International Day of People with Disability

Today is International Day of People with Disability. According to the IDPwD website:

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being. The day also seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of the integration of people with disability in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

IDPwD brings together individuals, businesses, community organisations, and governments from every corner of the world to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions, skills and achievements of people with disability.

In 1992, at the conclusion of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992), the General Assembly proclaimed 3 December as the International Day of Disabled Persons.

The theme for IDPwD 2011 is "Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development."

Approximately 15% of the world's population lives with disabilities. Many people are unaware of the great number of persons living with disabilities worldwide, as well as the challenges they face. To me, IDPwD is a day to educate others. Oftentimes, people without disabilities don't understand the magnitude of the challenges people with disabilities face on a daily basis. We must help share our experiences and educate others, in order to help remove the stigma behind living with disabilities.

The Holiday Checklist

I've been determined NOT to let the holiday season completely wear me out, so I started preparing a few weeks ago. I buy gifts throughout the year, so I don't have to deal with the holiday rush.

þChristmas Cards (ready to send out)

þChristmas Decor Up (we really don't have a lot of decorations, but what we have is up/out)
þGifts Purchased (well, I'm technically about 95% finished... I have a few joint gifts to finish up with)
¨Wrap Gifts (I started wrapping gifts about a week ago... so, I still have some wrapping to do, but I'm doing pretty well pacing myself)

I know that the weather roller-coaster that overtakes Texas this time of year is going to continue to beat the crap out of my head, so I'm trying to take baby steps to get stuff done. Jeremy is helping me to celebrate how much I've gotten done, especially since it's so far ahead of time. So, mini-celebration-dance for me.

Quiet as a Mouse

Let me preface this by saying that most people won't understand my excitement about this, but I'm beyond thrilled! My husband ordered something several days ago that was an "investment in our relationship." I had NO idea what it could be...

www.quietmouse.com

He got a QUIET MOUSE for his computer! You can't hear it click AT ALL! My husband enjoys playing computer games, and I can't handle the clicking. So, this is an AMAZING product for us both!

Play That Horn

Today's challenge is: "Play that horn. Want to hear a secret? You're awesome. (It's actually not even really a secret). This is going to be hard for you, O Modest One, but you gotta give yourself props today. Write 3 things you love about yourself - things you're great at - or just want to share."

Yikes! I'm not good at complimenting myself, or "tooting my own horn," so this is a quite a challenge.

First, I have to give myself props for successfully completing the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM) - 30 posts, in 30 days. I tried to take things in stride... writing whenever I was feeling well enough to, so that I could try to rest more on the days I didn't feel up to doing it. I'm learning to adjust to living with chronic migraines... I'm still not good at it, but I'm learning.

So, here are 3 things that I love about myself:

• I am determined. Living with chronic illnesses, I'm faced with a lot of obstacles. But, even if they are tiny and slow steps, I continue to put one foot in front of the other. I am determined to remain steadfast in my faith, and to make the most of my life, despite chronic pain. I may falter, but our God is forgiving and merciful.
• I am honest. I try very hard to be an honest person. It was a very difficult, though invigorating, decision to start a blog and share my experience, openly and honestly. I have no reason to be dishonest because I have nothing to hide... not to mention, it takes a lot of energy (that I definitely don't have) to keep up with lies. LOL.
• I am smart. Sometimes, it's difficult for me to remember that I really am smart. I did so well in school, all the way through to earning my Bachelor's degree. But, the cognitive difficulties that I've faced with my chronic migraines has had me questioning myself so much. I've always been my worst critic and had a fear of failure, but I've been given a great gift.

Thank you, WEGO Health, for hosting this inspiring month-long challenge that helped me get back into my writing. I'm looking forward to the next challenge!

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

Greeting Card

Today's challenge is to write a greeting card for someone in my community to help them express themselves about a new diagnosis, treatment, or experience.

Front:

Everything can seem so confusing and overwhelming,

but there's always HOPE!

Inside:

Look up,

Reach out,

Never quit!

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

Say What?!

Today's challenge is to write about the most ridiculous thing I've heard about health or my condition.

Image by Migraine Chick

I really hate when people say things out of ignorance. There are MANY ridiculous statements / remarks that people say about Migraine.

• "It's just a headache" - Oh, how I wish this were true! I have Chronic Migraine, but I think that even the days that aren't full-blown migraines are more than "just a headache." Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil... it's not going to cut it. And, that's just the head pain part of it... I have all kinds of other symptoms that accompany the throbbing head pain.
• "You're too young..." - This one has been completed with "...to be in so much pain / to hurt so much / etc..." Migraine disease doesn't care how old you are! Not to mention, my chronic migraines started due to a car accident... that just so happened to occur when I was "too young" (i.e., 23 years old).
• "It must be so nice to not have to work" - I've written about this before (Apartment Hunting), but it continues to come up. Yes, it would be nice to not have to work... but to not be able to work is horrible!
• And, some of the stellar advice that I've received for my chronic migraines... "Get pregnant / have a baby" - It's true, pregnancy sometimes reverses the symptoms of migraines... BUT, it sometimes doesn't (I think it's a pretty even split: reduced and same/worsened migraine pain). Plus, what am I supposed to do AFTER the pregnancy with migraines and a baby?! I don't think it's fair to roll the dice on having a baby, just in hopes of a few months of relief.

Overall, I know that much of what is said is due to people being mis- or un- informed. That's one reason I try very hard to share some of my knowledge and experience about migraines with others.


This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).