{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}
- Be upfront and clear with your limitations – no matter the response. This was definitely hard for me to learn because when I first started expressing what my limitations were (outside of my family) I did not receive the support that I was looking for. Despite this I was so glad that my family and doctors continued to encourage me to keep politely but firmly stating limitations and barriers and overtime I have learned that true friends and supporters will only encourage you in your health journey.
- Accept help.
- The difficult thing with chronic illness is that many people do not know how to specifically help someone. Find specific things that your family and friends can do to help you. A friend of mine who struggles with extreme back pain due to a surgery that went wrong finally took her friend up on her offer to do her laundry. She realized that this allowed her friend a way to help while also helping her accomplish a task that caused her pain to flare up and could literally put her in bed for days. Personally, I have been so grateful for my dad and sisters help in taking care of scamper this past year! What a blessing!
- As hard as it is be vulnerable with your tribe and the people in your code. This prevents lots of awkward issues from occurring down the road.
- Be the best friend and family member that you can be while understanding that you are not the same person that you were before illness changed you. Send birthday cards, connect with people on facebook and other social media connections, and make phone calls when you are able. Stay connected to your tribe.
- Understand that this is just a season. So many people that I meet who are chronically ill or are going through a health crisis used to be the people that were the ones that were coming to the rescue and able to do things for their friends. Unfortunately illness can change that but coming to terms with your illness, adjusting and adapting to a new way of living, and finding a new path will only be a season. Take one day at a time realizing that this is not forever.
- Understand that your true friends and family do want to understand the health lingo even though often they have no idea what words means. Be patient and give them a chance to understand.
8. Acceptance. For every person this is going to mean something different but Amy Charmichael was right:"In Acceptance lies peace".
9. Let friends go who are not willing to walk this road with you. Wish them well, let go of bitterness and walk the road in front of you with dignity. Stick to the Code. {Yes, I did feel like I was talking about a Pirates of the Caribbean movie right then. *smiles*}
10. Do the best you can to attend and be present for important events. Even if you don't look or feel the best people love you not what you look like.
11. Find joy in everyday.
I have had so many people ask me how they can help their chronically ill friends! Stay tuned next week for a post of lots of practical ideas and ways to help!
After 20+ hours in the car to arrive we made it to New York for the summer on Sunday evening with no serious issues. The trip was tough on my poor little body and I am so appreciative of all of your prayers for safety and for a "quick" car trip. *smiles* We were blessed with some amazing views and sunsets along the way. The phone doesn't do the beauty justice but it was so beautiful!
I have had several doctors appointments in the last couple of days and have officially started back with a couple of treatments. I also started a new medicine yesterday. I would ask for prayer that the insurance would approve the much needed oxygen treatments. I currently have an appointment for a treatment on Friday morning but we are waiting for the "final approval" to happen hopefully today! I am still searching for a couple of more doctors to complete "the puzzle" here in NY and would also covet prayers for that! Thank you again for all of your prayers on this LONG journey!
Thank you so much for ALL of you that participated in the petites link up last week! It was so delightful to meet so many new blogs and people and I am already looking forward to next month to meet more lovely blogs! I love that about bloggy world- there are SO MANY wonderful wonderful people! If you didn't have a chance to link up then be sure to join us on June 24th! *smiles*
In many ways this is a different summer then I have ever experienced. It makes me truly feel that the Lord is up to something incredibly special this summer and I can't wait to see what that is! I have the following quote pinned to my pinterest account and it hits me anew today! I hope that it will encourage you!
Don't just pray about what seems possible and logical. Pray HARD about the impossible. God will show you that NOTHING nothing nothing nothing is impossible with Him. Ever. Period. End of Story.
