Being Positive With A Chronic Illness

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

So you have a Chronic Illness, your pain is through the roof, you've pretty much been through the ringers with the Doctors, and you are probably pretty depressed fighting for strength every day.

 

How do you stay positive?

 

This is a very hard question to answer.  Your first thought was probably something like, "Stay positive... pffffft... I am just trying to survive here!"

 

I fully understand.  I fight my negative thoughts every day.

 

However, what I have found to benefit me tremendously is changing my perspective...

 

For example;

I have written in journals since I was nine years old but whenever I read through them again I would get further depressed because all of my writing, venting, ranting and raving was negative.  Just reading them took me down the emotional rollercoaster re-experiencing all the bumps and hills over again.

 

So a few years back I decided to start a 'Positive Journal' and in this journal I would only write about good things.  If I experienced something bad or emotional I would try to find something positive about the situation and write about that instead.

 

This process allowed me to find the positive in bad situations, it allowed me to change my focus and change my life.  I went from being a complainer of everything to an optimistic 'cup is half full' kind of gal.

 

I am not saying that this happened overnight... this is a process.

It takes time to change how you think.

 

 

How will changing the way you think help you with your Chronic Illness?

 

Being positive allows you to focus on all the good things in your life; it will help you to see through the brain fog and the pain that you are experiencing so that you can accept the goodness that surrounds you.

 

It calms your soul so that you will not be consumed with needless worry.

 

Dealing with pain 24/7 makes it very difficult to think at all but when you are able to think clearer at least then you will be nourishing your soul with good thoughts instead of poisoning it with negative thoughts.

 

If you can think positive, or find something positive to focus on while you are dealing with your Chronic Illness you will find your strength to get through.

 

My strength comes from the Lord.

My hope is in the Lord.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful.

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Many hugs and blessings

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

 

Heat Seeker W/Flare-up

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2013)

 

In my chats with other Chronic Illness sufferers I have discovered that Chronic Pain symptoms are helped and hindered in different ways depending on the person.

 

Me...

 

I am a heat-seeker!

 

The heat and the sunshine just make my body feel so much better.

 

However, it is not all heat that helps.  I am not good with humidity as it effects my Arthritis.

 

Some people feel better in the humid heat; some the dry heat.

 

Some love the cold weather... I am not one to share these views of cold.

 

I have a lovely friend in Australia who cannot wait for it to cool down there,

 

and here I am waiting for it to heat up here!

 

This week in particular is a strange one for me...

 

It is sunny and beautiful and I am in the middle of a flare-up!

 

It's like a double-edged sword...

 

I want to sit in the sun but I hurt sitting in my lounger for too long.

 

Then I lay down to rest and the sunshine is just mocking me!

 

I want to be outside when it is beautiful, I want to hike, run, jump and play!

 

I want to be normal with no pain, no illness, no Doctor appointments...

 

No sense in complaining about it...

 

I can only pray for God's healing to come down upon me... upon us all who suffer.

 

May His healing hand bring warmth and comfort to our bones,

 

may we sleep sweet knowing we are in the hands of the Almighty God.

 

May our hope and our strength come from the Lord

 

and may we be filled with so much of His love that there is NO room,

 

no cracks, no breaks where depression can sneak in.

 

 

How easy that creature slithers!

 

We need to stomp on him and kick him to the curb!

 

If possible we need to take back our lives to live the life we were made to live!

 

As I have said before, we are not without hope!

 

 

Know that you are not alone, I am always thinking about and praying for you!

 

Many hugs and blessings Dear Ones

 

Sincerely

 

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

One Bad Day... Just One

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

Love God, Love others, Love yourself...

 

Especially on Doctor days!

 

Every month I have to go to the Doctor for a new prescription and I should be used to the fact that those days are pretty much going to be a right off.

 

Ya'no!

 

Nope, I do not learn.

 

So after my appointment (which went really well by the way, according to my hubbub)...

I still broke down crying.

 

You see, I thought I was doing really well.  I thought I was dealing with everything really well.

