What a spider (and all of nature) taught me about resilience and adapting to adversity and pain
I have lived with chronic pain from dystonia, a neurological movement disorder, for 20 years. When it first began in 2001, it completely changed my life. I had to...
Stress is like a clogged drain – Tips for managing our emotional plumbing
I think everybody would agree that stress is a challenge in their lives. Personally, I think we should take on the belief that no stress exists and that it...
Slow down to manage your pain
How many of you find yourself rushing around and it’s causing you stress and pain? And if you already have pain, does it add to your pain? Are you...
Embrace the suck of life
Most of us are familiar with the Latin term, carpe diem, which means “seize the day.” This phrase became especially popular in the movie Dead Poets Society with the...
Don’t let your obnoxious pain get under your skin
If you live with pain, you know how debilitating and life changing it can be, and how it can dictate your entire days’ activities, as well as your moods....
Are you turning your gizmo into a gremlin? Understanding and managing anxiety
When I think of anxiety, I think of the movie, Gremlins (1984). For those of you who have seen this movie, you know that feeding a gremlin after midnight...
The Dystonia Diagnosis and Prognosis
“You have dystonia” are three words that can be very confusing and frightening. Receiving the news that you have any chronic condition can bring out a lot of emotions....
NEW BOOK RELEASE — Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges
In 2015, I published my first book, Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey. It is a combination autobiography, self-help, education book that provides treatment options, coping strategies, skills for daily...
THE TOWER – What my husband’s cancer diagnosis taught us about perspective
This is a guest blog from an old friend who shares how her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis changed his and their perspective about life. This is so well written...
The impact stress and emotions have on our health
20 years ago, I developed a painful neurological movement disorder called dystonia. I was 30 years old at the time. It totally turned my life upside down where I...
Managing excessive worry and fear to avoid health consequences
I think it would be safe to say that everyone is afraid of something. Sometimes the fear is justified and sometimes not. In this article, I want to focus...
My typical day managing my dystonia and chronic pain
I have lived with dystonia and chronic pain for 20 years. The first 5 of those years were the worst of my life. The pain from the involuntary muscle...
