Just to Mention a Couple New things on My Blog...

I am not exactly "patting myself on the back"... BUT I will say that I am eager to know what you truly think about the new "background image" on the top of my page, under the name and description of my blog! I had began working on the 'idea" for a couple of months. But, nothing I could think about or picture in my mind, was exactly what I WAS going to do. I didn't want to do the "same old thing". Yet it needed to be new, fresh and reflect what my blog is all about.

I thought about graphics and photos. But, those would be too MUCH in color. Even if I made the opacity extremely light, it still maybe too dark for others to read the Title and the Description, So, I opened up my "trusty" Photoshop program, that I have not played with or done anything in, for a long while.

Thus I had a picture in my mind of "words", words, turned and kind of "twisted and "turned", arced one way, then the other, much like our lives our and our bodies "feel" when we are afflicted with these diseases.

So I picked a color scheme I felt would match my blog background color, fixed a new file in PS (PhotoShop),  and began doing some thinking and rendering; then came up with a beautiful array of colors that matched the back ground colors of the entire blog page. I made a mistake at first in my "pixel" sizing of the graphic. For some reason I thought it needed to be longer and a bit thicker for it so that way it would match up as it is supposed to. I didn't at first think about resizing from the beginning because at first I figured I'd more than likely be "blurring" the names of the dieseases, or "skewing" it where you could "read" them but it would be more in the background of your mind, while the readers are actually looking more at the title, the blog posts, and so as I began to arc words up and down, turn them in one way, then the other, in rotation.

About 3 hours or so later, plus a couple of questions answered by the "Pro" here in the house, Voila'! A new background Image all of my own making... ;).

It is posted hook, line and sinker on my blog. I am so thrilled to have it up now. I also found out a couple of new things that I was able to also use here, and I hope it will help get me and my blog more out in the advocacy world, where I can hopefully do some good...:)  Pray for good vibes!!!! :):)

Advocacy in the realms of "chronic illnesses", takes a great deal of tenacity to get your thoughts, research, your own experiences with those around you....

Please leave a quick comment and let me know what you think ;)
                                                                                 

Holidays, Autoimmune Illnesses, Pain, Stormy Winter Weather, & My thoughts about Christmas...

