Family gathering always make me smile. The photo below is of my step mom, my father, two of my younger sisters and my only son, who is my care giver. These smiling faces put depression on the run.
as well as the winter months. Yes, it makes me smile. And brings comfort to my chronic pain. It is my alternative medicine for many illnesses.
Fall colors stand out against the evening sky. On this autumn evening in October, I snapped a shot of a tree holding on to the last rays of the setting sun.
Is it 'Nesse', the Loch Ness Monster? It certainly gives the illusion of Ole Nesse. But it is a tree stretching its imaginary neck into the evening sky.
This picture of the sun rising is beautiful and yet, complex. While I marveled at the beauty of the morning sky, I knew that these blue, orange, golden yellow, wisp of white and black clouds meant a dramatic change in the weather was on its way.
It is a lot like a vast number of people suffering with a chronic illness. Looks are deceiving. The inside can be in constant pain and the mind in disarray, while looking good on the outside.This has to be the number one complaint of people who suffer with a chronic illness; "My family dismiss my claims of fatigue, pain and depression because they believe I look too good to be sick.".
You cannot fix their problems and they are aware of that. However, you hold the answer to the end of a lot of stress and depression. Validity. Validating that you know they may not feel well today, is a major key to easing a lot of tension in your relationship with the chronically ill. "Go ahead, make their day." A dramatic change could be on the way!
Saturday and/or Sunday car rides with my family were always a special treat. With my family living all over the country, those rides together are no longer possible. However, whenever I think of them, their memories still formulate a smile on my face as well as in my heart.
Certainly we know that we do not have to leave home to find and build new memories. Nature demonstrates that moment to moment. And, has allowed me to view its beauty through my bedroom window. Or, sitting just outside my front door with the sun beaming on my face. Some pictures were taken from my favorite rocker that sits on my screened in deck. And still others were snapped as I casually walked through the ever changing flower garden.
Of course, sharing the beauty that I see is half the fun. There fore, I hope you enjoy the above video. So sit back listen to the traveling music and imagine that you are in your automobile on a Sunday drive in the fall of the year. The best part is, you are allowed to sit in the comfort of you home to observe Nature changing her wardrobe into Autumn.
If you have been chronically ill for an extended period, it may be time to examine your thoughts about your illness and your life in general.
As if with some predetermined purpose, several years ago, a tree began to grow in my yard. Living in a wooded area, a new tree was not a novelty. I did not particularly like where it was growing. However, I had stopped performing my own yard work and had a lot more pressing issues than a new tree in my yard.
Still, the tree had one quality that I just loath. Each fall, it produced these large green balls. They seemed to have no useful qualities. The dogs would not even play with them. By inadvertently stepping on one, I had lost my footing. In addition, on more than one occasion, I had been conked on the head by one of these unwanted visitors as it made it's descend to earth.
I had literally cursed the tree and had marked it for future firewood. I had grown to hate the tree.
One bright autumn Saturday morning, a friend called to invite me to lunch. We had not seen each other in a while and I quickly took her up on her offer. Like many who take multiple medications, no longer having the luxury of driving available, we are at the mercy of those who do. She told me the time she would pick me up and I was ready and waiting.
We have been friends since childhood. Therefore, lunch together is a talkfest. It was wonderful. We immediately turn into nine year olds again. We sat in the restaurant completely oblivious to others around us while still soaking in the accommodating ambiance of the restaurant.
When we returned to my home, I invited her to visit the recent changes in the garden. Each season is a change in the garden for with nature that is the rule, nothing stays the same. As we walked, I described what each tree, bush, and plant did. We collaborated on the best way to grow the ones we had in common.
As we headed back toward the house, she asked me about the dreaded tree. "I don't know what that is." I declared. It just started growing. I have grown to hate it. It drops those green balls on the ground. I grudgingly stated; "The dogs won't even play with them." 
She bent down, picked one up, and said; "If this is what I think it is," then she abruptly stopped.
"What do you think it is?" I asked.
"I'll show you in a minute." She said.
We walked to a concrete block. She laid it on the concrete block and asked for something to smash it. I quickly obliged by handing her a brick. With one crunch, she stood up and started to smile.
What is it? I asked again. This time a little more impatiently.
Here! I could smell it before I saw it. "It's a walnut!" I said, answering my own question. "Yes!" She replied. Walnuts! We both started to laugh. All those years I had a FREE walnut tree in my yard and did not know it.
Of course, I had help in the cover up. The squirrels did know the value and they were busy taking care of their interest.
As with our health, I had not investigated deeply enough to learn the value of the tree. Often when introduced to techniques or procedures previously unknown or foreign to us, without even investigating the possibilities of the veiled results, we tune out or shout down.
If our doctor or therapist did not suggest it, we are afraid to try it. We are even afraid to discuss it with our medical professionals. The fear of hearing we are wrong or that is just "mom bow jumbo", keeps some of us needlessly tied to our illness. Could it be that we remain chronically ill, to some degree, as much a part of fear of the unknown as the illness its' self?
The easier or less expensive the technique, the harder to believe it could possible work. We would rather curse the technique or procedure than give it an opportunity to work.
The walnut tree was free. Not one day did it require me to water, mulch or fertilize it for it to grow into the fruit-bearing tree it is today. And, subsequently, it is the same with some illness we experience with our body. We could very possibly stop the pain or end the illness, if we would just delve a little deeper into what is really causing the malady.
