As I mentioned briefly in my turnout post, I’ve been struggling this last little bit. I can tell I’ve been shutting myself down and withdrawing quite a bit even from my family who mean everything to me. I thought the two day breather would help get me back on the horse but I’ve realized that I’m still not quite ready. Some new and somewhat symptoms have shown up this week which in themselves make it difficult to write. I’ve been trying to use braces and/or ice packs but with little relief. I see my pain management Dr tomorrow and I see my rheumatologist on Monday and hopefully he can make some sense out of everything. I am praying that he does as if we continue in this ‘I’m not sure what else we can do for you rut,’ I’m not sure how I’m going to maintain. I feel like I’be just fallen apart in the last week. I’ve had to spend my days almost entirely in bed so while I am glad that I have the option to rest now when I need, I did anticipate feeling well enough to keep the house clean, dinner on the table, and time to play in the yard until it got dark. But I don’t have it. Maybe I will one day. I keep reminding myself that i cannot expect to feel fully restored and suddenly have no pain or fatigue since I am not working but at least some improvement would be nice. I have a dear friend who as made this move herself and she reminded me that it may take up to 3 months before my body begins to feel restored and fully nourished as I had been rinning on empty for too long and now that i have the chance to slow down, it will take awhile to get that back.  It was what I really needed to hear.

Between all of this drama, we have a special event in our family happening this weekend! Abby is turning 4 on Saturday!! Can you believe it? Her party will be the following weekend so we will have family in town so we’ve got quite a bit on our list to be ready for Mermaid birthday bash!

So to save my mental health and to be able to focus more on our family during the events throughout the next week, I will be taking the next week off from writing! I really wanted to finish out the HAWMC with WeGo Health but I gave it a good run and really enjoying participating in it again this year. I just need this next week for myself and my family. I plan on working on some things behind the scenes and I’ll still be around on Twitter and IG as I get all of the party decorations pulled together for her party.  Still feel free to contact me if you need me!

Thank you guys for your continued support and your endless encouragement that you give me each and every day. You all mean so much. Can we just all get close to our screens so we can have a big group hug? Seriously guys, I love you and I will be seeing you in a week! With pictures from all the birthday festivities!

Hugs & pain-free wishes,

P.S. I will post one more time in the morning to announce the winner of the MIRA Stainless Steel BPA-free snack containers tomorrow so be sure that you entered!

The post Taking Some Time Off appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Day 24 prompt: Create a Pinterest board for your health focus & share!

It is no secret that I am a complete Pinterest addict and I have found it to be especially helpful in organizing ways to benefit my life with chronic illness! Today’s prompt was a needed kick-in-the-tail to get it organized and I actually split my board into multiple boards so that I can better find my pins in relation to category such as Advice, Encouragement, & Support or Products That Make Life Easier. I hate searching through fifty pins to find the one I’m looking for so I’ve found that reorganizing my boards into more specific categories has made things much easier!

Three of my favorite latest pins are:

10 Ways to Stay Organized with Chronic Illness

image via the Novel Patient

Romantic Ideas for a Chronically Ill Wife to Romance Her Husband

image via Rest Ministries

Get-Well Cookies in Jar

image via Sugar Dot Cookies

Do you have chronic illness or health-related boards on Pinterest? Leave a link! I’d love to follow you!

The post Pinterest & Chronic Illness appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Day 22 prompt: Write about the things you couldn’t live without – list things you love or need the most.

1.Jesus – There is absolutely no way I could make it every day living with chronic illness without the knowledge that my Creator was right there with me in the midst of it. I am thankful to serve a personal Savior who does not stand off at a distance but right beside me and knowing that gives me the strength to press on. Knowing that I can hold tight to the promise that the Lord has plans for me beyond the pain gives me hope beyond what I can express in words.

2. My family – I could not ask for a more wonderful and supportive family. My husband is my biggest advocate and support. I know it is difficult as there are times where he feels helpless to do anything to make me feel better but just knowing that he is there fighting alongside of me means so much. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to have to see your spouse wheeled back to surgery yet he has had to go through it six times already and every time he is right there with me. My entire family is extremely supportive and for that I am very lucky. I think my dad spent more time researching gluten-free options at Disney than I did and it really touches my heart.

3. Coke - Hi, my name is Jamee and I am a Coca-Cola addict. I don’t know what it is about the stuff but I am addicted. I know its bad for me (have you seen the pin on Pinterest where Coke can clean a toilet overnight? why hasn’t that scared me?!) but I just haven’t been able to quit. There are worse addictions out there right? (humor me)

4. Leroy Jethro Gibbs - I’ll be the first to admit that this hasn’t been my favorite season so far but I still need my Gibbs fix. I mean, who doesn’t want to look at this:

Tumblr source

5. My TENS Unit – I have sang its praises before but let me just remind you of how awesome it is. It is worth every penny. I had a vicious migraine last evening and using my TENs and an ice pack worked great. I’ve always just used it mostly for lower back and pelvic pain until my chiropractor’s office showed me how to use it for migraines. Magic. Pure magic.

