Invisible Illness Week Now Accepting Articles For This Site

We have now opened up over submission page for articles and blogs to be featured on this website in the coming two months. I am looking forward to hearing your feedback on what it is like to live with a chronic condition that is invisible.

To submit your complete article, bio, and photo, click on the link above that says “Submit Article.”

Here are some of the topics we are looking for and your post should be trained 300 and 750 words.

• Our theme this year is “Deep Breath, Start Fresh” – what does this to you and how you live chronic illness?

What has your experience been in coping with…

• Physical needs that are not apparent to others because you look well
• Expectations from those around you, from your spouse to your boss, because you look well
• How your children perceive your chronic condition
• How you choose to reveal or not reveal the seriousness of your illness
• How you deal with your illness on a daily basis. When it is invisible is easier to deny the seriousness of it?
• The looks. . . when you park in a handicapped spot legally to when you explain your unable to walk very far
• Still finding joy in life despite some limitations
• How physicians and other medical care professionals don’t even understand that your pain is quite invisible
• How do have sought to bring awareness about invisible illness as in healthcare advocate
• How you have tried to explain to your loved ones about having invisible illnesses or a hidden disability
• and the list goes on!

We are eager to hear from you about the emotions of living with a chronic condition, how you have found yourself dealing with difficult circumstances, how you overcome the need to stay in bed and hide from the world are most difficult days, what ever is on your mind!

Before you submit your article you should have a third person biographies ready to go that is less than 150 words and contained only one week. If you submit more than this it will be edited and you may not be pleased with which part we keep. Please do not submit a link to your article on your website but rather the actual article, which you will copy and paste into our form. If it does not have the article in the form, it will be deleted.

And if you are talking about your illness or Invisible Illness Week we hope you will join our Bloggers Unite group so that other people can be sure to visit your website and read your postings.

Thank you so much,
Lisa Copen

Popularity: 9% [?]

How to Decide Your Career Future When Chronically Ill

By Jennie Krogulski

Most of us with a debilitating chronic illness, if asked, would admit that as we traveled along the journey of life, we never saw this train called “Limitations” coming and if we had, we certainly would moved heaven and earth to get out of the way. As children we dreamed of what our lives would hold and who we would be, encouraged by those who loved us to dream big and wide. But what do you do when the life you have so carefully been creating and carving out begins to fall apart around you because of your illness?

What happens when you are no longer able to hold down a job five days a week, so you go to four, then three, and then even two becomes too much.

I was there four years ago and it was the scariest and loneliest time of my life. After twelve years of being sick, I could no longer manage many of the simplest tasks of daily living, which included holding down a steady job. Eventually, my disease, which was undiagnosed at the time, progressed to the point that I was unable to hold my arms above my head for five seconds at a time or walk more than a few hundred feet.

However, mounting medical bills and household bills still had to be paid. After pushing my body to it’s limits—I finally conceded that I had no choice but to recreate my lifestyle and find a way to work from home.

While some may see this as a luxury, for many with chronic illness it is the only way we can survive. What and how recreating your lifestyle looks like will be dependent on many factors:

• Your current field of work: Is it suitable for a work-at-home environment?
• Your relationship with your employer: Are they flexible?
• The way your home is set up: Do you have room to work from home?
• Your financial situation: Do you have funds set back to start up a small business if needed?
• Access to equipment: Do you have a dependable computer/laptop, printer, phone, etc.?
• Your abilities: What are your talents, gifts, and skills that you could use to start a small business from home that would work with your physical limitations?

Once you have carefully taken all these factors into consideration, you can begin putting a plan into place that works for you and your family. As you recreate your lifestyle, the challenges you live with on a daily basis won’t go away—but they will become more bearable. When your body is wracked with pain, you can work in your pajamas propped up in a cushiony bed. Instead of sitting at a desk in an office chair all day, you can create a “desk” space around a sofa that is more comfortable with a laptop and a laptop stand.

