June 2012
55 posts
22 tags
June 30th, 2011-2012: Happy One Year Blogiversary!...
Happy Birthday Chronic Curve!
This blog turns a year old today! Incredible what a year’s time can bring. I started this blog for myself as a little outlet, not expecting much to come out of it. Yet here we are, a year later, having raised over $600 in a few months (and still going!), writing for magazines, working with other organizations, speaking to people...
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Playing the Mystery Diagnosis Game: Round 39742974
So the endocrinologist I saw earlier (who we will call Dr. Nogloves here on this blog) made my skin crawl.
The building itself was sketchy, but the office was unsettling. Pale blueish white walls from floor to ceiling, dingy, truthfully it looked like a run down methadone clinic out of a bad movie. Worse, it smelled like someone had smeared feces everywhere. I was breathing...
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Sketchiest doctor office I've ever been in
Not feeling good about this at all.
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The Good, The Not-So-Good
Things that are good:
Healthy, clean eating. Apple with a bit of peanut butter and a few small rice cakes. Baked chicken marinated in freshly chopped garlic, onion, and lemon with broccoli and a parm frico.
Artichoke hearts, broccoli, kale, lettuce, fresh lemon, carrot sticks, apples, and bananas. Whole wheat pasta, honey whole wheat bread, 40 calorie fudge pops, chobani yogurt, rice cakes,...
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“People who have been healthy their whole lives will tell you they’re glad they...”
– Robert Brockway (via livingwithendo)
“The moment when your meds finally kick in is like jumping out of that Pinto and right into the warm, faux-leather seat of a lovingly maintained 1994 Ford Taurus. What? Did you think you were going to be a Ferrari or something? No, man: You’re still...
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Patient Burn Out
Burn Out: exhaustion of physical or emotional strength usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
Imagine a case of the absolute worst writer’s block accompanied by a looming deadline, but for the body. Imagine being here, but not present. When little tasks like picking up the phone, scheduling basic appointments, completing menial tasks become marathons (more than they...
Another 1000 followers in a day.
Crazy. Feel free to send a message, say hello, introduce yourselves and let me know what you think/why you’re following me :)
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Anonymous asked: will you review 50 shades of gray?
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Anonymous asked: If you wouldn't mind, I have 3 questions. What are your suggestions/solutions for getting rid of migraines, and getting rid of morning nausea so you can eat? What about stress-related nausea?
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Anonymous asked: Just curious, is your sister (or any other siblings or immediate family) affected by any autoimmune conditions?
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Blue
I don’t have many days where I am truly depressed; days when I wallow in self pity, or get weepy. I stay preoccupied, focused, and even if I’m not really happy, I’m not particularly depressed or defeated.
But today was one of those days.[[MORE]]
Lately the hardest part about my existence is watching my peers prosper and grow. So many of my friends are traveling...
28 tags
Make your own Project 10 Ten tumblr
project10ten:
Pick a tumblr username like “yourname10” or “whateverword10”
Send your username only to me if you’d like to be included in the Project Participants page. No other information will be shared or collected. You can send your username and still remain anonymous :)
Add a button to your P10 and/or personal page to spread the movement. The html code is on the sidebar. If you are...
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Project 10 Ten: A Project in Positivity
I started Project 10 Ten a while ago, but it took a backseat to everything else going on. Now, though, I have some time and it’s back up and running. For the next few days, I’ll be posting my 10 things both here on Chronic Curve and on P10 blog so readers get an idea of what this is all about. It’s also a great way to get to know other bloggers, inspire others, and a great coping...
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Chronic Illness Problems 06/19/2012
7 am blood tests. What part of “time sensitive” don’t they understand? I made an appointment. How is it that at 7:10, when I’m one of two people in the room and the lab has been open only for 10 minutes, you are already an hour behind? Cortisol testing is nothing new and I’m without food or pain medication (and therefore very uncomfortable and unhappy), so...
