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What To Do When Things Aren’t OK
Stop, take a deep breath, and now let it out. Stay with me here. I know it’s hard right now. I know it hurts. Maybe it hurts more than you can bear, more than you should be asked to bear. But it’s happening and so we are going to deal with what is here. Can you try to breathe? If you feel dizzy or sick, maybe lie down. I always used to lie down on the floor when I got panic attacks, often because practically speaking, if I’m going to hyperventilate and pass out I’m less likely to be injured if I’m closer to the floor. And people don’t mind…
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When the Doctor Says “No Cure”
Which they do sometimes. They did to me. There is ‘no cure’ for several of my conditions. In fact, there’s no real treatment either. And I’ve had friends with the same “there is no cure” speech. Some have been told that there’s nothing that can be done, some that they just need to go home and get used to it, others have been told worse. If you are facing a life limiting illness or a long life with a lot of pain, it doesn’t disprove the fact that you are alive now and have power. ‘No cure’ doesn’t mean no hope. It doesn’t mean no life. There can be a…
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49 Things To Do When You Are Sick, in Bed and Bored
1. Try not to think about penguins – there you are smiling now aren’t you? 2. Explore on Google earth – check out your neighbourhood, or you know, Paraguay. 3. Adventure into space. It’s amazing, such a privilege. Click and marvel. 4. Read a book, use your time to learn something. 5. Take a trip around the world. Who knew South Africa can look similar to California? 6. Write a haiku. Text it to your friend. 7. Write a card or letter to someone. 8. Email an author you admire and share how their work has moved you. 9. Call up someone and speak for 15 minutes – just chat. I used to do this all…
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What to take to a hospital/doctors appointment: the 7 essentials you’ll be glad you packed
Is it a routine check up that’s giving you the jitters or are you struggling with a hard case of the wait-and-see’s while you wait for test results? Hospitals can be hard, especially when you are ill. I know they are there to help us but they are often places where painful things happen, or where we’ve received difficult news. No matter how many times an appointment goes well, we always remember the ones we got bad news in. I was at the doctors last week and felt anxious as soon as we were in the doors. It was the smell of the place that reminded me of every other…
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What is a Sick Chick? How to Turn Trail Blazer
Who is a Sick Chick? A Sick Chick is one of the thousands upon thousands of young women living with chronic illness today. One of the hundreds of thousands newly diagnosed every year. A Sick Chick is a woman who has been suffering for a long time, and who is looking for a new way to live. A Sick Chick is a young woman sitting in the doctor’s office being told that no, it’s not just that she is tired, or that it’s just some muscle pain. Actually, he’s very sorry to say but it’s a lot more serious than that. And there isn’t a cure. A Sick Chick is a woman who 50 years ago would have died, but…
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