Hello 2014!

Of course, 20 years ago, New Year's Resolutions were important to me.  I'd think about the things I'd like to give up, begin and resolve in my life.  The one I remember most was health and fitness.  I sense I wasn't alone with the hope that I'd start a workout routine and continue for the rest of my life.  The first year I was successful for one month and the following year I made it through a few months.  Each time, Spring would come and I'd realize that my New Year's Resolutions were long gone.  At the time, I'd get a bit upset with myself for not completing or continuing with the plan.  Looking back, I realize that I was just practicing and building new routines.  Each time I went back to creating a fitness routine, I was able to carry it for a longer time.

About 10 years ago, I shifted from making resolutions to setting intentions.  This must have been around the time Oprah was talking about integrity and intentions.  At least she gave my first introduction to these concepts.  Setting intentions gave me more flexibility and patients with myself.  It felt a bit less forceful.  I put less pressure on myself to be perfect with the intentions I set but that didn't help me feel less upset with myself when things fell apart.

A couple of years ago, I stopped writing down any resolutions or intentions.  I just took a short time to think about how I wanted to continue living and how I imagined living a better life.  I consciously took what I liked from the past and added some new options to try out and maybe they'd bring me joy too.

I've had a transformational year, personally.  My health has been a huge challenge and declining for years.  2013 was the first year since 2002, I've felt as though my health was improving.  I feel more accepting of myself and my abilities.  I no longer feel that I need to do everything and try everything and go, go, go.  The guilt of staying still for more than an hour has diminished.  I had some help with that since I was unable to walk for days at a time.  What a gift!  I was forced to stop everything in order to weed out the most important things to do.  That area of growth extends out to people too.  I no longer feel I have something to prove…to anyone.

As I look forward to 2014, I notice a good and peaceful feeling inside.  According to numerology, it'll be a lucky year and I feel it'll be a year full of gifts.  Whether they come disguised as challenges or celebrations, this will be one of the best years ever!

These are the things I'm looking forward to for 2014;

* Using my energy in the most gratifying areas
* A visit to see my wonderful 97 year old grandfather in Fl
* Working with Dr. Bier on the next levels of my healing
* Friday game nights with my family
* Growing in my marriage
* Cultivating new and old friendships
* Smelling the flowers and grass and trees and herbs and…
* Volunteering often
* Watching, in wonder, as my children transition to High School
* Learning more about how I can be a better global citizen
* Live joy, give joy, teach joy, cultivate joy

I wish each and every one of you a Joyous New Year!  Happy 2014!

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

A Look Back on 2013

I came across a cool feature on my phone.  It is a video creator that lets you choose photos or videos taken on your phone and creates a slideshow or video of memories.  I just completed a review of 2013 using just the photos on my phone.

This process got me to thinking about the year that is coming to an end and what I've experienced, how I've grown and the pleasures I enjoyed.  I tend to have a full life and this year was no different.  Here are some of the memories that were stirred while making my year end video.

* A two year process with my disability claim ended.  I received approval and an immense weight was lifted from my shoulders.  With the absence of this stress, I was able to move forward with my healing process in my own way.

* I found an amazing doctor and am experiencing amazing healing through mind, body and spirit.

* I started this blog with the intent of recording my emotions, experiences and life challenge with fibromyalgia and to remind myself to keep an eye out for the gifts.  I also shared it publicly on the off chance that others out there may be able to relate, be encouraged, inspired and motivated to take action in their own healing process.  I've had surprising results, amazing feedback and followers from 39 countries.

* My family said 'goodbye' to a wonderful person who meant a great deal to us.  Nancy, we love you and will always hold memories, of times together, close to our hearts.

* I'm taking a course through The Venus Project and loving it.

* I've opened to getting to know and spending time with like-minded peeps.  I've made a couple of neat new friends.

* My children have impressed me, again.  Their determination, dedication and focus to take a leap of faith and apply for private high schools shows me that they are willing to walk their own path in life.  Many of their friends are not taking the same steps, some are discouraged by their parents and some don't feel they would get in.  My three have shown that they are not afraid to try.

* My husband shows me how strong he is every day.  He takes care of two senior parents.  His father is  87, lives on his own and is a proud man.  His mother has medical challenges and we moved her from her home of 20+ years to a nursing home.  I know these changes and stresses of caring for parents has been hard on him and he has been a rock through it all.

I think I could go on and on although, I've probably posted most of it in my blog through the year.  Strangely, I have to go back periodically and read my own posts because I don't remember them.  Fibro brain, ya know.

