Self Esteem Boost for Chronic Illness

January 25th, 2012

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A new pair of eyeglasses is a perfect way to feel special about yourself especially when you’re feeling down and out. It’s a perfect icemaker for anyone who has a hard time starting conversation with strangers. If I was purchasing a pair I’d pick a pair with a little bit of etching on the sides since I don’t like to draw too much attention to myself, especially when I’m not feeling very well during a lupus or fibromyagia flare.

It is one way to feel good about myself when I’m feeling down and out with the pain and fatigue of living with lupus and chronic pain. A little color goes a long way to make you feel better on a bad day. I’d choose a pair that has a little color without overdoing it.

I would wear my new glasses with my crocheted Valentine’s Day hat I’m making right now. Zenni Optical has a pair for only $9.95 that includes anti-scratch coating, UV protection, a case, and cleaning cloth. I really like the glasses with a roses etching on both sides. I could buy a pair of glasses for every month for less than I paid for one pair at retail optical.

RIP Auntie

November 4th, 2011

RIP Angel

credit: Morguefiles

How much can one person take? I lost my aunt who has lupus to a massive stroke last month. She didn’t talk much about the lupus, but she did go on with her life. She was an ideal patient in my mind since she continued to work even though she struggled daily with the lupus. She had several stokers before a stroke took her.  I admire her ability to not let lupus bring her down.   She worked until she died. Rest in Peace Auntie.  You are forever in my heart. I pray one day a cure will be found for lupus.

Chipped Teeth and Dentist

August 31st, 2011

When I was pregnant with my daughter pieces of my teeth were chipping off for no reason. I didn’t put all the pieces together until four years ago. I’ve had a severe vitamin D since at least my teenage years. I’ve had to go to the dentist to fill in the chips and cracks on my teeth. I still have several chipped teeth that need fixed soon. I need to find a cosmetic dentist like austin cosmetic dentists to fix my teeth.

Weekly Menu Meme Marvelous Menu

August 8th, 2011

Monday: Oven Fried Chicken
Tuesday: Cold Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Wednesday: Crispy Fried Green Tomato
Thursday: Macaronit and Cheese with Spam sandwiches
Friday: Hamburgers and Chipa

Is Your Brain Bouncing on Overdrive?

July 20th, 2011

Brain Neurons

When was the last time your  exercised your brain?  Before you finish reading this you’ll understand that brain fitness is as important as physical exercise. A lot of people don’t realize your brain needs exercise to keep up with the changes around them.
What are brain exercises? Cognitive skills that help us learn things such as: attention skills, hand and eye coordination, and memorization. Sharp cognitive skills make it easier to understand the world around you. Hand and eye coordination helps you to drive better and play games. Memory exercises help with memorizing shopping lists, school schedules or the last time you took your medications, which are things I forget often. Attention Skills are how long you can pay attention to a certain things and how long it will last.
I do a lot to  exercise my brain. I read as much as I write, which keeps my brain constantly learning new things. Not everyone likes reading and writing such as my daughter so they’ll need other ways to exercise your brain. She likes to play educational games and plans on going to college after high school. College will give her a lot of brain exercises.

How do you exercise your brain?

Writing and Chronic Illness

June 30th, 2011
Would you ever write a book about your illness? It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a while. I don’t really know where to start. Does anyone want to listen to the struggles of living with a chronic illness? The reason I started this blog is to spread awareness of life living with lupus and fibromyalgia, but who would read about my many ups and downs of living with this illness. How would I make it a worthwhile read? A lot of questions go through my mind about writing about my illness. I don’t want to write something that makes people think poor woman living with a chronic illness. Yeah, that was how I thought to start, but I’ve learned to deal with it.
Would you consider reading or writing about living with a chronic illness and its many ups and downs?

Would you ever write a book about your illness? It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a while. I don’t really know where to start. Does anyone want to listen to the struggles of living with a chronic illness? The reason I started this blog is to spread awareness of life living with lupus and fibromyalgia, but who would read about my many ups and downs of living with this illness. How would I make it a worthwhile read? A lot of questions go through my mind about writing about my illness. I don’t want to write something that makes people think poor woman living with a chronic illness. Yeah, that was how I thought to start, but I’ve learned to deal with it.
Would you consider reading or writing about living with a chronic illness and its many ups and downs?

Crocheting with Chronic Illness Helper

April 25th, 2011

I’m posting this for all the crafters out their that suffer from sore fingers especially those with a chronic illness. Thanks Art of Crochet. She’s got over 729 videos on YouTube. To me that’s a great accomplishment.

