In 2010 I took the reigns and started “leading” my own healthcare. In doing so, I’ve seen the most improvement in my health. Is it perfect? Absofreakinlutely not! Do things like ulcers still occur and “rule my life” for periods of time? Sure as shit, they do. I’ve come to accept that ulcers may likely be the one thing I continue to struggle with. These are the result of skin breakdown just by virtue of how I use my hands. The skin has forever been changed in some places and the possibility for ulcers will always be there.
It’s not ideal, but in the grand scheme of Scleroderma, they’re “the lesser of evils”. Which is a little Alanis Morissette “Ironic” because they are the worst pain and most debilitating thing I’ve dealt with AND YET theylre not “killing” me like my heart issues and ILD have actively worked to in the past.
I’ve also continued to struggle with gut/diet/malnutrition issues. That’s a complicated cycle that is largely a result of me not being hungry coupled with hating the kitchen. The last year has been a rollercoaster of trial and error in trying to get that under control. I think I’m finally there. “Think”. Fingers crossed.
A lot goes into managing health and combating illness. As an individual with chronic illnesses, this can becoming daunting fulltime jobs for us. How we each manage that will have variances. At the core, though, healthy food, movement, proper rest, and stress management are beneficial - across the board.
Stress management has been key for me. It was the last piece to tie all of my other efforts together. The “cherry on top”, if you will. Lifestyle changes were the biggest in achieving this. Followed by yoga (which helps my body, mind AND stress) and meditation.
I’ve shared and promoted mostly the physical aspects of yoga in recent years with Yoga for Scleroderma as it’s a great way to keep a Scleroderma body moving. As we’ve been spending a majority of 2020 in our homes and not able able to take yoga to the masses, we’ve started focusing on the meditation/stress reduction/deep relaxation side of yoga by hosting guided relaxations via Zoom twice a day every Wednesday.
This is a free offering. As all of our offerings are. We offer these services to benefit the community. Internet isn’t even required, you can dial in from any phone line. You don’t have to be on video.
If you’re interested in taking 30 minutes to get some guided relaxation and distressing in your routine, head over to the events section of our FB page. If one of those times isn’t convenient for you, reach out to us, we may be able to set up more Wednesday sessions as the need arises.
Additionally, starting this month we’ll be releasing weekly recorded sessions on our new podcast channel. Details will be on our page soon.
Persevere. Rock on!
💋🤘🏼
P.S. breathwork helped improve my lung function after 17 years. Keep an eye out for those on the podcast.
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