Mindfulness Monday – Joy

pumpkin blossom big

“Learning to live in the present moment
is part of the path of joy.”

~ Sarah Ben Breathnach

 

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,
but sometimes you smile can be
the source of your joy.”

~ Thich Nhat Hahn

 

“Ultimately our greatest joy
is when we seek to do good for
others.”

~ Desmond Tutu

 

 

*photo of pumpkin blossom taken by W. Holcombe.  all rights reserved

Mindfulness Monday – Buddha on Love

ivy with flower2

”Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.”

~ Buddha

 

“Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life,
even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”

~ Buddha

 

 

  • Remember to Love everyone always.  Know, you are Loved.  (photo taken by W. Holcombe)

Thank you ever so much!

thankyou

I am so touched by the support and compassion I have received after posting about how ill I’ve been feeling recently.  Your comments truly helped my mental health.  I feel so loved.

I’m happy to say I am feeling better.  I just took my last steroid.  (If I can help it, it will be my last steroid EVER!)  I’m still having some side effects, but the worst seems to have passed.  The steroids not only affected me physically, they affected me mentally.  A few days ago, I was convinced I was going to die.  Phew, thank goodness that’s gone now!

My back is a bit better too.  It’s still tight, but I’m having much fewer spasms.  I even started some of my physical therapy exercises today.  Crossing fingers all of this will get my back better.

I’m very excited that I’ve been able to knit!  (I do loom knitting)  It’s just that I have projects I really want to finish before Christmas.  🙂  Heck, I’m making a scarf for me, I’d really like to have before it gets cold.  hahaha

Again, thank you all for you love and support.  I am forever grateful.

Distraught…well, not that bad.

I’m sorry.  I haven’t been paying attention to my blog and I haven’t been supporting others.  I’m sure you all think I’ve dropped off the earth….maybe not, maybe it’s just me.

I mentioned in a previous post that I hurt my back.  Um, kinda.  I started having back spasms as side effects to a medication back in May, then the med was changed and I was put on another that caused akathisia (the need to move – like restless leg all over), this caused my muscles to tighten even more.  I saw my GP about it and she gave me muscle relaxants.  It didn’t get better.  I was sent to PT.  It didn’t get better.  I was put in steroids, they seemed to help some.  I was sent to a specialist, he gave me lidocaine injections in my back.  I was much worse the next day.  After a couple of days of that, I was once again put on steroids.  This time I think I’m having every negative side effect you can have from a short dose of steroids.

These side effects are hell.  (they are getting better)  My moods, oh my goodness.  I’m so sad, I am crying all the time.  I’m scared, I keep having feelings of intense fear wash over me.  Two nights ago, I was convinced I was dying.  I’ve been having slow moving vertigo, I barely see it moving, but I feel like I’m moving, and I can’t walk without help.  My head has been killing me.  Extreme nausea has plagued me.  I can’t sleep.  and I’ve had 2 seizures.  Oh, let’s just say, I’m going through a rough time.  But don’t worry, it’s getting better.  I know my mood swings are from the steroids, but it’s hard to deal with.  Poor hubby.

Speaking of hubby, he has worked from home the past 3 days.  He hasn’t wanted to leave my side.  I’m so very grateful to have such a supportive and caring spouse.  He makes me want to be a better person.

After all of this, my back still hurts.  I still have 2 days of steroids left, and I have exercises to do, hopefully that will get me on the road to recovery.  To be clear, according to x-rays I have no damage to my bones, it’s all muscular.  The muscles simply will not relax and they spasm often.  I have not had an MRI.  I cannot have an MRI because of my cochlear implants.  If they need more imaging it will have to be a CT scan.  We’ll cross that bridge if it comes.

Forgive me this post of self pity.  I will try to post more often, and get out there and support others too.  I miss you.

 

Mindfulness Monday – to Hear

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“The quieter you become
the more you can hear.”

~ Ram Dass

 

“Usually when we hear or read something new,
we just compare it to our own ideas.
If it is the same,
we accept it and say that it is correct.
If it is not, we say it is incorrect.
In either case, we learn nothing.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

 

“People generally see what they look for,
and hear what they listen for.”

~ Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

 

 

* photo by W. Holcombe.  all rights reserved.  please do not use without permission.

 

Walk4Hearing

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How I hear. Bilateral cochlear implants. Cool Huh?

