AutoImmune Under Fire

Title: Standing by Our AI Friends: Battling Body Demons Together

In a world where appearances often deceive, it's essential to remember that struggles can lurk beneath the surface, hidden from the naked eye. Imagine looking perfectly fine on the outside while your body wages war against itself within. This is the reality for many individuals battling autoimmune syndromes (AI) and various other diseases.

The frustration of being told, "You look fine," when internally, you're anything but fine, is a sentiment shared by countless individuals navigating the complexities of chronic illness. Each day can feel like a battle between mind and body, with no respite from the relentless assault.

Living with a body that feels like an adversary rather than an ally can be an isolating experience. It's a constant struggle to pick oneself up when the very vessel that carries you through life is betraying you. There's no escaping the turmoil when your mind is trapped within a broken body.

For those on the outside looking in, it can be challenging to comprehend the daily struggles faced by those battling chronic illnesses. The invisible nature of these conditions often leads to misunderstandings and misconceptions. Comments like, "It must be in your head," only serve to exacerbate the feelings of isolation and alienation.

That's why it's crucial to stand by our AI friends and offer them unwavering support. Sometimes, all it takes is a smile or a listening ear to make someone feel seen and understood. While they may not always know what they need, knowing that there are compassionate souls standing by their side can make all the difference.

As allies, it's essential to educate ourselves about the realities of living with chronic illness and to approach each interaction with empathy and understanding. Let's strive to create a world where individuals battling invisible illnesses feel validated and supported, where their struggles are acknowledged and their voices heard.

Together, let's stand by our AI friends, recognizing that their battles may be silent but their strength is immeasurable. Let's be the allies they need in their journey toward healing and resilience.

Unknown artist

Couldn’t let today roll by without a reminder. Today marks ☝️ ONE year💥 since I’ve been able to have even a drop of alcohol. The sad part is I was only a light/social drinker anyhow! I’m just not a huge fan of being told I CANT do something! It’s been a rough year adjusting with get togethers, holidays and lots of tiki time.

I’m not going to get preachy on taking care of yourself but note to self: choose take care of yourself before it becomes your only option! Stop using excuses like “getting around to it” or being “too busy”. I can assure you whatever you are too busy doing isn’t worth losing your health.

Todd supports me and doesn’t drink with me this month. I don’t expect anyone else to but I challenge everyone to take one healthcare goal you’ve been sitting on and seriously go after it this month! ❤️💖

I’m pretty sure everyone knows how grateful I am for the work I have seen Mayo Clinic do for myself and sooooo many others I have met along the way. I’m aware a lot of us are struggling this year however for those who are in a great place, please consider Mayo Clinic for a donation this year. Attached is the email they sent out today.

Kimberly, your gift today can be multiplied three times!

Mayo Clinic has been presented with an exciting year-end challenge opportunity that can triple the impact of your year-end support to advance innovative research and patient-centered care.

A generous benefactor has made a gift of $1 million and challenged us to raise an additional $500,000 by year's end. That means that any gift you make between now and December 31 can have three times the impact.

https://app.e.response.mayoclinic.org/e/er?s=74881809&lid=26287&elqTrackId=be4f748aa6ea44d0a1a0ad9aeaf57ecd&elq=5af73bb79ea04fbdb32699fc3188bb5d&elqaid=17222&elqat=1

Your gift today, when combined with the gift from our generous benefactor, can provide three times the help for patients and families, three times the support for world-leading research and education, and three times the progress toward the future of healthcare.

Don't miss your chance to multiply your impact on the future of medicine. Please make your year-end gift today.

Multiply My Gift



https://app.e.response.mayoclinic.org/e/er?s=74881809&lid=26287&elqTrackId=ee77b955b7224f42ab8751884eef631d&elq=5af73bb79ea04fbdb32699fc3188bb5d&elqaid=17222&elqat=1

200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minn.
4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, Fla.
13400 E Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Mayo Clinic

https://youtu.be/XpaOjMXyJGk

Dove Real Beauty Sketches | You’re more beautiful than you think (3mins) In one of the most famous Dove films, Real Beauty Sketches explores the gap between how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Each woman is the s...