 

Apparently not.

 

During the Doctor's appointment I broke down because I realized that I hadn't been able to exercise for a couple months.  I have been mostly in bed or laying on the couch just fighting each and every day to get through.

 

Pain does that to a person... it kind of traps us in our own bodies and holds us down.

 

I do what I gotta do in regards to finding a life worth living the best way that I can.

 

I turn to God for my strength and my support.

.

I turn to the gifts that He has given me to help keep me sane...

 

as well as to inspire and bless others.

 

Yes, I have to do most of my artwork from bed but that is not the end of the world; it just limits what art I can do.

 

My life is full of blessings and so I focus on those and I know that everything will be okay.

 

Praying that all of you are doing well... and if not... that you are doing the best that you possibly can right now.

 

Sending out healing thoughts to all my lovely spoonie sisters!

 

Sincerely with much love and blessings

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

Why I Do What I Do

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2013)

 

A Letter To God

Dear Lord; My Most Holy Almighty God; El Sheddai; Abba;

My heart is so full of compassion... it seems that no matter at what stage of life I am in, You reveal a new and different path to show me more ways to use this compassion inside of me.

When I was young my heart hurt for things I did not even know what or why, but the pain was very real.

I hurt for people I did not know.

The World Vision commercials were a killer on my heart,

my first real experience in seeing starving children.

My heart cried out, 'Lord! Lord!' before I knew how to pray.

The next stages of my life were stepping stones to learning the plan You had for me. I see now that I had to fall and I had to fall hard and receive many scars that buried deep. I had to start at the bottom and crawl out of the pit I had fallen into; every handful of dirt another lesson... another drop of water into the sprout that was forming in me.

At times I would get close to the top only to battle the grounds of fear, anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness and trauma. I was lost in the darkness, I could not see; I could not breathe.

Then You pulled me up out of the dirt and breathed in me a new breath of life while shaking the dirt and grime away.

You helped me to stand up again on new ground.

You placed me on a new path allowing me to use the lessons taught and to share the comfort You had given me. You brought me to others who had fallen, who were broken hearted and You said, 'Comfort them'.

You gave me knowledge, understanding and wisdom to reach out to the hurting. You taught me and I listened; You led me and I followed.

Though... You still had more to teach me and so You sent me on another mission; one that would take me to the battlefield of my own body, limiting where I could go and what I could do.

Again You said, 'Come' and I went.

Again You brought me those physically hurt and broken hearted and

You said, 'Comfort them' and I do.

You taught me to use the compassion inside even through the physical ailments, through the broken heartedness and You said, 'Go'.

Now that compassion has sprouted and flourished into a magnificent tree of love and blessings, comfort and healing.

I see Your hand of teaching and love over me.

I see the compassion You have given me as a precious treasure.

Thank You Lord, My Abba Father for my gift...

Your compassion growing in me.

I pray you feel God's love for you today.

Have a very blessed week.

 

 

Sincerely

Kelly Watts

EDS - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

(Your physical therapist might also recommend specific braces to help prevent joint dislocations.)

What is EDS - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ehlers-danlos-syndrome/DS00706/DSECTION=symptoms

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue is a complex mixture of proteins and other substances that provides strength and elasticity to the underlying structures in your body.
People who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually have overly flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin. This can become a problem if you have a wound that requires stitches, because the skin often isn't strong enough to hold them.

Signs and symptoms of the most common form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome include:

• Overly flexible joints. Because the connective tissue that holds joints together is looser, your joints can move far past the normal range of motion. Small joints are affected more than large joints. You might also be able to touch the tip of your nose with your tongue.
• Stretchy skin. Weakened connective tissue allows your skin to stretch much more than usual. You may be able to pull a pinch of skin up away from your flesh, but it will snap right back into place when you let go. Your skin might also feel exceptionally soft and velvety.
• Fragile skin. Damaged skin often doesn't heal well. For example, the stitches used to close a wound often will tear out and leave a gaping scar. These scars may look thin and crinkly.
• Fatty lumps at pressure points. These small, harmless growths can occur around the knees or elbows and may show up on X-rays.