The Hearing Loss Association of America‘s Walk4Hearing in North Carolina is coming up soon on October 15th, and I’ll be walking. (fates willing)

Did you know that approximately 48 million people in the United States have a hearing loss? The goal of the Walk4Hearing is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide information and support for people with hearing loss.

This is my first year participating in the Walk4Hearing and I’m excited and nervous. I’m excited to be surrounded by people who live with hearing loss, like me; our friends and family who support us, audiologists, and advocates…everyone coming together to make a difference. I’m nervous because ….well golly, this is one place I’m not nervous because I can’t hear. That’s pretty amazing. I will be using my walker for balance and safety. I am a little nervous that I might have a vertigo attack, but hubby will be with me, I’ll take all the precautions I can, and if it happens, I’ll deal with it.

I’m pushing myself by participating in this walk, it’s important to me. It’s hard for those with normal hearing to fully comprehend the challenges that one faces with hearing loss. It’s hard to imagine the disorientation that comes from the absence of sound, the concentration required to communicate using both visual and auditory clues, and how people and things can come up from behind you with no warning.

This year, the Walk4Hearing will include a #HearingLossChallenge. Walkers will have the opportunity to wear earplugs during the walk to experience what hearing loss is like first hand. The earplugs will be provided free at the walk sites. Even though, the experience isn’t completely accurate, it will give the wearer a taste of what it’s like to live with hearing loss. Photos and reactions can be shared on social media using the hashtags #HearingLossChallenge and #Walk4Hearing.

I am hoping you can support me in my efforts to raising awareness about hearing loss. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many!

You can make an online donation from my personal page (click the personal page link here). Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight to make hearing loss an issue of national concern. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

(please visit Sheri Eberts blog Living with Hearing Lossto read about her experience with the Walk4Hearing. I have shamefully used many of her words above, with much gratitude.)

The Hearing Loss Association of America® (HLAA), founded in 1979, opens the world of communication to people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy. In addition to the Walk4Hearing, HLAA publishes the bimonthly Hearing Loss Magazine, holds annual conventions, hosts online learning with the Hearing Loss Support Specialist Training, and more. HLAA has chapters nationwide to support people with hearing loss. The national headquarters is located at 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 301.657.2248.

Last Chance to Win “The Shadow Boxers”

shadow boxers cover

Please jump over to my post The Shadow Boxers book Review and Giveaway, to read the review on this wonderful journal.  If you have fibromyalgia, or know someone who does, you need this book!

To Enter, comment on the original post, or comment right  here.  Just tell me why you’d like to receive the book and you’re entered!

Contest ends at midnight EST, September 20th.  TODAY!!

The winner will be contacted by email by September 22nd.

Good Luck!!

The Shadow Boxers is available on Amazon.

 

Mindfulness Monday – Meditation

lily close up

“Meditation practice isn’t about
trying to throw ourselves away and
become something better.
It’s about befriending
who we are already.”

~ Pema Chödrön

 

“Meditation brings wisdom;
lack of meditation leaves ignorance.
Know what leads you forward
and what holds you back
and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”

~ The Buddha (Dhammapada, verse 282)

 

“The thing about meditation is:
you become more and more you.”

~ David Lynch

 

*photo by W. Holcombe.  All rights reserved.  Please do not use without permission.

 

 

Mindfulness Monday – Jon Kabat-Zinn

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“It’s not a matter of letting go –
you would if you could.
Instead of “Let it go,”
we should probably say
“Let it be.”

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

“As long as you are breathing,
there is more right with you
than there is wrong,
no matter how ill or
how hopeless you may feel.”

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

 

*photo by w. holcombe at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.  all rights reserved.

BioCBD+ “Feel the Difference”

“I have been given BioCBD+ Total Body Care 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. “

CBD bottle

Simply Google “CBD” and you will find a plethora of products, it seems as if a new product is added every day.  It can be daunting to the consumer to try to wade through all of these to find what works.  (unfortunately there’s a lot of junk out there).  One way I can help is to give you my experience with BioCBD+  (please see their website here)

BioCBD+ is an American company, located in Encinitas, CA, that sells CBD (cannabidiol) supplements. CBD is a non-psychoactive part of the cannabis sativa plant.  (you can read more about cannabidiol here.)  “BioCBD™ is derived from organically grown hemp plants, and it contains all of the synergistic cannabinoids, terpenoids, and other compounds of the original plant”(BioCBD website).  Since Sanjay Gupta’s documentary “WEED”, brought the awareness of CBD and how it can help people, especially a little girl named Charlotte, whow has epilepsy.  You can watch the video here.