6. Hard Candy Correction Creme - It seems that BB cremes are all the rage these days so when I went shopping last week I browsed the beauty section and came across this brand’s creme. I have always been pleased with Hard Candy products in the past and for $8 it was hard to beat. I was not disappointed! It helps even my skin tone and brighten my complexion when I don’t feel like wearing makeup (which is often these days). I also love that it has SPF! I can put this one and a quick coat of mascara and feel much more put together which I have learned makes a big difference!

7. Zofran - Another miracle. It works so much better for controlling nausea. Why does insurance not want to cover it though? Anyone else have experience getting insurance to want to pay for it?

8. My Blog Planner – I have tried various ways to try to stay organized and this Blog Planner by Click It Up A Notch has been the best by far at helping me stay on top of my game. Simply amazing and steal at $12.

Those are eight of the things I am loving right now – what are some of yours? What should I be checking out?

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Day 20: Write about burnout. What does it feel like? What are your triggers? What gets you OUT of the pit of despair when nothing is going your way? 

This prompt came at the perfect time as I have really been struggling with burnout the last couple days. Blogging every day for a month is hard y’all! But more than blogging burnout, it is difficult to not get burned out living every day with chronic illness. The pain is not only physically taxing but is also a major drain on you mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

The last two days I have just been maxed out and needed to take a step back. I sat in front of the computer screen on Thursday for what seemed like eternity and just watched the cursor blink on the screen. I stared at the prompt given by WeGo and as much as I tried to come up with something, I just had nothing to offer.

Physically, I am still trying to adjust to life without work. My first week off was spent running after Abby with Lysol and a bucket as she struggled with a stomach virus. Thankfully she is doing much better which has allowed me to focus more time on resting, especially since my endometriosis has seemed to be flaring more than usual. Sleep has been fleeting so I feel more fatigued which seems to exacerbate my pain (which makes it harder to sleep and the cycle continues).

Mentally and emotionally, I feel checked out. The reality of not working hasn’t fully set in and I’m still working on not feeling guilty for spending most of my day resting. I feel like I should be doing something else. I question the reality of my pain. I wonder if I’m doing something wrong. I worry that the pain will become too much to carry.

To escape the burnout, I had to take a step back from writing for the challenge and take a breather. I really wanted to achieve 30 posts in 30 days but I had to give myself permission to step away. I needed to not think about life with chronic illness for while. I don’t have a choice about living with it so I allowed myself some time where I didn’t have to focus on it. Instead I watched some Ghost Hunters, browsed Pinterest, caught up on my blog reading, and worked on plans for Abby’s birthday party. I did some behind the scenes work on the blog (have you checked out my updated About Me page?) which helped me feel like I was being productive without focusing on illness.

Taking a step back and working on some self-care has definitely made a difference and I feel more refreshed mentally and emotionally. When I sat down to write, I felt much more at ease and have a better perspective on my life and my goals with writing in the WeGo Health challenge. Through some of my seminary classes, I feel like I have been able to learn about burnout and steps to take to both prevent it and recover from it as well as learning to be more in tune with my body and my own personal triggers throughout my journey with illness.

What are your signs of burnout? What are some ways that you practice self-care to either prevent it or recover from it? 

The post Burnout appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Congratulations to Brooke! You are the winner!

As a parent of a preschooler, keeping snacks on hand at all times is a must. Pre-packaged snacks are convenient but can be full of junk and more expensive. Abby’s current favorite snacks are apple slices and grapes so I definitely want to encourage that kind of snacking as much as possible!

In addition to keeping a hungry preschooler at bay, with my food allergies and current gastroparesis issues, I have to be much more mindful when I am out and about and keeps food on hand that my system can actually tolerate. I am awful about not thinking before I go somewhere and end up hungry with nothing to eat.

Between the two of us, I am always on the look out for great snack containers to keep in our bag and was happy to test out MIRA stainless steel BPA-free containers!

About the product:
-Made of unlined 18/8 food-grade stainless steel
-Non-toxic lids made of LDPE number 4 plastic
-Free of BPA, phthalates, PVC and lead
-Reusable

I was very pleased with the product! They cleaned up well and the lids stayed on tightly (which is great when being tossed around in a preschooler’s backpack). I loved that they kept grapes and fruit nice and cold! I also felt good knowing that they were free of yuckies.

