In the next three posts, I'd like to introduce you to some of the folks whom I have found, or have found me over the past year. These are people that are part of an online community of health and hope. Today's post focuses on bloggers (and non-health-blogging followers that I nevertheless want to thank).
Daisy blogs at Diabetic Dias. In her own words, "I'm a type 1 diabetic flower. Not on the pump, but using my trusty injection pen instead. Love the DOC and also blog for Diabetes UK (Search 'Daisy Shaw'). I strive for a peaceful mind and balanced blood sugar levels." Her blog is celebrating its one year anniversary, too! Happy Birthday!
The Blue Morpho blogs at Adventures in Anxiety Land (a place I know all to well...). "Perhaps like you or someone you know, I suffer from several anxiety disorders. My goal is to live the fullest life possible and maybe help others do the same. Fearsome and Funny Times Living With OCD, Complex PTSD, Depression, Panic Disorder, GAD, Phobias, Social Anxiety and SAD."
Autoimmune Gal blogs at her self-titled blog: Autoimmune Gal. She covers topics from the personal to the scientific. "I'm in my early 30s and living with Sjogren's and other autoimmune conditions. It has been quite a personal and medical adventure and I am looking forward to sharing my journey."
Amy Bliss is an old personal friend of mine, who knew me back in my college days, when my disease was first starting to show with severe migraines. She's just started her blog, Dysfunction Junction, where she is "Trying to strike a balance between two boys nine years apart, my love life, my work and my dysfunctional family. Welcome to the adventure!"
Judy blogs(??) at Peace Be With You, but I'm not sure "blogs" is the right word. She writes short poems, packed with raw emotion, about the struggles of dealing with MS. It's amazing how much she can say in just a few lines.
Debra Ann Elliot is an author, and has a number of blogs, but her health blog is High Heels and Hot Flashes: Finding Humor in the Mist of Menopause. If you're a menopausal woman who enjoys humor with your estrogen, then this is the blog to be!
SjogrensStyle blogs at her self-titled blog: SjogrensStyle.com where she gives Tried and true tips for coping with autoimmune disease and living life well despite chronic illness. I'd missed her blog before, but now I have some really awesome reading to do! (Thanks, Jennifer!)
Lyndsy blogs at Lauf(-) und Leckerei: Tales of life, running and a few virtual food samples. I have simply got to try that Monkey Bread Minis recipe
Amy Junod blogs at Falling with Grace: The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, "I'm a Mom of a busy step-family that has embraced the crazy that life is. Latest crazy life challenge is living with grace while fighting Sjogren's Syndrome."
Tara blogs at My Empyrean World ("I'd rather be lost in my empyrean world than be down on earth." ~ Paula Cole 'Saturn Girl') In her words, "I was recently diagnosed with Distal RTA & Sjogren's Syndrome, which has been a spiritual wake up call for me. I decided to create a blog to empower myself, educate my family & friends and create support for others. I live in Central Florida with my partner, my 10-year old son, an epileptic pug and a rescued cat. I am mercurial, sensitive, passionate and intense."
Lady Writerly blogs at The Confirmed Ache, "This blog focuses on my ongoing struggles with fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines and chronic depression." Her blog is celebrating its one year anniversary, also! Wow! So many new, wonderful blogs in May last year!
Deb, of the blog ABCs of RA, is one powerhouse of a woman. I know know what it's like to live with hand pain. There are many important things that hands can do. That she uses her limited hand-time to reply to my posts is a real honor.
Jennifer Pettit is one of the great community leaders, and is fantastic at helping people in the community find one another. She blogs over at UII - Understanding Invisible Illness
Tee (Tracey Wilson) is the founder of Migraine Talk, and runs a great Facebook page under the same name. An excellent resource for migraineurs and their families!
Angela (aka Wilsonius) is the blogger behind Her Greening. In her words, "I am a fat African American woman changing how and what she eats. I'm writing this blog to chronicle that process. Expect some stuff about fat, food, and related issues. I also hope this blog becomes one of many homes for people living better with food--and themselves." She was an early follower of my blog. So glad you're here!Thank you for following!
Miranda has a blog, but I need to get a URL from her! Until then, thanks for following!
I got to meet Teresa at an art function/fund raising event, where she was my canvas for an Alice in Wonderland piece. We've remained friends since.
Kathy Farrey doesn't have a blog, but I thank you for following mine!
laurafmcc2004 has been following my blog since the beginning. She had her own, briefly, but decided to take a break from blogging. Thank you for following!
Amethyst also doesn't have a blog, but is still appreciated as a follower! Thank you!
Madelyn of MadWhimsy is not a health blogger (she's a crafts blogger), but she has followed me over from LiveJournal, where I first started blogging, before my health disabled me. She is a fellow chronic migraineur, and we've been swapping stories for years. A dear friend.
Philip is an old school-mate of mine. He knew me over 20 years ago!! He has a non-health related blog, featuring his web comic: The Homeopathic Detective Agency. A very interesting comic, as the name implies! Thanks for keeping in touch, Phil... Rhonda has also been following me for a long time here! Thank you so much! Rachael Tanner, Welcome and thank you for following! somethingforme has been following for a while, if my memory serves me right. Thank you! Amy Grodzinski-Lavallee is a new addition! Welcome, and thank you for following! I know Andrea Lulka from the ButYouDontLookSick Facebook group (a group made in honor of the ButYouDontLookSick web site, but not under the same management). So glad you're here! Kia is another one of my original followers, one who is a complete enigma to me. Still, thank you for following all this time!Next time: Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook Roundup!!
Thanks for your kind words - I don't know how great I am at it but that is my biggest goal with UII (to connect people who can help each other), so I feel really great if that's how people see me:)
ReplyDeleteOn that note...Sjogre's Style does actually have a blog! I think you'll very much enjoy reading it: http://www.sjogrensstyle.com/. This post was a great idea, thanks for doing it!
(I don't know why that *didn't* appear as a reply!)
DeletePish-tosh! You just helped do exactly what I said you're good at! lol Thanks for pointing me to SjogrensStyle's blog! You're awesome!
I don't know why mine was a reply instead of a straight comment, but this is what I had said.
ReplyDeleteWow. I am so honored by your words. Thanks. What an awesome thing you have done here. I look foward to reading the other blogs.
(Don't worry about it... it's happened to me before!)
DeleteI'm glad you like! I'm not terribly good at commenting, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate your work! ^_^
Together we will make a difference in this world. Together bloggers are leaving their mark on the world and getting the word out there that the medical community needs to "catch up" to the rest of us :-) As patients we can make an impact and hopefully one day have the research dollars funnel into cures. Now wouldn't that be something to blog about!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!! We are the vanguard, the pioneers... There are a lot of great voices out there, and we're rising up as a chorus to change how health care is performed in this world. Doctors are noticing. People in non-medical positions of power are noticing. The breakthroughs are coming, and I see a bright future ahead of us for many diseases. I think cancer treatment is going to be revolutionized in the next ten years. I see the treatment of pain being revolutionized (for the good) in the next 10 years. You and I are going to be able to look back and go, "Wow... did you ever think we'd be here?!?" and smile. I see the first glimmers of change now. Hopefully, these will catch spark to make a flame... then we'll see how bright things can really get!
DeleteThanks so much for your awesome recognition. And now I have so many new blogs to check out and start reading. What a great way to keep building this community of health bloggers!
ReplyDelete