I started transitioning into this change in 2005, and made the permanent lifestyle change in 2007 when I opened my business, Hilton Head Nannies. Having a chronic illness and living with daily challenges, pain, and limitations certainly isn’t the life I signed up for when I dreamed about my future as a child long ago. However, I am a firm believer that there is a purpose in every serious/chronic illness and a story to be told as God’s plan unfolds. I am still learning to embrace God’s plan for my life. Each day as I turn to Him and ask for His help in recreating my lifestyle, I am finding joy, peace, and hope that break through the disease and pain and make me dream like a child again.

God bless you as you pray about what He has in store for you! Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jennie Krogulski resides in beautiful Bluffton SC, just off the coast of Hilton Head Island. She lives with Dermatomyositis, Fibromyalgia, Toxoplasmosis, Hypothyroidism, and an iron absorption disorder. Jennie owns Hilton Head Nannies, a national placement agency, and most recently started a social services agency—Lowcountry Family Connections. Jennie delights in spending time with family & friends, and being “Jen Jen” to the many children in her life.

Popularity: 7% [?]

FRIDAY’S 9/17 SEMINAR: Working/Home Business & Closing Half Hour

Can you believe it’s already the end of the week? We hope you’ve been having a great time and have enjoyed the workshops. If you have missed any just a reminder that you can find them all (and the last 2 year’s worth too!) on Blog Talk Radio at http://invisibleillnessconference.com .

Today we have some great speakers to chat with us about working. This includes Rosalind Joffe a career coach for those with chronic illness, Tricia Robichaud who is a coach as well as and a wonderful home-based business; and Jenny Krogulski who has started a business at home matching nannies with families. This is an amazing group of gals we know will encourage you even if you aren’t planning to work or cannot work.

Then, Twila Belk, author herself and assistant to Cecil Murphey will join me to close up the last half hour and she has some joy that will help us end on a beautifully upbeat note.

Career/Working:
* Rosalind Joffe built on her own experience of living with chronic illnesses for 30 years, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, when she founded cicoach.com. This career coaching firm is dedicated to helping professionals with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers. Rosalind Joffe is a recognized national expert on chronic illness and its impact on career. She is the co-author of Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend! Twitter: @WorkWithIllness

Jennie Krogulski is the founder of Hilton Head Nannies. Despite living with a chronic illness, she has started a successful business and will share some of her best tips. Twitter: @HHNannies

Trish Robichaud is a Maximum Life & Healthy Business Coach who lives with multiple sclerosis & major depression. She teaches women living with chronic illness or disability how to honour and accommodate their health while striving to achieving work/life balance and entrepreneurial success through her “Business Beyond Chronic Illness” coaching program. Download her free Optimal Health Kit at ChangingPaces.com. Twitter: @OptmlHealthGuru

LISA AND TWILA FOR THE LAST HALF HOUR – CALL WITH YOUR COMMENTS!

Popularity: 6% [?]

THURSDAY’S 9/16 SEMINAR: [1] Invisible Illness [2] Girl Talk

We have an amazing group of people tomorrow morning and we hope you will join us for day #4 of Invisible Illness Week, September 15, at 10:30 – 12 Pacific time; 12:30-2 PM Central time; or 1:30 PM – 3 PM Eastern time – USA time at http://invisibleillnessconference.com . Remember, if you miss it… it’s okay! It will be archived for ages!

First Wayne, founder of the Invisible Disabilities Advocate will be joining us for the first half an hour to talk about the idea of living with an invisible illness or hiddenn disability. And then we’re going to be joined by some women you just may know: Christine Miserandino, otherwise known as the “Spoon” gal from butyoudontlooksick.com ; Jenny Prokpy of chronicabe.com and Kerri Sparling who is the blogger behind the diabetes blog sixuntilme.com . I hope you will tune in!

