DAY #30! WEGO 30 DAY NOVEMBER 2016 HEALTH BLOG CHALLENGE!!! LAST DAY! REFLECTION, CONGRATULATIONS FOR 30 days of posts, & where do I feel I go from here?

 WEGO HEALTH NOVEMBER 30TH, LAST DAY OF CHALLENGE!!! What this 30 days has taught me, and how I intend on moving past, and take what I have learned "with me"....

#HAWMC

 Twitter #HAWMC and WEGO Health

I am still not completely through with ALL of my November 30 day Challenge Blog Posts. I got almost all, but still lack about 6 or so, before I can say I did all of them.


I do appreciate WEGO HEALTH and the "challenges" they give us as advocates, activists, and those who want to make things "better", to change the way Health care works for us, for others and for the world.

I hope to go from this past 30 days and take a hard look at myself. I DO definitely do "my part" when it comes to Advocacy, Activism, and being an Ambassador.... whichever you choose to define it, ALL mean you STEP UP to the plate,  take your very best swing, and hope to hit the "ball" right out of the park!

I know that MANY have made that possible with our Congress, with our States Governments, and even around the globe. Each day is a new light, new action when it comes to the way everyone views how "the health care" system should be.

WE have become #1 as, patients, BUT moreover as "activists"... able to give our story out, and know We DID make a difference.

*I've always been the type of person who likes "order".... things to be put away, no clutter, no mess, everything where it should be.. and up until the Lupus, RA, Sjogrens's and LIFE HIT me, I could do that,

A dear friend of mine, taught me a lesson, that was so very simple, YET it totally CHANGED the way I try and do things now.

I was in the car with my friend, and trying to get a lighter of mine to work. I had probably been to stubborn to stop and get another one, or would forget, so I was trying and trying and it just was "finished"... no more "flame" to come out of it... He asked me to "hand it to him"... so I did, and as soon as I handed it to him, it went flying by my face, out the car window (we were at a Stop Sign), and into a "field" by the roadway.

At 1st I was confused, then I wanted to laugh, and then it totally HIT ME! Not literally, but in a "life changing way". When something whether as "small" as a lighter, or as large as an "elephant in the room" is giving you problems, not working, and you are just getting more and more upset, frustrated, and plain down right MAD about it, "throw it out".... it is NOT WORTH trying to "fix" something, that is NOT fixable. Here I was stressing over a 99 cent light, when all I needed to do is pitch it out the window, stop and get a new one, or he happened to have had an extra one he gave me, and go on with life!!!

LIFE, as I have witnessed in the past 11 years, but MORE in the last 3 years or so, is TOO SHORT, to precious, TOO "there one day and gone the next" to allow yourself to be "worried" over "what is NOT working"...and go onto the next phase, where something IS working...

We can "Duct Tape" a sole on our favorite shoe, or "mend a hole in a sock. We can choose to drive ourselves nuts over something so silly as the news, a TV show, and all we need to do is "turn the channel"..

As humans, I know for myself, I've wasted too much of my life, "watching" the channel that I did not like, when all I had to do is change it.

Decisions, even where to go out to eat for me, are always "stressful".... everything in my life, I "question" up, down and sideways, I always "sleep on it" before I make a change, buy something, make a decision that ultimately could change my entire life, well what is left of it...

Yet, I've learned in the past year that "letting go"... of what I cannot do a thing about, and trying to "mend" what I can, or if it is TOO stressful, pitch it out the window, and drive away, Tomorrow is still will NOT work, but your mind WILL!

WEGO's Annual Blog for November Challenge did just that for me. I find myself "throwing out" what does not work, and moving on to the greater thing right in front of me. Making "right" what I can, and walking away from what I cannot do a thing about....

WEGO Health Blog 2016 November 29th Challenge - Have I checked out some others bloggers and #HAWMC Fellow bloggers -Choose a few I liked and repost to my Blog!

This is a very difficult choice to make because EVERYONE'S are GREAT! Information, giving of "self" in an unselfish way, bearing your own health burden's and life challenges for ALL to see - - - - - - - - -  

 

WEGO HEALTH

I am always so thrilled to participate and interact with ALL of the people there. ALL of you ROCK!!!

So, it is a "trying" time to make sure I give "back" to those who gave me so much, either through their own blog posts, or their comments about mine! I've learned a great deal about illnesses, about other bloggers, about how there are those that do CARE, and they "give of themselves" often "Bearing their Souls" about life, pain, chronic illnesses, being a caretaker, and the REST of what WEGO Health Helps to Teach us!

