20 life lessons I have learned over the course of the last decade. In the last 10 years, I have been through it all. I have learned closely and painfully how precious life is. I have learned that life isn’t easy when you are healthy and is much more difficult with a chronic illness but following Christ allows you to see the lit path before you. Today, 10 years ago, I went states away following the lit path to have a surgery that was my only hope outside of christ performing a miracle. 10 years later to the day I look back to see that that surgery was my miracle. This was also a life event that changed everything about who I am, who I am going forward, who my friends and family are to me. and now we are a decade out. chronically ill, total pancreatectomy with auto islet cell transplant, pancreatitis, type 3c diabetes, diabetic life, chronic pain, neuropathic, neuropathy, migraine, narcolepsy, cataplexy, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, splenectomy, appendectomy, surgery, hospitals, doctors, ready to be heard, feelings are validated, validation of pain, friend who understand , family understands

Prepping for outpatient surgery can be complicated because it is hard to know what to expect. Everyone will react and respond differently but it is always better to be overly prepared than under prepared. When it comes to stomach surgeries anything that can sit you up without having to ask someone to adjust your pillows & lift you up is a God sent. It allows you to be so much more comfortable as well as feeling independent so you aren’t asking anytime you need to be moved.

Clear liquid diets are usually given to people to do about 24-48 hours before a procedure. A clear liquid diet can be prescribed for things like scans, blood work, imaging, endoscopy, colonoscopy, or prepping for surgery. All of these require figuring out how to manage hunger & appetite while eating only clear liquids. This is the most helpful and in-depth explanation! 

My husband is someone who is always on the go. He loves having projects. He loves exploring the world around him. He loves building and creating things. He likes to be working on projects bt with my health I often cant keep up. I wanted to share my tips and tricks to meet in the middle so that you and your partner can still spend time together. Supporting each others hobbies and activities is important and vital to a successful relationship.

When I became chronically ill something changed that I never expected. It was how I planned my life. Not in the way you may be thinking in the sense of what I want to do and how to do it. It changed in the sense of how I planned trips and events. I had to plan rest days. I didn’t used to have to plan for my body to be unable to function for days after a trip or event. I eventually started calling it my 3-5 business day recovery plan. I thought I would share this with you in hopes that you and your loved ones may be able to understand each other better. As well as, maybe gibing you a new tip or trick to make life more manageable so you can feel like you are thriving not simply surviving.

I am tired. Tired means so many things. It can mean I need a nap, it can mean im worn out from that specific thing, it can mean im exhausted from life. When a friend with a chronic illness tells you they are tired; they are telling you they are tired of fighting to live. They are tired of fighting doctors to get the treatment they need a deserve. They are worn out. No one wants to fight as much as we do especially when you feel as sick as we do. It is exhausting. So lately if you ask me how I am… Im just tired.

Twenty six things that I have learned in my twenty six years of life. I wanted to share the things that I learned this past year as well as things that I have known but wish I implemented these things in more.

Finding a Doctor that respect you and listen to you is becoming more and more difficult. I have been able to create a somewhat successful process over the years and I want to share it with you. If this can help one of your appointments go a little better than it is all worth it. I lay out each step and how I go about finding the candidates. I then remind you that this is an interview for them. Doctor’s like to act like they are blessing you with their time but you are paying for them. Make sure you find someone who listens and respects you.

Valentine’s Day gets overhyped so much that often times it overwhelms people. If you want to and can celebrate it; that is great! Have a wonderful time! If this just isn’t a night you can make work or you just don’t like the pressure associated then forget about it. Valentine’s Day is like a giant reminder sticker so that we don’t forget that life is short and people can be gone the next day. so the point is take the lesson of Valentine’s day and carry it around all year. Don’t let yourself get to a place of complacency and taking your spouse for granted. Time to own our relationships and treat people the way they should be treated year round. I hope this helps!

Having any kind of routine is difficult when you are chronically sick and in pain. However, it is important to acknowledge tings that must be done as often as they can to ensure we get the most out of each thing we do. This is how I prepare for bed to do everything I can to get rest for the night.

What are your life mottos? What statements do you come back to when life is not going right? DON’T WORRY! I am sharing all of my tips and tricks for getting through life as someone who is chronically ill. These blog posts are for everyone though because whether you have a chronic illness or not you have had to face adversity at times. It is hard and it can be awful but hopefully with these tips it cane make life just a little more manageable. Assess, Adapt, Move on or in Michael’s case Overcome!

Flares are inevitable for people with chronic illnesses. We do our best to avoid them but they happen even when we do it all right. THey are usually temporary but that can mean as long as a few days to months. They can also have different levels of severity. This blog post is all about what to say, what to do, what not to say, and what not to do. Its straightforward and honest and I hope it helps!

The story of the friendship of Bailey & Willow. This is a 12+ year story in the making. We have been through things that people grow old without experiencing. We decided to open up and be as honest as we can with you all to help you understand who we are and how we relate to each other. Also, to remind you, you are never to far gone for God. I love you B!

I had always been told that sleep apnea had a certain criteria that had to be met. You either were overweight, you were older, you had huge boobs, you had other breathing issues, you snored way too much. I didn’t know that it was something that can happen to anyone and those criteria I thought I knew are just a stereotype from the olden days when they didnt know what sleep apnea really was. Come alone with me as a 25 year old figures out what the world of sleep apnea is like and how to survive it.

Goals. We all have them. Some of us may not have taken the time to sit down and realize what they are but if they did they would realize they do. This is all about the goals on the about page that I wanted to be a group experience. It is hard to complete things but working as a team can change the situation entirely. I want to achieve these goals together so leave your thoughts in the comments

What is a stay at home…wife? Is that even okay? How do you manage emotions with that title? Is this something you always wanted or knew you wanted? What does this mean to you and mike?

Service Dogs. Lately, people have started making it difficult to trust whether they have a truly trained service dog or if it is a regular untrained dog that helps with anxiety. This post is all about the differences and what qualifications are needed. It is also about what things are required and what are not. I hope this helps make this journey easier for at least one person out there!

What you actually will benefit from off of amazon. These are my go to items that can help me so much with making sure I am comfortable and able to set up in a single area for awhile. I have a lot of things and hate having to move and reset everything up. These products are my all time faves and worth the price/ expense. My goal is to help make life more livable and Sustainable for you! 

Dating with a chronic illness can be hard but communication is necessary. These are a list of some dating ideas and concepts and how you can adjust them to work best for you and your partner.

Iud and birth control experience with chronic illness. It is hard to manage symptoms already and much harder when you have another variable causing pain. This is my experience with some details from others.