B. Best Friend? Tough call between John, Mama, or my Charlie

C. Cake or pie? Hands down cake! I love a good pie but man, I love love love cake! Especially with buttercream frosting! Yum!

D. Day of choice? Wednesdays – Ghost Hunters premieres in 2 days

E. Essential Item? Laptop.

F. Favorite color? Pink or Black

G. Gummy bears or worms? worms for sure!

H. Hometown? Rome, NY was where I was born but I grew up in Covington, VA so I would consider that my hometown,

I. Favorite Indulgence? mani/pedi

J. January or July? July since we get some time to be away!

K. Kids? 1 adorable little girl!

L. Life isn’t complete without? Jesus

M. Marriage date? 5/21/05

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 brother and 1 sister (and yes I was the middle child)

O. Oranges or Apples.  Apples! Granny Smith please

P. Phobias? Spiders! Ack!

Q. Quotes:

R. Reasons to smile?  There are so many…the love of my Savior & Creator, my amazing family, even though things have been really tough physically the last two days I am here and breathing!

S. Season of choice? Fall! By far my favorite!

T. Tag 5 People.  Brooke  Diane Emily Kim  The Norwegian Girl

U. Unknown fact about me? I had my heart set on attending another college and only made a campus visit to this one to satisfy my parents and be able to tell the school I didn’t like them and to quit calling. It backfired on me. I fell in love with it! Two years later I met me husband there!

V. Vegetable? Do potatoes count as vegetables?

W. Worst habit? When I get anxious I destroy my nails. Absolutely destroy them! I’ve considered getting tips done just to help protect them but currently I cannot justify that expense

X. Xray or Ultrasound? I’ve had so many of those bad boys in the last year I probably glow green

Y. Your favorite food? Italian!

Z. Zodiac sign? Libra!

Okay, now it is your turn to do the Alphabet Meme!  Either answer the questions on your blog and come back and leave me a link or answer in the comments! I would love to hear your answers!

The post Old School Blogging, June Edition appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

I could not have been more wrong.

I knew the fight for disability would be tough, especially SSI. I thought that my private short-term disability would be smooth, my private long-term disability would be a challenge, and SSI would be a battle. Two things surprised me right out of the gate. The good surprise was finding a lawyer who wanted to represent my case right off the bat. The bad surprise was the unexpected pushback from my short-term policy. i have had this policy for many years and have worked with them on many occasions but have never had any type of difficulties. It is so hard to not completely freak out as it is so overwhelming and is obviously a very big deal. The logical part of me wants to curl up in the corner rocking in the fetal position but the other part of me wants to take a deep breath and trust that God is in control. I knew upfront that the decision to pursue disability was a leap of faith. I felt with everything in me that God was leading me to take that step and I still feel like He is leading the way. Is it incredibly scary? Abso-freaking-lutely. All I can do right now is cling to His promises and know that He is in control and He is faithful to provide.

I also had the understanding that medical leave wouldn’t completely alleviate my symptoms but I had expected a quicker adjustment to being at home. I thought that I would definitely notice a relatively immediate decline in the chronic fatigue that I had been experiencing while I was working. I knew that my pain wouldn’t disappear but maybe it would become a little more manageable. What I wasn’t prepared for was a new diagnosis. Earlier in the year I had been experiencing some numbness and tingling in the outer portions of my hands and feet on occasion. Because it was symmetrical, my rheumatologist concluded that it was likely a manifestation of my fibromyalgia. Right before Abby’s birthday, the numbness and tingling had spread to my entire hands and feet and had definitely begun to interfere with my daily life. When I was driving, I constantly felt like I needed to shake my hands and feet awake. I struggled with typing (which was one of the reasons for my time off from blogging last month) and I had issues with my grip opening doors and jars. It was definitely very alarming. After consulting my pain management doctor and my rheumatologist, I was given the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy and we started treating it with Cymbalta. Thankfully after four weeks of treatment, I have experienced a significant decline in symptoms. Hallelujah! A treatment that works right off the bat! I was due for one of those! It has also had a positive impact on the joint and muscle pain related to my fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, my pelvic pain and nausea have been crippling but you’ve got to focus on the good things in life right?

