Featured Workshops Today: Helpful Tools

Looking for some basic tools you can use to start making life easier today?

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 shows us how to “Simplify Your Home and Housework.”

And then find out even more on “Getting Organized” and “Parenting When Ill” (We thought those went together well!)

For getting organized we are joined by Karen Whiting, a freelance writer and author of 10 Secrets of Success for Women: Time. If you listen to Marcia’s first presentation, you will hear what Lisa (the host) got from the show and then this next one she shares about what she put into place.

For our parenting segment, we have Jill Hart is founder of Christian Work at Home Moms and co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom. She’s worked from home since 2000, starting a home-based business. Jill lives in Nebraska with her husband and 2 children. Jill lives with a chronic illness. We were to have Christine Miserandino, founder of www.butyoudontlooksick.com, but she was busy being a mom who had to get her daughter to the doctor!

Kelly Young is the mother 5 of children, 2 of whom are severely hearing impaired. She’s homeschooled for 17 years, led parenting classes and Bible studies, and mentored others. Kelly has lived with autoimmune diseases most of her life and has several diagnoses, including rheumatoid arthritis. She founded RA Warrior.

Would you like to make a few simple, inexpensive changes in your eating style and get much more healthy despite your illness? Super Foods for Super-Natural Health with Joanna Faillace is a terrific eye-opener to some of what goes into our mouth and doesn’t that can help us or hurt us. Joanna Faillace is a Certified Biblical Health Coach awarded to her in 2007 by Jordan Rubin’s Biblical Health Institute.

Joanna is also the TV Host for Super-Naturally Healthy Kids with Chef Joanna, a series of health cooking video shorts which is broadcast daily on TBN’s Smile of a Child Network. Joanna is also a keynote speaker for Thelma Wells’ Ready to Win Life Skills National Conferences. In addition, Joanna is the author of Super-Naturally Healthy Families Cookbook Devotional.

Thinking of applying for disability financial assistance? Now more than ever the government is cracking down on approving applications in the USA. Be sure to check out attorney Scott Davis’ workshops from both 2008 and 2009 on “Applying and Winning Disability Assistance.”

Find even more we’ve not shared this week in our archives at Blog Talk Radio Invisible Illness Week Conference Room.

This year instead of having a live virtual conference we are featuring some amazing workshops from past years. You can find them all here on Blog Talk Radio or, if you use itunes, enter “invisible illness” under “podcasts” and then download them to a music player to listen to anytime. >More instructions here

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“You Look So Good!” To Wear Make Up or Not?

Michelle Williams

Makeup can cover a multitude of defects; including some of the signs of our illnesses. I notice that when I wear makeup not only do I look better, but my demeanor changes as well. Makeup seems to be a little pick-me-up in the way I feel about myself, even if it is for a short time.

I realize that it may be a sign of vanity; that we should embrace what God has given us. I believe I am just enhancing what God has given me. What I mean is that I am just covering up the imperfections the many years of chronic illness has left behind and shining forth the image that God has originally created.

At the same time I also notice that people will treat me differently when I am wearing makeup. When I wear makeup I look healthier and in so doing I will get the old, “You look so good–you must be feeling better!” Don’t you just wish they would stop at, “You look so good”? When they add the other you feel like you need to explain yourself. “Thank you, but makeup covers a multitude of flaws. I really feel. . .”

Even my doctors will say something like that if I wear makeup to my appointments. When I don’t wear makeup to my appointment the doctor will ask if I am depressed. I will tell him, “No, I just want you to see how I feel as well. The yellowish complexion, the blotchy rash on my face and nose, the dark circles under my sunken eyes, the multitude of colors in my complexion. . .“

No matter what people may think or say, I wear makeup more for me. I seem to feel better about myself. I know it is just camouflaging the outward signs of my chronic illness, but at least every time I pass the mirror the multitude of times I have to go to the bathroom each day, I don’t have to see those many imperfections that my illnesses have left behind.

If wearing a little bit of makeup each day gives me a little pick-me-up then so be it. I just wish people would just stop at, “You look so good!”

About the Author: Michele Williams lives in a beautiful mountain community in Pennsylvania with her husband of 37 years who is a Pastor and Teacher at a Christian school. They have a grown daughter, son-in-law, teenage grandson and three furry children. Through the years the Lord has called them to various ministries in the United States where Michele has been involved in all aspects of church ministry in addition: Pastor’s Wife, Child Evangelism, Regional Women’s Ministry, Wellness Ministry, Speaker, Counselor and Writer.