I am excited to be apart of the North East Bloggers Network Photography Challenge today! Y'all know that I love photography and am excited to share my photo today for this challenge! The theme for this month was "color". Over Spring Break I feel in love with the New York Marshland by Lake Champlain. The lake in the background and the variant colors of the light and dark sand, the blue in the sky, the dark mountains, the distant island, and the lake are just gorgeous. I am so thankful to have discovered this area by Lake Champlain and definitely plan to do a return visit! This picture is a beautiful reminder to me of one of the best blessings in my life ~ Lake Champlain.
I just discovered Whit from Black Little Button through another blogger and was intrigued by her idea of a Summer Bucket List. I had already been thinking through different things that I wanted to accomplish this summer and so writing out a bucket list seemed like a perfect fit! So here we go (in no particular order!)
1. Rest and enjoy the beauty of simple summer days.
2. Continue to improve my health through the variety of different things that the doctor has ordered.
3. Spend time catching up with friends and family... near and far away.
4. Continue to pray and fast for my future husband.
5. Continue to grow my Etsy Shop and come up with new designs for the summer and fall.
6. Continue to grow The Paper Sonnet.
7. Be able to have enough strength for a 1/2 mile walk by the end of the summer.
8. Enjoy the water- even on a tube if I am not strong enough to swim
9. Enjoy the wedding of a dear friend the blessing of catching up with friends who are like family.
10. Take one minute at a time. One hour at a time. One day at a time.
11. Set up Caravan Sonnet to be ready to accept sponsors starting August 1st!
12. Photography. Photography.Photography.
13. Explore and pray though some new dreams that the Lord has laid on my heart for this season that I am in that I never expected.
14. Memorize Colossians 3- 4:6.
15. Try this one more time... 13 years later!
16. Finish the rough draft of the book that I have been working on.
17. Connect with new friends in bloggy world.
18. Continue to pray for all of my former students.
19. Memorize Psalm 77.
20. Stargaze and like Abraham be inspired once again to dream big!
1. Rest and enjoy the beauty of simple summer days.
3. Spend time catching up with friends and family... near and far away.
4. Continue to pray and fast for my future husband.
5. Continue to grow my Etsy Shop and come up with new designs for the summer and fall.
 |
| Picture by Emily |
7. Be able to have enough strength for a 1/2 mile walk by the end of the summer.
8. Enjoy the water- even on a tube if I am not strong enough to swim
11. Set up Caravan Sonnet to be ready to accept sponsors starting August 1st!
12. Photography. Photography.Photography.
14. Memorize Colossians 3- 4:6.
15. Try this one more time... 13 years later!
 |
| Picture by Sarah C. |
16. Finish the rough draft of the book that I have been working on.
17. Connect with new friends in bloggy world.
18. Continue to pray for all of my former students.
19. Memorize Psalm 77.
20. Stargaze and like Abraham be inspired once again to dream big!
{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.
As with all of the Thursday Health Thoughts series topics always consult a physician before beginning any changes to your supplements or diet.
While I was out in California I was introduced to some wonderful "alternative" remedies that I was either (a)not aware of or (b)like what I am going to suggest today had not been willing to try. *smiles*. When my doctor first mentioned taking Cod Liver Oil each day I looked at her like she must not realize the delightful disgusting taste. She laughed and admitted that this was something that she had been recommending her patients do for years but had only started taking herself recently. I was skeptical until she started sharing all of the health benefits from adding this quick and simple habit into my diet.
I will warn you that the Cod Liver Oil truly does not taste good. There are some brands that offer "taste enhancers" but in my opinion nothing truly masks the taste of Cod Liver Oil! I have found that having a small glass of cranberry juice to sip on immediately after is the only thing that truly kills the taste. So what makes me torture force myself to take this product each day? The list of benefits is extremely long but here are just a few of the benefits for you to consider!
Before I share the list I had to share that the history teacher in me has to share that Cod Liver Oil has been used for over a hundred years. There are recorded notes of Cod Liver Oil being given in the 1890s to malnourished children and adults ith arthritis! WOW!
1. The anti-inflammatory properties of Cod Liver Oil can help reduce some of the swelling that is known to cause arthritis pain.
