Yoga can act as a multi-purpose remedy for people of all age groups. It has therapeutic properties within each yogic movement that are good for the mind, body, and soul.
During your moments of wanderlust and planning your travel, when you have decided your favorite destination to go to, you don’t want any moments of severe symptoms or anxiety to impact your holiday once you’re on your way. It’s good to think positively about your future journey, but it’s wise to also take the necessary precautions. If you have impaired mobility, neurological dysfunction, fatigue, pain, etc., you may end up experiencing anxiety, less social interaction or even depression. In an effort to minimize such experiences, you can calm your symptoms or yourself with Yoga.
Meditation, Pranayama, or Yoga are exercises that can be performed anywhere. Therefore, while traveling, yoga can help relieve the symptoms of chronic illnesses. It works as a stress-buster as you increase qualities such as compassion, focus, improved memory, and better concentration. It may seem like too much of a challenge to maintain a yoga routine while traveling. What if you have to face uninvited challenges? However, it’s worth it. Yoga works as a booster to elevate your moods. Researchers have found and proven that Meditators are more self-aware and come through the stress-related problems to live a quality life.
The Benefits Of Practicing Yoga Whilst Travelling
Yoga is extremely beneficial, especially while traveling. Why? Because it promotes better health, allowing you to make the most of your holiday. Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, and similar yogic practices can also help with clearing brainfog, which many people with chronic illness experience. Meditation also helps in clearing out the clutter that is causing emotional instability. It gives a clear perspective and a focused mindset while the Pranayama also helps in flushing out the toxins to reward you with a refreshed state of mind.
While traveling it is important to maintain healthy habits and to be aware of your surroundings. Create a safe space for yourself! It is important to look after yourself when you are trying to balance work and family life. People often ignore the more subtle elements of their health because they are too focused on dealing with the lives of other people. Yoga makes sure that you take care of your mental and physical health, because only then can you take care of others.
Establish your own yoga routine so you can take it with you anywhere
To start your yoga journey as someone who experiences chronic illness, consider private instructors initially; join gentle and restorative classes; practice Yoga from online sources or digital media. A little bit of stretching and deep breathing can be a benefit to almost anyone. So, travelers must consider this wonderful hack to give priority to their health while still making the most of their adventures. Let Yoga be your travel partner, a guide that can help protect you from all the bad forces of life with the natural power it inherits.
Look at the positive side of the world and appreciate every with grace. Staying positive is a weapon that not many people can fully embrace, but many people chase this state of mind as an infinite goal. So, if practicing yoga interests you, grasp motivation and start your journey. After all, being alive is a gift in itself to cherish!
Bipin Baloni is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveller in India. He organizes 200 hours of yoga teacher training in various cities in India and Nepal. He also conducts AyurvedaCourses in Kerala He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, Himalayas and Trekking in Nepal .
This may sound a little strange but it is true. I live with several autoimmune diseases and sometimes it’s very hard to stay positive. When there is a flare, an increase of all symptoms, it’s easy to feel down and get even worse.
Writing helps me stay positive, but not just any writing. Writing and creating my Chargimals. They are little monsters that each represent a specific health condition or general symptom. They live in al alternate universe called Chargieville and have adventures together despite their limitations.
The world we made up in our minds
I am the person who creates the adventures for The Chargimals. Together with my partner in crime Jenni Lock, we live in Chargieville. In our minds. I can see the characters walking around in my brain and go on the adventures we create for them. My daughter (8) occasionally helps us write stories too.
Focus on the positive
How
does this help me stay positive you may think. First of all the
stories focus on the positive things you can do while living with
limitations. This makes us think about all the things we would be
able to
do. By focusing so much on the positive in a constructive way, it
makes me feel better. It makes me feel that, yeah, I am able to do
things. I may just need to do them in an adapted way, but that’s
okay.
I
can think about my issues and how I would work around them. The
Chargimals go on adventures that I create in my mind. To me it feels
like I am actually there. Like I am going on adventures as well. On
my good days I have a clear mind, I can write and leave the house as
well. On a bad day I can’t come up with new stories because of my
brain fog, but I can read the stories I’ve written so far, or work
on one with Jenni (giving feedback is easier than actually writing
yourself) and have them make me feel better.
Release frustrations
Writing
these stories and making memes gives me a way to release my
frustration with certain aspects around living with my autoimmune
diseases. It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. When I
read the stories to my daughter before bed she absolutely loves them.
The Chargimals are living and breathing personas in our house. We
know them all by name and know what their personalities are like.
