Finding my Voice

So what happened? 2013-09-20 15.07.11

I live online, but, lately, not so much. Not unless you count streaming video. Well I’ve had my kidneys cleaned out again. This involves an outpatient procedure and a week or two of recovery. I had planned to have this done at the end of October. My kidneys had other plans. So with less than 24 hours notice, my life was on hold. Classes cancelled. Client meetings forced to reschedule. (I’m not writing this to complain. I don’t want 100 comments about you thinking of me and asking if you can help. If you want to help, Donate Life.) And then repeat two weeks later. (Only this time give it a bit more time to heal, as I’m not quite healed from the first one.)

Not the First Time

Yeah, I have done this before. Lots. I have a Kidney disease called Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease See my older posts explaining what this is here and here. In fact last year I went under 5 different times. Before the 4th one last year, the nurse called to do the pre surgery questions. After not even a full history, the nurse stopped. With sincerity and good intentions she said “Wow, you haven’t had a very good life.” It made me angry. But not angry enough to do anything. But that little voice telling me that I haven’t had a good life has haunted me.

 

I Wrote 2012 Off

When explaining to people why I was off line or out of the social circles so much, I would say “Well, I had 5 surgeries last year.” I’d pause because people need a min after you say that. I would continue with “Yeah, I kind of wrote 2012 off. Hoping 2013 is better.” And it has been. But I started thinking about that nurse, and about how I was blowing off a whole year.

I Found a Voice

I started following @ValensVoice on twitter. Valen, like me has a kidney disease. Hers is way more serious than mine. She required a new kidney. But the way she uses her social platforms and her life to inspire, encourage and just show how to LIVE, really live the life you are given, has given me a reason to rethink my words.

And I Changed My Tune

So in 2012 Business was good. Really good. I turned 40 and it was Wonderful. Celebrated my 10 year wedding anniversary. I climbed a mountain. I had classes, gave speeches, volunteered with several NFPs, lead a book discussion with leaders in our community, helped organize the first Startup Weekend Evansville, and took many nature hikes, and bike rides with my family.

My point. It didn’t suck. It was a really a good year.

And you know what? There are still 2 full months of 2013 left. I am going to make the most of every single day.

dear soul

 

If you want to know more about Valen Cover Keefer you can visit her web site www.pkdwillnotbeatme.com I encourage you to follow her on twitter and on instagram. It was on instagram I learned about the Got Kidney’s shirt!

donatelife
Have you ever considered donating your organs? My disease does’t usually end in needing a donation, so I’m not soliciting for myself, but for others like Valen who do need them to live.

Endorphins & Feeling Better

About a year ago I had my second child. Parenting and a new baby can sure increase stress and put you in a self neglect rut. I am the proof! I’m just now coming up for air and taking stock of things, 11 months later.

Stress and overexertion has been the name of the game for me since my first child was born. I’ve hardly left my children to do solo things and I’m finally beginning to feel the wear and tear on my wellbeing. I’m stressed way too often and one thing that is missing for me (big time!) is endorphins. I know anyone experiencing lots of stress is in the same boat where endorphins are concerned.

Endorphins combat stress

It is common knowledge that excercise and physical activity helps manage stress, this is because of endorphins. Going to the gym, jogging around the block or doing a yoga class can have a major positive impact on lowering stress levels which in turn impact overall health.

However, if you are like me the effort and planning it takes to secure time and energy for exercise time just doen’t seem all that appealing and isn’t a high priority. Sometimes it even adds to the stress factor, which is counter intuitive.

Sometimes committing to fitness time with a buddy can help motivate you to follow though. Also, making financial commitments to fitness time may also help you follow through if that is the direction you’d like to go.

The point is, exercise isn’t the sticking point here, it is endorphins!

Making “personal time” a priority is important for overall mental & physical health but increasing endorphins doesn’t necessarily have to translate as hard core exercise.

If you can’t carve out some outside the home, endorphin increasing time that doesn’t mean you have to suffer the burdens of stress. Plenty of other things generate endorphins that you can do right at home.

Belt a tune and shake that rump!