Symptom severity can vary from person to person. Some people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome will have overly flexible joints but few or none of the skin symptoms.

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromePeople who have the vascular subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome often share distinctive facial features of a thin nose, thin upper lip, small earlobes and prominent eyes. They also have thin, translucent skin that bruises very easily. In fair-skinned people, the underlying blood vessels are very visible through the skin.
One of the most severe forms of the disorder, vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can weaken your heart's largest artery (aorta), as well as the arteries to your kidneys and spleen. A rupture of any of these blood vessels can be fatal. The vascular subtype also can weaken the walls of the uterus or large intestines — which may also rupture

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff
Complications depend on the types of signs and symptoms you have. For example, overly flexible joints can result in joint dislocations and early-onset arthritis. Fragile skin may develop prominent scarring.
People who have vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are at risk of often fatal ruptures of major blood vessels. Some organs, such as the uterus and intestines, also may rupture. Pregnancy can increase these risks.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff
There is no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but treatment can help you manage your symptoms and prevent further complications.
MedicationsYour doctor may prescribe drugs to help you control:

• Pain. If over-the-counter pain relievers — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve) — aren't enough, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications for your joint or muscle pain.
• Blood pressure. Because blood vessels are more fragile in some types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, your doctor may want to reduce the stress on the vessels by keeping your blood pressure low.

Physical therapyJoints with weak connective tissue are more likely to dislocate. Exercises to strengthen the muscles around a joint can help stabilize the joint. Your physical therapist might also recommend specific braces to help prevent joint dislocations.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ehlers-danlos+syndrome&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=el50UcKcCMX5iwLnvoHIDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=717#imgrc=CNJaewSqkqrFqM%3A%3Bx5RF341ogBCOMM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Frlv.zcache.com%252Fehlers_danlos_syndrome_awareness_shirts-ra3085b5b5d8d4770a2afb8b37633dc0e_804gs_216.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.zazzle.com%252Fehlers%252Bdanlos%252Btshirts%3B216%3B216

Surgical and other proceduresIn rare cases, surgery is recommended to repair joints damaged by repeated dislocations. However, your skin and the connective tissue of the affected joint may not heal properly after the surgery.

 

There is so much to this disease, so much more than just being double-jointed or having hypermobile joints.  There are some serious complications that come with this horrible disease.

 

I read on one lady's Instagram that she has to wear braces to bed just to keep her wrists from dislocating as she slept.  There is a lot of pain involved in these individual's joints and skin; many suffer from what they call 'painsomnia' which means of coarse they are in too much pain to actually be able to sleep.

 

I have hypermobility in my joints but it is nothing in comparison to what people with EDS suffer from.

 

My prayers and thoughts are with all of you EDS sufferers.

 

 

Many hugs and blessings to you

 

Kelly Watts

This Is For All My Chronic Illness Friends

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

As you know I have gotten to know some amazing women on instagram that suffer from numerous 'invisible' illnesses...

I have come to love their strength and their beauty as women.

 

With this piece I wanted to create it as a gift for all of them, (you), to make them smile; to make them not feel so alone; to spread a little love.

 

These women (us) (we) (you) smile through our pain; suffer in silence; and endure a whole lot of pain and garbage with not knowing what is happening to their (our) (your) bodies most of the time.

 

With Lupus they get rashes on their faces in the shape of butterflies (which can't feel good)... so I thought.... hmmmm... how do I make something beautiful out of that?

 

So I drew the butterfly first.

 

When I was drawing the lady I wanted to give her a great big ol'smile to show how something yucky (like a chronic illness) doesn't have to be sad all the time... but we can concentrate on our blessings... on the people whom God has placed in our lives; the joys that surround us.

 

We may not have energy or physical strength but we can hold onto the moments that make us smile; the people who make us smile and most of all our God who will give us the strength to get through.