I'm grateful for every moment of 2013!  Stay tuned for a post on looking at what I'd like to do in 2014.

Thank you for reading, forwarding, and following!!!
Terri

My Blog's Been Hijacked

     Normally, a sensational woman by the name of Terri takes some time from her day to sit and write what I call “words of wisdom” in order to both help others who are dealing with the multitude of effects that fibro brings and help herself by (what I feel is) purging herself of the day’s events.

     Often times, she mentions that while dealing with what may come day after day, she gets help from her three beautiful children and her (her words not mine) amazing husband.

     Tonight, instead of the usual blog, allowing you to see the world through her eyes, I would like to share with you how she is seen. I believe if there were anyone who could give you some insight on this woman… the woman you have decided to follow… it would be me. I am her husband.

     First, may I say, before anything else… she is the real deal.

     I have seen first hand the lows of how hard this disease can bring her and have been there to enjoy the moments in time when she is having a “good day.”

     Being sensitive to a multitude of medications, I have been there on numerous rides to the hospital because her breathing was labored, her throat would not allow her to swallow or her blood pressure would drop incredibly low.

     I have watched her cry in pain while her swollen feet and stiffened legs made it nearly impossible to get through her morning knowing her only comfort would be wrapped up in a cozy comforter while regaining her strength in our bed.

     I could go on rehashing the stories of what you’ve already heard from Terri but instead, I would like to touch on the soul within the body.

     How this woman knows no defeat.

     How this woman gives everything she can, every day. Even on the tough ones.

     How this woman is a true inspiration to anyone who actually takes the time to sit and talk with her and get to know her.

     I’ve truly never met a person who has had life challenge her in so many different ways and who will simply not allow a giving up attitude to happen.

     I think one of the reasons I found her so perfect for me so long ago and still today has to do with my love for the movie “Rocky” and the sequels that followed. Anyone who knows me knows how these movies has affected my life from the time I was a young child.

     Terri has that FIGHT in her. She always has that FIGHT in her. A partial quote from the last movie is, “It’s not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”

     She could have written those lines.

     Through it all, she could have decided to fight the good fight and take a bitter look at the world. She could have looked at life with a why me attitude or I’ll just push on because I have to mentality.

     Not my wife.

     Every day, I hear of some plan or idea to help the environment or a better way to live on this planet. She pours herself into online classes and talks with others who are trying to make a difference in this world. She creates tasks for each upcoming day. All while knowing that that next day may bring a change to the chalk writing on the blackboard in her mind. The next day may erase half of what she has written or even clean the board entirely.

     But she picks up the chalk and writes out a plan or lesson for the very next day.

     Her endless need to be there for her children is an incredible sight to see. No matter how she feels… even with those swollen feet… she will get them ready for school and drive them there in the morning. Help them with all kinds of paperwork even if it means doing it from bed. Teaches them to be good, peaceful and loving beings without an inkling of look at what this world has done to me. It’s always about what can you do in this world.

     I talk with my wife all the time and I know of no one who can give better advice or a good kick in the butt when I need it.

     She is a woman of passion, drive and intellect. But most of all, she is all that is good in the world. A beautiful soul. And believe me, you have found the right blog to follow.

     I’ve read every one too.

Thank you for reading, following and forwarding!!!

Ray

Ouch, Dammit!

I've been feeling the wave that started with stiffness and being sore.  It's been some time since I've had a  full flare.

This morning my eyes opened and I wanted to shout, "Hello Fibro!"  The temperature outside was -2 and my body hurts all over.  On a scale from 1-10, my pain is an 8.  As I pushed through the stiffness and pain, I stood to wake the kids for school.  The bottoms of my feet felt as though the bones had multiple fractures.  Hobbling about to get food and pills and the pain was joined by rolling tears.

Within an hour, I had already kicked into my 'alternate' life strategy.  This is the life strategy that I can jump (gently) into when my body isn't as mobile or healthful.  The first step was to determine if I could complete the plan for the day with the arrival of different abilities.  The next step was to create a plan for how the things I'm unable to complete will get completed.  This includes Christmas shopping.

What it comes down to is a day (or more) in bed with the heating pad.  The online work I want to complete will be done in short increments with papers strewn across the bed top.  Finally, Christmas shopping is most likely going to be done from a wheelchair pushed by my amazing and supportive husband.

Each flare gives me the opportunity to strengthen my resilience; adjusting to the changes more quickly.

