Worst.Blogger.Ever.

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Life, Military Life, RSDS/CRPS, Spinal Cord Stimulator, Things I Love

I suck.

I admit it. I have tried so hard to keep up over here, but learning to live again is just flat out time-consuming! Everything takes ten times longer than it should, and I get so much enjoyment out of my attempts, painful as they sometimes are, that getting on the computer just doesn’t seem to hit high on my priority list here lately. Yes, I am thankful indeed for my spinal cord stimulator.

And what have I been up to, you ask? Let’s see…. I’m walking as much & as often as I can. I’m still having difficulty figuring out the difference between disease pain and overuse pain. Not always doing such a great idea of that (I’m hurting pretty badly today, which is why I’m on the computer! :-D ), but I’m learning. Slowly.

In other news, Hubs made rank this past week and will hopefully pin on in August or September. YES! Not sure what this will do to his deployment; I assume it will stay the same but, well, we all know how *that* goes. I’m so very proud of him!

We’re in full Prom Mode, as prom is this weekend. (Incidentally, who does that?? Why on earth schedule prom on a holiday weekend?!) DD’s dress is absolutely gorgeous and she looks beautiful in it. My college roomie, who is also DD’s godmother, is coming down to do her hair and help get her ready. Should be fun….

And while we’re talking friends, a dear friend from way back when our husbands were instructors at Sheppard AFB in Texas is coming to see me! :-D We haven’t seen each other since last summer so this will be awesome. This time her mom and son are coming along too, and I’ll be able to show them around DC.

Oh, and I’ve gone and done something pretty big for me — I’ve signed up to walk in the 10th Annual Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility in NYC next month! More on that in a post to come, but let me just tell you, I’m thrilled to even be well enough to go, much less walk a bit in it.

So… now you see why I’ve not been around much. I’m *trying* to keep up with my feeds but it’s just one of those things that I take a peek and promise myself I’ll come back later and, well, we all see how well that’s working out for me. :-D

My thoughts and prayers go out to those of you who are having so many pain issues right now. I think during two & a half years that things were so bad for me, what I missed most was the times when the weather was beautiful — late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall. It’s not easy, I know. All I can say to each of my friends and readers is to live each day to the fullest, each of you, because life can change in an instant. It could be you, or someone you love, who comes face to face with a life-changing injury or disease.

What have YOU been up to lately? Tell me what I’ve missed!

Sharing Our Spoons: Week 1

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Life, RSDS/CRPS, Things I Love

As I shared last week, I’m participating in a
new series hosted by Jamee over at A New Kind of Normal.

From Jamee –

“Sharing Our Spoons” will be a weekly link-up where you are able to find support and encouragement to focus on your entire health. Not just physical but all of you. For this link-up you will be able to choose holistic goals to help you achieve optimal health. The five goals include:

  1. Physical: could be weight loss or exercise related or it could be goals like eating more veggies or cutting soda
  2. Mental/Emotional: take a day to be alone, write a letter, paint, etc
  3. Spiritual: start a new devotional book, commit a certain amount of time a day for prayer/meditation
  4. Something fun: Take time to treat yourself – maybe a pedicure or Starbucks (if you don’t typically splurge for specialty coffee)
  5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week – try something new, sign up for a class you maybe have been putting off.

So to kick things off, here is my first set of goals:

Physical ~ I’ve started aquatic exercise at our local Y and I’m enjoying it quite a bit. My goal this week is to venture out into the other various types of classes. So far I’ve taken the AFYAP (Arthritis Foundation YMCA Aquatic Program), Deep Water Aerobics and AquaZumba. The AquaZumba is my favorite so far, but I’d like to give all of the classes a try.

Mental / Emotional ~ I am currently seeing a pain psychologist who is really able to help me with processing the mental side of my disease. I can’t emphasize enough what a difference it has made for me. I would recommend it for every woman dealing with chronic illness. If your insurance doesn’t cover it, I’d encourage you to seek out a support group. This week, I’d really like to focus on setting goals in my therapy and learning how to grow with it.

Spiritual ~ My therapist has recommended a class on Mindfulness. This week, I’d like to look more into a local class which is loosely based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s MBSR program.

Something Fun ~ Pedicure time! And on a related note, I’m not sure that I ever updated y’all on my OPI gel mani. Epic FAIL.

Outside My Comfort Zone ~ Well, pretty much all of the above except for the pedi is outside of my comfort zone, but I’m trying! :-D If I had to choose one specific goal, though, I’d say increasing my vegetable intake. We’ve also started juicing, and I’m very timid with the veggies, but I’m going to try to gradually add a tad more each day. That’s going to be a stretch for me, but I’ll keep ya posted for sure. ;-)

I’m thrilled to be taking part in this new series ~ won’t you join us??

Five Minute Friday: Real

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Life, PTSD, RSDS/CRPS

Every Friday The Gypsy Mama offers bloggers a reading prompt and encourages us to stop, write for five – just five! – minutes, then publish without proofreading, editing, etc.

