Perspectives

Inspirations by Amy F.

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 Amy F. shares with us the inspirations that help her get through the tougher days of her chronic illness. 

 

Have you ever had one of those days where the lab results don’t come back the way you want them to?  Or your medication isn’t working properly?  Or you just plain feel like crap and don’t want to deal with anything let alone get out of bed?  Add to that the frustration of not having answers to the basic questions – who, what, where, when, how and why.  Who is going to be the one to finally figure out what is wrong with me and fix it?  What did I do (or not do) to deserve this?  Where am I going from here?  When am I ever going to feel better?  How come nothing is working?  And the biggest one of all, WHY ME?

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Been there, done that – you are definitely not alone.  And for those around us trying to help, there is only so much “just think positive” that you can take when thinking doesn’t make your body work or feel the way you wish it would.  While others may not understand what you’re going through and try the best they can in their own way to help you feel better, sometimes you just need to find those words that inspire you on your own.  

MNU is a great place to start with “Jamie’s Gem’s” and the “Thought of the Day.”  You might not relate to all of the quotes, but if you find one that speaks to you, oh what a blessing.  And they don’t always have to be nice, happy, carefree messages – if you feel like garbage and there’s one about feeling cranky and it makes you laugh, save it to bring back out for when you’re having a bad day. 

When I got my iPhone I started saving quotes that spoke to me – whether goofy or deep.  If I read a quote and feel something, I save it and find myself referring back to them when I need to get out of a rut.  And since you pick them, they’re that much more personal to your feelings than the basic platitudes others can provide.  One of my favorites is “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” by Nietzsche. You can take it in its original form or as adapted by Kanye West in “Stronger” or if you prefer, Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” (and both make great ringtones for regular reminders). 

Another of my favorites that I go back to often is:

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It has helped me get through many a day and now you can have a copy of your very own from the MNU Market as a regular reminder – I have mine sitting right across from my bed.  There, it is one of the first things I see when I wake up to give me the extra oomph I need some days to get up.  And it is the last thing I see before I go to bed as a feel good that I was tough enough to best my illness for another day.

For those of you in the midst of an ongoing battle and you feel like the end is nowhere in sight, this one has helped me get through some rough times. 

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Your journey may be a tough and long one to get to a place of “normalcy”, but be proud of yourself for every day that you’ve kicked butt along the way.  We never know how long it will take to get to where we want to be, but every day and every test and every downfall that you’ve made it through shows how tough you can be 

Then there are those days when you feel like your entire life is defined by your illness.  It’s all you think about, all anyone asks about and feels like all you ever talk about.  Not to mention that it takes over being able to do the things you love to do.  This one has helped me with those times as a reminder that I am bigger and better than what my illness defines me as:

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 Others that can help put some fight back in you when you’re feeling beaten down are: 

 

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And while you might not be up to the fight every day, don’t beat yourself up for what you couldn’t do – remember this instead:

 

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 For those of you who still need a little more support to help you get through when it feels like all is lost, don’t forget:

 

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 And finally if all else fails, remember:

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Until next time, keep up the good fight and know that you have a partner in crime here who is right there in the trenches with you working to get to “my new usual.”

 

 Read more about Amy F. in our Share section.