Singing is a perfect, stationary way to release endorphins. My many years of music education classes and years of professional performance really showed me how good singing a tune can make you feel. Think you are a terrible singer and that you shouldn’t sing?

Singing isn’t just reserved for those that can do it well! You can sing even if you’re a poor singer. If you are shy, do it privately in the shower or in the car. If you aren’t that shy, you can own your less-than-stellar singing skills and make a funny situation out of singing time. Better yet combine some “just for fun” singing with some silly body shaking for a seriously fun physical activity (give this silly song a try complete with the “Ugh!” part, you’ll be laughing in no time).

Laughter is another wonderful stress combatant that can be done anytime, anywhere. You can sing, laugh and shake your booty while cleaning house, cooking dinner or taking a shower. You can even do it to commercials while watching TV… or while waiting at a stoplight in your car (not while driving!).

Once, while cruising along with a few buddies in the car, we cranked up the stereo at a stoplight and set out to make the people around us laugh.

We rolled the windows down, started swinging our hands, dancing around in our seats, making silly faces and singing VERY badly (and loudly) to the song on the radio. We looked like lunatics but it worked, others were looking at us and giggling and that made us crack up and sing even louder. We felt great, it was a great time and a fun memory.

When stress runs our lives we seldom have time to laugh-until-we-cry or to act silly and let loose. This lack of an outlet for stress relief just snowballs the stress levels. Stress breeds stress.

However, with a bit of intent you can stop the stress snowball cycle and get to feeling better.

Some endorphin releasing activities include:

  • Letting loose (laughter, silliness, charades, etc)
  • Deep relaxation (yoga, massage, meditation, etc)
  • Self expression (journaling, singing, heart-to-heart conversations, art, painting, etc)
  • Physical activity (exercise, sex, gardening, sports, etc)

They types of endorphin increasing activity you do will of course depend on your nature and interests but don’t limit yourself too much.

For me, my plan of action included some intervention of fate. My husband has been hounding me for a few months about getting out for some “me time” which I’ve not been particulary motivated to do. Frankly, I’d just rather lounge around in my bed for my “me time” but being home hardly removes me from my stress.

Anyway,  I saw some yoga classes online one day and I knew they were a sign for me… so I consulted my husband, then I made the commitment to 20 yoga classes between now and the new year. Can you believe I am just now breaking away from 24/7 mommyhood with a solo yoga class? I just completed my first class and it was so nice and relaxing. So relaxing I leaked breastmilk all over myself at the end!

If you aren’t already making some “me time” for endorphins & happiness you simply MUST! Seriously, your mental health and your body’s wellness depends on it.

Chime in & discuss:

What new ways will you to combat stress? How will you work happiness building endorphin activities in your day? Tell us in the comments below or use the social media share icons below to share your favorite ways with your own followers!

 

Endorphins & Feeling Better

About a year ago I had my second child. Parenting and a new baby can sure increase stress and put you in a self neglect rut. I am the proof! I’m just now coming up for air and taking stock of things, 11 months later.

Stress and overexertion has been the name of the game for me since my first child was born. I’ve hardly left my children to do solo things and I’m finally beginning to feel the wear and tear on my wellbeing. I’m stressed way too often and one thing that is missing for me (big time!) is endorphins. I know anyone experiencing lots of stress is in the same boat where endorphins are concerned.

Endorphins combat stress

It is common knowledge that excercise and physical activity helps manage stress, this is because of endorphins. Going to the gym, jogging around the block or doing a yoga class can have a major positive impact on lowering stress levels which in turn impact overall health.

However, if you are like me the effort and planning it takes to secure time and energy for exercise time just doen’t seem all that appealing and isn’t a high priority. Sometimes it even adds to the stress factor, which is counter intuitive.

Sometimes committing to fitness time with a buddy can help motivate you to follow though. Also, making financial commitments to fitness time may also help you follow through if that is the direction you’d like to go.

The point is, exercise isn’t the sticking point here, it is endorphins!

Making “personal time” a priority is important for overall mental & physical health but increasing endorphins doesn’t necessarily have to translate as hard core exercise.

If you can’t carve out some outside the home, endorphin increasing time that doesn’t mean you have to suffer the burdens of stress. Plenty of other things generate endorphins that you can do right at home.