Michele has experienced various life challenges including living with multiple chronic illnesses since 1985. Some of those include: fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, interstitial cystitis, IBS, chemical sensitivities, asthma, sleep apnea, and treated for SLE lupus (among other illnesses). She enjoys encouraging and informing others through her blog: Beelieve You Can!, http://www.beelieveyoucan.net

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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.

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“Bring On The Rain” Video is Comforting

Vicki Sodora of Palm Beach Gardens, FL shares the video with us below.

“Having an illness that effects every aspect of your life, relationships and how you view the world has been an eye-opening experience for me personally. After meeting with other people who went through similar trials, my heart broke. I know that some people just need to be HEARD. (REALLY HEARD!) I created this video – as an affirmation and an encouragement for others. I know that through trials, God has a plan to use them for good and that is hope to hold onto – through the pain. ”

(By clicking on the video it will take you to the location on YouTube whre the video resides so you can listen.)

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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

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Can You Still Be Friends If They Think You Are Faking Your Illness?

by Lisa Copen

If you have an invisible chronic illness you may discover that the invisibility factor of the illness can be much more of a challenge than the physical changes your body is undergoing. Most people who are diagnosed with an illness sooner or later accept the illness as being a part of life. In order to have a life filled with joy, one must educate one’s self on the illness and that treatment options available, and then make choices.

But we have no control over our loved ones when they choose not to accept our illness, or sometimes even acknowledge it. Their skepticism can last a lifetime and damage our self-worth and many relationships.

So, what you do when someone important in your life refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of your disease, or accept that the disease even exists? Here are four steps to change your actions and attitudes:

1. Go with it. Though the seriousness of your illness is significant under your roof, it isn’t that important to others. And there’s no magical conversation you can have with the person that will make him change his mind. The most likely way your friend will accept that your illness is real, is by observing you. For example, your invisible illness may begin to have some visible side effects. When he sees you struggle to get up out of a chair, don’t comment; just let him take it all in.

2. Grow with it. This situation can be a perfect time to reflect on your own perceptions of people. Have you ever stood in line at the bank and thought yourself, “No one here understands how difficult it is to just stand in this slow line!” But nearly 1 in two people in the USA have a chronic illness, so the chances are high that someone standing beside you does understand. Remember that 96% of illnesses are invisible, so watch your assumptions. What situations are your friends going through that you don’t fully grasp? The affair of a spouse, a baby born with a disability, and the loss of a job, are all experiences that can alter one’s life in an instant. Chances are that your friends can use your support and even empathy.

3. Get over it. It is easy to obsess over the fact that no one understands what your daily chronic pain is like. Save yourself a lot of grief and don’t do it. We would all like a loved one to be able to slip inside are skin for twenty-four hours, but this level of understanding of our disease will never occur. If you began to resent people who don’t understand, soon all your friendships will be tainted. Do not take a friend’s lack of empathy personally, even though it feels personal. You cannot change someone’s mind; you can only control your own behavior, so make certain you have conversations that you won’t regret.

4. Get on with it. Life is precious and short and no material things in your life can replace friends and family. It is true that the intimacy level in your relationship will not ever be high if your illness is not at least believed to exist. But if you still want a relationship, and it’s a healthy one in other ways, it can happen.

The odds are, at some point in your friend’s life, a health issue will occur and suddenly he will have a glimpse into what your life is like. Allow him to feel comfortable coming to you for support and encouragement and don’t use the opportunity to say, “I told you so.”

Go with it. Grow with it. Get over it. Get on with it.

Is it possible to have relationships with people who don’t understand the seriousness of your illness? Yes. Accept him for what he is able to give, and know when to back off if the relationship becomes destructive to your emotional state. Have reasonable expectations. In time, this may end up being one of your closest friendships.

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and National Invisible Chronic illness Awareness Week, as well as the author of Why Can’t I Make People Understand? Chronic illness doesn’t have to be depressing! Subscribe to receive daily emailed encouragement from the largest Christian outreach for people with illness. Don’t miss Rest Ministries great books and gifts we’ve selected for people coping with illness.

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Have You Ever Considered Sometimes it is The Caregiver Who is Invisible?

By: Cecil Murphey

When you see an elderly person coming toward you in a wheelchair, do you ever make eye contact with the person pushing the wheelchair? Who notices the caregiver? Do you give them a greeting, a smile of encouragement for their difficult days?

The almost invisible caregiver. (by Cecil Murphey)

Years ago, two of us stood talking outside a theater. A man pushed a wheelchair past us. Although we continued our conversation, both of us watched. He stopped next to a dark blue Honda, unlocked the passenger’s door, and helped the woman in the wheelchair stand up. Even from twenty feet away, it was obvious that her pain made it difficult for her to move. Once the man helped her inside, he folded the wheelchair, put it in the trunk, got in on his side and they drove off.

