The merry-go-round

Your in the exam room of your doctor's office awaiting his/her entrance. Your doctor of 5 plus years walks in and says, "hello and how have you been feeling?" You proceed to tell about your symptoms and how the last medication prescribed isn't working for you because of the side effects. A new prescription is written with the hope that the side effects will be less bothersome. It's the 2nd or maybe 3rd medication you tried in an effort to cope with the issue.

The merry-go-round of doctor's visits, prescription medications, side effects, and experimentation to feel okay -- to be okay. And, commercials on TV tell you about new drugs recently approved and on the market. The ads recommend you tell your doctor you might benefit from their use. So you keep trying new medications to feel better. In the back of your mind your wondering how all the chemicals are affecting your biology and psychology. What are the long term effects?

There are so many scenarios that reflect the layers of dis'ease' that are present and a result of illness. So  many reasons to step back and take a closer look at what is happening in the process. Can you deny that it is chipping away the rational mind?

There are many ways to heal. Talk to someone you trust, maybe your coach to examine your dis'ease.'  It could mean the difference between illness and well being.

Woe is me

Everyone dreads listening to the complaining friend or relative who is always sick. The "woe is me" speaker. It's tiresome especially if you don't feel well yourself. Sometimes you don't know what to say yet your realize people need to talk about what ails them. They need someone to listen because being sick is frightening and isolating.

Did you ever turn the other way in the grocery store to avoid someone so you wouldn't have to listen to the current ache of the cancer patient, or transplant recipient? Did you ever think to yourself, " I think there is something more than cancer wrong with that one!"

When you have a medical condition, you can be sure that there is dis'ease' in your thinking. That's why I discuss staying strong, focused, and in charge of your condition. That's why I recommend coaching. I don't want you to be avoided in the grocery store or anywhere else.









Coaching is so valuable with helping one stay empowered because it is a catalyst for planning and offering a different perspective.

Staying Empowered

Incorporating a health condition into your daily life is essential to function. Coaching is a great tool for planning your life around medication needs, doctors visits, changes in relationships, and the multitude of other  changes that are a result of the medical condition. Once you establish a routine, it's much easier to function and life becomes somewhat normal.

When I say normal, I don't mean that lightly. It's a 'new normal' for anyone who is dealing with changing health. It's worrisome, aggravating, and often scary to face the effects of a medical condition. Just when it seems fully justifiable to give up is when you MUST find a way to stay empowered. Questions worthy of your attention are: How am I going to cope with my condition? Who am I now that I am impaired? How do I see myself in 6 months, a year, 5 years? Am I going to take on this health challenge with grace and style?

There is nothing easy in it. But, the beauty of life lies in the knowledge that we have choices. To decide to stay empowered is an important one. What does that mean? Well, for instance, staying abreast of the most current medical data on your condition, following doctors orders and expanding them, testing your limits daily to encourage strength and stamina, keeping your support system on call, and creating a vision for your future.  
That's a start, and know, with all that to do, you won't have time to focus on the medical condition, instead, your focus will be on becoming the best you can be. Just take it a step at a time, a day at a time, and remember, a medical condition is just another aspect of you to embrace and mold.

Vote

We find out this week who wins the Presidency. It's exciting and important. No matter who wins, think about America and her staying power. Will she continue to be the shining beacon for the world? Campaigns bring out information that questions this. Will America continue to shine?  Does the next President really determine this?  And, if so, which one provides the most hope?

None of us know for sure the answer to the questions, we can only speculate. How nice it would be if, no matter who the winner is, we each made a conscious decision to support that person, for if we do, we champion our America. It is all about America.

I believe that America will continue to shine no matter who wins. She will. She must. Make sure to vote.