So, Here are a few of my re-posts:

Day #4 What Superpower would you like to have: Kristen's re-post form the FB Page : 

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/hawmc?source=feed_text&story_id=223721238058496

Kristen WEGO - My superpower would be patience! Yes I count that as a superpower. Challenging yoga class this morning and a challenging first time working with clay this afternoon. Finding myself frustrated and pushing for perfection but remembering to have patience and to accept where I'm at 👌🏼My vase may be crap but at least I'm rockin my awesome Bipolar tee from @GabeHoward to help #Stompstigma

Day #1 on Julie Cerrone's  - FB Link - https://www.facebook.com/itsjustabaddaynotlife/

 Her Blog Repost I liked is at:

http://www.itsjustabadday.com/2016/11/01/hawmc-say-what/ 

Day #29 - "What I Wished I had known Before:

 On blog post - Captain Jackson's Hemophilia Adventure 

Day #4 by one her blog (re-post) Blog Name - Inflamed and Untamed!

http://www.inflamed-and-untamed.com/post/115526791992/why-having-a-chronic-illness-drove-me-to-need

Day #11 - Your Top Ten - From Blog "Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer" Re-Post

https://journeyingbeyondbreastcancer.com/2016/11/11/day-11-hawmc-whos-in-your-top-ten/ 

These are just a very few that touched me in one way or the other - I could name almost everyone I got to read, and will be reading over the next weeks, so I can really get to know so many of these great people and awesome Bloggers!!!!!! Rhia

 

"GIVING TUESDAY" A TIME TO GIVE BACK" TO SO MANY THAT HELP US IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS! November 29th, 2016

"GIVING TUESDAY" A TIME TO GIVE BACK" TO SO MANY THAT HELP US IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS! November 29th, 2016

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Saturday WEGO Blog challenge - November 19th - How to Pull yourself out of a "rut" when things seem to just not fall in place? Health, skills, writing tools, life. being sick, other problems

WEGO HEALTH BLOG CHALLENGE FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER #19! YES, I AM BEHIND!

I believe I've been pulling myself out of a rut so many years, I have to find MANY WAYS to try and continue to move on day to day, week to week, month to month... and hope the years continue to come also.

I used to gripe about birthdays, now that I've been so chronically ill, I am THANKFUL for them when they happen.


I have to admit, one of my "ways" I remain half "sane" is to talk to myself! I know that sounds more nuts than I will admit, BUT, I've found if I "talk" to myself, through a bad day, lousy situation, too many irons in the fire, I tend to be able to "move forward" past whatever is giving me too much hell at that time.

My advocacy work helps, and the blogging, and friends on Facebook (those that Truly LISTEN) that also gives me a way to purge whatever may be going on. There is ONE HUGE problem with purging online, especially Facebook! "Some" people that may not know why I write some of what I do, or they take is ALL LITERALLY, then I have "issues" to deal with. The true friends that know what is going on with my life, AND they know that my writing, is usually my #1 (first) to getting rid of whatever is eating me up inside.

I am the type of person, who can be totally upset, distraught, and appearing as if I am going to come apart a the seams, BUT once I can "say" it, whether Social Media, my blog, or talking to myself or my two fur-kids, it is gone. I don't harbor over problems that are in the past. Life is worth trying not to feel frustrated, upset and alone. As the years go on, I really have come to realize we are only here for a brief time, and allowing STUFF that we usually cannot do a thing about disrupt even an hour of a day, is an hour lost, that I can never get back.

So, I FUSS about it, throw it out with the bathwater, LOL, and for me it is usually over and done. You could ask me in a couple of hours what I was bummed about, and I probably will say honestly, I don't recall.

WEGO Health

#HAWMC

Monday WEGO Health Blog Challenge for 21st of November - "Motivation Monday - A "Life slogan? What helps to make the experience so special?"

Monday, November 21,2016 WEGO BLOG CHALLENGE - "Motivation Monday" A Life Slogan that gets Me Through The days, that something are less than expected to be...

As I've always said in life, "IF you want the job done, and done well, you must dig your heels in, get your hands dirty, and stains on those "white jeans" and do that job yourself.

 My "mantra" has not changed all that much, other than the fact like this past 10 days, for 2 weeks I WAY OVERDID EVERYTHING!! Cutting down tree limbs, cleaning up my yard, re-potting plants, throwing out an old loveseat I had to literally take apart to get it out of my door, then dragging a heavy 10x 12 area rug out so I can replace it, re-arranging furniture, brought ALL of my very heavy houseplants in just before the cold got too bad for them, and I am talking about a palm 8 foot tall, my fern is about 12 foot around at least, my ginger plant is over 8 foot tall, and several more not quite as heavy but still burdensome to get into the house, after having to clean them all up, clean the pots, re-pot some, pulled one air conditioner unit out of one window, that I needed to throw away, and it was the small one. The large one is on the fritz and I have to get it out of that window, but I think my neighbor may have to help with that one...

I have TWO BROKEN WINDOW PANES, well I really have 4, these old glasses after 50 years are so brittle, but I am replacing them with plexiglass so for the most part I can do it myself, rather than have to be concerned about holding a piece of glass in place, while you try to place the push pins in, then get the glazing around it... so I am going to opt for plexiglass for now, and then worry about something else later... and I've baked some, and that is not including the running around errands, the regular house work, and my list goes on and on... thus I KNOW I did this to myself, with the assistance of Lupus.

