True that

Written by Jason Lewis

Chronic illness is more common than you may think; according to research, up to 45% of Americans have one, and a smaller percentage have several conditions. When a family member or friend gets diagnosed, it can feel like the world is crumbling, but individuals with chronic diseases can live full, happy lives. You can help by offering your support in the following ways.

Learn as Much as You Can

If you want to help a loved one living with a chronic illness, the first step is learning more. The best way to research is by consulting with a medical professional, but you can supplement your knowledge with reputable online sources:

• Cleveland Clinic
• National Institutes of Health
• MedlinePlus
• Mayo Clinic

What if you feel called to take a more hands-on approach? A nursing degree can equip family members with the necessary skills to become full-time caregivers. Online universities offer flexibility and affordable tuition, making them an excellent option for working adults. Before registering, ensure the school is accredited to avoid getting scammed.

Help Your Loved One Adhere to a Management Plan

Management plans can minimize symptoms through lifestyle changes, medication, and medical treatment:

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Pain management
• Socialization

Depending on the condition and patients’ ages, they may need assistance sticking with a plan created by their doctors. You can help by organizing their medication, scheduling exercise classes, and taking them to social gatherings.

Create an Accessible Home Office

Working from home offers flexibility and comfort for people with chronic conditions. Home office design significantly impacts productivity, especially when individuals have health issues, so look for ways to create a welcoming, adaptable workspace:

• Choose low-maintenance flooring
• Find a quiet area
• Get a desk that’s comfortable to work at

Additionally, you can help your loved one increase natural lighting, which can boost energy and mood. Buying an ergonomic chair is also essential, as it can drastically reduce physical discomfort over long hours at the computer.

Ask What Your Loved One Needs

You should have an open dialogue with loved ones about their needs, including their emotional states. These discussions aren’t easy, and you may need a professional to help you navigate them. It may take time for individuals to adjust to their new limitations, so be patient and ask what you can do to assist in the meantime. Above all, don’t assume you know what your loved one needs. People with chronic illnesses still have agency and deserve respect.

Helping Around the House

Sometimes chronic illnesses cause pain, stiffness, and fatigue, making it difficult for patients to accomplish tasks they efficiently completed before. You can help your loved one stay comfortable by completing household chores:

• Sweeping
• Mopping
• Doing dishes
• Cooking

Read About Others’ Journeys

Dealing with a loved one’s illness can be overwhelming, and sometimes family and friends feel at a loss. Reading about other people’s experiences may help if you’re in this position. For example, you can find blogs about caregivers’ journeys or read books about patients’ struggles.

Get Outside Help

Even with an extensive support system, families of people with chronic illnesses can’t do everything. The good news is that there are many resources to help:

• Support groups
• Religious organizations
• Transportation services
• Foodbank
• Nonprofit organizations

Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness is a huge life change, but the support of loved ones can ease the transition. With the right approach, you can help your family member or friend get high-quality care and enjoy life.

 Image via Pexels

I love collaborating with Jason and I’m looking forward to future articles:)

God Bless:)

Poem

The same God that made you, made me too.

I may be weak, you may be strong

I may be strong, you may be weak

But that will pass, we’ll change again some more.

Some days we’ll cry, some days we’ll dance

I will fall down, you will regret

You’ll celebrate, I will get up

Cause in the end the same God

Made me and made you too.

I am a woman, at times confused

You are confused, at times a man

May walk alone or hand in hand.

We cry out loud and make no sound

Or talk too much, forget to touch

The child within who’se lonely often

Or lays thus crushed under an inner coffin.

We speak in vain and often roar

Our hearts pretend while minds do war.

What’s dark in us somebody one day will expose

What’s great in us mostly will be ignored.

And thus we roam among the people of this earth

Some do pretend, some are content

But in the end we realise

The falsehood in another’s life

Was once thus whispered in their head

By broken people whom knew little of love’s bread

But kept repeating a leaned script instead

Of words which hurt, or maybe brought some light content

Some spoke encouragement. In the end

Most kept the hope high as a trend

Which one are you?

I hope I am the second. And now the end.- By Carmen McKnight

We moved on the 24th of August and it’s been a continual exhaustive trail of hard work, but slowly the results give us the energy needed to get up in the morning and do it all over. I’ve lived in the city for so long that I’ve forgotten how much work life in the country requires. But country life has its beauty and rewards, as seen in the video above. I wasn’t talking about the deer I was talking about the weeds that still need pulling…okay that was a lame joke but that’s all I’ve got today.