7. Along the same lines as number 6, Dr. Patrick Quillin who holds PhD, RD, and CNS degrees and wrote the book "Cancer with Nutrition" said: "Fish oil is therapeutic and can slow cancer."
9. Cod Liver Oil contains excellent amounts of EPA and DHA which are important omega-3 fatty acids.
10. Cod Liver Oil contains high levels of Vitamin A.
11. Cod Liver Oil may improve seasonal allergies.
12. Cod Liver Oil helps support healthy eyes.
13. Cod Liver Oil may help depression.
With all of those benefits one small swallow and a little bad taste don't seem that important!
What about you? Do y'all take Cod Liver Oil? I have been using Carlson's Cod Liver Oil - what brand do y'all take?
Stay tuned next week for a special Thursday Health Thoughts about traveling while living with a chronic illness!
Y'all know that I love discovering and going to thrift stores. Similar to the smitten posts I write I hope to share with y'all thrifting stores across the United States that are wonderful hidden treasures to discover. I love discovering new places to go thrifting and hope that these places that I talk about from time to time on here might be a wonderful discovery for y'all if you enjoy thrifting as much as I do!
When I was in California I had a few hours on one Sunday afternoon where I was feeling well enough to go out to a thrift store. I looked up on the internet different reviews and found that some of the supposed better ones were closed on Sundays so I looked into the Goodwill's in the area. To be frank the first one that I went to I do not recommend. The reviews online stated that it would be a great place to find treasures but it really wasn't.
One of the things that I didn't like about this Goodwill was that it was filled with lots of Target castoffs with the price tags still in tact and the Goodwill price was approximately only 25 cents cheaper! In addition to that many of the household items were damaged and the clothing was very dirty. While I did see some possibilities with some of the furniture I would caution you that the couple of couches that I inspected contained mold and many holes.
I had heard that the Goodwill Marketplace (where you can buy clothes per bag) was also a great thing to check out. Since it was right behind the Goodwill I stopped by and was extremely disappointed. The clothes smelled and the ones that I saw were moldy and badly badly stained.
I was disappointed by the first Goodwill but still had a little bit of energy left and am glad I did because I really enjoyed the next Goodwill that I found! The Goodwill in Costa Mesa, California on 620 W 19th Street was filled with treasures (specifically in the clothing section). While I didn't buy anything except for a cute pair of red shoes and a black belt for my mom it was fun to look around this store!
For many of you that have walked this journey with me you know that these past 12 months have been a time of heart-wrenching tears and cries of the psalmist: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"(psalm 22) There were/are so many times that I would think back to my journey with endometriosis and would think of how it had been filled with so many miraculous moments. I questioned why this journey was not that way. There were so many nights that my bed was filled with tears. There were so many days that I questioned what the Lord could possibly be up to. To be truthful the Lord didn't answer those prayers. Instead He promised me that He would never leave me.
As I arrived in California and had so many days alone... days of miraculous moments there were also long stretches and moments of tears, sadness, boredom, and lots of frustration. But in those moments there was the quiet reality of the Lord never abandoning me. Truly... "wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And HOPE. And LIGHT. And... even beauty." (Joni Erickson Tada)
As I arrive home and start the second part of this healing process I feel like a completely new person. Had Lymes not happened I would truly not know the Lord in the way that I do now. For that I am humbled. There is an intimacy that has grown that eclipse words. Physically, I am also humbly thankful for the changes. In three short weeks my energy has improved, my stomach and digestion is allowing me to process a number of different foods, and I do not feel that I am dying anymore. I do understand that I do have a LONG road of healing in front of me (the doctor has estimated at least another two years) but I feel confident that after so many years of going downhill we have laid a foundation to truly start the healing process. As my doctor in California stated, there are going to be hard and long days ahead but the journey is going to be fun. (Ok, that is her words... "fun" might not be my description right now. *smiles*)
Some of you have asked what is next. At home I will continue a lot of different supplements and medications to continue to fight and treat the Lymes. I will also continue oxygen, vitamin c, and acupuncture treatments once a week throughout this summer. On Friday I received some blood work back that showed that my body is not able to handle stronger antibiotics to treat the Lymes at this stage so I will also be working in a number of ways to up the strength of my body. I will be re-tested in a couple of months and then my doctor and I will evaluate what the best course of action is at that point. Because the basal cell cancer that I have was labeled aggressive I will also be attending to a few things in relation to that.
