and be healthy again, even if by some miracle we were cured; the experience has changed us in fundamental ways, and the lessons it has taught us can never be unlearned.
My journey began many years ago, and it has changed my life so much that when I look back I barely recognize the woman I was. I was married, and miserable, and convinced that I was too stupid to ever be able to take care of myself without a man to tell me what I thought, what I wanted, and what I felt. I was depressed and suicidal, dissociative, and having flashbacks that I thought were delusions or hallucinations. I was terrified that I was losing my mind, and more terrified to tell anyone what was happening for fear that I really WAS “going crazy.”
I can pinpoint the exact moment that my journey through illness began, too. Not with a time or a date, but with an event; an event so ordinary, so innocuous, that I could never have suspected the effect it would have on my life. Continue reading My Chronic Illness Journey – The Trip I Never Expected (or WANTED) to Take »
By wendy, on May 29th, 2010%
The new ChronicBabe Blog Carnival theme is favorite self-care tools and techniques, and will go live on Tuesday June 1.
I love this topic . . . self-care is a very important part of managing a chronic illness, and we all deserve to take good care of ourselves. I use a lot of non-medication methods to manage the symptoms of my multiple chronic illnesses (the short list is fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder, but if you’re really interested in the entire list, check my “Who Am I” page,) and I love sharing them with anyone they might help. I use a lot of aromatherapy and herbal teas for symptom control; and stress reduction techniques to minimize flares, anxiety, and bipolar cycling; so let’s get started. Continue reading You CAN Feel Better: Self-care Tips and Tricks for Fibromyalgia and Bipolar Disorder »
By wendy, on May 20th, 2010%
I think we all hate that question when it’s asked by “normals.” Unless it’s someone you know well, you never know whether to tell the truth (I feel like shit, thanks for asking.) or lie (Fine, how are you?)
Continue reading How are You? How Do You Answer the Hardest Question Ever When You Live with Chronic Illness? »
By wendy, on May 17th, 2010%
My definition
My personal idea of a good day is one where I don’t have to go to work, and I can spend some time just doing things that make me feel better. It does NOT mean that I’m not in pain (I haven’t had a day when the pain levels were below a 4 or 5 on the pain scale in at least 5 years.) It also doesn’t mean I’m not exhausted, or that I can actually remember all the things I need to take care of without lists, notes and reminders from the people around me.
What it does mean is that the pain levels are at a 6 or below, and that I can lay down with the hot pads when I need to, or take a nap. Continue reading What does a "good" day look like to you? »
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"The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life . . . the children; those who are in the twilight of life . . . the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life . . . the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
---Hubert Humphrey
Welcome to the new home of Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired. I hope you'll enjoy the changes, and the new resources I'll be adding as I have time to work on the site. Things will look a bit odd while I learn where and how to modify the appearance, so please bear with me.
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