 

On Instagram I have met one lady who is a beautiful soul... she is battling Lupus and is also homeless.  I cannot imagine the strength it takes for her to get by each day...   This Butterfly girl is for her...

 

Another lovely lady on Instagram is living with Fibromyalgia pain 24 hours a day with zero support from her husband and is getting zero help from Doctors...  This Butterfly girl is for her...

 

A beautiful soul in Sweden is living with EDS and lives every day with bands and braces on all her joints just so they do not dislocate... This Butterfly Girl is for her...

 

Another wonderful gal is battling Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease with constant pain and fatigue and fights every single day to get through...

This Butterfly Girl is for her...

 

This Butterfly Girl is for all of you out there!  I see you!  I hear you!  I feel your pain!  You are not alone and you are not without hope.

I am praying for you!

 

Much love and many blessings Dear Friends

 

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

 

Beautiful Distraction

(Arwork by Artist KellyWatts 2013)

I have seen a number of artists drawing their work in old books... so I decided to try...

 

And...

 

I LOVE IT!

 

 

A book is easy to work in and I love the texture of the pages.

 

I use my art as my beautiful distraction.

It helps me through the pain.

 

Finding new and easier ways to create my art is so much fun!!!

 

In this piece I used my Copic Markers and a black acrylic marker.

 

 

What do you do to distract yourself from the pain?

 

I hope you are having a pain-free day.

 

Many hugs and blessings.

 

 

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

Encouraging Others With Chronic Illnesses

(Artwork by Artist Kelly Watts 2013)

 

I am enamored by all the wonderful ladies I am meeting on Instagram.  The depth of these women is unlike anything that I have before encountered.  There are posts that say things like 'God gives the hardest battles to those who are the strongest'... something like that; after chatting with these ladies I have discovered that they are indeed the strongest.

 

I think about my illness (Fibromyalgia/IBS/Arthritis/Hypermobility of my joints) and I wonder... are illnesses like mine, or like Lupus, Rheumatoid Auto-immune etc., are they more prevailant now than they were say ten years ago?  And if that is the case... why?

 

I know that mankind has ruined our planet, we've destroyed our good healthy foods and stuffed our bodies with chemicals and we have done that pretty much willingly or should I say blindly trusting our Governments to nourish us, not to lie to us about what goes into our foods etc., and we continue to consume these processed foods knowing what is inside of them - DUH!!! 

 

Even me now, I began juicing at the beginning of January and I was feeling the great benefits, I lost 15 pounds and I was feeling so much better.

Then March comes along and I stop juicing as regularily, I start eating bread and meat and everything that I cut out of my diet... I gained back the weight and I am once again feeling crappy.  I know the solution...but do I do it??? 

 

So frustrating!

 

The problem is that I lack willpower and most of all the energy needed to continue juicing as I was before.  So, I have asked my Hubbub to help me by making me a veggie juice in the morning before he goes to work (like he doesn't have enough on his plate!).

 

This has helped me a lot.

 

Next step, due to my juicing and my IBS I have become lacking-in-fiber...

so, actually listening to my Mother's advice and admitting it, I have been taking the refuse from the juicer of the veggies and making homemade soup.  This gives me the fiber I so desperately need in my diet.

 

I am not giving up, because I believe I am strong.  I know that God has given me strength to fight this good fight and if I have to start over a million times I know that one day I will get it right!

 

I pray that all of you lovely peeps out there fighting the good fight with your illness will have the strength to do what you need to do to get through each and every day, may God strengthen you when you feel weak.

 

Much love and many blessings to you.

 

Sincerely;

 

Kelly Watts

Medication and Dental Care

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2013)

 

So under the 'continuing adventure' of having a Chronic Illness

I have just come from a Dental Check up.

 

And have been told some interesting news...

 

First of all, I have six, Yes, SIX cavities!  I have never had six cavities before!

 

Secondly I have some paradental disease happening in the back of my mouth.

 

What does this have to do with having a Chronic Illness?

 

 

Well, apparently, these cavities and paradental disease is caused by having a dry mouth from some of the medications I am taking.