As I start this new part of the journey at home I can not begin to express my gratitude to so many of you that have been so incredibly kind in this journey. To my family I love you so much. Thank you doesn't even begin to cover my thanks. I love y'all so much. Words can't even begin to describe. To dear friends who have walked this journey with me for years and have covered me with hundreds of countless prayers (Michelle, Kaara, Jen, Tammy, Josh, Ben) I am so grateful. Your hundreds of text messages, your kind words, your countless cards, the hours that you have spent before the Lord on my behalf, visits to encourage my heart, countless presents that arrived to encourage my heart, money that you have donated throughout the year to treatments or things that I have needed, and your hope in the Lord that He would answer has left me often times speechless. I am honored to call you friends. You have never claimed to be so but you truly are my heroes. To those of you that have contributed money specifically for California I can't begin to express my humble gratitude. You truly provided the means to help me obtain treatment in California and also tangibly reminded me that the Lord provides everyday. You have reminded me as I walk forard that the Lord will provide again. Thank you Kaara, the Visy family, Donny & Debbie, Adam, Peter, Topher, Dr. Hedberg, Jen & Ryan, Carina, Trey& Amy, Andrew, and to others of you that wished to remain anonymous but you know who you are! To those of you that have listened in even greater detail as I have expressed so many feelings in the past twelve months and have been incredibly kind with your words and encouragement I am so grateful. Your conversations and your words have truly touched my heart. Specifically Traci, Tami, FFS, Zoey, Wes, Nate, Sarah, Stephanie, Megan, and Paul thank you. To those that Whitaker Wellness Institute that have helped me get well and for all of your incredible kindness I am forever grateful. Each one of you has truly impacted my heart. To Joanie and Carol your kindness in including this gal in your sweet friendship is something I will always be grateful for. (How will I do Vitamin C treatments without you??) To the sweet blogging world that has touched my heart I am so grateful for you. To so many people that I have not named you are such a blessing.
My doctor was right in so many ways and as I left on Friday her words resonate with me. This journey is far from over... and I am so grateful for all of you. As I continue on this journey my heart is full with the humble knowledge that the Lord has shown Himself in so many ways... specifically through your love. Thank you so much. Truly thank you.
{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}
I recently was told about the "Stockdale Principle" by some dear friends. To be truthful it has been incredibly freeing and encouraging. I hope that it encourages all of you who are going through a difficult health crisis or a difficult time at all.
Admiral Jim Stockdale- who was the highest ranking US officer in the Hanoi Prison Camp during the Vietnam war survived being tortured over 20 times during 8 years in prison. During this time he had no prisoners rights, no set release date, and no certainty he would make it out alive to meet his wife again. When asked who didn't make it out of the prison camp he had the following to say:
"Oh, that's easy" he said. "The optimists."
"The optimists were the ones who said, "we're going to be out by Christmas." And Christmas would come and Christmas would go. They then would say "we're going to be out for Easter". And Easter would come and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And [over time] they died of a broken heart."