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avaslittlesecret asked: Our emotions, if left unattended to, can manifest into some really nasty physical ailments. Some ailments stem from eating unhealthy processed foods. And, like you said, some just happen. Genetics possibly. I used to believe I was being punished for being a bad person. (We're our own worst enemies!). Just my two cents...
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1brokenbutterfly1 asked: That is right, whatever you believe in or don't believe in, the truth is sh*t does happen. All the time. That is just life.
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Anonymous asked: Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan is ruling our world and that because of this we have illness and death, and that it is not God who brings this upon us. Just another viewpoint.
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Anonymous asked: I actually came to Islam through chronic illness. “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an 2:286), “Verily, with hardship there is relief.” (94:6) were both verses I found helpful. Also, the Prophet (PBUH) said “Verily, if Allaah loves a people, He makes them go through trials.” [Tirmidhi] & “Whoever Allaah wishes...
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essscaaapaaades asked: I personally dislike the statement "Things happen for a reason." I fervently believe that things don't happen for a reason. They just HAPPEN. Sh*t happens, but what matters is what we learn from it and how we use it! :) Of course I'm an atheist and DON'T believe in a higher power. I also don't believe illness is a punishment; why punish a baby with cancer? Or a small...
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chronicallyvegan asked: Some people are just unlucky. Some people are just sick. That's the end of the story as far as I am concerned.
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starlover11-deactivated20120628 asked: in response to the anon asking about the role of a higher power in disability... i, personally, wholeheartedly believe that no one is stricken with any kind of illness because of the person they are, the things they've done, or the life they've lived. we are, most simply, biology. we may have a spiritual component to our being, but that has nothing to do with the biology that is our...
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pitamullark asked: (Christian Viewpoint) We live in a broken world, so our bodies are just as broken. I think stuff happens and God can use it if we let him. But I don't think he gives us specific diseases or trials as a punishment. It is really difficult to hold on to the idea of an all powerful God who would let bad stuff happen, but I'd suggest reading Affliction by Edith Schaeffer about that. It...
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toomanystarstocount asked: I think it's all just chance anon. Though honestly, I've been sick or hurt often enough that any sort of higher power would just have to have a vendetta against me at this point :p Personally I find the idea that it's just chance more comforting than the idea of a higher power. There's no one responsible or to blame, it just happened, and it let's me rely on myself to be...
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Anonymous asked: Do you believe that bad things and diseases happen to people for a reason or because of a higher power or do you think it's all just chance and biology? My arthritis is challenging my faith.
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“Pain is important: how we evade it, how we succumb to it, how we deal with it,...”
– Audre Lorde
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Anonymous asked: What happens if you don't get better?
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Answering some q's from the ask box for the next...
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Weekly Link Roundup 06/14/2012
Ultrasound’s Role in Early Diagnosis Expected to Grow— musculoskeletal ultrasound is emerging as a technique for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. A noninvasive, painless technique, it allows multiple joints to be assessed quickly and is less costly than an MRI. Still, few rheumatologists have adopted this ultrasound technique into their practices. Read more to find out why.
...
2 tags
Muscle pain is better today...
for the first time in over a year, I have some relief in my arms. I think the Remicade is working :) Still stuck on pain meds, but steady improvements over the past few days + another infusion next week = less pain medication?! We’ll see.
5 tags
Anonymous asked: I have fibromyalgia and am going to be having surgery for endometriosis in a couple of weeks. Do you have any tips on making recovery quicker/less painful and on avoiding a flare, or at least avoiding a major flare?
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Another day without pain in my knees (day 3)!
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Chronic Illness Problems: 06/07/2012
The process of going out has never been more obnoxious.
Showering, shaving, washing, brushing/drying/styling hair, applying makeup, brushing teeth, dressing, all of these tasks require pain medication to get done at once. With each task, a spoon (or half spoon) is lost.
Showers take about an hour to accomplish what someone else might normally accomplish in 20 minutes.
By the time...
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Anonymous asked: Do you think soda is bad for autoimmune diseases?
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Anonymous asked: is it a bad thing to say "feel better" or "are you doing better?" to someone like you?