Then there is the writing. I’m not sure what is going on there. I thought that once I was home full-time that I would be completely uninhibited and that the words would just flow through my fingers. I have had so many things going through my mind but when I sit down to write, I feel like I just stare endlessly at the blinking cursor on the screen. It is like I have a brick wall in my mind. Words cannot express how ready I am for Type A Conference! Only 112 days! I really need some refreshment and revitalization!

I think the main thing with all of these concerns is the struggle to rediscover my identity in this new chapter in life. I’m no longer a working mom. After our trip to the beach in two weeks, Abby will be with a sitter three days a week through the summer so I am looking forward to (but a little nervous) about taking on a more SAHM role. I’ve never done it so I am a little worried about not being able to fill the shoes I have created for myself. I love Pinterest but man can it put some unrealistic expectations about motherhood in your head. Can I get an amen to that?

There have definitely been a lot of changes in my life and I’m sure there are more to come and while I am a little apprehensive, I am also a little excited. It is an opportunity for discovery and growth as a mom and a wife and more importantly as an individual (which I think sometimes we as women tend to overlook). Here is to discovering a new kind of normal!

image source

The post Rediscovering Me appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Five years ago, on May 30th, I had a total hysterectomy at the age of 26.

I remember the anxiety of signing paperwork stating that I understood that the  surgery would make me permanently incapable of bearing children and cause me to have to redefine my womanhood. I remember the way my husband held my hand as we walked into the hospital at 5:45am. I remember the way I felt so loved and supported as I had a prayer shawl made by the ladies at church wrapped around me up until the moment surgery began and was placed back around me when I woke up in recovery. I remember the fears that overwhelmed me the moment the nurse said it was time to go. And I remember the look in my husband’s eyes as he held me and kissed me one last time as they took me away.

This surgery was completely life changing. While I don’t think I completely understood just how much it was going to impact me emotionally and spiritually, I had done everything possible in order to feel prepared for what was going to follow. I had done tons of research and had many conversations with my doctors. I joined a forum so that I could talk to others who had completed the surgery or were scheduled. Everything was set up for me to be out of work. I bought cute pajamas and had a bag packed with the necessities for the hospital. We had the house cleaned and set up to help me be more comfortable when I got home. I felt prepared. I like order and structure so it meant a lot to me to plan and feel at least somewhat in control.

One year ago, on May 30th, I felt like I lost all sense of control as I was rocked by emergency surgery.

I remember feeling off when my alarm went off for work. I remember taking Abby to school and praying that I would be able to make it through the day. I remember sitting at my desk knowing that I wouldn’t. I remember crawling into bed two hours later praying that the pain would stop. I remember the moment I realized something was seriously wrong as I laid on my bathroom floor. I remember three amazing women who took shifts staying by my side for the next eight hours in the ER as we waited for answers. I remember the six people it took to start an IV (and praying for large amounts of drugs) and waiting outside the CT room terrified of what they were going to find. I remember a doctor walking into my room in a bow-tie telling me that I was in serious condition and was going to be admitted to the hospital because of a bowel obstruction. Less than 48 hours later he would tell me that I would be in surgery in less than an hour. I remember one of my girls dropping everything to make phone calls and drive to my house to pack me a hospital bag. I remember barely getting through the barium tests and my mom holding my hair back as the severity of my blockage made itself known. I remember the fear I had when I sent John the text letting him know what was about to happen. I remember that being the last thing I remember for the next three days.

