CELESTE SPEAKS - An autumn overview

The fall season is a time of harvest and preparation, and that is the metaphor for “Fall Devotions”. It is not a book of daily religious devotions; instead, it is a book for taking one day at a time, learning to live in the moment. As leaves turn brilliant colors and fall from the trees to provide a protective blanket for the harshness of winter, so does this book help our readers view life through a door open to a landscape of honor and hope.  (Excerpt from http://www.celestecooper.com/fall-devotions.html )

As we prepare for the days ahead, I thought it would be a good time to share a sampling of topics I have covered as free lance writer at Health Central and ProHealth. A few of the articles are listed below in alphabetical order according to the main topic. You can find more articles and direct links on my website.

Check out Celeste's articles for articles on topics, such as:

What is Centralized Pain: An Interview Dr. Karl Hurst-Wicker, MD

Chronic Pain and Movement Motivation
Illusive Disorder-Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Dry Eye and Chronic Pain
The Connection Between TMJ and Chronic Pain​
How to Report Foot Pain Symptoms
Tips for Managing Fibrofog
Fibromyalgia Awareness and Aggravating Conditions​
Fast Facts: Fibromyalgia Is Real
Fibromyalgia Centralization and Peripheral Myofascial Pain
Fibromyalgia Concerns for a Healthy Mouth
A Nervous System at Odds: Dysautonomia and Fibromyalgia
Taking up the Slack: Flares, Frets and Fibro
Are There Objective Tests for Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia Tender Points or Myofascial Trigger Questions
Essential Factors for Relating Fibromyalgia Symptoms
When Fibromyalgia Is More than Pain                                                    
Treatment of Foot Pain: How to Care for Our Feet
Joint Hypermobility and Chronic Pain
Downloading a Pain Tracking App
The Legs of Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain
Marijuana and Chronic Pain-QA-Dr David Barton
Migraine, Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS
Myofascial Pain Treatment
What is a Myofascial Trigger Point, and Their Relationship to Pain?
Why knowing the cause of pelvic pain is essential to treatment
Piriformis Syndrome or Sciatica, Is There a Difference?
Pitfalls & Pearls-Resistance Training - fibromyalgia and myofascial pain
Restless Leg Syndrome: Sleep, Fibromyalgia, and Myofascial Pain Syndrome 
6 Reasons Why Trigger Point Injections Aren’t Helping Your Fibromyalgia
What’s Causing This Chronic Rib Pain?
Sculpting Our Thoughts on Pain
The Romance of Fibromyalgia with Tai Chi
Yoga and Chronic Pain

​ and more...

Articles from Celeste at CelesteCooper.com list just updated. See what’s new at:

http://www.celestecooper.com/freelance-articles-for-you.html

Be sure to check out the archives here on the blog, too.

In healing,,Celeste

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"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  

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Celeste Cooper, RN

Author—Patient—Freelance Writer at Health Central & ProHealth —Advocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Learn more about Celeste’s books at her website or find links here on Celeste's  blog. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.

All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  

The Patient’s Playbook: Find the “No Mistake Zone” – A Chronic Illness Blogger’s Review

"I have been given this product as part of a product review through the  Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. "

As a retired registered nurse, educator, and author of self-help books for my fellow pain warriors, I am thrilled to say that fellow author, Leslie D. Michelson, has done the patient community a great service by giving us “The Patient’s Playbook: How to Save Your Life and the Lives of Those You Love”.

Aesthetically appealing, easy to understand attorney, Leslie Michelson, expresses relatable accounts of patient experiences, bringing it home to us as readers and patients. Using his 30 plus years of experience in the healthcare arena, he gives us “what to do’s” for nearly all healthcare decisions. We find tips for finding confidence and courage; asking questions; choosing the right doctor; working through the logistics of access, insurance, and cost; exercising patient rights; developing a support team; carrying your entire health history with you; utilizing resources, and much more.

The patient stories allow us to make objective assessments and catalog them in the file of “things to remember before, or when, it happens to me”, because in today’s fragmented and rushed healthcare environment bad things can happen. As the author suggests, hasty judgments, whether from the provider or the patient, increase the likelihood of mistakes, complications, unnecessary interventions, inappropriate referrals and other unwarranted occurrences.

I recently experienced the fall out of hastened, fragmented care. My rheumatologist became my advocate and ordered the blood tests I felt my symptoms warranted, despite the new endocrinologist telling me my symptoms couldn’t be explained by my “numbers” and to discuss my symptoms with another doctor. When my results came in, my thyroid levels had swung from critical high to critical low in 7 weeks. Because of stories like mine, finding a doctor who is a skilled diagnostician who listens and cares about patients getting the care they need is imperative. Leslie Michelson has the information you need to make that happen.  

