Why subscribe?
I want to show you that your life is unlimited regardless of whatever setback you may be dealing with (invisible or any illness, addiction, mental health or other).
I speak from experience. I’ve been dealt multiple setbacks. The invisible ones are challenging not only because of what they are, but also because to see me, you wouldn’t know what I deal with day to day, hour to hour. I don’t look disabled. Yet I am.
I hope to help you through my experience, research and network.
Why listen to me?
I have multiple qualifying invisible illnesses:
Chronic pelvic floor pain
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Food allergies and sensitivities
Arthritis
Restless leg syndrome
Fecal incontinence
Caregiver to my mom with Alzheimer’s (former, she passed in 2016)
The challenge with invisible illnesses is that people in the outside world don’t understand that there is truly pain that must be addressed. I don’t typically wallow in my illnesses, so people who see me day to day would be shocked and may not believe me if I told them I have chronic pain. I’ve even heard that people think I’m faking it.
It’s not that I want people to know I’m sick. The last thing that I want is pity from others. Believe me. But sometimes it would be more helpful if they did know, like when they suggest we meet up to go on a walk.
More often than not, people are not aware of my various health conditions, and that is how I prefer it. I prefer to be on an even playing field with others. As soon as they know about any of these illnesses, the balance of the scales change. The air feels different.
Any one of the illnesses listed above is enough to throw my day into a tailspin. All of these equate to many doctor and physical therapy appointments, difficulty going out to socialize with friends and all sorts of feelings that need to be dealt with, let alone addressing the actual illness and any side impacts.
I’ve cracked the nut on some of these. I’ll tell you:
How I’ve handled these illnesses so they do not rule my every day (on most days).
How I keep upbeat about life despite most of these illnesses are with me for my entire life.
How I’m actively dealing with illnesses that I’m working on now — what I’m doing about them and what my outlook is, even when I don’t know when, how or if an illness will be resolved.
What is Living an Unlimited Life and why does it exist?
I started Living an Unlimited Life during my healing process for chronic pain. However, this newsletter has a broader scope than just chronic pain.
I often hear from friends or others questioning how I tend to have a positive outlook despite being disabled. Other friends and acquaintances are confused because they cannot see anything wrong with me. I hear how persistent I am perceived as others don’t understand how I can deal with severe chronic pain and still continue to seek diagnoses and answers.
I take it one day at a time.
I seek answers. I question conflicting information. I question vague answers and direction. I question when information is not complete.
I push when I can’t get in to see the specialist. I escalate when appropriate. I am persistent. I am resilient.
I am constantly pressing for complete and accurate answers. Do I always get them? No. But I continue to push. I am relentless.
Do I get frustrated? Yes, absolutely.
I get frustrated in the moment. I let it go enough so that my day to day is not negatively impacted.
I believe that we all can live a life unlimited by whatever setbacks we’ve been dealt. In this newsletter, I share my personal stories to show you how I do it.
Caregiving is an invisible illness too — Alzheimer’s Disease
My journey includes caregiving for my mother, who died from Alzheimer’s. I advocate not only for a cure for Alzheimer’s but also for the caregivers.
My father was my mother’s primary caregiver, and I blame Alzheimer’s for his death, even though he did not have Alzheimer’s. The daily toll of the disease beat him up and when he got an infection, his body could no longer fight it as he was so worn down. Alzheimer’s was 100% responsible for my dad’s death as well.
In my newsletter and on this site, you will find many updates on the latest news in fighting the disease as well as information and bonuses for caregivers.
Inspiration and Support
I get inspiration from my crew of doggies at home. Meet Minnie, Roxy and Zoey. Feel free to share your doggie (or cat or other pet) inspiration in the comments.
Join the crew
Join me, my doggies and my community on my journey. Bring your dogs, cats and other pets. Don’t miss an update. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.
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