 

The hygienist had to freeze one quarter of my mouth to clean my teeth and we only finished one quarter of my cleaning.  So I am scheduled to go in

for two more visits!  Oy vay!

 

The wonderful life of living with a Chronic Illness!

 

Do any of you have teeth related issues from your illness or medication?

I would love to hear about them.  Just comment in the comment section

as I love to hear from you.

 

Hugs and blessings my Spoonie Sisters/Brothers

Kelly Watts





Lupus?

Many people suffer from Lupus and I wanted to make myself aware of what this disease is.

 

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys, and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies that protect the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. These foreign invaders are called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies that, simply put, attack the body itself. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to various organs.
Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation causes pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, inside and/or outside the body.
For many people, lupus can be a manageable disease with relatively mild symptoms. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems.
Sometimes people with lupus experience a "flare." This occurs when some symptoms appear or get worse for short periods then disappear or get better. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when the symptoms become worse. Learning to recognize that a flare is coming can help you take steps to cope with it. Many people feel very tired or have pain, a rash, a fever, stomach discomfort, headache, or dizziness just before a flare.
It’s estimated that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women between the ages of 15 and 45.
In the United States, lupus is more common among African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans than Caucasians.

(http://www.couldihavelupus.gov/what-is-lupus.cfm?)

Symptoms vary from person to person as no two cases are alike (kind of like Fibromyalgia).

Symptoms may include:  Muscle joint pain, butterfly shaped rash on face (not everyone gets this), tips of fingers turn blue when cold, chest pain known as pleurisy, Fever greater than 100, prolonged or extreme fatigue, Anemia,
kidney problems, hair loss, Light sensitivity, abnormal blood clotting, eye disease, seizures, nose or mouth ulcers.

There are similarities to FM such as extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, I get chest pain Pleurisy a lot, I am anemic, I do loose a lot of hair...  I wonder if I could have Lupus?  I hope not. 

I am however getting bloodwork done tomorrow:(  I hate getting blood work!

I pray that some genius discovers a cure for both Fibromyalgia and Lupus really soon!  God please heal us!


If you would like to share more on your disease of Lupus please let me know and I can post it for you here.

(Artwork "Joy Tree" by Artist Kelly Watts 2012)

 

May you find joy through the pain today!

 

Many hugs and blessings fellow spoonies!

 

Sincerely;

 

Kelly Watts

Hot or Cold?

(Artwork by Kelly Watts 2011 Words of the Year)

 

This week I received a letter all the way from Australia from a sweet lady named Sharon.  She gave me a lovely card with a letter and made me a beautiful pair of earrings.  Thank you Sharon for your lovely gift, I appreciate it very much.

 

Her letter got me thinking... she mentioned that she was looking forward to the  cooler weather.   As for me... I never look forward to the cooler weather but long for the heat like a lizard in the desert.

 

As you might know I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada and we have had snow on the ground since the beginning of October... I have really been fighting this winter to get heat into my body.

 

We have an infrared sauna (but I do not always have the energy to hold myself up in a sitting position); I can sit in a hot bath for only so long; I have nearly worn out my 'umteenth' magic bag...

 

I need the sunshine and the heat.

 

The cold weather goes directly to my bones and they ache and ache.

 

What do you struggle with?  Hot?  or Cold?

 

What helps you?

 

The sunshine was smiling brightly today and I was in my 'happy place' in my dining room for as long as the sun shone through the window:)

I am very much looking forward to warmer weather as my trip to a warmer climate is on hold due to lack of funds with me not working:(  So sad.

 

I pray you are all having a wonderful low-pain week.  Many many blessings to you.

 

Sincerely;

 

Kelly Watts

 

 

Medication Check

(Artwork By Kelly Watts 2009)

 

What medications do all of you use?

 

What medications have you tried but have had horrible results?

