Insights, Blogs & News
A Great Loss for IDA Founder and His Wife
IDA Founder and his wife are suffering a great loss. Wayne Connell’s wife, Sherri lost her brother Jim just before Christmas of 2011. He had struggled with severe pain for many years and took a bad turn after major neck surgery last summer. Although he was clearly suffering, this was very unexpected, as Jim passed away in his sleep. Jim was a “Harley Man.” He loved motorcycles, fast cars, go carts and dune buggies. He also had a gorgeous voice and loved to sing karaoke. But most of all, Jim was a family man. He loved his momma more than […]
Climbing the Mountain of Pain Management
Living with pain is very difficult, as there are many times when there is no way possible for me to get rid of it or be comfortable enough just to relax. Having physical pain can be a constant obstacle for many people, including myself. Instead of remaining angry or frustrated, I try to create soothing options to mitigate the pain, like soaking in a hot bathtub or by taking deep breaths. One thing I have to learn to live with is managing the pain. Another thing that helps me to manage the pain, is to create distractions. While the pain […]
Let’s Reach Out to People Living with Illness and Pain
Let’s face it; life is busy. People have work, kids, household, church or clubs, activities, travel and more. Nonetheless, in the midst of our active schedules, let’s remember those who live with illness, pain and/or disability. We may have a friend, family member, someone at church, at work or a neighbor. Although our schedules can get crazy, we can prioritize and even give up a few things that really aren’t that necessary. Often those living with a debilitating condition are isolated and feel lonely or forgotten. There are many, simple we can show our love that don’t necessarily take much […]
Our Vehicle Journey
When we left our home in October 2008, we brought our cars. We didn’t have much choice. In retrospect I might have agreed to borrow a car until we could figure out a course of action, but we were consumed with finding shelter and replacing necessities. We vacuumed and wiped them with white vinegar. Within a couple of weeks we noticed that our symptoms increased when we rode in our 9-passenger Suburban. My worry about cross-contamination increased as well. In the end we discovered we hadn’t cross-contaminated. According to testing performed later, the cars were clean. But our symptoms were […]
Calm Amidst Chaos
Calm amidst chaos? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Calm amidst chaos. When I heard that phrase today, it stuck in the little cobwebby corners of my grey matter. Since then, it’s been rolling around, breaking through some of those sticky strands. Given that I’m writing this article today, the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I can’t envision any calm amidst the chaos of that day, or the days immediately following it. The heroes who helped, the heroes on-site, the ones in the hospitals – they likely didn’t feel any more calm than the victims or their loved ones felt. But I’m betting […]
Invisible No More: Andrea Fabry
Through the project, Invisible No More! the Invisible Disabilities Association is bringing awareness, compassion and belief to millions living with debilitating conditions, shining a light on the “invisible” and making these valuable, incredible people Invisible No More! This video features the story of Andrea Fabry and her family who experienced severe mold toxicity from their home. Andrea now strives to help others facing the same issues as well as those who are healthy, by sharing their journey and what they have learned. She is the author of two websites: Our Health Journey and momsAWARE. ADDITIONAL ARTICLES Toxic Mold Uproots Family’s Health […]