Time to close the valve on the personal energy outlet.  Must reserve what is there and generate more through rest.

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Under The Weather

I kept hearing myself say that I was 'under the weather', to describe how I was feeling and realized that I truly didn't know what the phrase meant.  Of course, I had to google it.  Many sources say that it's a phrase that comes from a maritime source.  It has to do with rough waters and adverse weather while out at sea.  Here's what I found:

"Under the weather. To feel ill. Originally it meant to feel seasick or to be adversely affected by bad weather. The term is correctly 'under the weather bow' which is a gloomy prospect; the weather bow is the side upon which all the rotten weather is blowing." From "Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions" by Bill Beavis and Richard G. McCloskey (Sheridan House, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., 1995. First published in Great Britain, 1983).

So, in Terri world, it seems to fit.  Although, I'm not out at sea, I am affected by weather patterns.  I haven't experienced a fibro-flare in quite some time and then… it hit yesterday. I don't quite have a clear explanation for why my body went into flare, but I'll do my best to make something up.  I'll be sure to make it sound convincing, too.

I've been having difficulty swallowing the 10+ supplement pills at each meal.  It all began the day I was not as mindful of my meal and supplements, while I ate.  After about 6 pills, it felt as though they had stacked up, end to end, in my esophagus.  Once I noticed this strange sensation, I chalked it up to not paying attention and taking them too quickly.  About a week later, a pill got stuck in the center of my chest.  I could have sworn that it was sideways in my esophagus, refusing to complete its journey.  I had visions of the cartoon character who swallowed a spoon and you could see the outline of the spoon as it moved down the neck.  There was stabbing pain and I had to stop what I was doing, go lie down, relax and breath until the stubborn little thing decided to move on.  Pills got stuck in my chest a few times, then it felt as thought they were getting lodged in my throat.  Food, water, tea; nothing would push them down.

I contacted my trusted Dr. and he suggested that I stop taking the many pills and stick to just the liquid supplements for a few days.  If there was some irritation or inflammation in the esophagus, these days would allow for some healing.  

Two days after cutting back on the pills, the pain in my head and shoulders returned.  Another day went by and my feet began to ache and then my legs and hips.  Today, I'm hobbling about, holding onto walls and tables to get around.  Needless to say, hobbling isn't helping, so I've put myself to bed.  I decided to begin taking the supplements with the hope that the pain will subside, as it did before, with these treatments.

If the flare is not related to the lack of supplement support, maybe it is the weather.  New England has been really, really, 2 degrees (wind chill), cold for a couple of days.  I'll surely find out soon if the pain is reduced before the cold weather goes away.  If it's not the weather, I'm going to have to find another phrase for how I'm feeling.

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Whacked by a Canoe Paddle

It seems as though the increasing lack of sun, this time of year, has a huge effect on me.  Now, I know my family members who are reading this are saying, "ya think?!".  Maybe I see it more clearly because I'm more mature and last year, I was able to recognize the peeps who truly support me.  Having that support has made a world of difference because I can trust that when I'm having a tough day, they'll be honest with me and they know who I really am.  They know that my struggle is not who I am and that I need a bit more of their support through the bumps in the road.

I've experienced some wonderful progress with my health and I'm incredibly grateful that I never gave up hope.  I had a choice.  I could have continued to be put down, no believed, and be taking prescription drugs with all the side effects.  With that choice I'd probably be laying in bed 6-7 days a week needing my family to make me meals, manage my pills and lose all my independence.  Come to think of it, if I had continued with the recommendations of mainstream medicine, I'd have a nifty colostomy bag to be changed on a regular basis too.

My other choice could have been to stop seeing any doctor and stop my search for a healthy life.  If I had gone down that road, there's a chance I'd be in a padded room with locked doors and a purse for my colostomy bag called fido.  I'd also have severe pain all over my body and a wheelchair.

I chose to hold onto hope, searching for someone or a group to guide me toward a healthy life.  I'm now fibro-flare free, my trigger points have calmed down, my digestion is improving and I recently had enough stamina to have four 'normal' days in a row.  Each day, I was able to get up, make breakfasts, lunches, drive the kids to school, housework, paperwork, cook lunch, cook dinner, enjoy my family and not once did my body need to lay down.   This is a huge change from my body screaming at me every couple of hours to go lay down.  The fatigue and pain were so great it brought tears to my eyes.  The excitement bubbles up in me when I think about how I've found the road that leads me to a sustainable healthy life.