WOAH!!  Darned....  It is now thundering and lightening here like it was a Summer Storm! I don't know whether to look for ice or a tornado! Talk about some STRANGE weather! Supposed to be about 31 here, and dropping all day long... raining here, but could turn to sleet and freezing rain (what is the difference)?... anytime... just too weird.... I did get something accomplished yesterday finally. I got almost ALL of my Christmas Cards made out and addressed! :) Still have to finish writing my Annual Xmas Letter though  ;) since it appears I am going to be "rained, iced, and plain cold weathered in" I hope I can take advantage of not having to go run errands. I also fully intend on getting some of these "projects" around this house, and online done and completed! Honestly, I have not put up one Xmas decoration yet. And honestly, with everything going on, I don't FEEL like putting up any Xmas decorations yet... Jim went for the MRI on his neck Wednesday. He has NO insurance so this pay out of your pocket, even with a discount crap sucks. He had to have them start over several times. He said trying to lay with that neck a certain way, just sent him into horrid, unbearable pain (in his shoulder). The pain is NOT in his neck at all... it is his shoulder that is in pain. Kind of like mine... first it WAS my shoulder... they replaced that and THEN it WAS my NECK! So they did surgery on that. I just don't know what to even think... We both just want an answer about the pain. He has been dealing with it now for well over 2 months. And it just gets worse. And as I said above with NO insurance, we don't even know what we will face if there is something that needs to be surgically fixed. I want to hope it is something NOT requiring surgery. But, if I look at it honestly, he is in way too much misery for it to be anything "simple". I just wonder if they have it right. You know, you never know. WE also don't know how long it will be before we have results. From what they told him at the clinic itself he went to it might be awhile. Here I am going into surgery myself on the 30th for this hernia (quite honestly, the right one is getting larger. I just have to wonder if he doesn't need to do both of them)... and I'll not be able to lift, bend, etc... for weeks from what I've read. So, that just makes everything about the holidays feel more stressful... We MAY go to the Casino if weather allows actually and spend the night for Xmas. WE all have 2 free nights rooms... and we can do that, have an incredible Xmas dinner... and not have to cook, clean and so forth. Plus we would have ALL of the "lights" and decorations you can imagine! :):) LOL! everyday in there sounds and looks like a holiday! Now, I want to clarify a bit about how I feel about Christmas. I am ALL about family, love, hope, and what this holiday "truly means", rather than the "commercialized", expensive gift giving, going into debt for year giving, having the biggest, best, and grandest decor, lights, and all of that... I feel that Christmas should be celebrated with an Awe, Wonder, And Glad Feelings of the Birth of Our Savior. It is about the spirit that guides us through this world daily... giving us and unselfish love... that we should pass on daily to others.... Sure I believe in the tree, some gifts, great food, and pretty decor... it is a part of the holiday, as long is it is done in the "right frame work" of what this entire Season of Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the New Year means and brings. Our "commercial" world has honestly ruined the true meaning by being so greedy, they can't wait until even the "day after" Thanksgiving, but now ON Thanksgiving to start to open and have people fighting over things to buy!!! They have "Xmas Decor" up with the Halloween stuff! I just don't believe that "employees" especially in the "retail" market should have to work at all on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Especially Christmas... it is a time that NO PURCHASE should be allowed or necessary. No one needs anything so badly that they need to get it Xmas day! Either get it before or the day after... and I get some health workers, and so forth must be on duty... there are some areas where it is a necessity to have a "skeleton crew" on board. But as a whole the retail business has just ruined the holidays for many of us. I hope that everyone finds the "true" meaning and blessing of this coming Christmas! May love win over all!!!!

"IFAA" says "It's Time!"

It's Time For Action! It's Time For a Change! It's Just Time!

www.ifautoimmunearthritis.org

Sharing an Article from "Mind Body Green" about "10 Things about RA"

I am happy to share a great and informative Article written by Tami Caskey Brown, from the (IFAA) International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis! She is one huge asset to the advocacy to help the fight on RA and the other Autoimmune Arthritic Diseases! I happen to have the great privilege in getting to know Tami and also help her on the great work she puts in on the "Media Awareness Hotline" portion of IFAA's fight against these diseases. The link below is to her article on the "Mind Body Green" Website! Please check it out as well as their site!

"Mind Body Green" 10 things I wished Everyone knew About Rheumatoid Arthritis

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11806/10-things-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-rheumatoid-arthritis-ra.html

You can see more about what is happening at IFAA and what the "Media Awareness Hotline" is all about. It helps to stop articles, papers, news and media items that contain "misleading" or inaccurate information on RA and the other AutoImmune Arthritis Diseases.

International Foundation For Autoimmune Arthritis Media Awareness Hotline

http://www.ifautoimmunearthritis.org/Awareness_Hotline.html

Whittemore Peterson Neuro-Autoimmune Institute

More News on the World wide front of Autoimmune Illnesses... and another "term" new to me "Neuro-Autoimmune?

