icnmgrjill
01-17-2005, 02:40 PM
Hi everyone! In case you didn't notice, I just changed the "title" at the top of our boards. It says "Action is the antidote to despair." This is my personal theme for 2005 and this is the ICN theme for 2005.
One of the things that sometimes happens to IC patients is that we become so discouraged... and we become so isolated that we fall into a pattern of anxiety and hopelessness. That's what any chronic illness can do. That's what most chronically ill patients struggle with and even though IC is more of an injury.... it still deflates our sails. We begin to feel that we can't change our lives. Ah ha! But, we can. Repeat after me!
IC is so limited!
IC cannot change my intelligence
IC does not change my ability to love my children
IC does not change the love in my heart for my partner
IC cannot kill friendship
IC cannot silence my courage
IC cannot invade my soul
IC cannot conquer MY SPIRIT!
But, though the above is certainly true, the reality is that when you're in a flare... you ARE in pain, completely unmotivated to do anything, possibly depressed, certainly angry... and wishing, like mad, that you didn't have IC.
This is the advice that I give to you.
Each day.... take one small step to nurture yourself. It doesn't have to be giant step... because small daily steps will get you farther.
(1) Care for your body by doing one healing thing.
If you feel fat, go take a walk.
If you're eating the wrong food, eat a serving of a healthy vegetable.
If your muscles are tight, take five minutes, lay on the floor and do a stretch.
If you smoke, stop for a day.
If you're tense, give yourself permission to relax for 15 minutes. Then do it.
(2) Feed your brain
Take a moment and try to learn one new thing about IC. Read about a treatment. Talk to another patient. Go read an article in our research library. Build your knowledge.... don't let that brain go to waste.
You need to walk into your doctors office more knowledgable about IC then the last time you went. You want to be a full partner in your medical decisions... and to make informed decisionsm but you've got to take the time to read about it. Allright, be honest, how many of you actually ordered the IC Survival Guide but actually never read beyond the first chapter! Read a chapter night for the next week or so.
(3) Replenish your soul
Each day... call someone. Break your isolation. Call a friend or family member. Take a walk. Go sit at Starbucks (yes, they will give you hot water & honey... aka Tea with the tea bag on the side) and socialize. Go to church if you're religious. Hold your pet. Go stand under your favorite wishing tree.
-----
GET REAL ABOUT YOUR WEAKNESSES
----
Each a week, ask yourself. What could I do better? One of the mistakes that IC patients make is they think that they have to figure it out all on their own. That's wrong. There are lots of people who can help. But you and I have to be honest about the things that we need help with.
I, for example, have an issue with anxiety... like most of you, right? Well, it got so out of control a few years ago that had panic attacks before every doctors appointment. I finally said to myself "I suck at this. I have no idea how to control it and I need to learn these skills." Luckily, my HMO just happened to have a great class on anxiety that absolutely changed my life. No longer does anxiety rule me.... and I know what to do to prevent panic attacks. Do you?
Anger is a HUGE dilemma for us. Who wouldn't be angry facing IC? It's a natural and normal emotion. But, it's never acceptable to take that anger out on family and friends. So, ask yourself, what are you doing... on a daily basis... to keep your anger levels down. Are you letting yourself get so worked up during the day that by that night, you take it out on your partner. Kicking the cat? Short tempered with yourself?? Constantly on edge?
Okay.... then you've got to develop a technique, each day, that will take that anger out of your body. For some people, it's writing in a journal for five minutes. For others, it's walking and getting out of the house. For others, it's going out to the beach and just yelling abit. Get it moving.... out of you... but also away from your loved ones. And if you suck at anger management, take a class... read a book! Come on... build your skills. Noone expects you to be an expert at anger management.... and, honestly, God didn't give you the skills to handle it when you were born. You've got to learn them... do it!
Remember our motto...
Ask! Action! Satisfaction.
To get where you want to be... you must first ask a question.
"Doctor, do you have any suggestions for pain control?"
Then, you must take action! Try the suggestions. Take them seriously. Make an effort. Don't ignore advice and strategies that might help. Even a 5 minute relaxaton, though it sounds like psycho "mumbo jumboe" can actually stop the pelvic floor from spasming and reduce that flare.
Thus, reap the reward and be satisfied. If it doesn't get you where you want to be, ask again! Try again! Keep moving.... even one small step every single day!
Now, here's your homework. I want you, in the coming week, to commit one random act of kindness to someone in your life. Make them cookies. Write a note that says "I care for you." Buy a homeless person a cup of coffee. Perhaps, one gift of having IC, is knowing that kindness nurtures all. Be a role model and give someone kindness, and one day that will come back to you.
Okay... I"ll get off my soap box now.