Now it is your turn to win to your own set of BPA-free stainless steal containers from MIRA! To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite snack to pack in your bag! That’s it!

***Disclosure: I was provided a set of these snack containers by Mira Brand for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% my own***

The post Snack Time! MIRA Containers Review & Giveaway *Closed* appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Day 19: Post a vintage picture of yourself with a caption about the photo and where you were in terms of your health condition.

This picture was taken the week before my hysterectomy in 2008! John and I had our pictures taken at a nearby botanical garden by a special friend to use for our adoption profile! Almost five years to the day of this post, we were attending our first adoption seminar and now we are a week away from our daughter’s fourth birthday! The week before my surgery, I was so nervous about what to expect and worried about how it would affect my life with endometriosis. We didn’t quite get the results we were hoping for but I am thankful for these photos as they give me the opportunity to look back and be thankful for the good times surrounding my surgery.

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What Keeps Me Fighting:

The post Wordless Wednesday: What Keeps Me Fighting appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

It is finally time to answer all of the Ask Me Anything questions you all asked! Wow, you guys did not take it easy on me at all! These were some good ones!

Alicia asked:

How can others support you as you begin considering a ministry to others with chronic illness? What resources could we help provide? How specifically can we pray for you with this?

Thank you so much for your support as I pray about this endeavor! I definitely want to put a lot of prayer and preparation into building this ministry as I do not consider it something to be taken lightly. I ask for prayer for not only myself but for the community as God would go before even the first meeting and prepare the hearts of those who will take part. Lisa Copen’s book How to Start A Chronic Illness Small Group Ministry has provided a wonderful foundation and I plan to follow the HopeKeepers model that is a part of Rest Ministries. My goal is to start the local ministry this fall!

Also, any advice for someone, like me, who wants to blog more but struggles to find prompts, time, etc.

This is a struggle for me too! I think being a part of a blogging community, like SITS, is a great way to find blogging support. I know that they are a big part of why I continue to blog! If you check out my blogging resources page, I have listed my favorite sites and ebooks that I have found helpful over the years. I have also found Pinterest to be a HUGE resource in finding ways to organize my blogging and better manage my time as well as find endless prompts and writing tips. I have a list of my blogging pin boards on my resource page as well! I am working with another blogger to start a Bloggers Book Club (where we will work through various blogging books as a group) so keep an eye out for more information as it comes!

Mary Fran asked:

Maybe this is too big of a question, but how do you hold on to your faith through the pain?

This is definitely a big one but it is a big part of my journey and a big part of why I blog. I grew up in a church where you didn’t ask questions (especially not God) so when I started struggling with chronic illness, I had a hard time trying to figure out how to balance my faith and my illness. I had to figure out how suffering and pain fit in with my understanding of who God is. Was my illness part of God’s will? More importantly, did He cause me to be sick? I wrestled with this question for some time. Thankfully I had professors and a peer group that helped me work through it (I was working a chaplain intern at a hospital when everything hit the fan so to speak). In my journey, I came to the place where I accepted that I would not always have the answers and that was ok. Instead I could trust in the character of God and His promises. I don’t believe that He willed me to be sick but I do think He gives me the choice of how to respond to my sickness. I can either allow it to make me bitter and shut down or I can choose to find a way to honor Him through it. Being conscious of that choice helps me hold onto my faith even through the darkest times. It doesn’t mean that I don’t struggle or get angry because I totally do. Its during those times that I cling to His promises even tighter.

The Norwegian Girl asked:

What is your biggest dream in life?

That is such a tough question! One of my biggest dreams came to life when I became a mom. During our infertility struggles, I was not sure it was ever gong to happen so when they placed Abby in my arms, my greatest dream became a reality. Outside of that, I think my biggest dream is to grow A New Kind of Normal into a full-scale chronic illness ministry!

Alisha asked:

I know you were blessed with a daughter through adoption (I actually have 2 adopted siblings, so I understand the gift of adoption) but is it hard to not be able to be pregnant and carry a child inside of you for 9 months? How do you deal with it?

I am incredibly blessed to be a mom through adoption. I could not love Abby any more if she had come from my body. But I would be lying if I said that I did not still grieve the loss of my fertility and the inability to carry a child. It still hurts very much. My family seems to be very fertile (I’m the only one in my generation that I know of that has struggled to get pregnant) so I feel like an outsider at times. I think my hysterectomy was much harder on me mentally and emotionally than it was physically. My scar is a permanent reminder of what will never be. Everyone jokes about how you always get pregnant after you adopt and knowing that even the greatest amount of  medical intervention would allow me to experience pregnancy hurts. The way I deal with it is that I recognize my loss and give myself permission to grieve when necessary. Grieving my loss of fertility does not mean that I love Abby any less or that I am not thankful for her. It took me awhile to accept that. The sting has gotten less and the moments of grief occur less often as time goes by but I don’t think it will ever go away completely. It is now a part of my story and hopefully being able to help others who are traveling a similar journey will help give my pain purpose.

