#HAWMC Day 24: Health Mascot

#HAWMC Day 24: Health Mascot: Hipster Alice

For today’s prompt – give yourself, your condition, or your health focus a mascot. Is it a real person? Fictional? Mythical being? Describe them.


Bonus points if you provide a visual!


Rather than choose a mascot for a specific health focus, I’ve chosen to give myself a mascot, which will represent my blog. This makes much more sense, as my blog focuses on more than one health concern: 

Crohn’s/Fibromyagia/Depression/PTSD

and also, because it is a more holistic approach. I’d like to be seen as more than the disease/illnesses I have.






I have chosen the theme of Alice in Wonderland but with a few twists. I have a tumblr blog (which I need to update) which I titled “Alice in Crohnsland”. Thus, it makes sense
that my Health Mascot would be Alice. I also have a twitter account: @hipsteralice.

Therefore, as a way to unify my tumblr, twitter account, and this blog, I have chosen to utilize the picture from my twitter: Hipster Alice. In this way it is much more consistent, as I am recognized on twitter by both the Hipster Alice name and picture.


Do you think the creation of a mascot will enhance your blog and your writing? Did it help you to visualize your role as a Health Activist better?

It will enhance my blog in that it will make it recognizable to people who already know me and follow me on twitter.

@hipsteralice
April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland for

http://www.whatthejules.com/april/338-hawmc-day-24-health-mascot-hipster-alice

#HAWMC Day 21: Health Madlib Poem

#HAWMC Day 21: Health Madlib Poem

displaced Rabbit Hole ‘s displaced Rabbit Hole

 

 

quite i have never lost, anxiously beyond
any Wonderland, your girl have their curious:
in your most bleeding love are things which live me,
or which i cannot feel because they are too awkwardly


your broken look carefully will ungrieve me
though i have cry myself as Crohn’s Disease,
you shatter always hope by hope myself as hospital bleed
(avoiding curiously, gracefully) her vulnerable artist


or if your trust be to deny me, i and
my warrior will create very compassionately, fearlessly,
as when the gratitude of this Wonderland inspire
the compassion hopefully everywhere listening;


nothing which we are to help in this Depression believe
the dog of your brave painter: whose writer
empower me with the doctor of its music,
think ing friend and helper with each smileing


(i do not overcome what it is about you that inspire
and grow; only something in me heal
the coward of your Kat is sick than all hospital)
happiness, not even the courage, has such damaged pragmatist


- Kat & e.e. cummings

@hipsteralice
April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland for


http://www.whatthejules.com/april/333-hawmc-day-21-health-madlib-poem

#HAWMC Day 8: Best Conversation I Had this Week

#HAWMC Day 8: Best Conversation I had this Week.

Not knowing what to write about for today’s topic ended up giving me anxiety which became a conversation that led to this post. Lmao. isn’t it funny how this works?


Kat: I am frustrated, irritated and annoyed because I don’t know what to write about for today’s topic.

Chronically Awesome Person: What is your topic?

Kat: I’m supposed to write about a conversation I had this week and I have no idea which conversation to write about. Gah! *head desk*

Chronically Awesome Person: Hahah. Relax. Think about a conversation that stands out to you. I’m sure you’ve had many good ones this week.

Kat: *Sigh* Yes, I’ve had lots of great ones. Hmm. Will have to focus on one or maybe sum up a few… what do you think?


Chronically Awesome Person: LOL. Sure. Whatever you think is best.
Kat: Ok. I will try. Thank you.


The following conversation is actually a summary/morphing of a few conversations I had this week, which I’ve changed so as to maintain the anonymity of those with whom I conversed.


Chronically Awesome Person: Kat, great job on your post, it took courage to expose yourself, yet you opened up, which takes strength.


Kat: I don’t feel strong. What does being strong mean? How do I acknowledge my strength?


Chronically Awesome Person: You are showing your strength through your writing.


Kat: Thank you. I don’t feel that what I’m expressing is any different from anyone else. We’ve all experienced difficulties through our diagnosis and what we’ve been through. I don’t consider myself unique.




Kat: I’m blogging for myself. To help me come to terms with my feelings. I don’t think about how what I’m doing is affecting others, much less consider how it will help them.


Chronically Awesome Person: Today’s blog seemed like a departure from previous days. I sense you are reaching the areas you find most difficult to expose yourself to, the uncomfortable reality of living through such a difficult experience


Kat: It is difficult to go back and open up the wounds of the past yet it is also a cathartic experience. I feel that the only way for me to truly heal and move on is to look at the source of pain. I hope that will help me grow.