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Another 1000 followers! Crazy!
Incredible that thousands of people find my writing worth reading. It’s extremely humbling and flattering :) Thanks for following!
Feel free to say hello, introduce yourself and tell me a bit about why you followed or share any feedback you have for me.
Thank you to those of you who sent such kind words, prayers, and positive thoughts my way after I shared with you that last post. I had a...
3 tags
Spine Surgeon, Cushing's Becoming Clearer, and...
I’d rather be pooped on than attacked. I was walking up the sidewalk alongside of a building and a bird came out of NOWHERE. It came at me head on, rammed it’s beak/body into my shoulder and I screamed…but I thought it was an accident. Wrong. It turned around and attacked again. People just stood and watched while the limping disabled girl flailed and yelped. I went inside the...
8 tags
Excruciating pain today
Wondered why my jeans didn’t fit when I put them on this morning.
Made it through rheumy appointment with pain around a seven, but in a good mood.
Made it home.
Hit with a migraine
Drug self.
Extreme widespread pain
Sleep for seven hours
Wake up with my period…the period that I’m not supposed to get…. Understand why my jeans...
3 tags
iamnotaparrot asked: I will be applying to colleges this fall and I saw your post about about what information and how much information you should give to admissions officers. I am right to think that if a college is going to discriminate against me based on my condition that I don't want to go there? That I want to go to a college that will work with me to give me the accommodations that I need and I don't...
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Anonymous asked: In response to the marijuana question, I use it and yes, it does help tremendously. It is not yet legal is my state, hence the anon - who knows who reads our shit. Even my doctors endorse it - behind closed doors that is. It's not a a daily thing - but because my pain is not being well controlled due to my physicians' refusal to medicate me properly, I use it when nothing else works. ...
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lovethemoonsbeauty asked: Do you approve of medical marijuana to control chronic pain and would you ever use it for your pain?
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Serenity
I mentioned a while back that there was some concern over whether or not I have Cushing’s Disease.
[[MORE]]
Cushing’s is most commonly caused by an adrenal or pituitary tumor, causing excess levels of cortisol to be excreted. This means serious weight gain around the mid section with a characteristic inability to lose the weight, a “buffalo hump” (which I have,...
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Today is a day for pillow forts, fleece blankets,...
and medication. Lots of medication. I hate waking up with no spoons whatsoever.
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CC News: CC Shop, New Pages, Tags, Upcoming Posts,...
Updated the FAQ page and addedtwo new pages to the index page.
College and Chronic Illness: a new page that will list links to each of my College and Chronic Illness series posts, update you on the book progress, and preview an upcoming post in the series.
Chronic Curve Store: a direct link to the CC store where you can find all the products I review including beauty and health items,...
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Study: RA Hurts More Than Physicians Realize →
Once again, a new study shows what we as patients already know: Rheumatoid Arthritis hurts more than physicians realize.
A new study shows that physician and patient assessments of RA disease activity show a significant disagreement seemingly driven by subjective perceptions of pain.
In most cases of discordance, patients rated their RA as being worse than their physicians did. Findings from...
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literarysins asked: Just wanted to thank you for your work on this site. I'm a type one diabetic, rising senior, getting ready for college- I'm really glad that sites like this exist, as it brings up things I hadn't even thought about. Thank you!
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Watchhurtblogger:
I’m thrilled to announce that I have received one of Stanford’s School of Medicine | Medicine X | Alliance Health ePatient Scholarships, and will be speaking at the conference in September! This short film about me is part of a series of portraits of ePatients, created by Larry Chu, MD. Interview and videography by Theo Rigby, and edited by Chris Musgrave.
I’m truly looking forward...
Attempt to juice fresh vegetables...
so bad. SO bad. Awful awful awful even with juice and/or fresh fruit. Could not stomach the stuff and still feeling queasy. Oh well, it was worth a shot.
I decided to play around with juicing them since I have such a hard time with texture and want to up my vegetable intake. Guess I have to find another alternative.
Any other readers have a hard time with various textures of food, specifically...