It gives a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging when people reply with “I feel the same way”.
An unexpected friendship
Secondly
it has given me a friendship with Jenni, the writer. We met though
Facebook and really bonded over writing these stories. It gave me a
partner in crime, someone to confide in, someone to share it with.
Last
but not least, it strengthens my bond with my daughter. She adores
the Chargimals, and it hungry for more stories. She can’t get
enough! She knows we write them ourselves, and comes up with topics
and sometimes even whole stories. It’s something we can do together
and enjoy, it sparks her creativity and makes me feel happy.
Happy feeling
When
I’m feeling down, having a hard day, simply fed up with being sick
all the time, I can rely on the chargimals. Read the stories to my
daughter, talk about new ideas with Jenni, and connect with The
Chargimal Fans, which are the best people in the world!
Long
story short they make me feel valued and loved, even on my worst
days.
Want a bit of the magic too? Follow the Chargimals on Facebook or Instagram, you will see what I mean.
Disclaimer:
Some
articles I have read on this topic previously have claimed that they
don’t like the use of the term “disabled person”. I, as
someone who lives with a disability, think the term “disabled
person” accurately describes me. The people around me who have a
condition that falls under “special needs” have told me
they have no issue being described as a “special needs person”.
Please do not be offended if these phrases are not what you prefer.
Humans
are very social creatures. Our brains are wired with the need to
communicate and connect with others. Even when traditional
communication isn’t an option, we as humans have figured out ways to
get around this (by using tools such as sign language and digital
technology) to appease our social needs. Whilst communicating with
others, everybody deserves to feel like they’re being treated with
respect. This is especially important for people who live with
disabilities and/or special needs, as living with a disability or
special needs can often lead to feelings of social isolation.
These feelings of
social isolation are only made worse when disabled and/or special
needs people are spoken to or treated in a disrespectful way. An
example of this is when a disabled and/or special needs person is
spoken to by someone using a “baby voice”, named so as it
is very similar in fashion to the way we speak to babies (in a high
pitched, exaggerated manner). It isn’t just disabled and/or special
needs children that experience this, it isn’t uncommon for adults
to experience this as well!
My inspiration to write this article
While
I was spoken to in this fashion many times as a child, I cannot
recall a time that this has happened to me within the last few years,
thank goodness. This may be because I’m so used to being stared at
while using my walking cane that my facial expression often settles
into a “don’t mess with me” look when I’m out in public.
My
12-year-old brother, however, told me about how he was spoken to in a
“baby” like manner last week and how it upset him. Hearing
my younger brother talk about how he doesn’t like being spoken to
like he’s, in his own words, “stupid”, made me hurt inside.
I’ve faced a lot of discrimination growing up with a disability,
and I hate to see my younger brothers go through the same thing.
My
brother’s experience led me to also think about my own experiences,
plus the experiences of those around me. I’m hoping that my efforts
to raise awareness regarding disabilities will protect my brothers
from going through what I have, though I know that isn’t possible.
I
remember caregivers, people who were supposed to be aware of how to
treat people, talking to me in a way that I found to be so incredibly
patronising. It upset me and made me feel less valid. It made me feel
less intelligent and able than I actually was. There are many reasons
as to why communicating this way with disabled and/or special needs
people is harmful, and in this article, I will address some of these
reasons.
I can hear fine
Just
because someone is disabled or has trouble communicating doesn’t mean
they can’t understand you. I find that this is an assumption that
many people (who are inexperienced with communicating with disabled
and/or special needs people) make. This snap-judgement is extremely
flawed. Looking at someone and assuming they can’t understand you,
for whatever reason, is very judgemental and will often lead you to
the wrong conclusion.
My
brother, for example, has symptoms that mean he is in and out of a
wheelchair. He experiences symptoms such as pain and fatigue that
make it difficult for him to stand for long periods, so he sometimes
uses his wheelchair when out and about. He’s a very smart boy,
loves to read, and almost never stops talking if he’s feeling
comfortable. However, he’s noticed that when he’s in his
wheelchair he gets a lot of stares, as well as getting talked to in a
“baby voice” by people that don’t know him well. He then shocks
these people when he concisely informs them that he is perfectly
capable of understanding speech that is in a normal tone and volume.
If
you’re worried you aren’t being understood by someone with a
disability and/or special needs, take your cues from them. Instead of
assuming their level of comprehension before you even speak to them,
introduce yourself as you would with anyone else. If it is then made
clear that they aren’t understanding you, an alteration in speech
patterns or word use may be beneficial depending on their needs.