On a goofy note, we just watched all the Twilight movies. Remember Twilight? And we went to Forks last Wednesday. I’m team, Charlie. That’s about as deep as I’ll get today. I’m emotionally and physically exhausted so I do not have much to share with you today.

What’s going on in your neck of the woods, or neighborhood? Keep me updated;) Have a good day, we all need good days. I’ve seen on Facebook all the weddings you guys have! So wonderful! I’m glad when I see people celebrating life.

God Bless:)

Written by Jason Lewis

Maybe you’re dealing with a chronic illness, and you want to get your symptoms under control. Or perhaps you’re just ready to take charge of your health. No matter what, there are always a few basic things you can do to feel better on a daily basis, from seeking a more fulfilling job to incorporating exercise into your routine. If you’re struggling with unexplained symptoms, you can turn to Carmen McKnight for guidance. Furthermore, these tips will help you embrace a healthier lifestyle, one step at a time.

Switch Careers

What if your job is causing you undue stress? Perhaps you feel frustrated and unfulfilled at work, or maybe you’re just itching for a change. You might find that switching careers boosts your mental health. For instance, if you’re interested in medical coding, you can leverage this into a new job. By choosing among available medical coding online courses, you can learn all about assigning accurate codes and correctly identifying service claims and medical procedures. To finish the course, you’ll take an assessment validating your skills.

Exercise in Short Bursts

You might feel like you have no time to exercise because your schedule is so packed right now. But you may be shocked by how effortlessly you can fit more physical activity into your daily routine, even if you don’t have much free time. For you, this might mean taking the stairs instead of an elevator when you have the option or going for short walks during your lunch breaks.

Change Your Sleep Schedule

Maybe you find it hard to get a full eight hours of sleep each night. But restructuring your routines so that you can wake up feeling well-rested is worth the effort. If you tend to scroll on your smartphone around bedtime or fall asleep with the TV on, it’s time to make some changes. Healthline recommends easing off caffeine consumption late in the day, avoiding sources of blue light in the evening, skipping daytime naps, taking melatonin supplements, and figuring out the optimal sleep temperature for your bedroom.

Meditation

Meditation can dramatically benefit your mental health. But if you’ve never tried meditating before, you might assume that this practice is too difficult or boring. Meditation is truly what you make of it – and it can be quite soothing! To begin your personal meditation practice, Shape recommends sitting on a comfortable chair or cushion, putting on instrumental music, setting a timer for five minutes, closing your eyes, and simply breathing through your nose. If your thoughts begin to wander, bring your attention back to your breath.

Cook at Home

It’s all too easy to order takeout after a busy day at work or pop a frozen meal in the microwave for a convenient lunch or dinner. But cooking healthy, home-cooked meals will help you fuel your body and feel your best. You don’t have to be a professional chef to whip up a tasty meal! You can start by mastering a few basic recipes and branching out from there.

It can be hard to cook at home regularly if you work long hours. This is where meal prep comes in handy. By prepping meals over the weekend, storing portions in your fridge or freezer, and simply reheating them as the week goes on, you can eliminate the need to have food delivered.

Making healthy lifestyle changes, like finding a better job or exercising, can feel intimidating. But you can gradually shift to a healthier lifestyle over time – you don’t have to make lots of dramatic changes at once. With these tips, you’ll be able to care for your physical and mental health.

Are you dealing with a chronic illness? Find inspiration and support from the blog of Carmen McKnight. Browse the blog today for tips and advice on managing your health.

Photo via Pexels

So life is full of surprises:) Instead of moving to Europe, we’re moving to Sequim on 10 acres. Closing is August 5th. As a parent, it’s hard to leave your kids behind and move across the ocean so we’re staying in America, for now.

Keep cool, can’t wait for this heat wave to pass.