One area that needs some attention is how my body reacts to diminishing sunlight.  It's a good thing I don't live in those areas of the world that are dark for months.  I'd go bat bleep crazy! I've been feeling tugs of sadness here and there.  I notice and take note, but today, the waterworks began.  I know what this means because it's a pattern that accompanies the winter months.  Hand-in-hand like best friends frolicking through the fields…of cold and snow.  They seem to be very happy together but I feel
terrible.  My emotions go from upset to concerned to angry to sad to embarrassed to full-out ugly blubbering.  Sometimes all within an hour.  It's quite exhausting ta' boot!  Today has felt as though I got whacked by a canoe paddle, on an emotional level.

Have I mentioned my doctor?  The great Naturopathic doctor…Dr. Bier.  If I haven't said it in the bunch of posts prior, I have the best doctor.  He hears me, he listens, we're partners on my healing journey.  I saw him today and we are taking action with the winter blues pattern.  I am confident that this challenge will also be one that I can look back on and smile because of how much I grew and learned from it.

It's sometimes difficult to share the truth about chronic illness, but I think it is much more important to share the not-so-pretty parts to help people understand the hidden struggles we go through.  I also share to remind others with chronic illness that they are not alone and to remind myself and others to keep an eye out for the gifts.

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Today's Struggle

The Struggles of Today

Are The

Wisdom of Tomorrow

We are all in this together!  Every person knows sorrow but does every person know joy?  Take the gifts of the challenges and turn them into gold!

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!

Terri

No Struggles, Just Opportunities

We're seeing and experiencing more struggles, around us than ever before.  I just watched a movie, Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview and was pleased to see that there are others like me.  I believe that what others may define as hardship, pain, struggle or a crappy week are indications of change.  Knowing this, we have the choice to anticipate how we want to move through the inevitable changes.  They don't just go away.  As we know, putting off change because of fear or denial doesn't actually eliminate the shifts we must make.  We are evolutionary beings living in an ever changing world.  What makes us think we are all powerful; finding a place of contentment and keeping it that way for the rest of our lives?  The only constant in life is change.  Knowing this, we have the ability to cooperate with change instead of challenge it.

Lets look at the struggle.  The movie I mentioned above showed that we are experiencing 66% more natural disasters now than we did in the year 2000.  That's only 13 years for such a huge change in disasters.  Weather…(oops, just cracked myself up) Whether we are looking at the cause being global warming or Mother Earth trying to communicate with us, the fact of the matter is that these disasters are continuing to happen.  Sometimes things get shaken up to wake people up.  Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, etc.  The world is way out of balance.  All these things as well as the current state of society contribute to the chaos we're feeling, the day-to-day challenges we're facing and the difficult decisions we're having to make.


Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them"  Here's our chance to take on a new perspective of the problems we are facing.  What if there were a way for us to reverse global warming?  Would you run out and take action if there were a way to save our civilization?  Maybe that example is too big.  Try this.  What if your chronic illness was a way of your body telling you that you have emerging gifts that could bless those around you?  Would you treat yourself differently?  Would you expect to be treated with respect by the nay-sayers?

Do we as a world have the courage to look at things differently?  If so, I believe we will see that these struggles are opportunities to learn, grow and change with the ever flowing oceans, the ever turning planets and the ever burning sun.  We are surrounded by action and motion.

Just the word 'opportunity' creates a feeling of joy and possibility.  It awakens our curiosity, like a child exploring the woods in the back yard.  Adults can question the world, be curious and explore.  There is nothing keeping us from looking at what is going on all around us and seeing possibility for something new and intriguing.  Aren't you just a little bit curious?

Thanks for reading forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Sharing The Chores

There was no way I could keep up with cleaning and management of the household while healing my body.  I enjoy living in a simplistic and clean home.  My ideal living environment would be a totally Zen'd out open floor plan with very little stuff.  The few pieces of furniture and things would be functional and art pieces with meaning.

Since I live in a three bedroom, one bath Ranch with my husband and triplets, I'll settle for clean and organized.  It became quite painful and exhausting, trying to keep up with the accumulating stuff.  There's the dirty dishes, laundry, dust, school bags, shoes, mail, projects (mostly mine), electronics with cords for charging and the ever floating remotes.  Aarrrggggggh!

I've adopted a new phrase, Divide and Conquer.  Now, I don't think the original intention of that phrase has anything to do with creating a livable home, but that's how I'm going to define it.  Everyone pitches in…well almost everyone, but I'll get back to that later.