Talk to me like a human being
It’s patronising, talking to someone in a fashion that is slower, higher-pitched, or louder than what is required implies that the person does not have the capacity to understand you. If someone has communication difficulties, that does not necessarily mean they can’t understand you, even if they have trouble replying. And if they don’t have communication issues, then they have absolutely no issue understanding or replying to you. A great rule of thumb is to speak to disabled and/or special needs people like you would speak to anyone else their age. Don’t alter your tone of voice prematurely. As said above, take your cues from the person you are communicating with.
Another
patronising method of communication that can occur to special needs
and/or disabled people is people not speaking directly to them, but
rather to their parent, support person, or caregiver. After years of
bad experiences with the medical profession, I usually take my mother
with me to appointments as my support person. I’ve noticed that some
medical professionals will speak to my mother instead of me, asking
her questions about my health (that I’m perfectly capable of
answering) and looking directly at her when giving us information
(that I’m perfectly capable of understanding). This also happens to
my 12-year-old brother, even though he is perfectly capable of
speaking for himself.
While
scientists have determined that speaking to babies in an overly
exaggerated manner (also known as “baby voice”) is
beneficial to their development, there are no such benefits for
people with a disability and/or special needs. I long for a world
where people aren’t treated differently due to their level of
ability, though I know that for now trying to raise awareness will
have to do.
Amy Clements is a 20-year-old who has lived with chronic pain, the result of Fibromyalgia, since childhood. In her teens she was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in her wrist, which was the result of a netball injury. Amy lives in New Zealand and studies Business part-time at University. She enjoys reading novels and writing. She especially enjoys writing about her experience with chronic illness.
Let me start of by saying, I am very happy I don’t have cancer. It’s a horrible disease and I don’t wish it on anyone. That being said, telling me “At least it’s not cancer” is not making me feel any better.
Fibromyalgia the mysterious disease
I live with Fibromyalgia, there’s not a whole lot known about the disease. We have recently found out that it’s a progressive neuro-disease. At least that’s what they think now. It changes about every year, because the fact is, they really don’t know. It’s mysterious and there is no cure.
I am in pain every single day, the pain travels through my body. I never know how bad it’s gonna be, where it’s gonna show up or if I’m even able to function at all.
With fibromyalgia comes the fibro fog, or brain fog. That means that it feels like there is a thick fog in my brain preventing me to think clearly. Or even find the simplest of words, in any laguage for that matter (I speak three on a daily basis)
Next to my Fibromyalgia I have been diagnosed with Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease (both autoimmune thyroid disorders), Celiac disease and Raynauds disease (both autoimmune as well). They say when you have one autoimmune disease, more will follow. Why is that though?
Many vague symptoms
Prior to being diagnosed with any of my conditions I had a long list of vague symptoms that didn’t seem to correlate to eachother. The first thing they test for is cancer. It’s the most well known disease that can show itself in different ways.
Along with a bunch of other test, including general autoimmune (ANA) test they came back. All your test results are negative. You are the picture of perfect health.
People around me were relieved. “At least it’s not cancer”. While I was relieved I didn’t have cancer, I still did’t know why I felt so ill all the time.
Graves’ Disease
At the young age of 19, after 3 years of being tested on a range of things without any results, this one came back positive. I had Graves’ disease. It was so extreme and in such far stages, that my main symptom (being out of breath) was caused by the strain on my heart.
At the age of 19 I was rushed into the heart monitor room because they were afraid I could have a heart attack at any moment.
But at least it’s not cancer, right?
The way to treat Graves’ disease back then, is to give you some type of chemo therapy, to slow your thyroid down. By the way chemo therapy is also used on patients with Lupus, RA and other autoimmune conditions as a treatment option.
A decade later
Fast forward a decade and some. The Graves’ disease is in remission, yay! I’ve gotten all the new diagnosis I’ve mentioned above. But also a msyterious new thing that is making me loose weight, fast. Very fast!
Even though I eat plenty, I keep loosing weight. Again they have done a lot of test, tested for cancer again. All clear. “At least it’s not cancer” someone says to me. Uhm that’s all nice and all, but I am loosing weight so rapidly that my organs are now in danger of failling. And they can’t figure out why.
“At least it’s not cancer” is again not making me feel any better.
6 months go by, and I weigh 45kg/99 lbs and I am 1.73cm/5 feet 7 I am very very underweight. Finally they figure out I have a bacteria causing all my issues and the road to recovery can begin. Yet again
What does the future hold?
