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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.
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Brain Fog Broke My Internal Editor
Fibromyalgia has impacted my ability as a writer, and I’m just starting to understand all the ways it has. I’ve been trying to express it for awhile, with the irony being that it takes way more effort now for me to express anything. Brain fog has made it extremely hard for me to objectively edit my work. It’s like the editing part of my brain is broken.
Blogging has been much harder than I thought it would be, for reasons I didn’t expect. I knew energy to write was going to be a challenge, in addition to fighting through brain fog to express myself. But I wasn’t expecting to have so much trouble evaluating the quality of my work.
I was given a great piece of advice
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A Chronic Illness Gift Guide Based On Love Language
Gifts are extra-special if you gear them towards your friend or loved one’s love language. I’ve compiled ideas to help you do just that in this chronic illness gift guide!
Those of us with all the complexities and uncertainties of chronic illness can often feel misunderstood and even invisible, so it’s especially meaningful when you take the time to tailor a gift for us.
As I mentioned in my post about easy, low-cost gift ideas, picking a gift based on someone’s love language helps them to feel seen and understood.
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Low-Cost Low-Stress Gift Giving When You’re Chronically Ill
As Christmas approaches, I wanted to share some ideas for inexpensive and low-stress gift giving. Being chronically ill often means you’re watching your budget and conserving energy, so spending a lot of time and money hunting for gifts is not a great idea. The point is to let those you love know you are thinking of them and care about them, and a simple, well-chosen gift can do that perfectly! So I’ve rounded up ideas that are low cost, or easily made without using up all your energy.
The best way I’ve found to give meaningful gifts is to make sure I’m gifting something in someone’s love language. If you’ve never read The Five Love Languages, I highly recommend it! (I read the original, but there is a singles edition, and other versions available too.) The book breaks down the way people best receive love into five categories: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch.
My default way to show love is through gift-giving, so in years past I’ve created a lot of stress for myself by thinking I have to find the *perfect* gift.
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Things I Like About Autumn
I’m making this list for a reason you might not expect—it’s not because I love autumn, but because it’s a difficult time of year for my health. And although autumn is not my favorite time of year, I thought it was important to take time to remember that there are reasons to celebrate this season.
First, why don’t I love fall?
Like many people with chronic illnesses, pain, or health conditions, I have a rough time in fall. (Some people actually get relief in the fall if their conditions are aggravated by the heat. I am a summer girl at heart.)
I didn’t blog early this month because the weather changed dramatically and I went into a bad fibromyalgia flare. I was also hit with exhaustion, awful stiffness, and a fever.
All those outdoor activities you see on fall bucket lists? I usually can’t do those. I’m only outside if it’s unseasonably warm. And things like hay rides are off the table—I would sneeze so badly! And everything is spice flavored and scented, and because of a severe allergy, I can’t enjoy them unless I want to end up in the hospital not breathing. Even strong spice scents can trigger an asthma attack. Wearing layers looks cute, but makes me uncomfortable because of my fibromyalgia. Oh fall, must we be so diametrically opposed? What did I ever do to you?
But if I really spend some time thinking about it, there are beautiful things about fall, and things that I can enjoy. Here are some of the things that make autumn more enjoyable for me.
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I’d Like To Unplug…But I’m Sick
I keep reading about the value of unplugging—from our phones, from social media, from electronics in general—but this presents special challenges when you’re chronically ill. As much as I’d like to reap the benefits of unplugging, it’s just not as possible as it used to be.
For one thing, you know what happens the moment I turn my cell phone off? One of my doctors’ offices finally calls me back.
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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.