I love this subheading in chapter six, “Forgetting Who’s in Charge. (Hint: It’s You.)”

Every patient is vulnerable when illness strikes, despite the nature or urgency. As a nurse who cared for people in the emergency department, I know patients and family members are at their lowest point, they feel they have lost all control and their duress interferes with their ability to think logically. Often, the nurse or doctor must lead the patient or family member to give them the information they need. But, this doesn’t always happen. The Patient’s Playbook gives us what we need to be in command, whether it’s finding a new doctor or being hospitalized. It teaches us to be assertive, tolerant, proactive, and partners in our care.

Lastly, a good self-help book gives us, the reader, the ability to interact with the material on a personal basis. The chapter summaries, “Quick Guides”, allow us to swiftly review areas of the book that provide information we need under certain circumstances. Even if you aren’t sick—right now—you can use the information found in The Patient’s Playbook to advocate for those you care about.

“By the time you finish reading this book, you will have completely rethought the way you interact with caregivers and hospitals.” ~ Leslie D. Michelson

Leslie Michelson, J.D., “healthcare quarterback”, CEO of Private Health Management, says his book is “A call to action to change the way we manage our health”, and that is certainly motivation enough to read it. Please take a minute and visit ThePatientsPlayBook.com, “Look Inside the Book” at Amazon and check out the “Table of Contents”, “Read a Sample” at Barnes and Nobel.   The paperback will be released on Oct. 18.  Amazon

You can also find Leslie on Facebook at Leslie Michelson @PatientsPlaybook.

In healing,,Celeste

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Celeste Cooper, RN

Author—Patient—Freelance Writer at Health Central & ProHealth —Advocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Axon Therapeutic Eyewear for Migraine and Blepharospam: Celeste’s Chronic Illness Blogger Review

"I have been given this product as part of a product review through the  Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. "

According to the International Headache Society on beta 3 of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, migraine disease has many sub-types. But regardless of the type, many of us experience photophobia. A study published in the peer review journal, Cephalalgia, says approximately 80% of migraineurs experience light sensitivity during an attack. It is also estimated that up to 80% of people with blepharospasm, a facial movement disorder defined by eyelid twitching, experience the phenomenon due to bright light exposure. I happen to be in both groups. That’s why I was so excited to review “Axonoptics Therapeutic Eyewear”.

Studies show filtering out particular light rays contributing to photosensitivity reduces the number of migraines we experience. This is particularly important because these glasses are not the same as sunglasses, which I have used to help my photophobia. Axon glasses are different; they are therapeutic. 

When I first started wearing them, my usual squinting (even with sunglasses) stopped. During a migraine, the glasses really help too. Minimizing photophobia for me also means minimizing nausea and vomiting. I no longer worry about attending a conference or advocacy meeting in fear of the overhead lights triggering a migraine.

The glasses arrived in a handsome box, and a well-designed durable case.  

You can get other frames, send in your own, and get the lenses in your prescription. The frames I got are the Axon Optics JURA - Migraine Glasses for Migraine Relief and Light Sensitivity Relief. They are a stylish, classic, lightweight, unisex style spring frame, meaning they will hug your face without causing undue pressure. I must admit, the universal size scared me a bit at first, but the glasses fit my face with comfort. I hardly know there.

According to Axontherapeutics there are certain things to be considered, which I read before doing this review.

• They can be used every day.
• While the rose tint is not dark, which I love, they are not endorsed for night driving as a safety concern, and no research has been done to know if it would help.
• These lenses are indicated for migraine, light sensitivity, photophobia, blepharospasm, glare, eyestrain or irritation, headaches and traumatic brain injury.
• There are no limitations on how often they are worn.
• The FL-41 lenses have a premium coating that is anti-smudge, anti-moisture, and anti-scratch and block 100% UVA and UVB rays.
• The lenses I got are ideal for when using electronics, such as a computer or television, and protect against flickering or irritating light patterns. They are not indicated for outside because they aren’t dark (they do filter UV rays), but I find dark lenses give me eye strain and intensify my dry eye, so for me they are good for both inside and out, but if you need a dark lens, they also have outdoor lens for use as sunglasses.  

For me, it doesn’t matter if the sun is shining brightly or the sky is thick with clouds, I am sensitive, so even though I got the indoor tint, I also wear them when driving and enjoy knowing my eyes are protected from UV light rays, which can damage anyone's eyes. You might prefer a darker tint for sunglasses, but regardless of your preference, it is reassuring to know that photosensitivity  can now be minimized.

As migraineurs, we seek whatever means available to prevent and treat this horrific disease. And, I am happy to report these glasses are reducing blepharospasm, bringing relief from the incessant distraction of twitching eyelids. 

In healing,,Celeste

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Celeste Cooper, RN

Author—Patient—Freelance Writer at Health Central & ProHealth —Advocate