At this point in time I think I have all my autoimmune issues and other health stuff under control. They are chronic, meaning they will never go away. The furture is uncertain, because we simply don’t know how my issues will progess with time.
I have new undiagnosed issues, like my teeth dissolving from the inside out. No idea why that is happening, but we’re trying to treat it.
I concider myself very lucky that I don’t have cancer. That is a fact. It’s also not what the article is about. My point is, there are things that are just as bad and deadly as cancer. And things that need to be treated the same way as cancer. The diagnosis “not cancer” isn’t always a good one. Please remember that when you tell your friend next time “At least it’s not cancer”
Well I woke up Sunday morning With no way to hold my head, that didn’t hurt And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad So I had one more for dessert Then I fumbled in my closet through my clothes And found my cleanest dirty shirt Then I washed my face and combed my hair And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day – Sunday morning Johnny cash.
Like any normal 24-year old I enjoy going out to the bar and grabbing a beer every now and then but when you have a condition like cerebral palsy it makes going to a place like a bar very interesting. Because there are not many handicap assessable bars for people like me I make it work since I refused to not live my life because of my cerebral palsy.
So how do I navigate when going to a bar with Cerebral palsy – the first thing I look at my surroundings and try to find a comfortable spot without inconveniencing anybody. If I decide to go alone without my caregiver to give me a sense of independents to make the situation easier I do one simple thing socialize with people.
Honestly being sociable at a bar makes me less nervous about my disability and the things I can’t do because of the situation I am in as a young woman who has a condition but wants to feel just the same as everyone’s else in society.
4 tips for going to the bar
Tip 1: I would give to those heading to a bar with a disability like myself is bringing your cups or staws from home due to my uncontrollable spasms that come at any time have a hard time picking up the glass so to avoid any accidents I bring my own cups from home.
Tip 2: Always be aware of your surroundings and if you feel uncomfortable with someone or something speak out about it since not everyone has good intentions towards you and having cerebral palsy makes people think that they could easily take advantage of you because of your appearance.
Tip 3: Make sure before you head out the door to call a close family member or a friend to let them know which bar you’re going to be at just in case there’s an emergency and you can’t necessarily get in emergency and you can’t necessarily get an Uber or a lift right way they could come to the rescue
Tip 4: This is the most important tip of them all, be aware of your limitation when it comes to drinking although an able-bodied needs to do this we need to do this as your body reacts differently from others. For example, in my case, I can’t have too many shots of Jack Daniels because my body becomes inflamed for drinking too much and it could trigger my mild epilepsy if I’m not careful.
But ultimately you should go to a bar if you haven’t been to one and try it out for yourself you never know the people you will meet it may surprise you
About The Author
Tylia Flores is a 24-year-old born with cerebral palsy. Although her condition has affected her mobility, it has never affected her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world.
When you live with a chronic or mental illness, life is tough at times. These memes are especially made to let you see how far you’ve come, and that you’re doing a great job.
It may not seem like it at times, but you are still here. That means you have made it trough 100% of your bad days. Good job! I’m proud of you!
Have you heard about the phrase, you are your own worst critic? Well it’s like that. You are the one who is hadest on yourself. Give yourself a break. You deserve it, even though you have’t done much at all. You are doing your best. And that’s enough.
These two kinda say the same thing. Progress is progress no matter how small. And even if there hasn’t been any progress today, that’s still okay. Two baby steps forward one big step back, right?
Don’t ever think you are a burdon. Even when you don’t have a job and live with family or friends, you are sil valuable. Don’t measure your value by measuring material things. We love you and we are happy you are here.
this meme says it all, I have nothing more to add. Don’t let you anxiety and depression tell you otherwise, you are loved.
You battle your body every single day and still continue with a smile. That requires a lot of strength, don’t forget it.
Last but not least, a reminder that you will survive this. We are here when you need to talk. Join our community on Facebook or Instagram.
Like many people, I have always enjoyed going to the movies with my friends and family. My favorite types of movies to go see are comedies and films based on true stories. However, due to my Cerebral Palsy and my mild form of epilepsy, I also dread going to the movie theatre because of how it can affect both of these conditions.
When it comes to having spastic Cerebral Palsy, I tend not to do so well with loud noises and screaming since it makes me jump. The flashing lights and moving colors that are often on theatre screens are not good for people with epilepsy. As a result, whenever I go to the cinema I have to worry about what may happen if this movie has a scene where there is a lot of flashing lights or moving colors, or if it has loud noises that could make me jump and cause other movie go-ers to stare at me.