Belt a tune and shake that rump!

Singing is a perfect, stationary way to release endorphins. My many years of music education classes and years of professional performance really showed me how good singing a tune can make you feel. Think you are a terrible singer and that you shouldn’t sing?

Singing isn’t just reserved for those that can do it well! You can sing even if you’re a poor singer. If you are shy, do it privately in the shower or in the car. If you aren’t that shy, you can own your less-than-stellar singing skills and make a funny situation out of singing time. Better yet combine some “just for fun” singing with some silly body shaking for a seriously fun physical activity (give this silly song a try complete with the “Ugh!” part, you’ll be laughing in no time).

Laughter is another wonderful stress combatant that can be done anytime, anywhere. You can sing, laugh and shake your booty while cleaning house, cooking dinner or taking a shower. You can even do it to commercials while watching TV… or while waiting at a stoplight in your car (not while driving!).

Once, while cruising along with a few buddies in the car, we cranked up the stereo at a stoplight and set out to make the people around us laugh.

We rolled the windows down, started swinging our hands, dancing around in our seats, making silly faces and singing VERY badly (and loudly) to the song on the radio. We looked like lunatics but it worked, others were looking at us and giggling and that made us crack up and sing even louder. We felt great, it was a great time and a fun memory.

When stress runs our lives we seldom have time to laugh-until-we-cry or to act silly and let loose. This lack of an outlet for stress relief just snowballs the stress levels. Stress breeds stress.

However, with a bit of intent you can stop the stress snowball cycle and get to feeling better.

Some endorphin releasing activities include:

  • Letting loose (laughter, silliness, charades, etc)
  • Deep relaxation (yoga, massage, meditation, etc)
  • Self expression (journaling, singing, heart-to-heart conversations, art, painting, etc)
  • Physical activity (exercise, sex, gardening, sports, etc)

They types of endorphin increasing activity you do will of course depend on your nature and interests but don’t limit yourself too much.

For me, my plan of action included some intervention of fate. My husband has been hounding me for a few months about getting out for some “me time” which I’ve not been particulary motivated to do. Frankly, I’d just rather lounge around in my bed for my “me time” but being home hardly removes me from my stress.

Anyway,  I saw some yoga classes online one day and I knew they were a sign for me… so I consulted my husband, then I made the commitment to 20 yoga classes between now and the new year. Can you believe I am just now breaking away from 24/7 mommyhood with a solo yoga class? I just completed my first class and it was so nice and relaxing. So relaxing I leaked breastmilk all over myself at the end!

If you aren’t already making some “me time” for endorphins & happiness you simply MUST! Seriously, your mental health and your body’s wellness depends on it.

Chime in & discuss:

What new ways will you to combat stress? How will you work happiness building endorphin activities in your day? Tell us in the comments below or use the social media share icons below to share your favorite ways with your own followers!

 

Okay it has been 14 days. How am I doing on my journey?

Well, I feel incredible. I have more energy, more brainpower, and I’m sleeping better. (This is a big deal, because I have never been a good sleeper. Ever. )

Have I been perfect?

No. But I tried, and that’s the important part.   In some areas, I exceeded my expectations for my 10 things to do list. In the exercise area,  I have been exercising three-to four times per week. I’ve taken  bike rides alone and with my family, I’ve been working out at the Y, and I’ve been doing yoga.

In the spiritual area, I spent an amazing two days, learning and growing as a leader, surrounded by friends. It was simply amazing.

I have never been so fired up & focused on organizing. I did however, manage to take on the task of sorting through my other child’s clothes.

So what’s next?

I’m determined to keep trying diligently to hold to my original list of 10, creating for myself more healthy habits, and adding this new list:

1. Continue my task of building endurance on my bicycle, by riding three or four times per week.

2. Add a few core strengthening exercises on my TheraBall.

3. Find a way to pay forward, gifts of grace and mercy that have been bestowed upon me in the past.

4. Find time to read outside for at least an hour per day

5. Go out of my way to call, write, or connect in some way to an estranged family member. (Or two.)

6. Fill a box with things that will bless someone else, and give it to them.

7. Find and cook one new healthy recipe. (This is sparked by my new and bad obsession. I learned how to make homemade caramel from chef & caterer Cindy Vescovi! – It was so good, but didn’t fit well into my being good plan!)