Cheryl asked:

How are you telling people about the leave decision and filing for disability? I find it hard and feel like I get this “slacker” look from folks when I say the pain leaves me in bed much of the time and all I can mangage is a small bit of writing….probably b/c so many people abuse the system which makes it harder for those who truly need the help.

I completely understand what you mean. I have been more vocal about my decision to pursue disability online than I have in person. I did have some “but you don’t look sick” comments from individuals at work when they heard about my medical leave but those close to me knew the truth. I think my surgical history (and my recurrent hospitalizations last summer) maybe made it a little easier for some to understand. I do think the abuse of the system makes it harder on those who really need it to not only get the help they need but receive the validation about the reality of their illness. I am not hiding my decision to file for disability but I’m not sharing many of the details. At this point in my journey, I need support not criticism and judgement.

Thank you to everyone who left questions! I really enjoyed it! As always, if you have other questions or want to chat, please feel free to email me or contact me via Twitter or Facebook!

The post Your Ask Me Anything Questions Answered! appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

For day 15 of the HAWMC, WeGo Health paired up participants to guests on each other’s blogs! I was very excited when I saw this prompt! I love meeting other bloggers and giving them a chance to share their story and teach us a thing or two about keeping hope in spite of illness here at A New Kind of Normal! I was paired up with Bola who blogs over at RealityNibs.com! You can also find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook! Please give her a warm welcome and be sure to check out her blog! 

Last year at the end of the 2012 Blog Challenge, I told Wego Health that it would be nice to have a prompt which required each Health Activist to interact with other participants in some way. So, when I had the option of doing just that this year, I jumped at the opportunity. I even requested to be paired with a blogger who has fibromyalgia!

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Day 14 prompt: Thank a few of your fellow health activists for what they have done.

As I have said numerous times, words cannot express my gratitude for the support and encouragement I have found through the online health community. Through the blogging and twitter community, I have been able to meet some amazing people and develop friendships that I cherish very deeply. I continue to be inspired by fellow warriors tenacity and dedication to stay positive in spite of illness and to do everything they can to raise awareness and educate about their illnesses.

If I were to list every blogger that has had an impact on my life, I would be writing for weeks. These are just a handful of activists that continue to make a difference not only in my life but in the online community:

Chronically Creative: I had the opportunity to “meet” Emily several years ago and I continue to be inspired by her faith and her positive outlook on life. Her baking posts make me drool all over my keyboard so if you are really hungry, you may want to grab a snack before visiting her site! Her mission in blogging is to “live creatively in spite of illness and hope to empower and encourage you to live a creative life whatever your circumstances” which I love. She runs a Random Acts of Blogging Kindness program which is amazing and I have been personally blessed through this ministry that she has created! She truly has a heart for others and her love of Christ is evident in all that she does.

Felicia Fibro – Life with Fibromyalgia, Empowered – Felicia’s blog is not only a great source of inspiration, it is a great source for resources about living a full life in spite of fibromyalgia. She has created a great list of resources for those newly diagnosed with fibro and I have referenced her blog several times for tips for traveling which are helpful for anyone with chronic illness. She is a huge advocate for fibromyalgia patients and stays on top of research and developments in treatments. She is such a source of encouragement and has helped support me through challenging moments in my journey.

I’m On My Way – C.C. is most definitely my sister from another mister! We have so much in common from our time as hospital chaplains to our love of Gibbs! I am truly a better person because she has come into my life! She is such an inspiration. She is a true woman of God and a true prayer warrior. She is also crazy talented with a pair of knitting needles! She and her family are getting ready to embark on a new segment of their journey in Scotland!

Hope Whispers – I had the honor of crossing paths with Kim several years ago and she has been such a blessing. She is always quick to offer a word of comfort and support. She has Budd Chiari Syndrome which is a rare liver disorder and is currently waiting for a liver transplant. Through her story, my eyes have been opened to everything involved in the transplant process and while I have always been an organ donor, her story and her advocacy has made it more personal and that much stronger of a decision. You can support her journey towards her transplant by purchasing a Hope for Kim bracelet!

 Photo from Hope Whispers

The Diane Story -  I would not have been able to pull off this year’s Blogging for Endometriosis Awareness campaign without the help of Diane! She is a huge advocate for endometriosis awareness as well as chronic illness awareness in general. She has a strong faith and shares a passion to find a way to glorify God in spite of illness!

If you were asked to pick two bloggers to be recognized for their efforts to raise awareness and advocate for chronic illness, who would you name?

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