An injury we understand. We know that, with time, a simple injury will heal on its own-just as the tree grew on its own. However, what about a disease, can it be that easy? Can it be the body's dis-ease? Once we understand it, by mentally putting the body at ease, cure the illness?
Emotion Free Technique (EFT) suggested that it is. Following a post earlier this month, several people agreed that it is just that simple. To give it a chance to work in our own chronic pain-filled lives, would mean that we would have to change the way we think about ourselves as we relate to the rest of the world. We might even have to admit our own preconceived believes and uneducated decisions determine our poor health.
As with the walnut tree, I made decisions concerning the tree based on my limited knowledge of the tree. I had never taken the time to explore a little deeper into what the green balls were. All I knew was come spring they were gone.
I personally like Emotion Free Technique (EFT). However,
EFT is not the only technique that can help stop our pain and/or cure an illness that medicine alone cannot reach. Others diverse treatments include Integrated Medicine (ATTITUDE), Reiki Life, Natural Health, Super Brain Therapy, etc.
You have to know that the squirrels were benefiting from my ignorance about my walnut tree. Who is benefiting from your ignorance about your illness?
After reading my previous post on the devastation chronic pain has on one's life, several weeks ago, Valerie at CureDepression With Umbrellas (Don't you just love the title of her blog site?), sent me an email concerning the possibility of Pranic Healing helping with my chronic pain.
CBS PRANIC HEALING VIDEOS
The following is a copy of the letter I received from Brightcove TV. On September 13, 2008.
My Life In Chronic Pain has premiered on Brightcove.tv
WATCH NOW
On September 15, 2008, I received this email;
Congratulations, your video has been approved! We like the video you've recently uploaded and are delighted to feature it on our website. You will receive a follow-up email from ChronicPainConnection.com once your video has been published to the 2008 APF Pain and Creativity Exhibit.
I am excited. Not just for me, but for the millions of people living in chronic pain who cannot make a video, or write a poem, or draw a picture or do much more than answer their email on their computer.
These are the voices crying out for help and not getting any response. The millions of people who are under medicated and suffering needlessly. The medication and other medical procedures exist. But not for them. They have
The kind of pain I am talking about is not the kind of pain you feel when you stump your toe and it hurts for a day or two. It is not the kind of pain you get from a broken arm. Once the arm heals, you pain will go away. I am talking about a pain that has taken on a life of its own.
The injury, if any, heals but the pain continues. Some how the chemical make up of your brain has changed and you are in constant never ending pain. It is a pain you may have for the rest of your life.
Only working with your doctors and finding the right combination of medication, meditation, exercise, and nutrition will give you an acceptable quality of life. And, this may take years. But once you find that combination, the wait and the work is worth it!
Listen as these two doctors discuss their understanding of chronic pain.
As with diabetes, there are two types of glaucoma:
Both types of glaucoma cause pressure to buildup in the eye. The pressure is called the interocular pressure or IOP. The IOP damages the nerve and causes vision loss. The average IOP is 16 millimeters of mercury. However the level at which the IOP damages the optic nerve can differs from patient to patient.
The severity of your glaucoma can be determined by a visual field test. In advanced glaucoma, the test will show advanced deterioration of visual loss that may impact your daily activity such as driving, reading, and avoiding falls.
Open angel glaucoma dose not cause symptoms until visual field damage is extensive. The lack of symptoms is why optic nerve and visual field test are imperative. I was recently severely scolded, and rightfully so. I had not been tested in two years.
I was making appointments. But not keeping them. I was suffering with arthritis, high blood pressure and diabetes simultaneously and was just too sick to go and concentrate on those visual field test. That was my excuse. My doctor was not having any of that. He told me that "had I been a no show for that appointment, he was excusing himself from being my doctor". He told me he had seen too many people loose their sight from that type of behavior.
When my prescription ran out I would call the office and have it refilled. My doctor was very clear about the possibility that the drops could have stooped working and even thou I was taking the drops, I could have lost my sight.
Angle-closure glaucoma may have a sudden increase of eye pressure with symptoms that may include
Treatments for glaucoma cannot restore vision but it is the best way to keep the glaucoma from worsening. The main complaint with treatment is that the medications may cause the lashes to grow longer and darker with prolonged use. and It may result with the appearance of dark circles under the eyes and light colored eyes may permanently turn darker. If you miss a dose of eye drops, take the dose as soon as possible. If it is close to time for your nest dose, wait and take the scheduled dose. Do not double up on medication.
I would be remiss, if I did not mention the continued research of Marijuana in helping people with glaucoma. Last week Richard Lovet wrote an excellent blog for the National Geographic News concerning his latest findings on the use of Marijuana to treat different types of cancer, arthritis, as well as glaucoma.
Mr. Lovet's article created quite a heated discussion in the Diggs blogging community this week.
Staying healthy is as important as taking your eye drops. If you have other diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and or heart disease they should be appropriately treated. Some doctors also suggest multiple vitamins, eating leafy green vegetables, exercise and weight loss for obese patents.
Potted plants can cheer up any space. Make it your area by introducing a few well placed items that you love. Perfection is not the goal, relaxation is. You don't need a lot of space, just make it your place.
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