8.  Make an effort to find a way to simplify my life in at least two ways. (Again, suggestions welcomed.)

9. Go on a date with my husband.

10. Play a board game with my kids.

This is my list, I welcome you to use it or make your own. But follow with me on this journey, to make our lives better, physically, mentally and spiritually. I am really excited about upcoming posts from my team, with advice in every area of this journey. Be watching.

Stop exercising and start eating! For health, that is.

For some, this may be music to your ears.  For others, you may be shocked to hear these words come out of the mouth of a wellness guru.  My motivation stems from the frequent comments I hear from people, “Tom/Mary worked out all the time, I can’t believe he/she had a heart attack (or cancer, or other disease.).The names and diseases will change, but the story is the same…working out in the gym or being a runner does NOT make you healthy or prevent you from getting sick or a getting a disease.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.Americans put the cart before the horse when it comes to health.  We want to lose weight or “get healthy” so the FIRST thing we do is start some extreme exercise program like running, jogging or weight-lifting.  You may be thinking, what’s the problem with this?  The problem is, your nutrition needs to be in order BEFORE you start a rigorous workout program.  Rigorous exercise like lifting weights and running/jogging creates free radicals in the body.  For folks that are eating whole, clean foods like loads of fresh raw fruits, veggies, dark leafy greens, whole grains, nuts and seeds, this isn’t a problem.  However, very few of us eat like this.Picture your body as a scale where it is loaded with free radicals (top heavy) and the antioxidants are scarce.  Winning the game of health is about having more antioxidants (from whole, clean food) than free radicals in the body.  This is how we build the immune system.

However, exercise isn’t the only way you are incurring free radicals.  They also come from toxins in your foods like large quantities of chicken, beef and dairy laden with antibiotics and hormones.  Toxins also come with large doses of synthetic supplements.

So better than joining a gym, lifting weights and starting to run a marathon, your first step should be learning what whole, clean foods are and start building up your immune system by feeding your body what it needs to heal and grow strong muscles naturally.

The second step is to start that exercise program (with an experienced personal trainer or running coach).

So, stop exercising and start eating (whole, clean food)!

Let’s Do This Together

Recently, I’ve seen a surge in people wanting to get healthy. More of my friends are checking into the gym and posting pictures of their calories burned on those personal readers. Usually we see this spike in fitness consciousness around New Year’s. I am not sure what has sparked it in others but, I know what has sparked it in me.

I have 52 days to make a difference in my overall health. WHY?  I need to be stronger — physically and mentally because having a medical procedure and wanting to be in the best shape possible. I got to thinking about it and came to realize that health is not just about my body. So I made a list of the areas of health I wanted to improve: Physical strength, nutritional health, mental health, household and office organization, spiritual health. None of these is an easy area to conquer.

Many of us have had an “I’m done living like this moment.” Maybe it was losing your keys or an important paper again. Maybe it was being out of breath before you hit the end of the block when you kids wanted to take a bike ride with you. Maybe it was not having anything to wear because every pair of pants you own gives you a muffin top.  Like you, I have felt this way. I know the proper behaviors to take to be good, but somehow just can’t get it done.

At a retreat with Kimberly Delcoco, life and business coach, we set goals for ourselves and made dream boards or notebooks to help us visualize what those goals looked like at the end. But dreaming and visualizing are not enough, she said. We can’t go it alone. Think of your dream team. Who or what type of person do you need to make this happen? Personal trainer, nutritionist, organizational specialist, doctor, lawyer, priest… Who you need on your team depends on both your goals and personality.

So I have asked some key people to help me with this 52-day journey to an all-around healthier me.  Bonnie Schnautz, CNHP, Kimberly Delcoco, Talina Norris-RyderBrenda Hughes, and Stacey Shanks, E-RYT, RCYT, just to name a few. But not just to help me. I asked them to help US to do this TOGETHER!

