In Sickness I’m sitting in a recliner at Porter Hospice in Denver. I have sat here many times over the past four months. In a few days, Carole Mitchell, my mother-in-law will pass from this world into heaven and eternity. She will fall into the arms of her Savior and have no more tears, sickness […]
Resolve to Believe Even Though You Might Wonder How Someone Who Looks So Good Can Be So Sick Resolve to believe. As yet another year dawns and, of course, I need to make at least one resolution. The good news is that I know I can keep this one. I resolve to believe you! I […]
Yes, I’m one of the 72 percent of online adults who visit Facebook at least once a month. Actually, I check my Facebook multiple times a day. There were more than 1.4 billion active Facebook users worldwide as of January 28 and more than 890 million use it daily. And of course I use Twitter too, […]
I attended a fundraiser in Denver this past week that supported the Carson J Spencer Foundation. The foundation was formed by Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas to honor her brother Carson who lived with mental illness and eventually took his own life. Many attendees were impacted by suicide including the host, renowned photographer John Fielder, who lost his […]
The online Merriam-Webster dictionary has the following definitions for the word inspire to make (someone) want to do something to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create to cause (something) to happen or be created to cause someone to have (a feeling or emotion) Therefore, it follows that an inspiration is a […]
“You’re lucky you don’t have to work!” “You’re just giving up!” “You need to get out more!” When we break a leg, are we better off hopping on it or using crutches? Right after having major surgery, would we recover better if we went hiking or if we rested a bit in the hospital? We […]
“You could get better if you wanted to.” “You should just try harder.” “You’re being lazy.” “You need to be more motivated.” “You’re so needy.” Have you ever heard any of these comments from friends and family members? Have you ever said one of these to someone living with illness or pain? Often when we […]
We believe in love, we just don’t practice it. Maybe because we think love has no limits, no boundaries, that all is fair. Love conquers all and love never ends. Besides time, love is the greatest healer. And along with diamonds, love is forever. If that’s true, what about the chart-topping occurrence of divorce? It’s said that […]
A couple of years ago, my wife, Sherri, said to me, “We need to go to San Diego for surgery.” Really? San Diego? Walks on the beach! Shamu! The zoo! It sounded like fun. OK, the surgery part didn’t – but we had not had a vacation in almost three years, and I could think of worse […]
Today is Valentine’s Day. Many people will celebrate it with the one they love. I asked my friend, relationship expert and New York Times best-selling author of 1001 Ways to Be Romantic, Greg Godek, for his thoughts on “love.” This is what he shared. “It’s all about love (just consult the Bible or The Beatles). […]
IDA Founder and President interviews Kathe Skinner, MA, LMFT, Marriage and Family Therapist and IDA Executive Board Member. Kathe also lives with Multiple Sclerosis. She and her husband, David specialize in counseling couples with a spouse living with chronic illness. Interview by Wayne Connell, Founder and President Invisible Disabilities Association www.InvisibleDisabilities.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCES http://www.InvisibleDisabilitiesCommunity.org http://www.Facebook.com/InvisibleDisabilities […]
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving 2012 has already come and gone. Usually it falls on the last week of November, so it was early this year. Even though Thanksgiving is now over, when I started thinking about what to write about this month, the obvious choice was being thankful. So here it goes. I have so many […]
I don’t know when it became fashionable to identify pregnancy as an adventure à deux. It always seemed lopsided that pregnancy excluded men from throwing up, having swollen ankles and shrewish moods. I’m not even talking about all those forever changes like stretch marks, a bigger butt, and wider hips. With the possibility of gestational […]
“Did I read that right?” I re-read the online invitation I received. It wasn’t an invitation anyone hopes to get. There was no ‘shhh’ finger-to-lips graphic, no indication of umbrella drinks, not even a hint of fun food. There was, however, a beautiful photo of a radiant young woman with three young boys. It seems […]
Those of us who live in suffering do not realize the depth of understanding we can give to others. Whether it is on the internet, phone, or praying and sending good thoughts to others we know who live with invisible disabilities, we can make a difference. Sometimes our pain and sickness lead us to being […]
“When you are weak, you are strong.” What does this really mean? For those of us who have invisible disabilities, this is a haunting statement, yet it is one of the most liberating and powerful principles available to us. We want so desperately to look someone in the eye and say, “I’m doing great. How […]
McGill University in Canada brings awareness to living with invisible illness and the Invisible Disabilities Association. The McGill Daily, an independent publication, is “Currently the second-largest student newspaper in Canada and the most widely read.” It has been “the training ground for generations of journalists since its inception in 1911.” In his article, Advocating for […]
Allsup promotes National Family Caregivers Month in November with free posters, caregiver brochures Belleville, Ill. – Nov. 3, 2011 –More than 65 million parents, sons, daughters, spouses and others are family caregivers in the United States, but many of them remain anonymous, according to National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA). November is National Family Caregivers (NFC) Month and […]
In the last two years I have lost four people I cared for very much. They both were about my age, 45. Losing these friends forced me to face a mountain of loss that I was not familiar with. Standing at the bottom of this mountain, I had no idea what to do next. There […]
It takes time to appreciate the value of climbing a mountain. You do not know if you will be able to make it to the top, get stuck half way, or be so frightened you stand at the bottom, afraid to take the first step. Choices in real life are the same. Some things we […]