Tag Archives: coping

It’s been four years!

Uncategorized March 3, 2022 1 Comment

Wow. My last post was 2018. So much has happened since then. And now I’m living in southern Maryland, with a view of the Chesapeake Bay. I can even see it when lying in bed (above), which is awesome since I still spend a lot of time in bed.

I think I might be well now except for a lot of stresses that set me back, and two tick-bites that may have set me back though we treated right away, my doctors did I mean.

I’m wondering about using my limited energy to blog again. Is anyone out there? Can I be helpful?

Something I’ll consider seriously in the coming days. Because we always have to prioritize, those of us with chronic illness. I do need more things to do lying down, though, so in addition to a book idea I have, perhaps I’ll return to this space regularly.

If you are reading this – I hope you are doing well on this day. I focus on one day at a time now, and I’ve gotten pretty good at not worrying about the future so much. Try it and see for yourself if you can find some peace that way.

Gifts from Lyme Disease

Mental Health, Staying Positive, Tips for Family and Friends December 24, 2012 1 Comment

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When I was felled by Lyme, my college roommate Tracey said, “I know you don’t see it this way right now, but your Lyme battle is going to change your life in good ways, too.”

My immediate response was, “Yeah, right. Lyme is a nightmare.”

It’s easy to focus on the dark side.

But she’s right. Now that I’m a little better, I see that  chronic illness definitely gives you perspective about what’s important.

Sure, I miss out on a lot of life. But what I can do, despite limitations, is somehow sweeter. Exhilarating, even.

Continue reading →

Grief is a Rubber-band Ball

Mental Health, Tips for Family and Friends December 22, 2012 Comments: 6

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I’m no stranger to major loss. As a teenager, I lost my beloved family home and other ties to childhood in the wake of huge financial losses for my parents.

Then came the death of my father after a five-year struggle with lymphoma. Later came the excruciatingly slow passing of my mother-in-law to Alzheimer’s, and my own mother’s declining memory. 

Then, the nearly unbearable abyss of divorce. A few years later, I’d only just started to approach feeling whole when a tiny tick transmitted the lyme that knocked me to my knees—and even further down.

The holidays, a touchstone to the past, intensify the grief. I feel it in every cell of my being.

Recently I said to my therapist, who is helping me get through the many stresses of chronic lyme, “A year ago, I thought I had a handle on the losses lyme has sent my way. And I sure thought I had processed all that grief from childhood, and all that terrible pain from the breakup of my family. Why am I so overwhelmed all over again?”

And she said, “Because grief is like a rubber-band ball.” Continue reading →