 

I have been on medication since 1997.  I started on medication when my second born was well... born.  I was bedridden for 8 months due to the pregnancy shooting me some overdoses of hormones and all my joints would well... get out of joint!  I couldn't walk, I couldn't sit, I couldn't play with my firstborn on the floor anymore. 

 

That's when my depression kicked in.  When my son was born I felt NOTHING, it was like I was holding someone else's child but even then, it was less than that because I was completely numb and I LOVED BABIES!!!!

 

I had post-partum depression and was hospitalized just 8 weeks after my second child was born for three and 1/2 months. 

 

This is when I entered the medication industry and have been an avid member since 1997 (Unfortunately).

 

Medication for depression and anxiety and sleep were my starter meds coctail.

Paxil (which didn't work alone) so then added Nortriptyline.  Then atavan for the anxiety, and Chlora(Something) for sleep (a small nyquil looking gel pill)

This kept me in my bedroom for four years (literally) and Doctors called that functional???

 

Finally, in 2002 I find a Doctor who refers me to a "Mood Clinic" at the local hospital and they change up my medications being rather surprised that other Doctors just "LEFT" me as a hermet.

 

They put me on EFFEXOR (anti-depressant), Lorazepam (anti-anxiety)

small dose of Seroquel (anti-psychotic but in small dose used for sleep)

Oxazepam (anti-anxiety and used for sleep).

 

Through out my 14 year long depression these are the meds I used to help me through the depression, anxiety and sleep issues.  There were others in there but I cannot remember them.

 

I know that EFFEXOR helped me immensely and I am still on a low dose of this plus Lorazepam to calm my thoughts, Oxazepam to help with anxiety and sleep, and Immovane for sleep also.

 

For pain I am on Celebrex twice a day to help my joints.  I was on VIOXX when it was on the market but they stopped making that.  Now I am on Celebrex but their are side effects with this medication for heart problems.  I am not at risk yet but I will have to start thinking about getting off in a few years time.

 

And now I am on Cessamet, since February 26th so not quite two weeks.  It helps me sleep so well I cannot even tell you.  I have not slept this well in years and years.  I wake up in the mornings refreshed and ready for the day, my joints and FM don't usually bother me at first now whereas I used to have to stretch myself out every morning just to get out of bed.

 

I am able to accomplish a few tasks per day, whereas I wasn't accomplishing anything before.

 

Negative Side Effects:  Cloudy brain, blurry vision, dizziness, lack of motivation and sweet cravings.  I can handle the side effects if it takes my pain away or considerably.

 

I hope you find this information helpful.  If there is anything else you would like to know or if you want to share your specific stories and experiences pleas email me.

 

Sincerely;

Kelly Watts

Pain Management

 

What do you do for pain management when your pain meds just don't seem to take the edge off?

 

A few months back I went for a visit at my girlfriend Tara's house.  She had just had back surgery for a herniated disc in her lower spine.

 

During our conversation it somehow came up that she uses a TENS machine that she purchased from her physiotherapist to help her with her pain.

 

I was surprised!  I had no idea that those little machines work for pain.  Had I known years ago I would have purchased one.

 

My Tens machine cost around $150.00 I think... I love it.

Not only does it help with FM pain but it also works for my joint pain on my arms, as well as placing the pads on my abdomen to help me with Menstrual cramping pain.

 

If you do end up purchasing... beware... it is super easy to shock yourself (Not seriously but enough to hurt).  Make sure you read all the information about this machine so that you are aware of how it works.

 

For me it has allowed me to take part in some activities I wouldn't be able to normally... such as go to the malls with my family, go out for lunch after Church, sit in Church, go over to friends houses for visits.

It works as a distraction from the pain for me.

 

I wanted to share this information for you so that if it can help even just one friend suffering from their chronic illness have a little less pain... then it's all worth it!

 

Many gentle hugs to you my fellow Spoonies!

Much love.

Sincerely,

Kelly Watts

 

 

Check In With Cessamet

(Image from Google Image - Pills)

 

 

So, I am actively taking Cessamet now.  Having gone to the Doctor on Tuesday morning and filling the prescription... I have been taking it for 4 nights.

