A Message of Hope from My Guest, Clarissa Shepherd

 “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” 

~Orison Swett Marden, 1850 - 1924

Did you know that March is “Brain Awareness” month? We know the brain is a very complex organ, many people, with many disorders could have many things to say to raise awareness. Being one with a fibro-migrainus brain, I also know how important a message of hope can be for anyone who shares this journey with us. I am truly blessed to be able to share with you a message of hope written for you by my friend, Clarissa Shepherd, the, leader of the Facebook Group, Fellow Travelers. 

Get ready to face illness with courage, a sense of renewal and hope.

Renewing in Hope by Clarissa Shepherd

For those of us who face chronic illness each day, thinking positive is not an easy task. It's not as if we dwell on the negative, yet it finds us. We not only deal with daily pain and many other symptoms – we also deal with all of life's difficulties. I feel we do a magnificent job surviving a long list of daunting symptoms. Following is what you mean to me.

Learning to live within your limitations is not a negative thing; it’s a way to rearrange your life so you can live to your fullest potential. Finding new ways of doing daily tasks is a very creative thing. I find it amazing that you manage so well. You find new ways of healing, new ways of coping, new ways to entertain yourself, new talents that you didn't know you had.

Your journey may be very difficult. It may be very long and tiresome, yet you do it with such grace. A grace like I've never seen before. You're learning a new way to live, a new way of thinking, and ways of doing it soulfully. You've learned how to rethink what being productive means to you now, and you acknowledge that everyone's yardstick for measuring what’s productive isn't the same, and that's OK. You're still alive and moving ever forward as you learn to maneuver this new way of life. You've accepted the challenge and looked it right in the face. I call you—courageous.

You are a vital human being. This illness is not of your own making, and it does not define you. It just is. You show your strength and courage with each breath you take, every obstacle you overcome, and every new way you learn to cope. You are fearless, even in your pain.

Now I want you to take this truth into each day. Allow it to cover your entire being. There will be those in your life that don't, or won't, understand what you face each day. Chronic illness has taught me this…

Some people will fill you up,

Others will drain you of energy better spent,

So, choose wisely.

The reality is you are wonderful—just as you are. Your bravery is unparalleled, because you live it in solitude. Believe in yourself, as you renew in hope. Just as the season's change, so does your strength. Hope, courage, and renewal define you. They are in you, beside you, in front of you. Know this, and let the beacon, your bright light, guide you, hold you, and sustain you. You are brave. I applaud the person you are.

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I am constantly encouraged by Clarissa and her generous spirit. Following is perhaps one of my favorite affirmations from her, which is included in one of our books.

"Be kind to yourself.

Respect who you are.

Walk in the light of your fearlessness."

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

Celeste Cooper, RN

Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain Pro —Advocate

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

Walking In Strength: Guest blog from a Spoonie Clarissa Shepherd

Fellow spoonie (see "Moving into the Month of Spoonie Awareness"), Clarissa Shepherd, has a unique talent for engaging "Fellow Travelers" with fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome through her support group on Facebook. She encourages others to speak about their concerns through ongoing weekly topics of "Sharing, Caring, Grateful, and Did Wells." Following is a note she has written to those who walk this path together.

I thank my friend for allowing me to share her intimate thoughts, words of encouragement, and recognition of all our Fellow Travelers.

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For those of us who face chronic illness each day, thinking positive is not an easy task. We don't seek negativity; it finds us. Despite its efforts to interfere, we can still find ways to deal with the up's and down's imposed by chronic illness. I [Clarissa] feel we do a grand job enduring and surviving in spite of the long list of daunting symptoms.

Our journey may be very difficult, long, and tiresome, yet each of you does it with such grace, grace as I've never seen before. Learning to live within our limitations and think creatively is a positive thing. Despite your symptoms, you find ways to rearrange your life in order to live it. I find each of you amazing for embracing change, for finding ways to accomplish daily tasks and entertain yourself. You uncover your hidden talents and discover new ways to embrace change. You're learning an entirely new way of living, a new way of thinking, you've learned how to rethink what productive means to you as individuals and redefine healing, and you are doing it soulfully. With forward momentum, you find ways to accept challenge. You are courageous.

You are a vital human being. This illness is not of your own making. It does not define you. You show your strength and courage with each breath you take every obstacle you overcome; you are fearless, even in your pain.

Now, I want you to take this truth into each day. Allow it to cover your entire being. There will be those in your life that don't, or won't, understand what you face each day. Chronic illness has taught me one very important thing: some people will fill you up, while others will drain you, so choose wisely. 

Know the reality that you are wonderful just as you are. You have a type of bravery that's seldom seen. I see it - I know it's there. Now, believe it for yourself. The strength you show is who you are; it is in you, beside you, and in front of you. Know this and allow the light that's shining guide you, hold you, and sustain you. I applaud the person you are, for you are the description of courage. 

Clarissa Shepherd is founder of the Facebook group Fellow Travelers. She provides support to people living with FM and ME/CFS and she is author of Find Your Way: A Guide to Healing While Living with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

Sensitivities and Sensory Overload: A Guest Blog by Clarissa Shepherd

The holidays are a great time of celebration, but for many of us there can be obstacles to overcome at holiday gatherings.  Clarissa Shepherd has been kind enough to share her thoughts.

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Many of us with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are very sensitive to light, noise, too much movement, people talking, TV, household noises, crowds in stores or full waiting rooms in doctor’s offices, the loud speakers, music, odors: such as perfume, scented candles, or household chemicals.  Any one, or several such things, can cause nausea, heart palpitations, dizziness, or even make us feel as if we may faint. Sunlight can cause eye pain and the effects of flickering or reflecting light can also be difficult for us to handle. 

Studies have shown that being exposed to chemical or perfume odors can cause us to get emotional and even feel anger. It goes right to the part of the brain that controls many of our emotions. Too much overload, can also cause our adrenaline to begin pumping, and not stop until it is burned out. Our adrenal issue is what causes us to feel so jumpy and easily startled. Such depletion leaves us worn out from the entire experience.

When hit with too many things at one time, our brain can't absorb or sort through them and our brain actually glitches. This sends us into overload and brings on all our many symptoms simultaneously.

There's no wonder that going out, can be such a challenge. It’s overwhelming to our entire being. We go into the jungle, by doing simple everyday tasks. So keep this in mind and protect yourself when possible from such sensory overload, which can cause a complete crash.

Clarissa Shepherd founder and moderator of the Facebook group FELLOW TRAVELERS: Support and Chat ( FMS CFS/ME ) here. 

Celeste’s post comment:

I happen to have chronic sinusitis (one of the CFS lovely components), so odors don't bother me; I can’t smell them. However, I absolutely cannot take excessive noise such as more than one person talking to me at a time or loud repetitive type music. For these occasions I carry ear plugs with me. Sensory overload can be very distracting and even painful at times.

I want to thank Clarissa Shepherd for sharing her thoughts on this valuable topic. I am certain we have all adapted as best we can. I know if you have any helpful suggestions for ways to enjoy holiday festivities without feeling sensory overload, Clarissa would be more than happy to share them. 

Think adversity? See opportunity!

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

Celeste Cooper is a retired RN, educator, fibromyalgia patient, and lead author of the Broken Body Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See Saw of Chronic Pain devotional series (coauthor, Jeff Miller PhD), and Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection (coauthor, Jeff Miller PhD) She is a fibromyalgia expert for Dr. Oz, et al., at Sharecare.com, here, and she advocates for all chronic pain patients as a participant in the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy, here. You can read more educational information and about her books on her website, http://TheseThree.com