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much. Part of my program and therapy both mentally and physically includes not talking about or discussing illnesses, symptoms, treatment or testing. It’s been a couple days and it is a relief and also a struggle. It doesn’t mean it’s not there it’s just about retraining your brain to stop accepting the negative input and scanning the body for problems. I’d love to share this with any and all of my friends with chronic pain. It doesn’t matter whether it’s from an amputation or from a hangnail. This will help you. Thank you all for the care, calls, texts and more. I’m enjoying the challenge and the PT/OT is getting better everyday. I look forward to it each day as the difficulty increases and I’m able to last longer in cardio and increase resistance. I feel so blessed to be here. Please take the time to watch this if you’re struggling with pain, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, stuttering, digestive problems, nerve problems. There’s people in this program from every possible ailment you can think of. ❤️☀️ Day 4 down!

Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS) - Dr. Christopher Sletten Mayo Clinic's Christopher Sletten, Ph.D., ABPP discussing Central Sensitization Syndrome, which is the prevailing theory of the cause of chronic pain & other...

Day 3 of all day PT and OT and I’m wiped out. Sorry for no posts but so much great stuff to share. But first….. 😴

One thing in life is guaranteed- You will miss EVERY opportunity you never TAKE….

Things I did NOT want to do today…. Last thing I felt like doing was exercising. Fortunately they were kind. If you’ve ever had an illness you know when you feel like crap working out sounds like about the worst idea ever. Trusting the process and increasing physical strength gives your body the ability to recouperate quicker. Strong muscles protect damaged joints nerves and tissues. Today I learned very simple exercises with little to no weights.

Contrary to what you may think, static stretching isn't the answer and actually does more harm then good for a hypermobile individual. When a joint doesn't have sufficient stability, the body lays down trigger points as a safety mechanism.

Including exercise in your lifestyle and building strength are keys to living a long healthy life. Remember, engaging in any type of activity will lower your risk of developing chronic health conditions and help maintain mobility while reducing aches and pain in life.

Here are some at home simple exercises you can try. No gym. No expensive equipment. https://www.nhsfife.org/media/33085/hypermobility_exercise_programme_v7.pdf

Up bright and early. Starting a program to try and help me get some strength back. It’s been a challenge to relearn how to do simple tasks like turning a Door k**b to blow drying my hair. The fatigue after simple activities is the equivalent to how I used to feel after a hard a$$kicking workout. Learning more about mixed connective tissue disorder and what chronic pain can do to the mind and body. Today is day one of mental and physical therapy. 8-5 for the next 3 weeks.

When conditions go unmanaged or undiagnosed not only can they cause wear and tear on joints and organs but they cause your brain to go into overdrive as it tries desperately to protect its fleshy host. Rolling through my 8th AI diagnosis I’m encouraged by the Mayo PRC program and excited to try to calm my brains pain reactions so I can focus on creating a “new normal” lifestyle. This is why there has been such a big push for people to meditate, take walks at work, and find things you enjoy. When we talk about mental health, we underestimate the daily stressors that accumulate within our body. You don’t have to become a gym rat or be on a fancy diet full of supplements. Later today I’ll share some of my new tools I’m using when the pain becomes unbearable.

Central sensitivity syndromes (CSSs) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders (e.g., fibromyalgia [FM], irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], chronic headache, temporomandibular disorders [TMDs], pelvic pain syndromes) that share common symptoms, with persistent pain being the most prominent feature.

Here’s a light read. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728142/

How pretty!

Ladies & gentlemen, her ✨

Click the link in our bio to shop now or get same day delivery and create beautiful mocktails like this with FRE!

Friday I got to talk to my dermatologist about why I can’t go in the sun with Lupus.

Armed with appropriate information I covered up head to toe. I have this great new swimsuit and we didn’t have a tent so I took a nap under our zero gravity chair. My dermatologist recommended Neutrogena over all other sunscreens. I’ll be testing some over the next month or so to see if I can find one that provides the least post sun triggers. The long and short is the skin produces chemicals caused by sun. That chemical boosts inflammation.

Here’s a similar explanation.

“Experts say humidity can provoke joint soreness, while exposure to the sun’s UV rays seems to throw the immune system off balance. “Ultraviolet B rays can cause certain cells in the skin to give immune signals,” Gourley says. Those signals attract white blood cells, which attack and destroy skin cells. That’s why a severe sunburn can lead to inflammation and a rash. Sun exposure also hastens the natural process of cell death, called apoptosis, by killing off more skin cells than normal.”

https://www.lupus.org/resources/understanding-lupus-environmental-triggers

CRZ YOGA Women's UPF 50+ Long... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PYFRJC8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share