Wayne Connell is the president of the Invisible Disabilities Association which he founded with his wife Sherri. Wayne’s desire to help others who struggle with disabilities has become a passion for him. He obtained a BA in Television and radio broadcasting in 1990. We will be talking with him about invisible illnesses and also the role he fills as husband and caregiver. Twitter: @InvDisabilities

Jenni Prokopy is founder and editrix of ChronicBabe.com , an online resource for young women with chronic illness. An award-winning writer, speaker, and expert on healthy living, she shares her personal experience – and rallies the expertise of hundreds of others – to help women live beyond their illness and be total Babes.
Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, and she has worked with dozens of organizations large and small, local and multinational, to create compelling messages that empower people to work better, play harder. . .and be their best. Twitter: @chronicbabe

Kerri Sparling is the founder of 6 Until Me, one of the largest patient blogs for those with diabetes. She is married to a “frantically funny, sharp-witted, and brilliant man who is both handsome and caring.” And on April 15th, 2010, her daughter joined the Sparling family. She is also a freelance writer and patient advocate.Twitter: @sixuntilme

Christine Miserandino is a writer, speaker, patient advocate, wife and mother living in Massapequa Park, NY. Christine is the founder of www.butyoudontlooksick.com, a website that provides resources and useful tips for living life to the fullest with a chronic illness. Her writing which has won various awards has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, medical newsletters and television media. She has been living with lupus for over 15 years. Twitter: @bydls

Popularity: 5% [?]

WEDNESDAY’S 9/15 SEMINAR: [1] Getting Organized [2] Parenting

Day #3 of Invisible Illness Week is tomorrow, so be sure to listen September 15 at 10:30 – 12 Pacific time; 12:30-2 PM Central time; or 1:30 PM – 3 PM Eastern time – USA time at http://invisibleillnessconference.com .

Here are 2 area many of us with illness struggle with – getting organized and parenting! Today’s first half of the program we will be joined by organizing and time management professionals who have both dealt with illness in their own households, so these are not empty suggestions. They may say, “make your bed” but they also know sometimes the energy is better spend doing something else (like eating).

Second half, we are excited to have Jill Hart from Christian Work at Home Moms, and “RA Warrior” who has 5 children! And Christine, the “Spoonie” Gal who is now a mom will be joining us to share her tips too.

Karen Whiting, a freelance writer and author of ten Secrets of Success for Women: Time. Her more than 400 articles and devotions have been published in over four-dozen magazines including Brio magazine, Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Women, Reminisce, and Devo-Zine. Twitter: @KarenHWhiting

Marcia Ramsland, entertaining media guest expert, speaker, and professional organizer, is well known as “The Organizing Pro” for her practical tips and clever solutions in homes and offices. She appears non national radio and TV, and her tips in national magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Woman’s Day, and Real Simple magazines. Marcia is the author of the popular “Simplify for Success” book series, Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Time, Simplify Your Space, Simplify Your Holidays Ages and Stages of Getting Children Organized and booklet. Marcia has a daughter that got Fibromyalgia at age 17 and knows well what it’s like to have an invisible illness in the home. Twitter: @OrganizingPro

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms and the author of co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom. She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development/Family Studies and Bible. Jill has worked from home since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children. Jill also lives with a chronic illness. Twitter: @cwahm

Kelly Young is the mother five of children, two of whom are severely hearing impaired. She has homeschooled for 17 years, led parenting classes, taught many Bible studies and Adult Sunday School classes, and mentored others. Kelly has lived with autoimmune diseases most of her life and has several diagnoses, including RA. She is author of the website Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior and the moderator of an uplifting Facebook group with about 5,300 members. Kelly encourages others to fight their disease and trust God for help and hope. Kelly lives on Florida’s Space Coast and is an avid fan of Church liturgy, NASA, and NFL football. Twitter: @RAWarrior

Christine Miserandino is a writer, speaker, patient advocate, wife and mother living in Massapequa Park, NY. Christine is the founder of www.butyoudontlooksick.com, a website that provides resources and useful tips for living life to the fullest with a chronic illness. Her writing which has won various awards has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, medical newsletters and television media. She has been living with lupus for over 15 years, and has been volunteering for the Lupus Alliance, Long Island/ Queens Affiliate for 12 years. Twitter: @bydls

Popularity: 2% [?]

If Just One Person… Believes in You

In honor of all of you who have been leaving sticky notes in anonymous little places where someone can find them and be encouraged, we dedicate this song to you.

Thank you for letting someone find a note that let’s them know someone believes in them.

Popularity: 2% [?]

