• Superpowers You Gain From Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain—Some humorous examples, as well as some that really are superpowers we could use more of. | cassiecreley.com
    Health

    Superpowers You Gain From Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain

    Just for fun, I thought I’d write a post about all the “superpowers” we (unintentionally) gain when we develop chronic health conditions.

    My massage therapist and I joke that I fight crime in my sleep. It’s a much more fun explanation for why my muscles freak out (the real reason: fibromyalgia). We joke that this is why I have brain fog too—I’m so deep undercover that *I* don’t even know that I’m a secret super hero, so I must be getting my memory wiped every morning. Sounds legit.

    This got me thinking that, hey, those of us in the spoonie community really do have our own set of superpowers. And no radioactive spiders are even required! (Thankfully, because I hate spiders…and as for radioactive—been there, done that!)

    I hope you enjoy these tongue-in-cheek examples of our superpowers. Because in all seriousness, each of you are fighters to get through each day with chronic illness and chronic pain.

  • To The Christian Who Feels Sad at Christmas-Tips for physical and spiritual self care during the holidays. | cassiecreley.com
    Blog,  Faith

    To the Christian Who Feels Sad at Christmastime—Here’s What’s Helping Me

    We’re getting real on the blog today.

    I want talk about struggling with feelings of sadness around Christmas, something that can impact anyone, not only those of us with chronic illness.

    In a way, this feels a bit like a taboo subject. I kind of worry about admitting to this struggle out of fear that people will think I’m not grateful for all Christmas represents (it is Jesus’ birthday after all!) or that my sadness means I somehow dislike Christmas (which certainly is not the case!)

    I’ve struggled over the past several holiday seasons, and a lot of it has had to do with getting used to my limitations due to chronic illness. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, so in addition to struggling with not feeling happy, I’m also struggling with not feeling quite like myself. My love for Christmas is a part of who I am, so this sadness is yet another way my chronic illnesses impact my identity.

    And I think as Christians we can sometimes feel pressure to feel or act happy 24/7, so feeling sad this time of year adds another layer of complexity—I feel guilty about it!

  • Recovering From Major Events When You Have A Chronic Illness. Proactive tips on how to support your body before, during, and after celebrations and parties. | cassiecreley.com
    Health

    Recovering from Major Events When You Have A Chronic Illness

    Those of us with chronic illness know how challenging it can be to go to major events because of the toll it takes on our bodies.

    I struggle to make it out of the house for a short coffee date with a friend, and unfortunately wonderful events such as birthday parties or weddings prove even more of a challenge.

    So I created a plan to help me recover from going to bigger events, and I’m going to share tips so you can create your own plan tailored to your needs. I’ll share tips for listening to what your body needs and applying them in a way that is proactive vs. merely reactive.