Making lemonade…

November 5, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

A year ago, I wrote a book about my dog, Georgia Grace. Georgia is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who lives with multiple, serious chronic illnesses including the top 3: Syringomyelia, Chronic Valvular Heart Disease, and Diabetes. I was told her life expectancy was three years. Today, she is 10 years, 6 months and […]

Oh the places we will go…

October 15, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I’ve not taken a proper vacation since my dog was diagnosed with diabetes. I refused to leave her for over two years until this past September, when I traveled to Washington DC for 2 nights for a patient advocacy trip. I admit that I was a wreck until I had her back in my arms. […]

Inflammation motivation…

June 17, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I recently read an article called: “Chronic inflammation removes motivation by reducing dopamine in the brain.” Reading the article was one of those “OMG this is me!!!” moments. For the past few years, I just could not figure out where my motivation went. Granted, I’m exhausted and in pain….but I have ZERO motivation for things […]

Who knows best…

March 18, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Insurance is a blessing and a curse in my life. I’m grateful to have coverage, but so frustrated a the antiquated system of step therapy that they industry still holds valid. I’ve written before about suffering for 7 years before finding a biologic drug that made me feel somewhat human again. Why? Because I had […]

My funny Valentine…

February 14, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I am often asked about my #spooniedog, Georgia Grace. She is still my feisty, stubborn, and adorable sidekick. On days when I hurt, she has been very protective. This is a change since my cat Lola passed. Georgia was always the “world’s worst nurse” but has slowly become my greatest comfort as I’ve been battling […]

You ain’t no copper penny…

January 27, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Recently, I’ve been going through a lot a stress. Health, family, pets, household issues, etc….if I wasn’t for bad luck, I’d seriously have none. On top of it all, I’ve gained a ton of weight from both inactivity due to my broken foot and stress eating. Then I ended up getting sick. The kind of […]

Four more weeks…

December 18, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

I had my follow up for my broken foot (AKA 5th metatarsal fracture) today. I’ve been trying my best to not bear weight on my foot since 11/1/2018. The past 46 days have been difficult. I’ve tried my best to not walk. I admit, it’s so hard in my stair-filled house, so there are times when […]

A scary good day…

December 6, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

On Monday, I had my annual mammogram. The following day, I received a message that there was a problem and I needed to come back. I missed the call and didn’t get the message until late, so I had to wait until this morning to call back. The way the message sounded, there was an […]

I hope you laugh…

October 10, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

I spend time with a lot of kids. In my work and in my life, I am surrounded by kids a lot. The other day, a kid came up to me and our conversation went something like this: Kid: I feel so bad for you. Me: Why? Kid: I read your book. Me: (thinking kid […]

RA Blog Week 2018: Day 5 (Another Wildcard): Politics

September 28, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

Honored to be a part of this 4th annual RA Blog Week 2018. Thanks to Rick Phillips for organizing and inviting me to participate. Today’s topic is not one I was able to respond to, so I decided to do another wild card. Here is today’s prompt: Politics – Health is always a hot item for […]