Dealing with self conciousness
Each of these disabilities impacts my life in different ways and sometimes it makes me very cautious about going out to certain places because of the responses that I get from the people around me. My body has a mind of its own, which can get out of control when it’s triggered by my epilepsy. It shakes and moves around and I have no idea what’s going on with my body. I don’t know if there will ever be a time where I can go to the theatres and be comfortable to enjoy the movie without a single worry on my mind.
Pictured above: Author, Tylia, at a movie theatre.
How movies could be made epilepsy friendly
It would be nice to be able to enjoy certain movies without having to be cautious about them having flashing lights or loud noises in them. This could be made possible if filmmakers would gain more awareness about epilepsy and other conditons, and how these conditions affect movie goers that enjoy movies but also have to worry about their epilepsy or other symptoms being triggered during the movie.
This would mean that people like myself could enjoy films and head out to the theatre more often without a single worry about their bodies or having to deal with the stress of not being able to enjoy the film because of their health. My combination of Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy together cause me to experience this stress every time I see a movie.
Until filmmakers make efforts to change this I will continue to go to the cinema and watch brand new movies because I refuse to miss out on things that everyone should be able to enjoy.
About the Author:
Tylia Flores is a 24-year-old born with cerebral palsy. Although her condition has affected her mobility, it has never affected her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world.
Most people have the best intentions at heart when they tell you something. Especially your friends. Assuming you’ve got good friends obviously.
I DO BELIEVE MY FRIENDS ARE GOOD FRIENDS, THAT’S WHY THEIR ADVICE SURPRISED ME SO.
My
goal in life is to spread awareness about living with multiple
chronic illnesses. How being fatigued is not the same as being tired,
how even when we smile we are in pain, how many people don’t
understand us. But we try to explain it to them the best we can.
Let me explain why well meant advice can be hurtful by giving examples of advice given to me by my friends.
“Don’t
be so negative and just go out there. Sitting at home by yourself is
not helping you feel better”
When I say I won’t be able to make it, it’s a form of self care. I’m not being negative. Living with a chronic illness is exhausting and I need a lot of rest. Just sitting up in a chair “not doing anything” is already draining my energy. I’ve tried to explain this in my article “fatigue in chronic illness explained”.
When there are multiple people there, and music playing, it’s even more exhausting. Multiple people, bright lights and music and noises can overstimulate me, making me agitated and on edge. It’s not a fun feeling, and this happens faster when I’m already not having the best day.
This is most likely the reason I’m telling you, I can’t make it today. It’s not as simple as taking some pain meds and keep going. Like another helpful friends suggested. This is not a muscle ache, pain meds don’t take away the pain and don’t do anything for my fatigue and possible overstimulation.
“Just
push yourself a little, when you put your mind to it you can do it”
The power of positivity is a good thing and you can accomplish a lot by looking at the bright side of life. I totally agree with this. But I can do that as much as I want, and it won’t take away my flare.
When
I go out with someone one day and won’t go out with you the next,
or vice versa, doesn’t mean I prefer their company over yours. It
means that I need to recover from my outing.
It goes both ways, if I know I’m going out of the house in a day or two I will preserve my energy now. Pushing harder won’t accomplish anything but getting a bigger flare, and having to recover for even longer. Sometimes it can even leave you with long term damage. Nothing is worse than pushing yourself over your limits when you live with a chronic condition.
“Did
you try yoga/kale/essential oils/alkaline water?”
Yes! I appreciate you trying to help me, but nobody is more invested in getting better than me! If there was a magic cure for my conditions, believe me I would’ve found it already.
Most of these things are part of my daily routine, eating an extremely clean diet, exercising (meaning basically just moving a little every day), supplements, essential oils, crystals and whatever else I can find that helps.
When you make a suggestion and I haven’t heard about it before, feel free to enlighten me and I’ll look into it. But when I tell you no thanks, for whatever reason, don’t push me. I don’t care that your sisters aunts friend was cured, I probably tried it and it hasn’t helped me. Or maybe I’m just tired of trying things for right now, and I simply don’t want to.
Knowing when to step back, knowing when advice is hurtful is hard, especially when you have no idea what it feels like to live the chronic illness life. But please, have respect and believe me when I tell you things. Don’t pity me and judge me, and don’t try to cure me. That’s all I ask.