God Bless:)

„Nu am eșuat. Tocmai am găsit 10.000 de lucruri care nu funcționează.” -Thomas Alva Edison

Ești în mijlocul viziunii tale și pare că nu există o îndrumare clară, prea multe uși se închid și drumul către succes este atât de obositor și copleșitor? Am trecut și eu pe acolo. Într-un fel, încă sunt pe drumul meu către sănătate, încă învăț și încă lupt. Dar cu mult mai multe resurse și speranță 🙂

Nu ai eșuat, pur și simplu ai găsit multe moduri prin care mersul tău către viziunea ta nu funcționează, încearcă din nou și din nou și din nou până când ajungi la final. Succesul vine cu 10% inspirație și 90% transpirație, mai multă frustrare decât sărbătoare și multă determinare chiar și atunci când lucrurile par sumbre. Opreștete doar când ai încercat absolut totul și chiar și atunci pleacă cu zâmbetul pe buze pentru că ai învățat atât de multe! O cantitate neprețuită de înțelepciune se află acum în tine și nu ești un eșec. Mi-aș dori să fiu acolo cu unii dintre voi – am doar o dorință către anumite viziuni, nu toate, dar mulțumesc lui Dumnezeu pentru că încercați și reușiți în chestiuni cu care nu m-aș deranja niciodată – pe câmpul de luptă, dar nu e timpul meu încă. Momentan sarcina mea e de a mă recupera, de a mă vindeca și de a te susține pe tine, cel care este în mijlocul acțiuni. Și îmi place să te încurajez! Ești atât de puternic/ă și curajos/ă, atât de imaginativ/ă și dăruitor/oare, atât de strălucitor/e și minunat/ă creație a lui Dumnezeu. Deci, nu te lasă! Vorbesc despre cei care depun eforturi și fac sacrificii pentru a-i ajuta pe cei care au nevoie de ajutor.

Faptul că încerci, demonstrează că nu ești un eșec, ci un visător, un vizionar:) Minunat!

Nu ai o viziune? Nu știi care este scopul tău? Ia un moment și liniștește-ți inima și sufletul. Privește în inima ta. Ce îți place să faci? Cum poți ajuta alții cu acea pasiune pe care o ai în interior? Începe de acolo. Acea pasiune a fost pusă acolo cu un motiv. (Nu vorbesc despre pasiunile autodistructive, acestea sunt așa cum am menționat: autodistructive).

Pentru acele cazuri „fără speranță”, ei nu au nevoie de o viziune momentan, mai degrabă trebuie să învețe cum să-și recunoască valoarea ca ființă umană nu în ochii presei sau a site-urilor sociale, ci în lucrurile care contează. Majoritatea tinerilor trebuie să învețe ce înseamnă sacrificiul, ce este sacrificiul? Ce înseamnă să-ți pese de altul? Ce este compasiunea? Ce este răbdarea? Ce este valoarea umană? Și îi putem învăța nu impunând reguli, nu cedând fiecărei capricii egoiste, ci fiind exemple mari de o dragoste reală față de o altă ființă umană, față de animale și față de natură.

Dumnezeu să ne ajute:)

“I Have Not Failed. I Have Just Found 10,000 Things That Do Not Work.” -Thomas Alva Edison

Are you in the midst of your vision and it seems like there’s no clear guidance, too many doors are closing, and the road to success is so utterly tiresome and overwhelming? Been there. In a way, I still am on my road toward health, I’m still learning and I’m still fighting. But with far more resources and hope:)

You haven’t failed, you simply found many ways that your walk towards your vision does not work, try again, and again and again until you arrive. Success comes with 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, more frustration than celebration, and lots of determination even when things look grim. Only walk away when you tried absolutely everything and even then walk away with a smile on your face for you have learned so much! A priceless amount of wisdom lays within you now and you are not a failure. I wish I could be there with some of you- I only have a drive towards certain visions, not all, but thank God for you all out there trying and succeeding in matters I would never bother with- on the battlefield, but it’s not my time yet. My time now is to recover and heal and cheer you from the sidelines. And I love cheering you on! I love encouraging you! You are so strong and brave, so imaginative and gifted, so utterly brilliant and marvelous and wondrous creation of God. So go team! I speak for the people putting in the effort and sacrifices trying to help those needing help.

The fact that you’re trying, it proves that you are not a failure, but a dreamer, a visionary:) Awesome!

You don’t have a vision? You don’t know what your purpose is? Take a moment and quiet yourself. Look within your heart. What do you love to do? How can you help other people with that passion you have within? Start there. That passion was put there for a reason. (I’m not talking about the self-destructive passions, those are as I mentioned: self-destructive).

For those “hopeless” cases, they don’t need a vision yet, they need to recognize their value as human beings, not in the media’s eyes, or social sites’ likes but in the things that matter. Most young people have to learn what it means to sacrifice, what is sacrifice? What does it mean to care about another? What is compassion? What is patience? What is human value? And we can teach them not by imposing rules, not by giving in to their every selfish whim, but by being great examples of real love towards other human beings, animals, and nature.

God Bless:)