chiari balanceassistance balanceassistancedog chiarimalformation chronicmigraine counterbalance dogsofinstagram ehlersdanlos fibromyalgia lablife labradorretriever labsofinstagram neckpain osteoarthritis professionalpatient servicedog servicedoglife servicedogsofig vertigo workhardforthekibble workingdog yellowlab venerd
8/13/18.
It’s pretty crazy how much my normal has changed within the past year. This new normal has brought so much opportunity. It’s brought lots of late nights drinking slushees in parking lots, drives singing my heart out to the Spice Girls and backbends and cartwheels and laughs and days at the mall, all things I now love to do and haven’t done before without getting sick. Thank you, @mayoclinic -
#brainsurgery #chiarimalformation #chiari #chronicallyill #survivor #chiariwarrior #childhoodchronicillness
so i’m not quite sure how to say this but I have a medical condition called a Chiari Malformation. It causes frequent headaches and my heart rate to spike really high. I wanted to put this out there because typically models don’t wear watches in their photos but I do sometimes because I have to monitor my heart. I hope to inspire other people with illness’s to be comfortable sharing about it <3
#Repost @positively_chronic
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Far far too many times have I walked through my door and just collapsed on the couch, not even able to make it up the stairs. It takes so much energy to pretend not to feel the pain that’s piercing your body. The reality behind “but you don’t look sick?” - lots of makeup and an Oscar worthy performance .
#dysautonomia #chronicillness #dyshumor #fatigue #invisibleillness #zebrastrong #gp #potsyndrome #oh #chiari #spoonie
“Health is a crown the healthy wear. But only the sick can see it.” And we would give anything to wear that crown ourselves. Many times, it’s not until we get sick that we understand that value of our health and the little things we take for granted every day.
#healthisacrown #chronicpain #chronicillness #EDS #ehlersdanlossyndrome #ehlersdanlos #EDSer #EDSmom #idiopathicintracranialhypertension #IIH #pseudotumorcerebri #pseudotumor #chronicpainawareness #chronicallyawesome #chronicallyillmom #spoonie #spooniemom #chiari #chiarimalformation #chiariawareness #spoonfulofstripes #zebrastripesandeverydaylife #professionalpatient #tinnitus #VPshunt #momswithmohawks #brainsurgery #brainsurgerysurvivor #ehlersdanlosawareness #zebrastrong
It’s so, so painful to try explaining EDS or chiari to a doctor who has no idea what they are. Even more so when that doctor has an inflated ego and doesn’t want to admit that they don’t know something.
And quite frankly, it’s just plain scary when you know more about your condition that your doctor does.
#typesofheadaches #chronicpain #chronicillness #EDS #ehlersdanlossyndrome #ehlersdanlos #EDSer #EDSmom #idiopathicintracranialhypertension #IIH #pseudotumorcerebri #pseudotumor #chronicpainawareness #chronicallyawesome #chronicallyillmom #spoonie #spooniemom #chiari #chiarimalformation #chiariawareness #spoonfulofstripes #zebrastripesandeverydaylife #professionalpatient #tinnitus #VPshunt #momswithmohawks #brainsurgery #brainsurgerysurvivor #ehlersdanlosawareness #zebrastrong
1 year. It’s hard to believe... 1 year ago I was the patient. One year ago I didn’t know if I would see tomorrow... One year ago I was the one in the hospital bed, having surgery on my brain.
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God can do a lot in one year. God did more in my life this year than I ever could have asked for or imagined. This year has been by far the most difficult in my life. But this year God has proven to me again and again that He is strong in me. He has proved to me that He can truly bring me not only through something, but to see His promise waiting on the other side. .
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This year was a very defining year. But I’ve learned and grown more than I probably ever have. I’ve experienced life and pain, I’ve been the patient and walked through difficulty.. but now I get to be the one standing on the other side of the hospital bed. It’s a difficult job - I’m not going to sugar coat it. Working as a nurse on an acute care floor is extremely difficult. But I believe that if God can bring me through being a brain surgery patient, I know that I have the strength to be the nurse. .
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You are strong. No matter what you are going through, how low you seem, what you are fearing in the future... you are strong, and God is strong in you. He will be the strength in your weakness if you let him - He wants to be, more than anything ♥️
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If you are wondering about my brain surgery, I linked my video in my profile ♥️ .
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Keep moving forward - you are stronger than you think
She didn’t want to come out of her room. Her head was half shaven, fresh staples from her brain surgery, the rest of her hair in a tangled knot.
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It was time for her physical therapy session, but she didn’t want to go. “I promise when we come back I’ll bring you coffee”, I told her. Finally, she agreed to transfer to the wheelchair.
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When we got to the physical therapy gym she didn’t want to stand up. She kept refusing to do the exercises. We had the walker right in front of her, many of us were ready to help her stand, but she refused to comply. “People can see my head, they don’t have this”, she said.
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To my surprise, the therapist then pointed at me and told her, “You know, she was a patient here, I helped her relearn how to walk right here, she was in a wheelchair, her head was shaved like yours, and she had a big incision on her head. She did it and you can too. You can do it, I believe in you”.
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She looked at me with a big smile, “Really?”.
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“Yes”, I said and turned to show her my scar.
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Without even warning us she started to try to stand up with the walker that was in front of her wheelchair. We quickly took our positions and then she took her first steps.
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It was incredible to see the difference in her motivation after he shared my story with her. She went from not wanting to do anything, to wanting to do more than she was asked.
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When she was back in her room, I took her her coffee. I told her how brave she was and how incredibly proud I was of her. And as I was walking out the door she told me, “But I can’t believe you did it. I’m going to do it too”.
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My month at TIRR has come to an end, until I go back in July, but my heart is so incredibly full. I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. PM&R I wish I would have found you sooner.