Chronic Illness and Depression

March 10th, 2011

I wasn’t new to depression when I was diagnosed with lupus and fibromyalgia amongst other things. It was a total blow to my plans for life. The lupus totally rocked my world. My life was turned totally upside down by the daily pain I was feeling. I had lost total control of my body and  I couldn’t do  anything about it. I started to spiral out of control. My life became the disease not a part of my life. I looked in the mirror I saw lupus. I woke up I saw lupus. Lupus tore my life apart piece by piece.

It took me several years to find myself and realize that I was more than lupus. I was a human being with a condition. I had to learn to deal with all the ups and downs of lupus. It wasn’t easy, but I had to pull myself together. I’ve learned that planning ahead isn’t a guarantee of being able to do something. I’ve learn sometimes I can walk while other time I have to use my wheelchair. My days vary with my illnesses.

Dealing with the depression isn’t easy for me at all. I’ve learn that I have some control over what the depression does to me. I can tell when I’m spiraling into an abyss of depression. When I see and feel like I’m spiraling out I have to take a step back from life. I’ve learned to do things to bring about happy moments in my life. I’ve learned that sewing relaxes my mind and reading allows me to wander away from reality for a little while. Often I’ve put myself into the stories. The most valuable thing I’ve learned is to express my inner thoughts through my blog and in my many writings.

Yes, the diagnoses have turned me inside out, but I’ve learned to deal with them. I’ve had to adjust my goals in life, even if it’s not exactly what I’m waiting for in life. I try to make the best of things. The pain does overwhelm me at times, but I’ve learned that it will pass and this is what gets me past things.

It’s My Birthday and I’ll Cry If I Want to

January 29th, 2011

I cannot believe it’s my birthday again. I got the shock of a lifetime from my father. He sent me a large bouquet of gorgeous flowers.  It’s a beautiful assortment of roses, lilies, white roses, carnations, and many more. The flowers are all white, but it’s a beautiful bouquet. My father lives in France and I wasn’t raised by him. It’s a long long story. I had tears running down my face when I saw these flower. Thank You Dad.. I appreciate it a lot. It’s nice to get surprises from loved ones. I’m still checking to see if they’re real….

I Love Them.

They are so Beautiful

Off the Map Premerie

January 12th, 2011

My two cents about another Great Show…..

ABC has done it again with another great show. Did you watch Off the Map tonight? It was created by the same people who created Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve been loyally watching Grey’s Anatomy since its premiere. It’s another medical show, but they’ve added a twist. The doctors are out in the middle of a jungle. A man gets stuck on a zip line so a woman doctor has to cut the man’s arm off to get him down while he’s bleeding and screaming. The woman doctor saves a woman’s life after almost killing. She didn’t realize that the man is being loaded into a medical helicopter and keeps saying fireflies. A doctor realizes that he wants to take his wife’s ashes to be with the fireflies. Two doctors take a man who needs medical attention out to the water to spread his wife’s ashes. His wife wanted to be with the fireflies. Three doctors jump off a cliff into the water at the end of the show.

I love the show!! I’ll be watching it next Wednesday at 9pm central time.

About the new show from ABC website

‘Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice) and creator Jenna Bans (Grey’s Anatomy) bring to viewers an uplifting medical drama that explores how far one has to go in order to truly heal.

Welcome to “la ciudad de las estrellas” (the city of stars), a tiny town in the South American jungle which has one understaffed, under-stocked medical clinic. That’s where idealistic young Dr. Lily Brenner just landed, along with fellow doctors Mina Minard and Tommy Fuller. All of these young doctors are running away from personal demons, but they aren’t the only ones with emotional baggage. Take the legendary and enigmatic Ben Keeton, who was the youngest Chief of Surgery at UCLA. He walked away from it all to found the clinic. Together with his right-hand doctor, Otis Cole, the mysterious Dr. Ryan Clark and local doctor Zita Alvarez, he’ll teach the newcomers how to save lives in the most challenging environment they’ve ever worked in—while taking them on adventures of a lifetime.

In this ensemble drama, six doctors who have lost their way will go to the ends of the earth to try to remember the reasons why they wanted to become doctors in the first place.

Off the Map stars Jonathan Castellanos as Charlie, Valerie Cruz as Zitajalehrena Alvarez (Zee), Caroline Dhavernas as Lily Brenner, Jason George as Otis Cole, Zach Gilford as Tommy Fuller, Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard, Martin Henderson as Ben Keeton and Rachelle Lefevre as Ryan Clark.

Off the Map is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, Gretchen Berg, Aaron Harberts, and created/executive-produced by Jenna Bans. The series, which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, is from ABC Studios.’

(source-ABC.com)

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