#HAWMC

I also know some things like hanging a ceiling fan now, and other things that require me to put my arms up and hold things up very long, I am going to have to get help with some of those, and the heavy stuff... after all of the lifting, pulling, pushing, etc... every joint, every bone, every muscle hurt, I even thought I had broken ribs it hurt so much to breathe... but ALL OF ME WAS SORE, EXTREMELY SORE, I had a horrid Lupus Migraine for days and days, the night sweats (cold ones), fever off and on.... my joints in my hands and thumbs are now so bad, my Rheumy will not believe how bad they got within 3 months or so...

But, even as my PA told me yesterday, she "understands".... she said I could "scold" you BUT, I DO THE SAME THING! I can't afford someone to cut tree limbs, and shrubs, or do lawn work, and lots of things that need to be done, she said there is just ME, and I have to do it come heck or high water... but THEN she said BEFORE MY CERVICAL SPINE IS WORSE THAT IT ALREADY IS, I'VE HURT IT TWICE AT LEAST WHEN MOM WAS SO SICK. Then I hurt my lower back here doing all of the stuff at home... to the point that NONE of my pain medications would touch it, BUT corticosteroids, are about the only thing that will get rid of this "type of pain"... it works on my other pain fine, but when it comes to "inflammatory" pain, all of the regular pain meds in the world will not get rid of it...

So, my "life's talk" to me is still the same, for the most part, "If I want it done correctly, and when I WANT IT DONE(like NOW) I must dig my heels in, hands dirty, clothes dirty, and "remember" to take it either slower, or try and get "some help" for some of this stuff that now is beyond my body's capabilities...

That is what gets me through my days, that and my two fur kids, even though sometimes they grate my last inkling of nerve I have... and knowing life goes on...so I can get up and DO SOMETHING, OR I CAN SIT AROUND, HURT, MOAN, GROAN AND FEEL SORRY FOR MYSELF. (Which for me is NOT what I want, nor need to do.)

Friday - WEGO Bloggers Challenge - A "Cliche'" I hear that just bugs me, and some way to make it "reclaimed" and sound much like they "mean it"...

WEGO BLOG CHALLENGE FRIDAY 18TH, 2016 - "CLICHE'S YOU HEAR about you, your health, and the "one" or ones that really get under your skin and how you may turn those around...

I realize "we" as chronic patients have many "cliches'" we hear that makes us want to pull our hair out at times..  Some worse than others, from "you are "sick" you should not be doing that", or "if you would "eat, drink, exercise,rest, sleep etc (right), you would "feel" better, or I just cannot see why you "think" you feel so bad, you don't look like you feel all that bad, "GRRRR".... or rest for the day or two, you need it. Let "a friend, sister,brother, and so on, "do that for you". I saw you were in the doctors office or hospital, have you been sick AGAIN? Or "panicky" I "heard" so and so say on Facebook, they saw you went to Urgent Care (now this is 3 or 4 days ago), I was worried, are you okay? Call me if you "need anything".... and that list just goes on and on and on... we have heard them all, and then some... for sure.


"How are you doing?" And before I say anything, I guess I must say I catch my own self "asking that same question at times to others".

This very one above is probably one phrase that tends to get under our skin the most, and one we hear the most... "How are you doing", you are looking just great"!

Well, my answer to that has become "If you have a few HOURS to sit down over a cup or several cups of coffee, I can TELL YOU ALL ABOUT HOW I FEEL AND HOW I AM.... not really "screaming" but wanting to as we "grind our teeth, under our breath!

This business about just because someone "looks good" or maybe does not look so great at one time or the other, may not have one thing to do with our illnesses OR it could have everything to do with them. So, I truly have just began to say, unless you have an hour or more, or would like to sit down for a day, then there is NO way, I could explain it all, within a few minutes standing here in the market.

I know it sounds harsh, but 1st of all, it gets "their attention", because they are expecting you to say , "I'm okay"...or Things are not bad... yet you come back with a phrase that throws off what they thought you would say. It also makes them stop and think, well, maybe just because he/she looks a "certain way" does not mean they are not well or well... maybe other things in life are going on besides being ill. Maybe something is wrong with a friend, or at your home, or plumbing, or your car, and so forth. We may not "feel" all that bad, but have other things causing you grief, in fact more grief that if we were ill. I know when I am already not feeling all that well, and then something like a car problem, something as small as the tires needing air, or feeling like I am on overwhelm and cannot get everything accomplished I need to, will cause my stress level to rise, and thus my "feelings of illness could be worse" than if things were going more "level" in life.

I know when my Mom got so ill at the first of the year, and I was ill myself, in need of surgeries, trying to keep up my home, my puppies, her home, her medications, my medications, cleaning, cooking, being there when she needed something, going to the market, taking her or me to the doctor, making sure I was there for the medical staff or later the Hospice staff to come over. Basically, being 10 people all at once, postponing my own surgeries, doctors, and tests, so I could tend to her, I know I looked horrible most of the time. I did "feel" like makeup, dressing up, and even then people would ask "how are you doing"? Oh Gosh, I wanted to scream, 'HOW DO YOU THINK I AM DOING"?

LORD BLESS THOSE WHO TRULY DO NOT "GET IT"... they have NOT lived it, so they just don't get it....


#HAWMC