Happy New Year!
2017 has been a very eventful year for me. In February I had my third surgery for Endometriosis. The recovery went super easy thanks to a combination of Oska and a CBD pain patch. I recovered so well that I was able to travel just a couple of weeks after surgery.
Speaking of travel, I did a lot of travelling in the spring and summer months as I was invited out to California for the Grand Opening of Oska‘s headquarters and then a few weeks later invited out to the Amgen Migraine Blogger Summit.
The next month I was invited out to Phoenix AZ to be on the Arizona Midday show to talk about my experience with Oska Pulse. A week or so later I headed to Jamaica.
During the summer I split from my husband of 10 years. It was a huge change in my life but one that was a longtime in the making. Overall, I feel it has been a really good decision for me and I’ve felt a lot of stress lifted from my life. I’ve found that my energy levels have been better as I’ve taken more control of my life.
In July I actually managed to drive across the country (from Alabama to Michigan) to visit some friends. I spent a week there before driving back home. In August I did more travel, heading to Chicago for the Midwest Chronic Pain & Treatment Expo, which was a great event. Just after returning I made a weekend trip to Florida with a girlfriend, something I’ve never done before (despite my proximity to the beach).
Just before those trips we found out that my mom had cancer again, this time it was colon cancer. That was a very scary time. She underwent a colostomy and stayed with me for about a month. I was so glad that I was able to have her here and be there for her. That said, she came through the surgery like a trooper and recovered amazingly. She was back home as soon as she was able and running around like she’d never had surgery.
In just as good news, in the Spring my step-dad finally started showing some improvements. We began using Oska on him and he really started pushing the people at his nursing home to give him proper physical therapy. He was up and moving again in just a few weeks and by the time we found out mom was sick they were already talking about him returning home. That got put on hold as she recovered but he actually did return home just before Christmas.
On Halloween my niece got married in my backyard in a fun costume wedding. I loved having my family here with me. Things calmed down a bit after Halloween for which I was greatly thankful. Christmas was quiet and I’m looking forward to an awesome 2018.
This year I posted once a week here on my blog. At times it was hard to keep up with, in the midst of so much going on. But, I love sharing here and I love hearing from those who read, so I do my best to keep it up. Below are the top 10 most-read posts from 2017 (just in case you missed something).
1. I had the blood test for Fibromyalgia and this is what it said – yes Virginia there is a blood test for Fibromyalgia and I had it. Take a look at this post to learn more about that.
2. Fibromyalgia blood test may lead to vaccine – this post is related to the post above as the people who created the blood test are working to use those results to test out a potential vaccine.
3. An eye doctor talks about Fibromyalgia and eye health – I love my eye doctor so when she said she was willing to do a guest post/interview for me, I jumped at the chance.
4. Surviving the holidays with chronic illness – Despite the name there are tips here that can help you throughout the year as you navigate family gatherings and special events.
5. Gadgets that make my life with chronic illness easier – the 6 gadgets that I really can’t live without. I’d probably add a couple of things to this list now (and probably will put out a new version sometime soon).
6. 13 ways that Alexa can help those with chronic illness – Alexa (Amazon’s smart device) has a lot of great skills that can really help make our lives easier.
7. 2017 chronic illness gift guide – just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean this gift guide is out of date… there are always reasons for gift giving.
8. Fibromyalgia: What you should be aware of – 10 things you (and your loved ones) should know about Fibromyalgia
9. 10 books every spoonie should read – I’m an avid reader and there are some books I’ve found that I feel like everyone should read.
10. When your partner is struggling with chronic illness and pushing you away – this is a post I wrote in response to a letter from a reader (the spouse of someone with chronic illness).
These are just the top 10 most popular posts from this last year, but there were many more. Did you have a favorite post you read this past year (either from here or elsewhere)? If so, I’d love you to share it.
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