“Poor woman,” I said. “She must live in terrible pain.”

After the car drove away, my friend said, “I’ll bet you could describe the woman in the wheelchair, couldn’t you?” After I nodded, he said, “But I’ll also bet you don’t remember nearly as much about the man, do you?’

“Why, he was- “Then I realized I had hardly noticed him. He was just an older man.

Since the, I’ve realized that’s how many of us view such couples. The caregiver easily becomes a non-person. The sick one receives the attention and the concern.

From: My Parents, My Children, Spiritual Help for Caregivers by Cecil Murphey; Reprinted as a blog post form http://www.nursevirginiablog.com. Used with permission. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky

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Let Your Church Know About Invisible Illness Awareness Week

Nearly 1 in 2 people in the US have a chronic condition. . . This includes people sitting in pews too! Invisible Illness Week is sponsored by Rest Ministries which is the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill.

About 300 HopeKeepers groups exists around the USA and beyond too (find a HopeKeepers group near you or start a HopeKeepers group yourself!)

Pastors actually receive very little education in seminary that specifically discusses how to reach out to the chronically ill. They may learn to counsel a bit, pray, and pray for healing, but 6 weeks later-when the person has not been healed– it can be confusing as to what to say and do then.

Now is a great time to introduce Rest Ministries to your pastoral staff. There are some simple ways to increase awareness, by just emailing your pastor about the event. (A description is below that can be edited.)

If you need something to include on a resource table Beyond Casseroles bookmarks and Rest Ministries brochures are perfect give-aways. If your church will approve it, you may wish to get up and share a bit about chronic illness, Rest Ministries, or your testimony.

We are here to answer any questions! And if your pastor does not seem enthused. . . that’s okay. Don’t take it personally. If you are considering starting a HopeKeepers group or some kind of chronic illness ministry, “How to Start a Chronic Illness Pain Ministry” a new book by our founder, Lisa Copen, has some great tips regarding the emotions of it all, as well as the practical tips.

We recommend sending off a short email to your pastor and let him know that you will follow up with a phone call in a couple days. And then call him! If the pastor is very busy or oversees a huge church, you may wish to choose a pastoral staff member that oversees those who are ill, caregivers, the women’s ministry director, etc. Connect with the person who you believe will most connect with your passion of chronic illness ministry.

September 13-19, 2010 is National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. This annual event began in 2002 by Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries, a national Christian organization that serves the chronically ill and an affiliate of Joni and Friends, the ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada. The week has a variety of ways to get involved including a virtual conference September 13-17 online for free with speakers each morning 10:30 – 12 USA Pacific time.

There is a Meme “30 Things You May Not Know About My Invisible Illness”, you can sign up to blog for the cause, read guest bloggers’ posts, and get involved in the campaign on Facebook. There is even a free 80-page ebook when you sign up for email updates, with 263 tips!

With nearly 1 in 2 people living with a chronic condition, about 96% of those people are suffering silently with invisible illnesses. See InvisibleIllnessWeek.com .

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Let Your Local Illness Organization Know

Do you have a local association or organization that you know about or attend a support group meeting? For example, the Arthritis Foundation or the Multiple Sclerosis Society are wonderful organizations.

There are literally thousands of them that serve even the rarest diseases. If you can take just a few minutes today or tomorrow and pick up the phone and call a few of them (even just one!) it would help us spread the word.

Wondering what to say? Here is a sample script:

Hi, my name is _____. Is there someone there I could speak with about events or programs?

Hi, my name is _____. I have (name of illness) and I just wanted to let the staff of your organization know about something I am involved with, It’s called Invisible Illness Awareness Week. It’s a national event to increase awareness that about 1 in 2 people in the U.S. live with a chronic illness and about 96% of the conditions are invisible.

[Oh, when is this?]

It is September 13-19, so very soon, but I wanted to make sure that you knew about it. It’s been around since 2002 and during the entire week there is an online virtual conference.

[That sounds interesting. And how you involved?]

Actually, I am just helping out the volunteers in spreading the word. The virtual conference is free and there are other things they are doing as well, such as having hundreds of bloggers blog about invisible illness, that kind of thing.

[I see. And how can I get more information?]

Everything is at the web site invisibleillnessweek.com – There are press releases, a video about the week, media information, etc. If you have any kind of emailed newsletter or place for events to list it, we just want to make sure people know about the free conference.