"This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end- which you can never afford to lose- with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
This lesson has been so incredibly wonderful as I am sure, like myself, so many of you can relate. I know for myself that I have done the optimist way this past year. It is almost unbelievable to me that a year ago as I was leaving (today) to chaperon my final senior trip what my perceptions of this year would look like to the reality of what this year was. To be frank I had the exact same responses as the optimists above. I was convinced that by the end of the summer my body would be "free" to go on with my original plans. When that was not the case I was then prepared that by Thanksgiving I would be "free" and "feeling better" to go on. Without going through each major date that I had in my mind (Christmas, New Years, Birthday, etc.) suffice it to say that when each date that I had put in my mind as "the end" of this difficult health journey would come and go without progress (and sometimes worsening symptoms) and I would truly become incredibly discouraged (with lots of tears). Having these dates come and go would almost strip me of the thin line of hope that I had put in my mind.
Now, I do believe that being optimistic is very important to our health. At the same time though as Admiral Stockdale states there is a delicate balance that must be achieved and remembered. We must have the discipline to confront the brutal facts of your current reality. Hold onto your faith that you will prevail in the end but face your reality with courage. To those of you that are struggling with a variety of crisis' and find yourselves in a variety of different prisons hold on to courage. While a year ago I might not have known the difficult days, the incredible physical pain, the heartache of loosing supposed friends, and the heart-wrenching knowledge of falling more in love with precious Savior that has at times been incredibly silent, I also had no idea the joy that only comes from knowing deep soul pain, the unconditional love of amazing members of family and friends, and the sweet presence of God's love that transcends all silence.
May you be blessed by the love and hope of faith while you confront with courage the brutal facts of your reality.
{All of the information regarding the Stockdale principle was taken from a variety of different sources.}
I have loved reading posts by other bloggers that share random personal things about them. To me the ones that have done this make their blogs that much more friendly. I was inspired so last February I started to share fifteen random facts about me and life on the fifteenth of every month. For June fifteenth I am happy to answer questions if there is anything that you would like to know! Just feel free to email me!
1. Some of you have asked about why I made the decision to share publicly about my diagnosis of Lymes but not what treatment plan I believe is the best. I am happy to discuss the treatment that I am having and share things that I have read but I truly believe (with any diagnosis) that you need to seek qualified medical doctors to discuss an appropriate treatment plan. IF you would like to talk about any chronic illness though and the struggles that come with that I am more than happy to email and chat with you!
2. Disneyland at any age is delightful. Disneyland with friends is priceless.
3. Even at Disney you can be reminded that one day your prince will come but you might have to see alot of toads first.
4. The Lord's strength for each day is simply beautiful. Each day HIS mercies truly are new.
5. Treasured friendships are a gift from the Lord.
6. There are days that I miss teaching so much that my heart literally aches.
1. Some of you have asked about why I made the decision to share publicly about my diagnosis of Lymes but not what treatment plan I believe is the best. I am happy to discuss the treatment that I am having and share things that I have read but I truly believe (with any diagnosis) that you need to seek qualified medical doctors to discuss an appropriate treatment plan. IF you would like to talk about any chronic illness though and the struggles that come with that I am more than happy to email and chat with you!
2. Disneyland at any age is delightful. Disneyland with friends is priceless.
3. Even at Disney you can be reminded that one day your prince will come but you might have to see alot of toads first.
4. The Lord's strength for each day is simply beautiful. Each day HIS mercies truly are new.
5. Treasured friendships are a gift from the Lord.
6. There are days that I miss teaching so much that my heart literally aches.
7. California is simply beautiful. If you have never visited it is gorgeous and I urge you to go!
8. NCIS might be my new favorite TV show.
10. My family, despite being 3,000 miles away, has been A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. They are a gift from the Lord.
11. The Stockdale Principle has been incredibly inspiring.
12. Meeting my friend Jen after so many years of being facebook friends and thousands of prayer requests sent back and forth was priceless!
14. I am very confident that the Lord directed my path to come to Whitaker Wellness Institute. I truly believed that it has saved my life and has set me up to return home to heal completely. The people here have been incredibly amazing.
15. Thank you to all of you who have donated money so that I could come, the countless emails and text messages that I have received, the numerous phone calls, and the abundant love over these last several weeks. I am truly overwhelmed by your love.