TUESDAY’S 9/14 SEMINAR: Relationships, Friendships, Kids, Parents, Marriage

We’re back for day #2 of Invisible Illness Week, so join us September 14 at 10:30 – 12 Pacific time; 12:30-2 PM Central time; or 1:30 PM – 3 PM Eastern time – USA time at http://invisibleillnessconference.com .

Relationships are one of the biggest struggles we run into when trying to do our best to cope with daily chronic pain–that no one can actually see, and that we cannot “prove.” Join this amazing group of women who talk about marriage, friends, parents and how to set effective boundaries, as well as keep those relationships (especially our marriage) full of joy without getting jaded.

Allison Bottke is the woman behind God Allows U-Turns and now Setting Boundaries. Do you have an adult child who is breaking your heart? An aging parent taking up your whole life? A problem with food? Allison’s resources can help you discover SANITY and take back your life. Between books and support groups around the country, Allison is one who has “been there” and knows it’s hard to set boundaries, but necessary for your own sanity! Twitter @AllisonBottke

Pam Farrel is a relationship specialist, international speaker, and author of over 30 books including best-selling Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti which she wrote with her husband, Bill. Bill and Pam are frequent guests on radio and television including Focus on the Family, where their interviews with Dr. Dobson were ranked Top 10. She is the founder and President of Seasoned Sisters, a ministry to women 40-65. Twitter: @PamFarrel

Cheryl Ricker is the author of the new book, Friend in the Storm, which is a collection of poems she wrote to a friend who was coping with cancer. She shares about her childhood, “I thought everybody was staring at me through big critical eyes. My self-consciousness affected my confidence which affected my relationships. Insecurity was my gift that kept on giving. So what did I do? I wrote poetry to process the pain of childhood rejection. It was as if some part of my restless brain knew the power of poetry to reach the broken places.” Twitter: @CherylRicker

Popularity: 1% [?]

MONDAY’S 9/13 SEMINAR: Why Illness Hurts, How to Cope

We kick things off at September 13 at 10:30 – 12 Pacific time; 12:30-2 PM Central time; or 1:30 PM – 3 PM Eastern time – USA time at http://invisibleillnessconference.com . Remember, if you miss it… it’s okay! It will be archived for eons!

Have you wondered why the emotional part of coping with a chronic illness can sometimes be more draining than the physical symptoms? Do you not know where to turn to get past hurt feelings or feeling like no one understands? We’e put together a 90-minute time today with three women who we believe can help you find the answers to these questions.

Georgia Shaffer is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and a certified life coach. For over 15 years, she has enhanced people’s lives by teaching how to identify: “What needs to grow? What needs to go?” She is also is on the teaching staff of the Christian Leaders, Authors & Speakers Seminar (CLASS) and Personality Plus. She has great insight into why we do what we do, which she has shared in her books and will be sharing with us! Twitter: @GeorgiaShaffer

Author and speaker Maureen Pratt lives with multiple illnesses, including organ-involved lupus, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, and chronic back pain. Through her books, including “Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness,” articles, and talks, she encourages others to deepen their faith and Christian walk in spite of and with living with chronic illness. Twitter: @MaureenPratt

Mary Yerkes is a professional life coach who specializes in working with the chronically ill. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases in 1997, Mary combines years of practical experience with her professional training to help the chronically ill build meaningful and significant lives, of which illness is only a part. She is also an author and speaker. To learn more about Coach Mary and the services she offers, visit www.newlifechristiancoaching.com. Twitter: @newlifeonline

Popularity: 3% [?]

How You Can Help This Week! Things to Know

Monday, September 13, 2010 kicks off Invisible Illness Week!

There are many ways to get involved in the online activities of the week, but the most important thing to know is…

We will be having an online VIRTUAL conference. What does that mean? Each day, M-F, 10:30-12 PACIFIC you can go directly to http://invisibleillnessconference.com and you will be connected with our workshop automatically at Blog Talk Radio.

Each morning we will have a series of special guest experts who have dealt with illness in their own lives who will be able to answer questions and who will have some key talking points about topics such as coping with illness, parenting, getting organizes, relationships, setting boundaries, working, and of course, the whole “invisible” illness issues.