There are some short blurbs on the web site that can be copy and pasted directly into your email newsletter if you’d like to keep it simple too.

Thank you so much for your time. I know you are very busy and I appreciate that fact that you care.

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Can Be Considered an Invisible Illness

“I can’t even go to church anymore now that perfumes make me break out and start itching so badly.”
“I never thought I would end up so simply because I decided to get my carpets cleaned. That started it all and life has never been the same.”
“Everyone thinks I am exaggerating the amount of pain I am in. When I say I have a migraine… I mean I am ‘out’ for at least 3 days.”

By: Meredith Lee

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a little understood illness that has arrived on the medical horizon in the late ’60′s but became increasingly known after hundreds of veterans complained of associated symptoms after their stint in the Persian Gulf War. The medical community has yet to officially name the illness as a viable syndrome and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not provided an official diagnosis as of yet.

However, many people around the world still suffer with common symptoms such as loss of memory, poor cognitive functions, nervous system interference, body aches, allergy symptoms and a plethora of other problems that appear after either a short term exposure to high levels of a chemical or long term exposure to low levels of various chemicals. It is believed that the syndrome did not significantly appear until after the 1950′s when various new chemicals were introduced to building materials, food sources, and general manufacturing processes.

Since the AMA has yet to pronounce their belief that this syndrome actually exists, medical treatment and research studies have been slow to evolve. However, as more and more physicians are seeing a growing number of patients who complain of serious and many times debilitating symptoms, there has been a number of medical doctors who believe that multiple chemical sensitivities syndrome actually exists. There are other names given to MCS syndrome such as 20th century disease, chemical sensitivities, and environmental illness (EI) probably because of the broad symptomology that exists from patient to patient. While MCS sufferers may react to traditional allergens such as foods, mold and pollens, the primary symptoms that set this illness apart are associated with various chemical exposures in day to day life.

The typical chemical offenders for those who suffer with multiple chemical sensitivities include formaldehyde, phenol, benzine and petroleum based chemicals. Most people are surprised to discover that even the most common items may be laced with toxic chemicals. From food to clothes and building materials to cleaning products, there is almost no way to escape everyday exposures to various chemicals that have been applied to these products.

Did you know that a teflon coated frying pan has small amounts of formaldehyde in the teflon material used to produce a non-stick cooking utensil? In fact, a heavily coated teflon pan can be heated sufficiently to emit enough formaldehyde fumes to kill a nearby pet bird in the home.

While the acceptance of MCI from the traditional medical community has been slow to develop, there are some medical doctors who have seen enough patients to convince them that there is a viable health problem that cannot be explained away. Some doctors, in fact, have begun to add environmental medicine treatment as an additional specialty so that they can meed the needs of these particular patients. There are clinics, support groups, medical personnel, and even non-traditional housing available for those who have special needs because of this illness.

Multiple chemical sensitivities is considered one of the invisible illnesses that plague many sufferers who find themselves virtually disabled. If you or a loved are suffering from MCS, there are many online sources that can help provide more information and support in dealing with the difficulties of multiple chemical sensitivity.

Meredith Lee writes about a variety of interesting topics for online readers. Come visit the newest website at Bed with Drawers which can help people find their best deals on a trundle bed with drawers and more info about quality storage beds for everyone.

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Resources We Like

The Clean Indoor Air Campaign The CIA Campaign strives to educate medical facilities, businesses and churches on how to create a less threatening environment for this growing number of people. True, we may not be able to protect them from every possible harm, nor can we guarantee that our actions will provide a fool-proof environment when out in public. However, if we all do our part, we can make a huge difference by making our facilities a more favorable haven.

BOOK: Comfort in the Storm: Devotions for those with Chemical Sensitivity People describe the challenges of living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) in a variety of ways. People describe the challenges of living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) in a variety of ways. To some, it feels like being locked in prison. To others it is like being in a nightmare they wish they could wake up from. In the midst of the various trials associated with MCS, many are in desperate need of encouragement. Whether you have furniture chemical sensitivites, multiple chemical sensitivities and asthma, or every a breath of someone’s perfume leaves you gasping for air, this book will bring comfort to your soul. In this collection of devotionals, Comfort in the Storm: Devotions for those with Chemically Sensitivities, Janine Ridings candidly shares anecdotes about her journey through the storms of MCS, and how she has found comfort through her relationship with Christ.

Share Care and Prayer, Inc. a Christian-based ministry for sufferers of EI/MCS and related illnesses. Many articles, books, tapes, and tape/video lending library available. Contact: Share Care and Prayer, Inc., P.O. Box 2080, Frazier Park, California 93225-9987.

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