Everyone knows what they are responsible for when it comes to upkeep of our home.  My son has dishes on Sunday's, my youngest daughter has dishes on Mondays, Ray does them on Tuesdays and so on.  Some of the chores are specifically done for the weekly allowance and some are done because we all must pitch in to keep a nice home.  So that brings me back to the comment about…well almost everyone.  My son is saving up for a laptop for High School and my oldest daughter doesn't like chores, so they both capitalized on their situations.  He does her chores and gets her allowance.  Everyone's happy.

What I didn't expect from all of us contributing our gifts, talents and time to creating a nice space to live in, was the shift in everyone's actions.  We are using less dishes, every day, because no one likes to do them.  The less they use, the fewer dishes we have.  Cups are being reused throughout the day, a sandwich needs no plate and my son has joked about trying to figure out how to not dirty something for soup.  The family members are putting there things away more often than not because they may be the person chosen to clean that room on Saturday.  The leftovers in the fridge are being eaten more often now because no one wants to cook with a pan…it would have to be washed.

We have turned out to be a Reuse, Reduce, Recycle family.  I'm so proud of us!!!  Now, if I could get them all to help me build a tiny home from all recycled materials, that'd be awesome!

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

I love finding information about what may help us get better.  I stumbled across this and felt compelled to share.

I sure hope this helps!

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

My First Day Tai Chi'ing

My doctor heard me when I explained that exercise has always allowed me to tap into some energy.  Ever since High School, I've been doing some sort of cardio exercise.  It seemed to me that if I didn't sweat, I wasn't getting much out of the task of exercising my body.  I used it as a cleansing of both body and mind; allowing my soul to see clearly.

At my sickest, I pushed myself to get out and run or something between a walk, wobble and jog.  Even in the winter months I'd force myself to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, bundle up and get out the door.

Exercise seemed to be all I had left in my hopes to overcome the debilitating effects of fibromyalgia.  Other doctors told me to stop because it was too hard on my body, but I couldn't risk handing over the last hope I had.  Dr. Bier heard me.  He told me to continue to jog, if that's what made me feel better.  He also suggested that I use a martial arts to build and strengthen my chi (life energy).

I ran for another two weeks after Dr. Bier's advice and then I noticed the urge to push myself wasn't as strong.  There was definitely a shift going on in my consciousness and my body. Then last week I decided to go on youtube to try a beginner's Tai Chi class.

It was frustrating at first because the pace was much slower than my general day-to-day pace.  I took this as a sign to slow down even more…consciously.  I followed the instructions, allowed a flow of the movements and caught myself wanting to do a Tai Chi version of Americanized Vinyasa Yoga.  I taught this yoga for many years.  It flows from one movement to the next, connecting the breath to the movement and it can move quickly.  I held back from changing the Tai Chi I was learning.  It occurred to me that this ancient martial art has lasted through the generations and studies have shown that it is of great benefit for the flow of energy.

I'll need to work on being in the moment no matter how fast or slow the moments come.  I spent a great deal of time learning the movements and being in my head most of the time.  I'm sure with practice, the movements will be second nature and my brain will have the opportunity to get out of the way.

Surprisingly, I had normal achy muscles the next day.  I give Tai Chi one and a half thumbs up.  The half of thumb is only my hesitation to make it part of my routine.

With time, I'm sure I'll be Tai Chi'ing at least three times a week.

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

My Hair Follicles Hurt

Fibromyalgia is such a strange syndrome.  Pain bounces from one part of the body to another.  It hurts to be hugged at times.  My fillings ache on occasion.  There are even times when my eyesight becomes blurry.  I own a pair of glasses just for these incidences.

I woke up today with a massive cowlick.  I gently crawled out of bed, coercing my feet to cooperate with my legs and when I slowly passed by the mirror, I saw the aftermath of whatever turmoil caused my restless sleep.  First of all, I take five different sleep aids to tame the midnight jogs with my eyes closed.  My guess is that last night, if I wasn't jogging, maybe I was dreaming about being at a head banging concert.  Or maybe just dreaming about my hair being licked by a cow.  Just one area on the top of my head, toward the back, was standing on end.  With long hair, that is quite a task to achieve.  It stood about three inches up then the rest of the strands bent and cascaded downward…and not in the pretty way.

