Week 114 ” Positive thoughts are a must but sometimes difficult”

This has been a short week because of last week’s late entry. We have been down to the netball courts only once this week, but have spent the other days on the gym equipment. Jill has still got some remnants of the UTI hanging around; her GP has suggested not keeping on the antibiotics so we are trying a natural treatment fingers crossed.

Jill was a bit upset on Tuesday after her visit to Kate Morgan as at her weigh in she had only lost 100gm last week. I guess that because we were away for most of the week and had done little exercise. This week will prove the exercise bit I hope.

I picked up some craft letters and Jake now has his name on his kennel he will now be able to distinguish it from all the other kennels. I told you I had little meaningful information to pass on. I have placed some compost – mulch over the garden out the back so I hope that it reduces the amount of water that it normally uses.

I read a blog by Christine this week and she made comment on the various words used to describe our diseases. She wrote the following

“Disabled”,” afflicted”, “suffering from “, “fighting”, “battling with”, handicapped”, sick” “illness”, “disease”…these are all words banished from my vocabulary. Someone once asked me, “What’s it like since you’ve got sick?” Another article described ataxia “sufferers” as” battling against” a “cruel disease”…I tell you, after reading the article I felt terrible, before reading it I felt pretty good! Whenever I get a sickness question  I always end up looking over my shoulder to see who the speaker is talking about. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to battle with or fight anything. Fighting implies a winner and a loser and, sometimes, lifes not about that. Corny as it sounds………..

I’m sure the people who wrote the words & said them didn’t mean to be unkind but, actually, after hearing them a lot, I started to feel pretty awful. Pretty soon I started to feel “disabled”, “sick”, and “hopeless”-a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pretty negative thinking, I know, but people challenged by all sorts of health issues are faced with them everyday. I think most of us are keenly aware of our medical conditions; wouldn’t it be more constructive to hear something a bit positive? I mean….come on”

Christine how well you explain how we all feel. She has also started a “Stem Cell Recipient” group on Face book. So far she is the only member! It’d be great to get some others members too! If you have a Face book profile, check it out….

She also sent an email mentioning a web site set up about stem cells established by a former Beike patient www.stemcellsforhope.org. I saw this several weeks ago and made an entry.That has added some information to a very bare blogSee you next week on the net