Lymphedema

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Lymphedema: Don't Walk In My Shoes, It's Painful

How many people have lymphedema and are looked at as if the disability is not deliberating? Hidden disability of the limbs and body parts that act as a defense to trying to be “strong” and “courageous”. Through the pain I endure it is challenging to accept I will never be the same again. Merely to stand, my legs feel like they are on fire, the tingling sensation takes over and you feel your legs trebling. Swelling takes over and then the redness starts to develop. My legs are fall colors no just red, but hues of brown, dark brown, and red, with my skin pitting from the edema that visits and does not want to leave.

Faced with problems with my mobility I do not walk as fast as I use to and I can’t run and stand for long periods of time. Arthritis adds to the onset of pain and inflammation. Would you want to walk in my shoes? Being the DIVA that I am, I had to give away all my heels and shoes I use to rock. I did some modeling years ago, so I knew how to walk in heels and give a great presentation modeling clothing. I remember those times because now, I can only recall going through the pages of a magazine and watching commercials highlighting the next new ensemble.

To walk in my shoes, you would be a survivor of so much more and to struggle with knowing that you aren’t who you use to be. Accepting your disability is a process of self-discovery and allowing your strengths to become your resource to stay balanced and focused. Every day, I find my legs in various conditions, I pray over my body for strength and tolerance. I am on a journey of self-discovery. Come walk with me, but just know, don’t call me “slow”, I am walking at my own pace. #disability #lymphedema #awareness #invisbledisability

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⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ You have made it to now and that shows your strength especially if you don't feel strong. You SURVIVED! I AM so proud of you!!!

Courage is not the absence of fear, it is going on despite being afraid.

I understand how hard this life with a not-completely-perfect body. It sucks and no one around you seems to get that. But I do. More than anyone I dare say.

You are not alone!

We are in this fight together. And we are winning to make it each second more. If only hope and peace came with bad health. Instead we must work for them. But that just means they are that much sweeter when we get them.

Life without hope can be dreary. I know it is hard but try to hope for that better tomorrow. Life is not predictable. ANYTHING can happen. And when your cure or a treatment comes along, I pray you will find it even more wonderful that you hoped.

And I hope you get that peace no matter your health. I am proof it is possible. We I'll get there. One day at a time one second at a time.

Even if we aren't as convinced, our body fights so hard to keep overcoming. Don't forget to thank it for trying so hard even if it isn't as perfect as we wish.

Any and all effort counts! Your worth is so much greater than you can dream. Trust me to know. 😉

#AmplifiedMusculoskeletalPainSyndrome #Arthritis #Asthma #Anxiety #bedbound #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #CheckInWithMe #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #Depression #Disability #DistractMe #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Endometriosis #Fibromyalgia #GastroesophagealRefluxDisease #Grief #HypothyroidismUnderactiveThyroidDisease #Insomnia #JuvenileRheumatoidArthritis #RheumatoidArthritis #Lupus #Lymphedema #MentalHealth #MemoryLoss #MightyTogether #Migraine #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #plantarfasciitis #Psoriasis #PTSD #PanicAttack #PanicAttacks #RareDisease #SuicidalThoughts #Upallnight #CheerMeOn

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I swear I already have a gazillion photos of this darling Rosie 💕❤️

She has so much sass and is SOOO Fun!!! Until she wakes me just as I finally got to sleep at 6:30AM lol

She is EXACTLY what I need to get me up and doing more than thinking morose thought. We may have saved her, but she saved me too 💗💖

She will always be my best buddy because od that.

With Lucy, our 7yr old pup who had to be put down almost a year ago now, it took a year until she settled in completely knowing we would take GREAT care of her.

With Rosie it only took 5months! ❣️❣️❣️

She fits so so perfectly with me as we look out for each other. And thanks to her I have survived thus far which is a HUGE HUGE thing and the reason we got her. She has done so well!

Life is pretty easy with this cutie with a whole bottle of SASS lol

She makes me laugh and will keep doing what she is doing just because she likes me laughing. What a smart and generous pup! At age 4 I can promise to the world that she is LOVED and SO CHERISHED!

All her collars proudly proclaim that she is Cherished and Adored ❤️❤️❤️

And that is no exaggeration! She has earned every bit and all the more that she gets too!

Dear Rosie: You are VERY Loved! And this is my pledge that you will be for the rest of your life and even after too 💕💕💕

#AmplifiedMusculoskeletalPainSyndrome #Arthritis #Asthma #Anxiety #bedbound #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #CheckInWithMe #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #Upallnight #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #Depression #Fibromyalgia #Disability #DistractMe #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Endometriosis #GastroesophagealRefluxDisease #HypothyroidismUnderactiveThyroidDisease #Grief #Insomnia #Lupus #Lymphedema #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #Psoriasis #PTSD #PanicAttack #PanicAttacks #MentalHealth #MightyPets #MightyTogether #MemoryLoss #Migraine #RareDisease #SuicidalThoughts #JuvenileRheumatoidArthritis #RheumatoidArthritis

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Constantly having doctors tell me they don't want to put in the effort or time to help me has seriously affected my health.
Emotional and physical. One of the mantras I find myself having to repeat often is "You Are Worth it!" And "You are worthy of help!".

The bad and harm that doctors can cause is seriously underestimated. Hopefully one day I can actually have a doctor that is fully invested in solving me helping me find peace, and helping me FINALLY improve my messed up health.

I keep thinking I can't lose more health but somehow my body does. It is cruelty that fully encompasses every part of me.

I work so so hard to find any good in life and I work even harder doing my own practice so that I can miraculously create artwork that can boost my spirits and practice in using utensils so I can get at least a few bites if food in me. Nourishment is the most obnoxious part of being unable to use my hand and the severe arthritic pain. Most meals I have to bribe and cajole to convince myself to scoop food up in my mouth, miserably chew with few working teeth that bleed from any use, and swallow 20 times in the next 30min. Begging my useless swallowing muscles(they act paralyzed almost 24/7) to work my food down far enough that I won't have to wake up multiple times vomiting it up.

*sigh* all that is only a drop in the large bucket of the many many things I have to handle.

A reminder that we are worthy of help, love, and happiness can be a LOT of work but it is vital to keeping positive or at least not pessimistic in a world that prefers to beat us down. Dare to audaciously hope for that better tomorrow. Because YOU ARE Worth It!

#AmplifiedMusculoskeletalPainSyndrome #Arthritis #Asthma #Anxiety #bedbound #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #CheckInWithMe #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Endometriosis #Depression #Disability #DistractMe #Fibromyalgia #GastroesophagealRefluxDisease #HypothyroidismUnderactiveThyroidDisease #Grief #Insomnia #JuvenileRheumatoidArthritis #Lupus #Lymphedema #CheerMeOn #IfYouFeelHopeless #Headache #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #PanicAttack #PanicAttacks #Psoriasis #PTSD #RheumatoidArthritis #RareDisease #SuicidalThoughts #Upallnight #MentalHealth #MemoryLoss #MightyTogether #Migraine

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