Thank you for all of your prayers for the MOHS surgery yesterday. The Lord's presence was very strong and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next couple of days. Tonight as I am writing this and not feeling so wonderful it was such a fun thing to relive a very special time at Disneyland last Saturday. As I shared in yesterday's post Michelle and I had a ton of fun and relaxation on Friday. Saturday morning, as I mentioned before, was spent at Disneyland due to the sweet generosity of a friend.
I have to admit that I was very surprised at the vast differences between Disneyland and Disneyworld. I had been to Disneyland when I was in 8th grade but had forgotten how truly different the two parks are. (Now granted we only spent time in 1/5 of the park due to my energy levels but still there are lots of differences in the two parks!)
One of the first differences that I noticed was the size of the Disneyland castle is much smaller than Cinderella's castle in Disneyworld. Despite this it is so quaint and the park had such an old-fashioned feel that I quickly fell in love with Disneyland.
The park was laid out where things were much closer together than at Disneyworld which for those of us with limited energy is a blessing! One of the other things that I noticed was that Disneyland's rides were similar to Disneyworld but they were much much longer. For example the Peter Pan ride (always a favorite *smiles*) was close to 6 minutes long at Disneyland while it was only approximately 2 minutes in Disneyworld. It was a delight to sail into Neverland for such a long time in Disneyland!
We also experienced Snow White, Pinocchio, and Sleeping Beauty's rides before heading over to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. While Disneyworld no longer has this ride I am so happy that Disneyland still does! It is just such a fun and classic ride. Both Michelle and I had such a delightful time laughing through this ride!{One of the many blessings of the day was that the longest we had to wait in line was 20 minutes! The lines were incredibly short! Such a blessing!}
Another difference between Disneyland and Disneyworld was the ride "It's a Small World" and yes, it was longer at Disneyland too. Who knew that it could possibly be longer? *smiles*
Michelle and I got a kick out of this sign and giggled as it looks like the adult is falling out of the small world boat - not the child!
After we rode a few rides we ate the most delicious lunch surrounded by beautiful flowers. {And yes, this was the meal where I discovered my intense love for fish tacos! *giggles*} I am convinced that even if I lived in California full-time I would never get used to all of the beautiful flowers!
After lunch we rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and were surprised with the major difference between the ride in Disneyland and the ride in Disneyworld. While Disneyworld's ride is wonderful, the ride at Disneyland is exceptionally long with two flume ride drops. We were not expecting either of them and yes, we did get wet!! hahaha
As we left the park we saw a few minutes of the Disneyland parade which was adorable.
To those of you that made our trip to Disneyland possible I want to say a heartfelt thank you. While it may look like we didn't get to "do alot" our time at Disneyland was filled with tons of laughter and the perfect medicine of forgetting that I was sick for several hours. Thank you so much for your generosity and for thinking of something so incredibly special.
After Michelle arrived we headed to a doctor's appointment for my cancer that I had and then headed to Whole Foods for a very relaxing lunch. I love how the weather is so delightful that you are able to eat outside in California!
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and spent the afternoon by the hotel pool talking, resting, and reading(ok, mainly we talked *smiles*). After a relaxing afternoon we headed to nearby Balboa Island for a little bit.
Once again I was so amazed by the beautiful and unique flowers on the island.
It was such a beautiful night and Michelle and I were in awe of the sunset.
I was so delighted when Michelle saw the sign for the Balboa Island Ferry!
We drove over to the ferry and were delighted to see how quaint it was. At one point you were only allowed to take the ferry on foot but now 3 cars at a time are allowed on the ferry.
After the ferry ride we drove a couple of short miles to the ocean side of the island and were greeted with another view of the beautiful sunset. While I stayed in the car Michelle walked on the sand to view the ocean up close. It was such a beautiful evening.
It was a beautiful day and a beautiful time with a precious friend! Stay tuned for part two tomorrow! Thank you in advance also for all of your prayers for the MOHS surgery that I will have tomorrow morning.
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