dahlia in my garden: Rio Fuego in Coleus leaves

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving: My ‘Self-Challenge’ to Focus on Gratitude This Holiday Season

Living with daily chronic pain is a struggle. However adding in all the seasonal festivities, gatherings, food, family, and traveling -- plus our own self-expectations can raise our emotional and physical pain to new levels.

I think the hardest thing during the holidays for me, besides the usual issues of pacing myself and feeling frustrated at how my pain limits my activities - is to stop being negative and acknowledge my life is full of blessings. This year I want to experience the holidays differently. I want to see and feel joy every day. It's often hard to look outside ourselves, so I am making a promise to not just ‘count’ my blessings but to literally 'see' them. 

I'm going to take at least one photo of something I’m grateful for every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day and create a keep a Gratitude Album. I've never kept a gratitude journal before, and I think that since I am a visually creative person, photographs will resonate even more with me. I believe I need to tangibly acknowledge God is in my life, in my new city, in my new church, in our first home, the first time away from family. 

I’m starting my Gratitude Album right now, with a photo below of an incredible sunset I took a couple days ago while standing on my front porch. The incredible intensity of color, the unusual cloud patterns, and the brilliant light all make me grateful for the beauty of the evening sky. Even though my pain tends to be higher at that time of the day, I can’t deny I was captivated beyond myself when I watched that amazing light show. (I’m also grateful for all my blog followers!)

I challenge you to keep a Gratitude Journal or Album yourself this holiday season. I hope that we will all find a deeper appreciation for what we have, who we are, and all that is around us despite our pain and difficulties in life.

Happy Thanksgiving & Blessings to All,
~Shannon
Sunset in the Las Vegas sky from my front porch.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Tuesday-Newsday #127

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this Thanksgiving Week focus on gratitude. Both posts were written by Laura Morris at A Grateful Road: Living Life in Gratitude” and “Your Appreciation Challenge.”

Let Me Know: If you’d like me to watch for articles on your pain condition, just drop me a note in the comments section below. 

WARNING:  My goal is to provide the most up-to-date news I can, which you can then take to your personal doctor and debate the merits of before you try it. I do not endorse any of the docs, treatments, info, and meds in anything I post nor can I guarantee they are all effective, especially not for everyone. As is the case with any health info, ALWAYS get your doctor's opinion first!
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*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

This survey will help educate the FDA on how Fibro affects your life, what treatments & Rx help you, and is completely anonymous








*MEDICATION NEWS








This report is from the American Pain Society and The American Academy of Pain Medicine 



*BACK PAIN

























*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

Both posts are by Laura Morris at A Grateful Road:


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Tuesday-Newsday #126

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are: “‘Tis the Season – Don’t ‘Give’ til it Hurts” and “I Am Not a Slob, I have an Invisible Illness.”

Let Me Know: If you’d like me to watch for articles on your pain condition, just drop me a note in the comments section below. 

WARNING:  My goal is to provide the most up-to-date news I can, which you can then take to your personal doctor and debate the merits of before you try it. I do not endorse any of the docs, treatments, info, and meds in anything I post nor can I guarantee they are all effective, especially not for everyone. As is the case with any health info, ALWAYS get your doctor's opinion first!
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*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS









I have also written a blog post on this subject which includes other helpful suggestions. You can read it HERE



*MEDICATION NEWS







*COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS) / REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY (RSD)














*MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS













*FEATURED BLOG POSTS


by Lisa Copen of Rest Ministries 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tuesday-Newsday #125

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are: “25 Ways to Manage Stress During the Holidays” and “Dealing with Stress (When You Live With Chronic Pain).”

Let Me Know: If you’d like me to watch for articles on your pain condition, just drop me a note in the comments section below. 

WARNING:  My goal is to provide the most up-to-date news I can, which you can then take to your personal doctor and debate the merits of before you try it. I do not endorse any of the docs, treatments, info, and meds in anything I post nor can I guarantee they are all effective, especially not for everyone. As is the case with any health info, ALWAYS get your doctor's opinion first!
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~*PAIN MATTERS’ - Television Show Airs This Saturday *~


*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS









*MEDICATION NEWS








*MILITARY VETERANS









“...these animals were actually very therapeutic and helped me to cope with my chronic pain... I feel this obligation to help disabled vets with rescued pets, since the pets were always so helpful to me.”



*PEDIATRIC PAIN


















Kids are noticeably absent from the development of treatments for pain, movement disorders, heart ailments, orthopedic treatments




*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

by Jenni Prokopy of ChronicBabe.com

by Jan Sadler of PainSupport.co.uk

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Tuesday-Newsday #124

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are: “How do I deal with the “forever” part of chronic illness diagnosis?” and “Five Ways to ‘Shoot Yourself in the Foot’ in a Life of Chronic Pain.

Let Me Know: If you’d like me to watch for articles on your pain condition, just drop me a note in the comments section below. 

WARNING:  My goal is to provide the most up-to-date news I can, which you can then take to your personal doctor and debate the merits of before you try it. I do not endorse any of the docs, treatments, info, and meds in anything I post nor can I guarantee they are all effective, especially not for everyone. As is the case with any health info, ALWAYS get your doctor's opinion first!
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*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

Also, Survey Reveals Loved Ones Provide Significant Support, But Many Still Struggle with Pain’s Invisibility

















*MEDICATION NEWS









*OSTEOARTHRITIS















*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

by Jenni Prokopy at ChronicBabe

by Sue Falkner-Wood