The surgery turned my life completely upside down. I had experienced a lot of pain in my life due to endometriosis and my previous surgeries but this was more than words could explain. I was admitted on Friday night at 8pm and surgery on Sunday around 1pm. After sending the text to John, I honestly do not remember anything until Wednesday night. My first memory post-op was of the nurse removing my bandages and seeing my incision for the first time. I instantly began to cry. The seriousness of what I had just experienced became very real. When surgery was performed, a portion of my bowel had already died and gangrene was spreading. Had I not went to the ER when I did, the outcome could have been very different. It was a very scary feeling. My initial hospital stay lasted a week however during recovery I would have two additional partial obstructions (where my bowels were reattached) which would require an additional week hospital stay for each. It was a very difficult time for me and my family. It was a summer of chaos.

Both of these events have a played a big role in shaping who I am. Each required change and a struggle to redefine what normal meant in my life. The hysterectomy was a planned change. We knew it was coming and prepared for it as much as possible. It became the stepping stone  to creating our family through the miracle of adoption which would later bring Abby into our lives. The bowel obstruction surgery completely blind sided us. When John left that Friday with Abby to visit family and officiate a wedding, I would have never imagined that I would have to call him from the hospital. I would never have predicted that the summer would have been so chaotic. I felt like I lost control of every aspect of my life. I was so sick and recovery was so hard. It was hard on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was hard on John, our marriage, and our family. Even recalling how hard the experience was on Abby and recalling the look in her eyes as she looked at me in the hospital bed puts a knot in my stomach. Our normal was thrown out the window, stomped on, and burned and it would take us a lot of time and work to redefine our new normal.

I believe that there are many turning points in people’s lives. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, and births are welcomed celebrations and opportunities for growth. There are other days though and while they may not be as joyous or as welcomed they can still shape you and make you into a better person. May 30th happens to be one of those days.

The post May 30th – A Date That Has Redefined My Normal appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a gift certificate by Novica in order to facilitate this review and host this giveaway. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

In the last several months, I have been very deliberate in trying to change the way I shop. Not only have I sort of changed the rules I have set for myself but going on disability has made an obvious impact on my shopping habits. It has definitely been a challenge to reframe the way I think but I feel really good about it.

I have had the opportunity to work with Novica several times over the last couple years and have always had an amazing experience so I was really excited when they contacted me about hosting another giveaway for my wonderful readers!

Novica is a fair trade organization that works to provide artisans all over the world a platform to share their products and creativity! When you purchase an item through Novica, you are able to see the face of the artist that created it which is a completely unique and amazing experience! You can find everything from hand crafted jewelry to dresses to belts and accessories to home decor. Novica has it all!

I have shopped with Novica on many occasions and have always been thrilled with beauty and craftsmanship of the product and had  great customer service. It means more to me now than ever to know that I am supporting a fair trade organization and know that not only am I receiving a quality hand crafted product but to be able to see the face who created it.

Some of my current favorites:

 amazonite pendant/ silver heart necklace / onyx choker

For this giveaway, Novica has offered one lucky reader a $50 Gift Certificate to do some shopping of their own!

To enter:

1) Visit Novica and come back telling me what you would purchase with your gift certificate if you win! (mandatory)

2) Tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment letting me know that you did!

Winner will be drawn on Monday May 27th! Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a $50 gift certificate by Novica in order to facilitate this review and host this giveaway. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. 

The post Shop Globally With Novica! {Giveaway} *Closed* appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

When I was in college Donna Douglas (you may know her as Elly Mae Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies) came to speak at our weekly chapel service and she said, “Before you go get kissy-faced with some boy, you need to make a list of qualities that you want in a husband and pray over that list. Add what needs to be added and take away what needs to be taken away. God will bless you with an amazing partner when you follow Him.” I went back to my dorm room and created my list and John fulfills every quality that I was desiring in a husband and more. God is good and He is faithful!

When I walked down the aisle eight years ago, I had absolutely no idea what the future was going to hold but I was excited to be starting the journey with my best friend! It has been a wild ride and I doubt that will change but I look forward to every minute of it!

The post 8 Amazing Years! appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

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?

The post 8 Things I Am Loving Right Now appeared first on A New Kind of Normal.

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.

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.