I stopped at the mirror and ran my hands through my hair, trying to look less frightening…or would that be frightened?  As my fingers gently touched my head, I felt the sensation of something yanking on my hair.  Thinking that my ring may have gotten tangled, I went to take off the ring that I removed a day prior.  I tried to just pat down the craziest parts when shooting pain scurried through my scalp.  I was able to touch the ends of my hair with no pain, but anywhere near the scalp was feeling like a full out hair pulling cat fight.

There are many symptoms of my fibromyalgia that I have not experienced in over 6 months.  The extreme body aches, loss of the mobility in my legs, extreme exhaustion, brain fog, etc.  Dr. Bier, through exam, tells me that there is improvement in my health and I have a long way to go to reach a healthy status.  It's one thing to hear him give me the good news of improvement, but just the slightest bit of improvement makes me feel really healthy.

I'm grateful that my body is communicating what Dr. Bier is reporting as well.  I may have improvement, and the reminders for me are these small signs of "not there yet".  My crazy painful follicles are a wonderful sign telling me to continue to take it easy, follow the healing plan and keep listening.


Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!

Terri

I've Been Raving About This Doctor! Listen and Find Out Why.

Living&Thriving:Guest Dr Bier,Naturopathic & Acupuncturist 05/23 by Rustie | Lifestyle Podcasts

Dr. Bier's Website

A Blip on the Radar

Today, 14 of our friends and relatives helped us move my mother-in-law's belongings from her apartment to our garage.  Over the last 3 weeks, my husband, kids and I have been packing the apartment, organizing and cleaning to prepare for today.  I was impressed that it took only 30 minutes to fill 7 cars with boxes and furniture.  One trip and we finished.

Although, I began to get overwhelmed with the process going so quickly, I experienced no fibro pain.  When I realized this, it occurred to me that we're well into November.  For the last few years, once the fall hit, the pain crept in.  My legs ached, my hips hurt, I got shooting pain in my back and my shoulders burned.  Lately, I've been out of bed more often than I've been in.  This must mean, PROGRESS with my healing!

A week ago, I felt some pain in my hips and my shoulder popped out of the socket while I was sleeping.  This happened last winter also.  While sound asleep, I roll from my back to my side and as I roll onto my shoulder, the joint dislocates…and it hurts; waking me from a deep sleep.  I usually have to focus on breathing calmly and relaxing my shoulder to coax it back into place.  My Rheumatologist told me I have lose joints.  It doesn't sound like a medical diagnosis, but it is a bit strange.  Over the years, once these symptoms flared up in the cooler weather, the avalanche of fibromyalgia symptoms grew.  Summers are easiest for me when it comes to fibro, but it seems as though this year is different.  Other than this little blip on my fibro radar, there's no avalanche.

After a day of packing, I would tell my husband that I'll be paying for all the effort, lifting and moving for the next week, but there was no consequence to my increased activity.

I'm noticing some improvement in my health and I'm grateful.  I'm also glad that I have a doctor who can give me a clearer picture of my overall level of health.  As someone who has learned to acclimate  to moving through life with extremely low energy, when I have a drip of energy, it feels like I could leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Dr. Bier brings me down to reality and helps me see that, yes, there has been improvement, and to continue to hold back on any leaping of buildings.  I have a long way to go to build my energy stores and repair damage to my body's systems.

There really is something to say about learning what works for you and doing it no matter what!

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

My Interview with the Wonderful +Julie Ryan

I was asked to share my story with Julie Ryan.  Learn more about Julie, her blog and the the interview I did with her.

Interview Link


+Julie Ryan thank you for this wonderful experience!


Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Cherish the Good Days, Bless the Challenging Days

Whether the days are labeled good or bad, they are all for our greater good

Challenges motivate us to grow

Allow the first signs of challenge to communicate that a shift will happen.  

Resist, evoking pain and suffering or allow, evoking grace.

Work on wiping away the perception of competition and war, open up to healing and inspiration

Once we are grateful for the bad days, their power evaporates and transforms to good

There has been an air of laughter, friendship and fun in our house.  I find myself listening with a smile and a warm heart.  The triplets have schoolmates over.  What was once an overwhelming and anxiety provoking situation, is now a cherished time.  Five years ago, the thought of having birthday parties or friends at our house was more than I could handle.  The noise and constant flow of energized kids was too much for my fibro-ridden body to process.  Today, my senses are calmed by the joy and playfulness flowing through our home.  Although, not all is peaceful, with life's daily challenges trying to consume us like a cancer, there is a sense of peace.  

Everything's Gonna Be Alright-Bob Marley

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!

Terri