Today’s prompt is REAL.

//start//

I don’t know how Lisa-Jo does it, but as usual, this week’s prompt is perfect for me!

Why?

Because sometimes, especially here on my blog, I am challenged by the concept of keeping it REAL.

The reason I started Rain into Rainbows was simple:  I was unable to find a lot of resources post-injury that showed the other side of chronic illness — i.e., that there is life after injury and/or disease, even if it’s different. Learning how to find my new normal has been, and continues to be, difficult at times.

One of my biggest influences in blogging has been Sara Frankl, whose message Choose Joy, even in the face of adversity, was life-changing for me. Even in death, her influence continues to reach others.

I want others who come here to feel encouraged. At the same time, some days, there simply is nothing good that I can think of to share. I don’t want to bring others down with me. And then I wonder, if I only share the good, am I portraying a false image? Do I make others wonder why they too can’t be all sunshine and roses, even in the face of illness?

I have not yet found the answers. Maybe I will one day, maybe I won’t. Chronic illness is life-changing, no matter how you look at it. Suffering a catastrophic injury from which you’ll never recover is difficult as well. Adding both together? Yeah. You can see the struggle.

But in the end, I want to be that positive influence. I just want others to see both sides, that there IS a lot more to life post-injury/disease, but that it’s challenging nonetheless, and that it’s not something in which you just wake up one day and you’ve found acceptance.

I want to keep it REAL.

//time’s up//

(links added after time was up)

Shabby Blogs Alert

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Life

Hi all,

My apologies if you came here this morning and received the notice from Google that it contains content from Shabby Blogs (hyperlink opens Google’s diagnostic page, NOT Shabby Blogs’ page). I’ve used the image that was in my sidebar (from them) for months without issue. I know that there are many, many others who have had this happen today as well, but I still feel terribly that it was on my site. Stupid bugs. :-(

The item in question has been removed and my blog is fine now.

Again, my apologies.

Blogiversary & Sharing Our Spoons: A Drive-By Blog Entry

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Life, RSDS/CRPS

Still here & still kickin’, folks. The good news is that I’m not around just because I’m so busy trying to learn how to live life again! :-D

My 1st b-day!

In spite of the current hecticnesss, I felt a little drive-by posting was in order. First off, I just realized that my blogiversary is TODAY! Yes, Rain into Rainbows has been around for a year now. Even though it’s a tad bit dusty and neglected at the moment, it’s dusty and neglected in a good sort of way. I’m overwhelmed, sure, but I’m also LIVING my life. Had you told me when I first said Hello World!, then went on to share about When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned, that I’d be where I am today, I wouldn’t have believed you.

YAY ME!!! ;-)

The other thing I wanted to share? It’s really kinda cool, and especially if you live in the chronic illness world, you’re not going to want to miss it. I’m joining Jamee over at A New Kind of Normal for the Sharing Our Spoons Kickoff. Oh, and did I mention there are giveaways too, y’all??

I want to share my spoons because I truly want others to see that you CAN live ~ even thrive ~ with chronic illness. It’s may not be the same, of course, but it’s still living, and that certainly beats the alternative, doesn’t it? ;-)

So be sure to check out the other participants, and come back by next week, where I’ll start sharing my goals with y’all.

I’m Back. Well, Sorta….

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Home, Life, RSDS/CRPS, Spinal Cord Stimulator

Good news — my computer *finally* seems to be back to normal, at least for the most part. My word, that was NOT fun, let me just tell y’all. Fortunately I have an HP, which allowed me to restore Factory Settings, minus all the bloatware that comes on pre-installed computers. Wish I’d have realized that before now, and I’d have done it a long time ago. Oh well, live & learn.

Bad news — after a couple weeks’ worth of decent-feeling days, I’ve had quite a few not-so-hot ones in a row now. Fortunately I have an appointment on Monday morning with my pain management doctor, and hopefully I’ll get a little tune-up on the spinal cord stimulator at the same time.

And more good news — this has just been a glorious spring so far, at least here. I hope that it’s been for all of y’all as well. I’ve taken some really gorgeous photos lately, but it appears that they might all be lost thanks to my multiple tech crashes. Nothing huge lost, but still a bummer. But the good part of it all? I’ve been able to actually *enjoy* the spring! I’ve probably been out of my house more already in the past month than I was the entire last year (not counting all the hospital trips, of course). Pretty cool stuff, I’ve gotta say!

As I lie here in bed writing this, it’s not even 6p and at first I was feeling very disappointed to be missing out on a Saturday evening. Then it occurred to me that the last two Saturday evenings, I have NOT been in bed, which is a huge improvement over the last two & a half years. I’ll take it. I’ll take it & run with it, people.

