Try as we may, we can’t hide from our pain forever
Human beings are wired to run away from things that are painful and difficult. I sure as heck did the first 5 years of my dystonia diagnosis. It often...
Self-care: Why, When, What, and How Much?
I have been compensated by Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC for this blog post including for sharing information about XEOMIN® (incobotulinumtoxinA). I am not currently being treated with XEOMIN. For a...
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...
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....
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
25 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...
Be careful about being too hard on yourself if you live with a health condition that already kicks your ass
Dystonia and chronic pain, as well as many other health conditions, remind me of bullies that pick on kids in the schoolyard every day. Like the bully, dystonia and...
Finding the proper puzzle pieces for better health and life balance
Not too long ago, my girlfriend and I did a 500-piece puzzle over a period of a weekend. It was not a remarkable feat, but this is the first...
After the diagnosis/Self harming thoughts
After being diagnosed with dystonia, or any other chronic health condition, and learning it is not a temporary problem (or if you have lived with it for years and...
A tool for practicing gratitude
Many of us recently celebrated Thanksgiving, a time to reflect upon things for which we are thankful. It is a time to really focus on gratitude, which got me...
Take a break for your health when your world is spinning out of control
For the past few months, I have been running around doing a lot of things that I have no interest doing. Life was just extra busy with so many...
