Chronic Chronicles: Health Chat

Did you know that doctors diagnose an estimated 3,000 cases of mesothelioma annually in the U.S.? Caused by asbestos exposure, there's no cure for mesothelioma and the outlook is generally poor. Listen as Donna Kay and Jules interview Cara Tampot, social media specialist and friend of The Chronically Awesome Foundation in our relationship with The Mesothelioma Center, our first partner in The Chronically Awesome Partner program.

Upcycling, Recycling, Crafting, making the old new and useful again. Today we are going to have some fun by getting our creativity flowing, our clean-up going, and maybe something useful or pretty out of what is already in your house!

This autoimmune version of arthritis is chronic and progressive. It is extremely painful. Many think that it has the same symptoms and issues as other arthritis conditions. Today we will discuss the difference between the two.

Also called affective disorder, a psychological disorder characterized by the elevation or lowering of a person's mood, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Let's talk about the average day in the life of someone with chronic illness. You may learn that we are not lazy, we do not just lay around, that we are productive #Chronically AWESOME people!

With the time change and managing doctors and meds and other difficult time management issues it is time to put your Chronically Awesome skills to work. This week we are going to help you do that.

Today on Chronic Chronicles we are talking about #RareDiseases. Why? Because February 29th was #RareDiseaseDay and because there are over 1300 rare diseases which means that men, women, and children all over our nation are living with illnesses that have little or no treatment available to them, few peers, and few doctors that know anything about their illness. Join us at our usual Bat Time and Channel! 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern

Being a woman and being #ChronicallyIll has it's own particular set of hurdles and challenges. Today we will discuss the several issues that face being female and #ChronicallyAwesome, from pregnancy to how our cycles impact pain and more to how we are seen differently by health care professionals

CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases.These statistics seem to be rising, and are a particular risk for the chronically awesome.

Exhaustively studied by the NIHM, the sensitive amygdala has been shown to contribute to chronic pain, IBS, anxiety, PTSD and more. The NIH and NIHM have also learned that the amygdala is subject to neuroplasticity -- it can be changed! How? Mindfulness Meditation!

Have you ever had anyone tell you to lie about being chronically ill? "Don't tell our family you are sick", "Just say you have the flu, people should not know you are depressed". According to a recent LA Times OP/ED, and something we agree with, "The pressure to report that you're OK when others check in with you is so strong â?? who has time for a real conversation today, especially one about something so unpleasant? â?? that many chronically and invisibly ill people fail to find the support they need." Today we discuss the ramifications of not being you, and the benefits of being you in the face of illness.

Piggy Backing on Jules' recent WEGO HAChat and her flight to see Donna Kay, the ladies of Chronic Chronicles will talk about travelling while Chronically Ill. If you have not had a chance to get the transcript of Jules HAChat, we will pin it for you, and elaborate on Jules notes as well as other tips from Donna Kay and around the web.

CRPS/RSD is a chronic condition, not a life-threatening one. Living with CRPS/RSD offers many challenges to those who are affected by it. Challenges include difficulties with diagnosis, coping strategies after diagnosis, caregiver concerns, differences in the problems faced by adults and youths, insurance, workmanâ??s compensation and other issues.

Thanksgiving is on it's way. Today we are going to talk about giving and receiving: Thanking and Helping. Grateful: feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness. How many times have you been at a restaurant and heard someone grunt at the waitress when she set the plate in front of them? What happened to thank-you notes? What about giving back? Helping others or giving. Did you know that giving back, either by volunteering or donating has both physical and psychological benefits? It's TRUE!!! Let's get on this thing, and let's start today!

Happy 150th episode to Donna Kay and Jules! The stages of grief are not something that happen just when you experience the loss of a loved one; you can go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance when chronic illness strikes. Today we will discuss the stages of grief, and give you a sixth and final stage: hope.

It doesn't matter how you do it, but moving is very important for your Chronically Awesome body. We are going to talk about myriad ways to move that body of yours in a safe way.

Does music calm the savage beast of chronic pain? Depression? Anxiety? Can music make you feel more awesome? We think so, and we are going to share some of our music and thoughts with you on the subject.

October 4-10 is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year the theme is "I Am Stigma Free". How can you be stigma free? Learn the facts about mental health. This week we will help you learn some key facts.

It is Invisible Illness Week and we are honored to have Lisa Copen of Rest Ministries with us to discuss Invisible Illness, Invisible Illness Awareness and the Invisible Illness Week movement. Visit www.invisibleillnessweek.com for more information.

Invisible Illness Week is September 28- October 4th. One of the great traditions of Invisible Illness Week is the 30 Things Meme. The ladies of the chronicles will share part 2 of their 30 things with you this week and talk about why these questions and answers are so important. Join the chat to share your answers and discuss Invisible Illness with us.