So join me over the next 52 days. Start small. Here is my start small goal list for the next 2 days:

1. Dink 1 more glass of water than I did yesterday.

2. Drink 1 less sweet drink (soda, lemonade, or tea).

3.  Take 1 extra flight of stairs or park at the end of a parking lot and walk the extra distance.

4. Eat 2-3 more raw fruits or veggies over the day, than I did yesterday.

5. Remember to take my medications and vitamins.

6. Call, text, or post to a friend that I haven’t spoken to in at least 6 months and just say hi.

7. Give myself a beauty treat: facial mask, foot soak, deep sea scrub, cooling cucumber eye rest, be creative but be healthy and healing to my skin.

8. Pick up, sort and organize 1 drawer, cabinet or small space. Donate unused items and throw away clutter.

9. Start on 1 book for fun and 1 to learn something new.

10. Write. Write from my heart, to myself, to the air, to the universe.

Please let me know if you want to join us on this mission to strengthen our bodies and souls. Let me know if you have a skill and want to be a guest blogger to help me and others on the journey. Post both below! Remember don’t overwhelm yourself. Be realistic and know you are not alone in this.

 


Let's Do This Together

Recently, I’ve seen a surge in people wanting to get healthy. More of my friends are checking into the gym and posting pictures of their calories burned on those personal readers. Usually we see this spike in fitness consciousness around New Year’s. I am not sure what has sparked it in others but, I know what has sparked it in me.

I have 52 days to make a difference in my overall health. WHY?  I need to be stronger — physically and mentally because having a medical procedure and wanting to be in the best shape possible. I got to thinking about it and came to realize that health is not just about my body. So I made a list of the areas of health I wanted to improve: Physical strength, nutritional health, mental health, household and office organization, spiritual health. None of these is an easy area to conquer.

Many of us have had an “I’m done living like this moment.” Maybe it was losing your keys or an important paper again. Maybe it was being out of breath before you hit the end of the block when you kids wanted to take a bike ride with you. Maybe it was not having anything to wear because every pair of pants you own gives you a muffin top.  Like you, I have felt this way. I know the proper behaviors to take to be good, but somehow just can’t get it done.

At a retreat with Kimberly Delcoco, life and business coach, we set goals for ourselves and made dream boards or notebooks to help us visualize what those goals looked like at the end. But dreaming and visualizing are not enough, she said. We can’t go it alone. Think of your dream team. Who or what type of person do you need to make this happen? Personal trainer, nutritionist, organizational specialist, doctor, lawyer, priest… Who you need on your team depends on both your goals and personality.

So I have asked some key people to help me with this 52-day journey to an all-around healthier me.  Bonnie Schnautz, CNHP, Kimberly Delcoco, Talina Norris-RyderBrenda Hughes, and Stacey Shanks, E-RYT, RCYT, just to name a few. But not just to help me. I asked them to help US to do this TOGETHER!

So join me over the next 52 days. Start small. Here is my start small goal list for the next 2 days:

1. Dink 1 more glass of water than I did yesterday.

2. Drink 1 less sweet drink (soda, lemonade, or tea).

3.  Take 1 extra flight of stairs or park at the end of a parking lot and walk the extra distance.

4. Eat 2-3 more raw fruits or veggies over the day, than I did yesterday.

5. Remember to take my medications and vitamins.

6. Call, text, or post to a friend that I haven’t spoken to in at least 6 months and just say hi.

7. Give myself a beauty treat: facial mask, foot soak, deep sea scrub, cooling cucumber eye rest, be creative but be healthy and healing to my skin.

8. Pick up, sort and organize 1 drawer, cabinet or small space. Donate unused items and throw away clutter.

9. Start on 1 book for fun and 1 to learn something new.

10. Write. Write from my heart, to myself, to the air, to the universe.

Please let me know if you want to join us on this mission to strengthen our bodies and souls. Let me know if you have a skill and want to be a guest blogger to help me and others on the journey. Post both below! Remember don’t overwhelm yourself. Be realistic and know you are not alone in this.

 


Determined to be the Solution

There are a lot of reasons people blog about Shaun King. He’s an entrepreneur. He’s a distinct voice in social media. He’s a walking miracle. He’s an advocate for courage.