That's the news from the ICN offices, where the sneezes are history and the wheezes are now a mystery. Finally, I can take action again and work on this darn site!
Jill :)
One of the things that sometimes happens to IC patients is that we become so discouraged... and we become so isolated that we fall into a pattern of anxiety and hopelessness. That's what any chronic illness can do. That's what most chronically ill patients struggle with and even though IC is more of an injury.... it still deflates our sails. We begin to feel that we can't change our lives. Ah ha! But, we can. Repeat after me!
IC is so limited!
IC cannot change my intelligence
IC does not change my ability to love my children
IC does not change the love in my heart for my partner
IC cannot kill friendship
IC cannot silence my courage
IC cannot invade my soul
IC cannot conquer MY SPIRIT!
But, though the above is certainly true, the reality is that when you're in a flare... you ARE in pain, completely unmotivated to do anything, possibly depressed, certainly angry... and wishing, like mad, that you didn't have IC.
This is the advice that I give to you.
Each day.... take one small step to nurture yourself. It doesn't have to be giant step... because small daily steps will get you farther.
(1) Care for your body by doing one healing thing.
If you feel fat, go take a walk.
If you're eating the wrong food, eat a serving of a healthy vegetable.
If your muscles are tight, take five minutes, lay on the floor and do a stretch.
If you smoke, stop for a day.
If you're tense, give yourself permission to relax for 15 minutes. Then do it.
(2) Feed your brain
Take a moment and try to learn one new thing about IC. Read about a treatment. Talk to another patient. Go read an article in our research library. Build your knowledge.... don't let that brain go to waste.
You need to walk into your doctors office more knowledgable about IC then the last time you went. You want to be a full partner in your medical decisions... and to make informed decisionsm but you've got to take the time to read about it. Allright, be honest, how many of you actually ordered the IC Survival Guide but actually never read beyond the first chapter! Read a chapter night for the next week or so.
(3) Replenish your soul
Each day... call someone. Break your isolation. Call a friend or family member. Take a walk. Go sit at Starbucks (yes, they will give you hot water & honey... aka Tea with the tea bag on the side) and socialize. Go to church if you're religious. Hold your pet. Go stand under your favorite wishing tree.
-----
GET REAL ABOUT YOUR WEAKNESSES
----
Each a week, ask yourself. What could I do better? One of the mistakes that IC patients make is they think that they have to figure it out all on their own. That's wrong. There are lots of people who can help. But you and I have to be honest about the things that we need help with.
I, for example, have an issue with anxiety... like most of you, right? Well, it got so out of control a few years ago that had panic attacks before every doctors appointment. I finally said to myself "I suck at this. I have no idea how to control it and I need to learn these skills." Luckily, my HMO just happened to have a great class on anxiety that absolutely changed my life. No longer does anxiety rule me.... and I know what to do to prevent panic attacks. Do you?
Anger is a HUGE dilemma for us. Who wouldn't be angry facing IC? It's a natural and normal emotion. But, it's never acceptable to take that anger out on family and friends. So, ask yourself, what are you doing... on a daily basis... to keep your anger levels down. Are you letting yourself get so worked up during the day that by that night, you take it out on your partner. Kicking the cat? Short tempered with yourself?? Constantly on edge?
Okay.... then you've got to develop a technique, each day, that will take that anger out of your body. For some people, it's writing in a journal for five minutes. For others, it's walking and getting out of the house. For others, it's going out to the beach and just yelling abit. Get it moving.... out of you... but also away from your loved ones. And if you suck at anger management, take a class... read a book! Come on... build your skills. Noone expects you to be an expert at anger management.... and, honestly, God didn't give you the skills to handle it when you were born. You've got to learn them... do it!
Remember our motto...
Ask! Action! Satisfaction.
To get where you want to be... you must first ask a question.
"Doctor, do you have any suggestions for pain control?"
Then, you must take action! Try the suggestions. Take them seriously. Make an effort. Don't ignore advice and strategies that might help. Even a 5 minute relaxaton, though it sounds like psycho "mumbo jumboe" can actually stop the pelvic floor from spasming and reduce that flare.
Thus, reap the reward and be satisfied. If it doesn't get you where you want to be, ask again! Try again! Keep moving.... even one small step every single day!
Now, here's your homework. I want you, in the coming week, to commit one random act of kindness to someone in your life. Make them cookies. Write a note that says "I care for you." Buy a homeless person a cup of coffee. Perhaps, one gift of having IC, is knowing that kindness nurtures all. Be a role model and give someone kindness, and one day that will come back to you.
Okay... I"ll get off my soap box now.
That's the news from the ICN offices, where the sneezes are history and the wheezes are now a mystery. Finally, I can take action again and work on this darn site!
Jill :)