Grief & Its Cycles

Grief has been a constant whisper that has come over me since March. I feel it in my chest. My heart aches subtly with despair. There’s a weight on my shoulders that wasn’t there before.

Collectively and personally, we are all grieving in some manner. I know we are all craving the normal that is receding further away into the review mirror that is the past; slipping away from us. It’s hard to let go…

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On Being At Peace Not An Inspiration Factory

“Every day was a balance of energy between the things I couldn't cope with and the life I had planned for myself. Yet the people around me still hounded me, treating me as an inspiration factory. To them, I was just another sob story, a conglomeration of nature's cruelest tricks, so if they could get my secret to staying happy, then maybe they too could find joy in their more privileged circumstances. My question to them now would be to ask why they felt the need to use my pain to uplift themselves? The tough things I went through are not an inspiration for me; they are merely pieces of me that I own up to and love. It took me a while, but now I’m proud to be weak.” — Ken

Ken is a rare disease warrior friend of mine and that was an excerpt from the blog post they wrote recently for Our Odyssey’s blog. The story they shared has a message I believe isn’t discussed enough…

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Shoulder & Arm Stretches - Accessible Yoga Series

Shoulder tension can lead to neck tension, back pain, poor posture, headaches, and other issues.

Lots of energy flows in these areas of the body. It’s understood that the shoulders are energetically linked to our relationship with control and letting go. Similarly, the arms and hands are energetic extensions of the heart…

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Ilaris & How to Self-Inject

It will be 4 years this coming March since I’ve been on Ilaris (canakinumab), which is a biologic drug to help calm my immune system and to reduce the intensity of the FMF symptoms (fevers, joint pain, nausea, rashes…). Although it causes me to be immuno-compromised, the fact that I feel marginally better than without it is worth the risk.

I was one of the first patients in Canada to receive the drug. It was officially approved by Health Canada in January 2017 and I got my first dose in March 2017. The price tag of Ilaris is no joke…

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Neck Stretches - Accessible Yoga Series

I’m going to start an Accessible Yoga Series, which will be a series of short videos exemplifying yogic techniques that any spoonie can use to move, breathe, and live in mindful ways…

We spend a lot of time sitting, hunched over our devices. This can lead to neck tension, which could potentially lead to pain and excess strain…

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My Wildly Particular Life - An Introduction

So here’s the first look into my crazy story...

As a child I always felt different. Always felt I couldn’t keep up with the others. That I couldn’t match my brother, cousins, friends... I just didn’t have the energy, that’s how I explained it to my toddler self. No one really knew anything was wrong, including myself…

My current battle is to step into raw authenticity and own who I am, completely, not be ashamed. Launching this, is a step in that direction. I’m grateful for you reading and allowing me to grow and be better for myself and others.

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