I just got a "newsletter" from the Whittemore Peterson Institute. It contains a great deal of the research their doing in regard to FM/CFS/ME. Of course their beginnings are from the 2 doctors that actually discovered CFS/ME - and FM as a "real illness". Most know the story about the small town in Nevada, where suddenly many residents that were very healthy suddenly, with no explanation became so very ill that they were unable to work. This "mysterious illness/syndrome" whatever you want to call it, was bringing in patient after patient to this small clinic where the 2 physicians quickly became overloaded. Years have passed since the first "signs" of these illnesses began. We have been through all kinds of phases, as patients and I can say doctors also. NO one knew much about these. Doctors thought for the most part patients were (especially female patients) were "depressed" stressed, or plain hypochondriacs. Often with a recommendation I am sure that you need a "shrink". Also it was a "waste basket" diagnosis for awhile. Doctors saw patients with some symptoms of FM, CFS/ME thus if they could not really get a good understanding of what may be wrong with a patient, they had FM. And they left a doctor's office horrified. I know I did! I was told this MANY years ago, back when it was either put upon mainly women who exhibited many of the symptoms, and were "busy" wives, Mom's, employees, "chief, cook and bottle washer" of their lives. So "stress" and "depressed" was how we were treated. No really know "reason".. not a virus, not an infection, not a flu (even though symptoms can and are often "Flu" like)... and not a whole lot out in the realms of medicine to explain it. It really wasn't until about the last 5 to 7 years, I've seen a dramatic change in how patients with these illnesses are treated. First of all, you are taken "seriously". Now, FM/CFS/ME are REAL illnesses, so you have a REAL DIAGNOSIS, thus you expect  explanations of why, how, when, what, where and why?  
Why? You also expect to be told what the "treatments" are, and when will I "get over this"... "yuppie flu" (another horrid term used)??? A couple of years back the Whittemore Peterson Institute became very well known throughout the world. They seemed to be "the beginnings of those questions, and also possibly how to get better, treatments, and mainly what it is, how did I get it? They came out with a huge "clinical trial" per se... that showed great promise to those inflicted parties. It was based on "mice" and a "viral" type manifestation, and it spread like wild fire throughout all of the social media, twitter, in news articles... patients, doctors, everyone was talking about this "answer" to these illnesses. It was a bit of a while, but after the glory came disappointment. It was told that these "trials" had not be as exact as the should have been. There were many errors made during all of these that caused for the entire study to be trashed. This "retro" virus that all had hoped answered the call, turned out to be not trustworthy, incomplete, and just brought a downer to those in the middle of these illnesses. Since then, WPI, has been doing some incredible research by many very great people in the medical world, and the discoveries that they are now making DO SHOW GREAT PROMISE! As I was reading over the newsletter a little while ago (and is the POINT to this long post, is that NOW these illnesses are being "grouped" more as "neuro-immune" diseases. In fact the WPI now has their clinic speciality labeled as "Neuro-Immune" Diseases. As I read this, what I have said for a LONG TIME, and what brought it really to hit "home" of course "immune". I've been SAYING for YEARS, these illnesses are in the same scenario and are "autoimmune illnesses". They just have not proven it, but now, "Neuro-Immune surely says it all. I told my husband I WISH so VERY MUCH, I had went onto BECOME A RESEARCHER, in these realms. If I were not so chronically ill, and taken over with brain fog, plus was still around 40 years old... I WOULD GO BACK TO COLLEGE AND GO INTO CLINICAL RESEARCH FOR THESE AUTOIMMUNE illnesses/diseases/syndromes.. it almost breaks my heart, that I long so much to be able to "find a reason, find ways to stop these, and a ways to treat those already with all of them. And I am speaking of All Autoimmune Arthritic and Autoimmune illnesses in general. Life hands us what we are so often not able to reason with... and I don't know "why" I did not more fulfill my college and so on when I was younger... plans change, you "fall" more like "trip" into love... and you let YEARS slip BY... you are 50 +, and chronically ill... thus your "research" is what I and all of you do... advocacy!!! I guess this post is for everyone... ill, not ill, young, elderly, college, high school, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whatever your dreams maybe.... don't WAIT until all the YEARS PASS you BY... and then like myself, have to live with some regret, that what I almost feel I was "meant" to do, slipped through my fingers, like sands through a sieve. by the way I think I can attach their newsletter....I have their newsletter in a PDF... I'll try to put it on here and then let you now.... in the meantime here is their websitehttp://wpinstitute.org/index.html