Here are some other ways to get involved:

Tell someone!
Do you want to email a family member, friend, pastor, counselor, support group leader, your favorite newsletter’s editor? Here is a short description of Invisible Illness Awareness Week – copy, paste, & share anywhere! http://ow.ly/2D1eo

If you have a blog:
Do our meme: “30 Things You May Not Know About My Invisible Illness” (Found here: http://ow.ly/2D1aQ ; Or blog about any invisible illness topic) and then sign up at Bloggers Unite so everyone can find your blog post at http://ow.ly/2D13m Be sure to grab the badge that you are participating too!

Grab the button for your site:
See bottom right side column with code at http://invisibleillnessweek.com

Read about our panelists/special guests:
See someone who you want to make sure your friends know about – be sure to let them know with an email and link to this page:
http://invisibleillnessweek.com/2010/09/08/conf-workshops/

Connect with others: Join the Sunroom group for Invisible Illness Week: http://www.restministriessunroom.com/group/invisibleillness

Download our free 80-page ebook!
20 Experts share their tips about living with a chronic illness. Just sign up for the daily updates from Invisible Illness Week at http://invisibleillnessweek.com (top right side of page), confirm “subscription”, and you will get the download link.

To read blogs of others:
Bloggers who have committed to blogging about invisible illness week or II topics are registered at Bloggers Unite at http://ow.ly/2D13m – Here you can get a description of their blogs too.

Do you tweet? Here are some great things to retweet!
http://invisibleillnessweektweets.wordpress.com

Give a donation!
Have you considered giving a donation to help with Invisible Illness Week expenses?  Every little bit helps if you are financially able to give. http://ow.ly/2D1sh

Check out the photos of where people have left sticky-notes this year! http://invisibleillness.com (right column)

If you are on Facebook:
Join our “Invisible Illness Week Cause” http://ow.ly/2D1GP
Be a Fan! http://ow.ly/2D1I3
Click the “like” button on any of our web posts at http://InvisibleIllnessWeek.com
RSVP to the “event” http://ow.ly/2D1A5

* Share anything (the Cause, Event, Group, etc.) with a friend!

Post this as your status!
Nearly 1 in 2 people live w/ a chronic condition, most of them invisible. If it’s not you, it’s someone you love. In recognition of Invisible Illness Awareness Week, http://InvisibleIllnessWeek.com post this as your status so someone who is suffering silently knows someone cares!

Popularity: 6% [?]

National Invisible Illness Week Features Virtual Conference This Week

SBWire-9/13/10– National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is September 12-19, 2010 and this week, Monday through Friday, the campaign features a virtual conference with one 90-minute seminar each day.

Listeners can log on to http://InvisibleIllnessConference.com to listen LIVE or later to the archived audio file. The seminars will also be available at itunes.com . To listen live, log on during September 13-17, 10:30 – 12 Pacific time; 12:30-2 PM Central time; or 1:30 PM – 3 PM Eastern time.

Topics include coping with illness, parenting, getting organized, relationships, setting boundaries, working, and of course, the whole “invisible” illness issues. Participants include best-selling author Pam Farrel, chronic illness coach Rosaline Joffe, and popular patient advocates Christine Miserandino or butyoudontlooksick.com and Jenny Prokopy of chronicbabe.com .

Over 20 speakers from all over the country come together to provide amazing workshops that are rarely available for those with illness who are unable to travel far for a conference or sit for extended periods of time.

The host of the show is Invisible Illness Week founder, Lisa Copen, who began this week in 2002 and has produced it each year since then. Lisa is the founder of Rest Ministries which serves the chronically ill and author of many books on chronic illness, including, “Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend.”

Invisible Illness Week offers many other ways to get involved including blogging for the cause, sharing invisible illness week facts on Twitter or Facebook, a Facebook cause page, and leaving anonymous sticky notes in honor of the campaign’s theme, “Each One Can Reach One.”

To find out more visit the web site http://InvisibleIllnessWeek.com .

Popularity: 3% [?]

Next Page »