I hope that y’all haven’t given up on me. I haven’t given up on this blog, I promise. The technical issues that were dogging me have been (somewhat) resolved, to the point where I can at least function again. I received en email from a reader in the UK who truly touched my heart & provided more encouragement than I’m sure she even knows. (Hi, L.R.!)

And a prayer request — I’m supposed to be hosting our local (in)RL event here in my home this coming Saturday. I truly want this to be a memorable time for all involved, and for all of us who are participating in the various events to be able to establish close friendships with one another. And of course, your prayers as far as my health are appreciated as well, as this certainly isn’t a great week for my RSD to be acting up, with the big meet-up this weekend.

I think that’s about all. I’ll have more to share in tomorrow’s Stream of Consciousness Sunday, but in the meantime, I’ll catch ya on the flip side!

Stream of Consciousness Sunday — Link Up!

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Life

Every week I link up with my BBF (Best Bloggy Friend) C.C. over at I’m On My Way to  host Stream of Consciousness Sunday. What’s that, you ask? Easy! Throughout the week, whenever you think of some random tidbit — you know, the ones that don’t deserve their own blog posts, but you still want to share! — jot them down. Then on Sunday, put them together and link up. It’s that easy!

Of course, we’d love it if you’d use the code as well, but it’s not required.

Grab the Stream of Consciousness Sunday button!
Stream of Consciousness Sunday
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thealmons.com/ccblog/?p=5716" title="Stream of Consciousness Sunday"><img src=" http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6849984011_a638c374cb_m.jpg " alt="Stream of Consciousness Sunday" style="border:none;" /></a></div>



Five Minute Friday: Good-Bye

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Encouragement, Life, Military Life, RSDS/CRPS

Every Friday The Gypsy Mama offers bloggers a reading prompt and encourages us to stop, write for five – just five! – minutes, then publish without proofreading, editing, etc.

Today’s prompt is GOOD-BYE.

//start//

Why is it that these prompts always seem to hit me right where I am? I don’t know, but they do.

This week, we learned that we’ll have yet another good-bye. Yes, it’s deployment season. For OPSEC reasons, I don’t discuss dates or locations, but those who know us IRL have either already heard or will hear soon, I’m sure, as much as we can share, anyway.

We were “fortunate” enough (and I say that tongue-in-cheek) to have last year’s deployment canceled at the last minute. I was simply in too rough of shape for Hubs to be gone. I’m happy to be able to say that this time, I’ll be able to survive just as I have through past separations. It won’t be easy, but then again, it never is. We’ll make it, though.

My first instinct when hit with difficult news is to withdraw into myself, and as usual, I’ve kept true to that form. Then reading over at (in)courage last night really challenged that habit of mine, and I realized that in order to ask for your support, I need to put myself out there. So here goes…. I need your support, your love, your arms around me reminding me that I’m not alone, that there are literally thousands of others going through it with me at the same time. I need to be reminded that we’ve done this before, and we’ll survive it. I need to be reminded how far I’ve come since my original injury.

And yes, I need to know that you’ll be there to catch me when I fall.

I need you. And you need me too.

Let’s be one another’s community, shall we?

//time’s up//

Can You Hear Me Now?

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Life

First my computer broke. I didn’t listen.

Then my Droid. I didn’t listen.

And now my NOOK Color. I’m listening.

First Landing SP, Virginia Beach

Any one of those, while frustrating, certainly isn’t the end of the world. All three in the space of a week, though? Like I said, I’m listening now.

Somebody is trying to tell me something, and I need to pay attention to that still, small voice.

I realize that I’m signed up for the HAWMC & I apologize to those who are here for that. If you’re looking for info about RSD, please feel free to drop me an email (link to the right).

I’m going to take a few days off from blogging and figure out what’s next for me.

Happy Easter, y’all!

Day 3: Superpower Day!

Posted by Shari~Rain into Rainbows in Disability, Encouragement, Life, PTSD, RSDS/CRPS

I’m taking part in the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge 
so that I can raise awareness about Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).

I don’t even have to think twice about a superpower. In fact, my Google+ profile states –

Bragging rights ~ I’m learning to walk again.
What’s YOUR superpower?

So yeah, I think that’s my superpower for sure. Being able to overcome an injury where I was told I’d never walk again, and learning to live with daily pain, achieving the whole “mind over matter” concept, etc. I’m stronger than I might appear at first glance.

Now, as to how I might use it…. That’s one of my biggest irks right now about my combination of wheelchair/rollator-walking, that everything takes so stinkin’ long. I would definitely use my Superpower Walking Skills (aka SWS) to accomplish more in my day. ;-)

I’d also dearly love to be able to walk outdoors and enjoy nature. I’ve just recently, in the past few weeks, been able to get out of the house more. I’m thankful for my chair because it gives me so much more freedom than I’d otherwise have, but I do dream of one day being able to do it all, under my own steam. Sure, they say I won’t be able to do it, but that hasn’t stopped me so far!

View all of my Challenge posts!