Chronic Bits:
Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine now available at CVS drugstores
-Posted: 10/3/2008
Here's a step in the right direction: CVS drugstores nationwide (more than 6,200 of them) will now carry Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association. Let's hope this is the beginning of a trend that brings more disease-focused publications to the mainstream magazine racks.
We're in Alltop!
-Posted: 10/3/2008
Alltop, one of our favorite site indexers (they serve only the best of the best), has added ChronicBabe to its rankings. It's a huge honor and we hope you'll take a moment to check out all that Alltop has to offer—we're in good company!
Universal health care: a right or a moral obligation?
-Posted: 10/2/2008
Movin' Meat, one of our fave doc bloggers, writes eloquently today about the distinction between universal health care as a right vs. a moral obligation (or entitlement). If you're following this issue, we consider this piece a must-read. (Thanks, Kevin, MD, for pointing us to it!)
Laurie Edwards on the cost of our health crisit
-Posted: 10/2/2008
Laurie Edwards, creator of A Chronic Dose, writes about our health care crisis and the cost of illness in America. Compellingly. Not boringly, like most of the stuff we've been reading lately. So dig in, Babes, and get educated—and then spread the word on the importance of funding health care research and treatment.
TMJ Association adds forum
-Posted: 10/2/2008
ChronicPal Stacy just let us know that the TMJ Association has introduced an online forum where those affected by temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJDs)—and their loved ones—can exchange information, share experiences and find mutual support. The forum extends the association's outreach to raise awareness about the realities of TMJDs and advance our mission to support TMJ patients and their loved ones. Check it out, Babes!
Grand Rounds @ Monash Medical Student
-Posted: 9/30/2008
Our fave health blog carnival, Grand Rounds, is fresh over at Monash Medical Student, and we're proud to be featured. Good reading, Babes!
Jump to recent articles (last updated: 10/3/2008)
For Babes, who just happen to have chronic illness...
If you're a sick chick in search of like-minded folks—the kind of people who are living well in spite of illness—you're in the right place! ChronicBabe offers hundreds of resources designed to help you keep on being a Babe, even with chronic illness. To get the most out of our site, sign up today for our free eNewsletter: Goodie Bag and get dozens of tips delivered straight to you every other week. And when you sign up, you also get a free ebook, How to Be a ChronicBabe: A Beginner's Toolkit.
(By the way, we were voted the Best Patient's Blog in 2007 as part of the Medical Blog Awards. Now doesn't that say something?)
Yup, that's right: Alltop, one of our fave sites for finding health stories, has just ranked ChronicBabe as one of the best sites around.
New to Chronicbabe? A great place to start: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behaviors
Every year, ChronicBabe is thoroughly involved in Invisible Illness Awareness Week, sponsored by our pals over at Rest Ministries. This year Editrix Jenni spoke live on September 10, and you can hear her program archived: "Overcoming Self-Defeating Behaviors When You Are Chronically Ill."
Above image is hosted by www.flickr.com.
Caption:
Recent Articles:
I wanted fibromyalgia to be taken seriously. Guess I got what I wanted!
The fibromyalgia community has fought for years to be taken seriously. And in a stupid twist that could only come from insurance companies, at least one woman with fibro IS being taken seriously—in the form of a rejection letter. Really? With all the advances in treatment, this is where we are today? Read on to hear what Editrix Jenni has to say about being turned down, and chime in with your own thoughts.
Posted: 10/3/2008 in Venting | View this article.
It's time to find joy again - and it's hiding right under your nose!
Life with chronic illness is hard. It sucks. We all know that. And plenty of us talk about it, in person to our friends and family, or online in forums or blogs. But all that talking about it...thinking about it...obsessing about it...eats away at our joy.
We've got some basic tips you can start using today to reclaim your joy. Sure, there's no way everyone can feel joyful every moment of the day—but you CAN reclaim joyful moments and live a more fun life, no matter how sick you are.
Posted: 9/25/2008 in Inspiration | View this article.
Hear Editrix Jenni Prokopy speak live on September 10! Update with archived presentation!
This is just a quick note to let you know about a presentation I'm giving tomorrow as part of National Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2008. Read on for instructions on how to listen and call in with questions. It's tomorrow, Babes—don't miss it! (OK, if you do, the recording is archived.)
Posted: 9/9/2008 in Announcements | View this article.
Get ready for Invisible Illness Week 2008
Invisible Illness Week is Sept. 8-14, 2008, and ChronicBabe is a big participant. Editrix Jenni Prokopy is a featured speaker on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 2pm Central time (call-in details to come)...we've donated t-shirts to be given away as prizes...and we'll be blogging about what it's like to live with invisible illness all week.
Posted: 8/31/2008 in Announcements | View this article.
Big flare-up = big need for self-care tips
Oh Babes, Editrix Jenni's flare-up...it is so big. It's been ebbing and flowing for a couple weeks now and it's draining her energy. But she's committed to maintaining her self care regimen during this tough time, and thought she'd take a moment to remind you, too, that it's important to take small steps every day to keep yourself feeling as well as possible (or, AWAP).
Here are some of her favorite ChronicBabe resources on self-care from our past three years of resources. She refers to these when she's not feeling so hot; you may want to bookmark them, too.
Posted: 8/18/2008 in Coping | View this article.
Congratulations to Michelle Traub, our 3rd birthday essay contest winner!
Wow, what a wonderful contest this was! It filled my heart with joy to read all of your wonderful essays (nearly 50 in all) and it was really tough to pick the winners. And truly—you're all winners, because you care enough about yourselves to learn new ways to live full lives in spite of chronic illness. (And because everyone who entered wins some nifty ChronicBabe buttons to wear and share!) The top prize went to Michelle Traub, who wrote a terrific essay that brought tears to my eyes (plus, she got extra points for creativity). Read on for her essay and all the other winners...
Posted: 8/1/2008 in Announcements | View this article.
OK, I've slipped. So here are 10 things I promise myself today. What's your promise?
I've slipped. It's been a rough week and I totally threw my self-care regimen out the window. Let's see: I've eaten some horribly unhealthy meals, blown my sleep schedule to bits, relied more on medication when I could be using relaxation techniques to handle stress, overworked when I knew my body was ready to quit...the list goes on and on.
But I'm not going to beat myself up over this. I'm through playing that game—I used to get mad at myself all the time for being an imperfect patient, but no more. Now my aim is to just get real with myself, take ownership of what's mine, and do my best to take good care.
With that in mind, here are 10 things I promise myself today. I know I won't always be perfect with them, but I'll do my best. Check them out, try a few and consider writing some of your own.
Posted: 7/20/2008 in Coping | View this article.