What makes BioCBD+ different from their competitors?  “BioCBD™ is an all natural, water soluble source of CBD plus Ayurvedic herbs (magnesium and turmeric in Total Body Care) that is more bioavailable than any CBD hemp oil products on the market.” (BioCBD+ website)  According to their website BioCBD+ never uses artificial coloring or flavoring and their products are free of soy, nuts, GMOs, binding solutions and/or solvents, and  are the only all natural water soluble CBD made without the use of solvents or glycerides.  BioCBD+’s “CBD is extracted from our special variety of industrial hemp that contains naturally high concentrations of CBD. The result is a raw oil that is high in CBD, virtually free of THC (less than 0.03%,) and complete with a full spectrum of other cannabinoids and terpenes, which work synergistically to make CBD even more effective. The hemp oil is then shipped to our labs to converted into the all natural, water soluble BioCBD™ through our patented process”. (BioCBD+ website)

BioCBD+ is a pioneer in producing water soluble CBD.  This process posibly makes their product more of a value for the money.  You can watch their video about water soluble CBD here.

CBD bioavailable

I started my first bottle of BioCBD+ Total Body Care on July 31st.   After reading about the many things CBD is reported to help, I was looking for some pain relief and possibly some help with anxiety.

This was a good time to try the BioCBD+ Total Body Care as I hurt my back and started physical therapy just a few days before. Therefore, I was able to judge the efficacy (for mr) not only on chronic pain, but also on acute pain.

The suggested use, as, stated on the bottle, is: “Start with one capsule daily and increase up to 6 capsules per day.  When desired results are achieved gradually reduce daily amount”.  I started with 1 capsule and took one a day for a week, I didn’t really notice much of a difference.  I increased the amount to 2 capsules and I started noticing a reduction in pain.  Just a little.  I wasn’t sure if it was the placebo effect or not.  In 6 days I got in touch with the company and asked how fast I should be increasing my dose, he said after a couple of days; The bottle I was given had 30 capsules, so I was able to take one does of 3 capsules and I finished up the bottle with the 2 that were left.    This I noticed.  This helped my muscle spasms.  It took the edge off of all my pain, the acute back pain and the chronic arthritis pain in my neck  *note it wasn’t a miracle, it just made the pain more tolerable..  I also noticed I didn’t have as much wide spread pain (from fibromyalgia).   I admit, I didn’t really think it was doing very much, until I ran out.  Within a few days after I ran out, I was in much more pain and I had a panic attack.  I didn’t realize how much it was helping my anxiety.  I purchased more of the Total Body Care, so I could give a more detailed review.  (The second bottle, was not given to me, I bought it myself).  There was a break of about 2 weeks before the next bottle appeared. (It took me a,title while to order it)  I once again started with 1 capsule, but I’ve increased the dosage every 2 days, until I got to 4 capsules a day.  I have noticed a reduction in pain, and my anxiety is better.  However, I’m having increased vertigo.  I had increased vertigo when taking the first bottle, then it calmed down the week I was out of it, and increased again when I started taking it again.  As my normal readers will know, I have vertigo often due to Meniere’s Disease, but I had very little vertigo for the past 6 months, until I started  BioCBD+ Total Body Care.  Unless you have a condition that causes vertigo, I wouldn’t think this would be a problem.

1 Bottle of Total Body Care is $120, 2 Bottles is $220, and 3 bottles is $300.  Each bottle contains 30 capsules.   Signing up for auto-shipments can save you a lot of money There is also a sample size available for $45, it contains 15 capsules.

BioCBD+ also has a scholarship program.  They are a “for benefit” company.  For every bottle purchased they give a bottle away to someone in need.  If you have a financial and medical need, or know someone who does, check out this program.  +Scholarship – Buy 1, Change 2 Lives.

Another great thing they have is the “Feel the Difference”  Money Back Guarantee. When you order a product you have 30 days to try it.  If you don’t like it you can return it, you don’t even have to return the product of a 30 count bottle as long as the return is within 2 months of purchase.  If you buy more than 30 capsules, you will need to return the unused product to prevent fraud.

To purchase BioCBD+ Total Body Care (or other their other products)  just follow this link:

BioCBD+ kindly offered to give my readers a 10% discount on you first order.  All you have to do is enter PICNIC10 in the Coupon Code section.  How cool is that?

Additional Resources: