Hello Healers!
I hope you are all doing well. I am recovering from my recent surgery pretty well and anxious to get my stitches out soon. They are getting dry and itchy and just not fun to have. I am a little score still and cant lay on my right side that long, or wear clothes yet that squeezes my hip area. I am happy though that I have most of my energy back even though I get completely exausted at the end of the day still.
I started back at school last Monday. I transfered to another college as I knew I couldnt make myself go back to the one I previously went to. It didnt make since to me that I was going to a college that I felt like I was going around in circles and couldnt get out no matter how hard I tried. I studied to the point to that I was making myself physicaly sick with making the RSD in my stomach worse and getting horrible tension headaches. They also wouldnt accomidate me foodwise so why pay all the money I was to go to that school?
I love were I am going now. I live in a suite with 5 other girls, 3 of the girls have their own rooms while I share a room with one of them. The girl I share the room with is also a nursing-transfer student so we are in the same place and taking most of the same classes.
My mom threw me a little BBQ / Birthday Party today. Some of my family and family friends came over to enjoy the last weekend of summer even though the weather was already a bit cool. We went to Whole Foods yesterday to get my Vegan Cake which was delicious. I recieved a few gifts for my dorm, to get my hair done, and some cards. J is taking me out to dinner tomorrow on my actual Birthday. I cant believe Im gonna be 21! I will post pictures after tomorrow.
Thank you everyone for the well wishes from my surgery. I am healing from it wonderfuly and my RSD pain is undercontrol once again.
Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Learning New Ways To Re-Think Symptoms
I have been reading a book on these last few weeks on how to not to be controlled by your symptoms. The book is called "Stop Being Your Symptoms and Start Being Yourself" a 6 week Mind - Body Program to Ease Your Chronic Symptoms. The book is by Arthur J. Barsky M.D and Emily C. Deans M.D. I'm going to be honest, its taken me a little while to actually get into the book and still at times do not agree with it. There are several things though that I do agree with and think many of the ideas other people may feel helpful.
The book starts off talking about how since medical technology has advanced more people are living longer. Since people are living longer we are contracting more conditions, syndromes, or diseases that we wouldn't have otherwise including dementia and althestimers. Also because of medical technology many people expect to be cured of their conditions, syndromes, or diseases. When a person's symptoms aren't fully alleviated or the person isn't cured of the condition, syndrome, or disease the person gets disappointed. The person either blames their Dr that they are not doing their job or the Dr blames the patient that they are making up their symptoms.
The book also talks about the difference of symptoms and disease. A symptom can be produced by more things than physical disease; they can be produced by our life experiences, expectations, beliefs, and emotions" (pg 19). This is evident in those who have an optimistic outlook on their treatment. Those who are optimistic outlook do have symptoms but are less apt to focus on them. Also it is also evident in those who expect a cure or total remission of sorts. When I got diagnosed with RSD I knew my life was going to change. I did want remission but knew I had to get through every day and did so with the help of my family and friends. After 8 years I still have that support and realize how blessed I am everyday.
Dr's for the most part are taught to diagnose and treat their patients. When they find nothing wrong there is nothing to treat. This is hard especially with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy where nothing shows up on x-rays, CT's, MRI's, or other medical tests. Doctors are left to diagnose the patient by ruling out other conditions and focusing on the symptoms. That is also hard to do since not everyone who has RSD has the same symptoms. Someone may swell like a balloon while person's limbs may turn different colors, while another's may do both.
I will post more about the book when I have read more. I have found it interesting pretty far and so far a good read.
On Saturday my mom and I went to the store to get some fresh vegetables and fruit for the weekend. It was absolutely crazy there. I would go and grab something and almost get ran over. My tension headache from the night before came back full force and I was pretty much down for the rest of the evening. That night my dad had went to cut the watermelon we had bought. We were all so excited since it was the first one that we got this year. It ended up having some kind of worm type holes. My mom ended up taking the watermelon back to the store since it wasn't worth eating. Today we went to my sister's house. We had a Birthday type gathering for my other sister. I brought my vegan burgers and munched on some raw vegetables. There wasn't much I could eat other than corn which I eat with nothing on it (yum!). I had offered to make a cake or cookies (vegan of course) but was shot down by my mom earlier this week. I'm nervous about when I go to NYC what I'm going to eat. I'm going with all meat eaters, and even though I love salads, I do like a bit of variety too.