This is not the first time I have blogged about Shaun. I first blogged about him because, late at night, a friend said, “if you are not, please pay attention to the tweets from Shaun right now.” What I saw moved me. It changed me. But it was in the middle of the night. I was afraid so many people would miss the moving message. I put that post on my tumblr blog, which I use more for personal and non-tech topics.

I am again sharing the story of what this “broken man” is doing in the world today. At least he posted this in the middle of the day. But broken up in the crowded twitter stream, I felt something got lost. I read it and wept.

I am choosing to put this on my business blog for four reasons.

  1. He is using social media to communicate, connect and raise awareness for a cause — 7 of them, in fact.
  2. I think it is important to highlight when someone is being effective in their social efforts. We can learn from what others are doing.
  3. I’ve not looked at data to support this, but I would bet that more of my professional blog followers are using geolocation services like Foursquare. Next time you check into a food place, remember Shaun’s reason #1 (read on to see what I’m talking about).
  4. I want the people and businesses that follow me to be aware of causes and problems in our world. I want them to understand that even if you can’t help by giving, you can help by reposting this story on your FB, twitter, LinkedIn, G+, e-mail lists, and anywhere you think people will read it. In Shaun’s words, “YOU have WAY more potential to radically change the world than you know. “

Historically I avoid topics that are “touchy.” I want you to read this not from any political standing, not from any religious perspective, but as a human being. Read his words and absorb the gravity of suffering that he is describing. Read his words and connect with some fellow human beings who are living in hell.

 

The following series of tweets are from @ShaunKing

Seriously powerful and moving.

<—-Blowing off the dust from my soapbox. Get ready. If you have truth allergies unfollow me for the next 15 minutes.

Is this mic on?

Right now. @ this moment. THOUSANDS of people (particularly babies) are dying of dehydration & starvation in Somalia. Worst famine in 30 yrs

Let me break down what is happening and give us all insight in to what we can do. Possibly the worst humanitarian crisis in our lifetime…

5 factors have caused what now equates to millions of people being severely malnourished and scores of needless deaths. Here they are…

First off, let me say that you need to care about this. We are citizens of this world & babies & pregnant moms are dying in droves.

5 Reasons why a Famine was just declared in Somalia (first in decades)…

5. The love of money is the root of all evil. Wherever starvation of this magnitude exists so does great corruption. Corrupt gov. there.

4. Three years ago Somalia barred ALL aid/relief organizations from the country. All of them.

3. Somalia (and the surrounding region) is experiencing a ONCE IN A LIFETIME drought. Bone dry. Everywhere. As far as you can go.

2. One million Somalians have, by foot started to flee the country, but found out that almost nobody wants them or can handle them.

Finally, the final reason this famine exists is personal…

1. A famine exists in Somalia b/c you & I don’t care enough. We eat like hogs & throw away half full bottles of water & ignore the world.

 

At the end of this conversation I will give you 4 news sources to read & 4 solutions, but let me press my case for a minute.

 I believe that God holds us accountable for what we do with what we know. You & I pretend way too much like we’re giving the world our best.

Are you listening? It’s about to get real.

I read this article. It hurt me. Moms and their families were starving to death and had no water so they started walking from Somalia to…

Kenya. It was brutal and harder than they expected. Took many moms 4 weeks to walk it. Thousands died on the walk alone. What i am about…

to say broke me down. Unable to carry their kids, mothers regularly sat their dying babies down and left them on the road. The journalist…

said that on 3 occasions he saw women near death show up @ the Kenyan border w/ dead babies strapped to their backs.

Let me give you four articles to read. You have to see this for yourself. It’s awful, but we can make a difference.

Please retweet my tweets and let’s begin making this crisis known. Please begin educating others with what I am telling you. It matters

Babies like him are arriving in the Dadaab Refugee camp in droves. They mainly die once they arrive. http://twitpic.com/5tkgyk

LA Times Article today from Robin Dixon on Somalia:http://t.co/tpq2c7N

The best articles on the famine/drought in Somalia are coming from Al Jazeera. They have people there. http://t.co/ZruuLRq

Please look @ all 15 of these pictures from Somalia in the NY Times. This is OUR WORLD! http://t.co/982NQTq

We are discussing starting an @TwitChange campaign for Somalia. Something bigger than we’ve ever done.

