#HAWMC Day 1: Getting Started

Today’s Prompts:

• Why you write – tell us a little bit about why you write about your health online and what got you started.
• Why HAWMC? This is our third year of the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge – why did you get involved this year? Are you a newbie to #HAWMC or a veteran?

 This year marks my second EVER participation w/#HAWMC. Last year I was very hesitant about participating because a.) I'd never written about my health, and b.) to do so for a whole month felt beyond overwhelming. Yet, not only did I do it, I'm back for more! Last year's participation turned out to be very therapeutic for me. It was challenging to gather the strength and energy to write on a daily basis, however the prompts proved rather helpful (yes, even those to which I felt a bit resistant). I found the prompts to help me remain on point, and I sometimes need that structure, especially on those days in which I have writer's block.

The only reason I ever got started writing (and continued to do so) was because of my #chronicallyawesome superwoman mentor, Jules (check out her blog, or follow her on twitter) This woman is ah-mah-zing! really and truly! love her! Jules not only gave me a space on her blog for my #HAWMC posts, she provided me with endless support and encouragement. Without her mentorship and support, I don't know that I would've made it as far as I did. But I didn't want to let her down, so I blogged away. And she was right to encourage me to do so, because writing proved to be very cathartic. It helped me look at my life in regards to living with Crohn's Disease, Fibromyalgia, and PTSD. And by that I mean, it validated my existence, because I was able to reflect on what it was like for me to overcome so much on a daily basis. Because let's be honest, I am my own worst enemy, and don't give myself enough credit.

Through my participation with last year's #HAWMC, my writings became not only a part of the health blogging project, but served as my online journal and even led to the creation of this blog . I enjoyed my participation w/#HAWMC and was sad when it ended. I was able to keep up my writings on my blog for about a month or two, and then.... I don't know what happened. I got lazy, I slacked. I will not make up any excuses. Life happened. A lot of changes have taken place since last year, and I'm hoping that by participating again this year, I will be able to get out of my writer's block, and also reflect on and process all my experiences from this past year.

Whilst I don 't consider myself to be a newbie, I'm far from a veteran, though when it comes to my health experiences, I am a veteran, complete with battle scars! In the year since I last participated with #HAWMC there have been many changes where my health is concerned. In some ways things have changed considerably, and in some ways, things feel as if they are the same. #HAWMC serves as a great platform to help me self-reflect and process, as well as record, all my experiences. Stay tuned.

**********Spoiler alert: I survived***********

#HAWMC Day1: Health Time Capsule

 

“Health Time Capsule” that would not be opened until 2112 #HAWMC

(originally written on April 1,  2012)


Writing about a time capsule that wouldn’t be opened until 2112.

This was a hard post for me to write. I thought, what have I done that is of such significance and interest to people who would be looking at this 100 years from now? It is very intimidating to look at my life and where I am (as well as where I am not) and not only see myself through someone else’s eyes, but also, through their eyes, 100 years from now! I am living at home, with an incurable diagnosis that is disabling. No, I promise this is not a tale of woe , so no need to bring out a tiny violin. The most significant thing in my life has been twitter. Therefore my tweets would be the most important (aside from medical charts, and records from my therapist). My tweets are a reflection of who I am, of where I spend the majority of my time (ok, who am I kidding here, it is THE only place I am, 24/7 ha.) The conversations on my twitter feed are mostly of love, support, encouragement, validation. Yes, we have Crohn’s disease. Yes, we are in pain. But there is so much more to us than that.

One hundred years from now, I certainly hope that we will be able to somehow teleport each other into our homes, rather than communicate via the internet. This last year, I have lived and survived with not only Crohns, but depression and pstd. I was in a hole and had withdrawn from all my friends and loved ones. I ended up on twitter, thinking I might connect with someone, not really knowing what to expect. What I found was a group of survivors. Individuals in various states of the disease. Yet no matter where they find themselves, remission or flare ups, the ability to connect with one another, to offer a kind word of support, to offer validation, is always found. I used to shun social media sites like facebook and twitter before I became ill. I was on facebook, but because of my family and friends, felt I had to censor myself, so as not to worry them, or be the “Debbie Downer” of the group. Then I found twitter, and my life as I knew it changed.

Most importantly I certainly hope that a cure will have been found or even better, that Crohns ceases to exist! Yet I would love to tell you, the people of the future, that despite the limitations, I am finding meaning in my life. And I am content. A year ago I wouldn’t have said that and truly meant it. But I sit here today and say that receiving the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is not a death sentence. Each day I wake up and no matter how I feel, I log on to twitter and within minutes my mood has lifted. I have learned that I am awesome. Chronically awesome. I am empowered. I may have an illness, but it does not have me. I have the ability to connect with others and give back. To offer support. To make a difference in someone else’s life. So to those of you in the future, who are taking the time to look at my time capsule, I would like to first thank you for showing an interest in my life . What I hope you to take away from it is the understanding that the woman whose life you are looking at was one who derived happiness from making connections with others. One who learned that despite not knowing in which direction she was headed, learned to be ok with just being. She discovered a power she never knew she possesed, and that power is strength. And it is a power that you also have within yourself. She went on to live a happy and full life. And she wants you to know that once you discover the power of your own strength, you to will be as unstoppable as she was. Things that would go into my capsule:

• Most importantly: medical charts/psychological records (a glimpse into the workings of my mind… scary, I know! *evil laugh*)

• A list of my medications (It is my hope that by 2112 a cure for Crohn’s will have been found) Oh and also, a cure for all mental illnesses, including Depression, and PTSD

• Copies of my tweets.. all of them.. (hopefully done electronically because I could kill off the rainforest with the amount of paper required to print out all my tweets..um..)

• The as of yet unwritten blog posts for this month and hopefully, of future blogs.

• My tumblr posts which show a reflection of my interests in current events/politics/ social justice/environment/feminism/art/ and anything else that is a fun way for me to express my personality (for you in the future, tumblr is like a combination of scrapbooking/journaling)

• Pictures! Of myself, My family (I’m a single mother, and by that I mean mom to my dog. Yes, she IS my daughter!) my friends (yes, I do have some, I know right?!) Maybe even of my health care providers. And also of my twitter friends who are my surrogate family..aww. love them!

• Music!: playlists of all the songs I listen to throughout the day, because music is therapy for my soul. I would provide links to Youtube, spotify, pandora radio, and soundcloud• Books (so that you may know what they look like, as I don’t think they will exist in the future, which breaks my heart because I love them!)

• a copy of my obituary, pictures of my funeral (it was PACKED! SO many celebrities showed up, it was THE oscars of funerals! Madonnna woud have been totes jelly! Yes, she was still alive, she discovered the fountain of youth and lived to be 200 years old, ugh, but of course she wasn’t invited because I didn’t want to scare my funeral attendees!) (wait, I’m still alive, so I guess this hasn’t happened yet, because I am SO stealing the fountain of youth from Madonna.. shhh, please don’t tell her! )







@hipsteralice, April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland for

http://www.whatthejules.com/april/288-qhealth-time-capsuleq-that-would-not-be-opened-until-2112-hawmc