As I mentioned above Ive been having some trouble with my neck and my tension headaches are back. The only way I know to rid of them is to get my neck massaged and don't have an appointment for a month. If you have any suggestions I will take any at this point.
Healing Thoughts To All of You!
The book starts off talking about how since medical technology has advanced more people are living longer. Since people are living longer we are contracting more conditions, syndromes, or diseases that we wouldn't have otherwise including dementia and althestimers. Also because of medical technology many people expect to be cured of their conditions, syndromes, or diseases. When a person's symptoms aren't fully alleviated or the person isn't cured of the condition, syndrome, or disease the person gets disappointed. The person either blames their Dr that they are not doing their job or the Dr blames the patient that they are making up their symptoms.
The book also talks about the difference of symptoms and disease. A symptom can be produced by more things than physical disease; they can be produced by our life experiences, expectations, beliefs, and emotions" (pg 19). This is evident in those who have an optimistic outlook on their treatment. Those who are optimistic outlook do have symptoms but are less apt to focus on them. Also it is also evident in those who expect a cure or total remission of sorts. When I got diagnosed with RSD I knew my life was going to change. I did want remission but knew I had to get through every day and did so with the help of my family and friends. After 8 years I still have that support and realize how blessed I am everyday.
Dr's for the most part are taught to diagnose and treat their patients. When they find nothing wrong there is nothing to treat. This is hard especially with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy where nothing shows up on x-rays, CT's, MRI's, or other medical tests. Doctors are left to diagnose the patient by ruling out other conditions and focusing on the symptoms. That is also hard to do since not everyone who has RSD has the same symptoms. Someone may swell like a balloon while person's limbs may turn different colors, while another's may do both.
I will post more about the book when I have read more. I have found it interesting pretty far and so far a good read.
On Saturday my mom and I went to the store to get some fresh vegetables and fruit for the weekend. It was absolutely crazy there. I would go and grab something and almost get ran over. My tension headache from the night before came back full force and I was pretty much down for the rest of the evening. That night my dad had went to cut the watermelon we had bought. We were all so excited since it was the first one that we got this year. It ended up having some kind of worm type holes. My mom ended up taking the watermelon back to the store since it wasn't worth eating. Today we went to my sister's house. We had a Birthday type gathering for my other sister. I brought my vegan burgers and munched on some raw vegetables. There wasn't much I could eat other than corn which I eat with nothing on it (yum!). I had offered to make a cake or cookies (vegan of course) but was shot down by my mom earlier this week. I'm nervous about when I go to NYC what I'm going to eat. I'm going with all meat eaters, and even though I love salads, I do like a bit of variety too.
As I mentioned above Ive been having some trouble with my neck and my tension headaches are back. The only way I know to rid of them is to get my neck massaged and don't have an appointment for a month. If you have any suggestions I will take any at this point.
Healing Thoughts To All of You!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Great Day
I have been exceptionally busy the last few weeks with multiple tests. It seems like I have one right after another. Once I get done with one I start studying for the next. Last weekend there were several points that it seemed that I just couldnt study anymore. Thankfully my family came to the rescue with a family dinner earlier yesterday evening celebrating my Mom's and Sister's Birthdays. We went to a Mexican Restraunt which is about halfway for me and for my family. I'm not a big fan of Mexican and getting a meal which could satisfy my diet and wouldn't kill my stomach was hard and pretty much impossible. My other sister had gotten a vegetable fajita dish that I should have gotten and she let me have some of it.
Much to my mom's and sister's surprise my brother and his wife had asked the staff bring in the cake that was bought for them. The staff sang to them in Spanish, it was so much fun. I broke my no eggs, no milk just for a little piece of cake and I didnt eat the frosting or artificial coloring.
The warm weather has been teasing us here. It is currently Thunder Storming out. Im looking forward till the day that the nice weather is here to stay for awhile at least.
Sending Healing Thoughts!
Much to my mom's and sister's surprise my brother and his wife had asked the staff bring in the cake that was bought for them. The staff sang to them in Spanish, it was so much fun. I broke my no eggs, no milk just for a little piece of cake and I didnt eat the frosting or artificial coloring.
The warm weather has been teasing us here. It is currently Thunder Storming out. Im looking forward till the day that the nice weather is here to stay for awhile at least.
Sending Healing Thoughts!
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