The perception of control we have is necessary for our well-being and living in the world. It is sort of a necessary fiction we tell ourselves. When you think of it philosophically there isn’t much control we truly have over anything. But perception is reality for our brains. Perceived personal control Perceived personal control is... Continue Reading →
When I was diagnosed recently with MS I found out something about smoking cigarettes and MS that I did not know. Smoking can make MS worse. It can speed up how fast you become disabled from MS. It can mean bigger lesions It can mean more relapses MS Society Cleveland Clinic I reduced my smoking... Continue Reading →
Setbacks when it comes to chronic illness seem to just be inevitable. Sometimes they are not setbacks at all but our new state of the normal. And sometimes they are short setbacks. Other times they are substantial setbacks. A setback with our health can be caused by many things. A medication change, a stressor or... Continue Reading →
I got my lumbar puncture results back and a call from my neurologist. I do in fact have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This has been after years of abnormal MRIs with lesions but my neurologist insisting I didn't present with MS. Because I have fibromyalgia and chronic migraine- so a lot of overlap in symptoms. And... Continue Reading →
I got a Lumbar Puncture, also known as a spinal tap, on Friday. It is done on the lower back in the lumbar region. It was done as an outpatient. I went in, I didn't even have to change into one of those horrible hospital gowns. They got me to lie on my side with... Continue Reading →
Heat is definitely one of my migraine triggers. These excessively hot days are not cool- literally. It has been 30-37C, not counting the humidity, here which as a Canadian is hot. That would be 86F to 98.6 for my American friends which may or may not be hot for them. But I think we can... Continue Reading →
The weirdest thing that happened to me with chronic vertigo is it made me insanely sleepy. I assume because it is draining for the brain to focus that hard through all that dizziness and vertigo. On bad days I could barely move and on good days it was hard to focus on anything. For a... Continue Reading →
It seems like stress is a constant factor in our existence that we cannot banish. It is embedded within the existence of chronic illness and pain. And as a consequence of chronic pain and illness on our lives as well. And those consequences in our lives we have to live with; dealing with doctors, employers,... Continue Reading →
The practice of self-compassion can help us avoid the trappings of self-limiting or destructive thought processes, like the critical inner voice, that often diminish our motivation or initiative. Neff’s findings show that self-compassion can reduce anxiety and actually help us make real changes in our lives. Neff’s study found “Using a correlational design, the study found that self-compassion had a significant... Continue Reading →
Ennui A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. (Google) There is this state that comes after a setback when you have yet to quite adjust to things - this stagnant, listless, lethargic state I get in. One of ennui. I find myself here. Trying to move forward but... Continue Reading →
When we’re struggling with illness our self-esteem and self-worth can plummet. We may see ourselves as stagnant, irritable, unlovable and stuck. Research shows that maintaining positive feelings about ourselves during illness flares can improve both physical and mental well-being. Achieving this can be a struggle. Kristin Neff is a leading researcher on self-compassion according to Psychology Today. Neff has... Continue Reading →
I used to have this little paper on my wall at work showing some disability statistics so that people would understand the importance of getting insurance on their banking products, or outside insurance to cover things, if something should happen- those stats reflecting the rate of disability per age group (long and short). I posted... Continue Reading →
Chronically Nikki 