We all have different coping skills when it comes to handling anxiety and the challenges it brings. One of my coping mechanisms is watching Nick Jr.’s animated show Paw Patrol! Although I’m 24 -years old and in college, studying creative writing, you might be wondering what is Paw Patrol and how did I get introduced to paw patrol?
What Is Paw Patrol
Paw Patrol is an animated series shown on Nick Jnr following the adventures of Ryder and his gang of pups living in Adventure Bay. Each episode sees the pups face a problem that needs solved either on land or sea. There are 8 different pups, each having a specific profession based around the emergency services.
My Introduction to Paw Patrol
It all started for me a few years ago. When I first struggling with the feeling of being trapped in my body because of my cerebral palsy. And trying to deal with the reality that I’m stuck in a body that I don’t have much control over and that my brain will never be free form this condition. Which causes me to have sleepless nights, spasms 24-7, or struggle to do task that others might find simple like putting on shoes or going to bathroom. All of these constant obstacles cause me to have struggle with anxiety which is common for young adults with Cerebral palsy.
When I first discovered that I was suffering from anxiety, I felt like I was not getting any relief out of the things I was told I needed to do to reduce my anxiety attacks from happening. I felt lost, and that I had this constant feeling of having a plastic bag over my head. Which felt like it was taking the life out of me every day, causing me to suffer from anxiety attacks over and over again.
It wasn’t until my then boyfriend recommend I watched Nick Jr’s Paw Patrol with him. He too had cerebral palsy and he had the same struggles as I did.
From the minute, I saw Chase, Marshall, Skye, Zuma, Tracker, Rocky, Rubble and Everest, my body becomes relaxed and I instantly feel like I could breathe again!
What I’ve Learned From Paw Patrol
As I watch paw patrol I remember through the lessons being taught that a problem always has a situation. And most of all the feeling that I have when I face issues with my anxiety every day! I remember that it takes baby steps and that nothing gets easier but you have to keep going despite the obstacles you’re facing in your life just like I do with my anxiety and spastic Cerebral palsy. It has taught me that I can’t give up on my challenges because I’m having a rough day with feeling anxious or having a lack of movement due to my chronic pain with Cerebral palsy.
Thanks to watching Paw Patrol I’m reminded that I’m a strong woman and I could overcome anything that comes in my way and I will overcome anything just like the characters on the show.
About The Author
Tylia Flores is a 24-year-old born with cerebral palsy. Although her condition has affected her mobility, it has never affected her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world.
My life is very unpredictable, this is due to my multiple chronic illnesses. I live with Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease, Celiac disease, Raynaud’s syndrome and Cold Urticaria, and never know what a day is gonna bring. Will I feel fine? Will I be able to get out of bed? Or will my body decide I won’t be able to walk today? Who knows? It’s the crazy symptom lottery in the game that never ends.
So when I’m having a bad day, and I am not able to do much or even get out of bed, there are not many things that make me feel happy, at peace or positive in the slightest. I’m a vey positive person, and my default it to see things from the bright side. But I’m not a robot, and do also have times where happiness and positivity are hard to find.
On those days the emotions go from despair to feeling worthless, inadequate and plain sad. Sometimes even angry. Even though I’ve had these chronic illnesses most of my life, living like this is still difficult. I’ve learned to cope, but will never really get used to it.
Loving purrs on the way!
The thing that gives me the most comfort when I am having a bad day, or a longer flare are my loving pets. My cats lay with me on the bed and give me unconditional love. They don’t tell me I need to be more positive, or try harder. They simply stay with me and love me. I’ve got a calico cat and a black one. They both love to cuddle, even though the black one is only 6 months old.
On a bad day, I’ll cuddle up with my little balls of fur for hours, stroking them, listening to their purrs. Somehow it has a healing effect on me. I just feel an overwhelming sens of peace, love and pure happiness. Regardless of how tired I am or how much pain I’m in. It doesn’t make the fatigue or pain go away, but it softens it for sure.
Am I a crazy cat lady?
Sometimes I feel like a crazy cat lady, talking to me cats like they are humans. Telling them all my problems and feelings, like they really understand what’s going on. Or do they? Animals are smarter then we give them credit for, I believe. They feel it in the air when something’s up, and act accordingly. In my case, they don’t leave my side and give me purrs and cuddles.
I have a loving family who support me through it all, but even they can’t give me what my furry friends can. Unconditional, healing love and devotions, without distractions.
Do you have pets that make you feel the same way? I would love to hear about them in the comments.