Here are the 4 organizations that I know are on the ground in Somalia and particularly in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya (Ground Zero).

Doctors w/o Borders. They are on the frontlines w/ the famine in Somalia. http://t.co/dmZSB1x

UNICEF is there right now doing great work. http://t.co/F3zWoVv

OXFAM is giving the crisis in Somalia their best shot:http://t.co/gwBuCs9

That’s all for now. Please be determined to be the solution for Somalia & people that are hurting all over the world. Be courageous. -Shaun

Follow him on www.TellTheMountainToMove.org/

Don’t Wait

Last week, I did a vlog about rushing back into my life. I didn’t plan for this to take as long as it has; I’m supposed to be better by now. My schedule for January was pretty packed by mid-December. I did a bit of rearranging, and was able to clear a few weeks to have my procedures. This past Wednesday was the day that things started appearing on my calendar again. An event Wednesday night, TV spot Thursday morning, followed by speaking at a school, wrapping the day up with private corporate training. Apparently, it was a little too much in such a short amount of time.

That night, when I was telling my best friend about my day, he noticed a huge change in my voice and over all personality. That little glimmer of participating in my life as it was before had made me happy.

What if?

Tonight, a dear friend reminded me that there are others out there who are not going to recover. People with chronic pain, chronic illnesses that don’t get a chance to get their life back. “Could you imagine how it would be?” She said. How committed are you?Do you know if some of the things you’re doing can cause you harm? If you were able to take a glimpse into what it would be like to lose the lifestyle you have now, would you change your behavior? So many of us know that we participate in activities that are detrimental to our health and wellness, but yet we continue along these destructive paths in our lives.

What drives you?

Maybe the reason so many people don’t care about the outcome is because they don’t love what they do. I remember a time when I didn’t love what I did. I took the time to find my true values, and to make sure the work that I do is aligned with those values. Now, because I’m driven with purpose and a reason behind what I do, I have a much stronger desire to take the path of least, or at least, lesser destruction.

Don’t wait

I know what it feels like to love my life, and not be able to live it. If you have a behavior that you want or need to change, don’t wait until your lifestyle is taken from you to put it into perspective, do what you have to do now. Change what you have to change, and hold on to what you have.

A Day of Rest

I wasn’t as if I had been making the world or anything. I attended two meetings and ran a few quick errands. There was even at least one whole hour of lying down, full-blown rest time in there.  But, yesterday completely wiped me out.

 

As luck would have it, today was a snow day and, even if I hadn’t been so tired, I would have stayed indoors anyway. Even if this had not been a snow day, I would have been stuck here. But I was most definitely not alone.
The Boys

I have two very entertaining boys who were not in school today. We enjoyed some time together, making and eating cookies, and watching Narnia, Prince Caspian.
The Friends

I had  texts from concerned friends when they did not see me online. Ok, I’m either an addict or this is my career. I’m standing firm on the career, but there seems to be a slim line.
Twitter Love

I didn’t totally stay off line. I tweeted here and there and made a few Facebook posts. But again, I received both public and private requests asking how I was feeling. I was really hesitant about this Blog-a-thon and my choice to talk about this procedure openly.  But it has brought me closer to some friends, brought me new ones, and even brought to light a need.
Finding support

I mentioned in the history of all of this that I have Medullary Sponge Kidney (MSK.) Through my efforts to reach out to others with Kidney Stones, I have found at least one other with this problem.  I’m sure there are more, but I found a friend who truly understands the type and extent of my pain.  How many people are out there suffering by timing mind-numbing drugs? How many doctors out there treat MSK like other stones and don’t look at other possible treatment options? Is research being done to find better ways to treat this condition? I don’t know any of these answers, but I know  @LeeAase , Director, Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media.  I’m asking him, and anyone in the medical field, specifically in urology or nephrology to comment on this post and connect with me, with us. We want to find out more.  We want to do more.  We want to be more than drugged up zombies.