 

What am I noticing?

 

I am sleeping mostly all the way through the night!  Miracle!!!

 

Still having dizzy side effects when I do wake up in the night or in the morning.

(No problem... I can do dizzy if it helps)

 

I am not having extreme cravings for munching on bad food like I thought I might be getting.  So far anyway...

 

 

I am not sure if this has to do with Cessamet, but I have been feeling low in moods these past few days, harder to motivate myself (but I was able to push through it!)

 

When I wake up in the morning I do not feel a lot of pain... I almost have an adrenaline rush for the first hour anyway.  (I do not know how else to describe it - but I feel like I can accomplish more)

 

 

The first few days I was able to clean up the kitchen and walk on my treadmill for 30 minutes.

 

The last two days... low in energy... hurting... didn't sleep that well the night before...

 

I am hoping to see some sort of pattern emerging so that I can clearly see how this new medication is or is not working for me.

 

Again, if anyone has been on this medication before and would like to share how it worked for them, please contact me via email and you can tell me your story!

 

 

Many hugs and blessings Dear friends.

 

 

Sincerely;

Kelly Watts

Depression With a Chronic Illness

(Artwork By Kelly Watts Copyright 2012)

 

Is it really a surprise that DEPRESSION comes with having a Chronic Illness? I think I have been depressed since I was a young child, around nine years old and I have had physical pain since then also.

 

For me they have gone hand in hand.  I asked my Doctor what he thought and he looked at me as if I was bonkers!  However, all the research that I have done on this subject indicates that they do go hand in hand.

 

This is not a "SHOCKER"! moment for me:

 

It's more of "Well DUH!"

 

Living with a Chronic Illness makes your life journey much more difficult!  Everything becomes centered around your illness and I mean EVERYTHING!

I would much rather say , "Pfft, illness smill-ness!"  "It doesn't effect me!"

but I know I would be lying!

 

Everyday during the week my two teenage sons and my husband head off to either school or work.

 

I sleep in until I wake up which is usually around 9, I stare at the ceiling and monitor my body to determine what kind of day I am going to have, this usually means me monitoring my head also.  I slowly make my way to the bathroom and on the way there I stretch my body and test my mind.

 

"Where am I hurting today?

Did the medicine work? 

Did I sleep last night?

Is my head dizzy?

Can I see things clearly?

How am I feeling overall?"

 

Then I go downstairs and make my tea, shutting off all extra lights left on from my boys.  I fill the kettle with water and I monitor, "does it hurt to lift the kettle?"... "Do I have enough energy to grab the stuff for making tea?"...

Now, "Where am I going to sit where I will hurt the least?"

 

I sit in the same spot drinking my tea and reading my Bible or book every morning.  I take my medicine and vitamins.

 

Now I have to make myself a veggie juice... and I monitor myself again...

"Is it worth it?"  Okay, yes it's worth it... I have to keep this up.

I grab all the veggies out of the fridge and begin separating the amounts I need to wash and add to the juicer.

Getting all this prepared, washing veggies, juicing veggies, even drinking the juice, then washing the juicer ...

 

I have probably used up most of my energy.

 

Now I have to make it back upstairs...

 

All day long I sit, I lay down, I stretch or if I'm lucky I will walk on my treadmill for a few minutes... and I monitor my body and my mind.

 

I get out of the house once maybe twice per week if I'm lucky.

 

Does this sound depressing?  Well, to be honest with you... it darn well is depressing!

 

I have my good days and I have my bad days... some of those days are emotional moody days and some of them are bad pain days...

 

but... then there are those precious few hours where I am OKAY!  These hours are what makes it all worth while.

 

I am blessed.

I would not change a thing,

for I have my God, my Father

and He sends His angels to watch over me!

 

 

I pray that you can find that place of contentment, where you can do all you can possibly do to smile for someone, love someone, allow them to smile at you and love you back.  Allow yourself to know and feel our God who loves us so very much.

 

Sincerely Friends

 

Kelly Watts