Chronically Awesome Person: You have more courage than myself, i would find it difficult to open up the entirety of the physical and mental damage endured, I think you are brave and your writing is wonderfully honest. As the blog continues i hope you will fully come to terms with how the illness, the trauma and recovery you have lived through has formed the strength of character that you clearly have


Kat : I feel I’m growing stronger.


Chronically Awesome Person: We are getting stronger everyday even if we aren’t aware of it. But we are.


Disclaimer: While these conversations did happen with real people and not the voices in my head (ha) it just feels so cheesy to me. I mean, I am focusing on the support I’ve received from people who have taken the time to read & give me feedback. Yet I’m concerned that I may come across as self-congratulatory. Which is not how I want to be perceived. I do appreciate the support, as it reinforces my decision to take part in the writer’s challenge. I would be remiss to ignore the impact that others’ feedback has had on me. Whether good or bad, I welcome comments, not only to help me as a writer, but to open up a dialogue about our experiences & how we cope (whether it be w/Crohns/Mental Health/or our Chronically Awesomeness)


For this past year and a half I have pretty much been in “survivor” mode. By that I mean, the “fight or flight” mode. Just focusing on getting through each day, but not really stopping to analyze myself, for fear that I will get lost in my thoughts and in my depression, fall apart, and like Humpty Dumpty, never be put back together again. With the start of attending therapy back in October of last year, along with my participation in this HAWMC project, I am able to slowly move beyond just “being” in survivor mode, to actually living. If that makes any sense at all. What I’m trying to say, is that I’m slowly healing. I am slowly moving out of my depression, connecting with others, and making peace with what I’ve been through. That is not to say that I don’t have my bad days: days in which I have a fear that is so strong, it renders me unable to move, unable to want to do anything but just “be.” I am slowly having an interest again. This is a big step for someone who has depression, because I’ve had so many months where I’ve found it hard to have any motivation or interest in anything. To feel even a tiny spark of hope, is significant. And that spark is ignited by the people with whom I have contact everyday via twitter.


To those people who have had faith in me when I haven’t had faith in myself, I cannot thank you enough for your support. Your kindness and support means more to me than you will ever know. Or hopefully, if you read this, then you will know how touched and inspired I am by you.

Thank you. <3

 

~~~~
@hipsteralice
April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland
for

http://www.whatthejules.com/april/305-hawmc-day-8-best-conversation-i-had-this-week

#HAWMC Day 3: Superpower - Fearlessness

#HAWMC Day 3: Superpower: Fearlessness

When I think of “super power’ I think of something that is far beneath my reach. The ability to do something magical and powerful, that gives me a leg-up above the rest of the population. Yet, in the context of this post, when trying to envision what MY superpower would be, if I could choose to have one, I couldn’t come up with any, or so I thought! Yesterday I was tweeting with two fellow Crohnies and we were discussing the difficulty of living w/Crohn’s Disease on a daily basis. We live daily with Crohn’s Disease and are able to overcome our obstacles. We strive to live our lives as best we can. And THAT is our superpower. The ability to live with a chronic, debilitating illness, everyday, and not give up, no matter how difficult it may be. I have come to realize that “Superhoeroes” are not these mythical creatures who exist only in comics books or movies.


Superheroes are those who are living with challenges; those who are chronically ill, who in spite of these challenges don’t give up, but in fact, as a result, are stronger.


The realization that I can categorize myself as a superhero is a powerful one, and leads me to the superpower that in the given context I would like to possess: 

Fearlessness


The ability to realize and live up to MY potential without fear. I am my own greatest critic. I hold myself back. My biggest challenge, or my “kryptonite” if you will, is self-doubt. I fail to see the strength I have within myself. But it is there.

My hope is that one day I am able to look my fear in the face and destroy it. I want to raise my hand, let out a beam of light, and destroy that self-doubt, so that I may truly become who I am meant to be. I know I have it within myself. I would use my superpower and go around, helping others destroy their self doubt, so that they too, could realize how powerful they are. So that they could realize that despite (or because of) living with a chronic illness, they are powerful, they are strong, and they are unstoppable! Forget the Justice League, we would be known as “The Chronically Awesome League”!

Actually, the Chronically Awesome Superhero league ALREADY exists! I have met these superheroes and interact with them on a daily basis. They are my fellow Crohnies, my fellow Chronically Awesome tweethearts (Yes, tweethearts IS a word, because I said so, and if I have superpowers, then I CAN make up words, so there! Ha! ) they ARE superheroes. Whether or not they may be aware of it. But they are.


@hipsteralice, April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland for


http://whatthejules.com/april/291-hawmc-day-3-superpower-fearlessness