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In Her Shoes: poem
Stiletto Memory
~In Her Shoes~
She asked me in a nice voice if I would wear her shoes.
It wasn’t the best choice, but how could I refuse?
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The moment they slipped on, I swear I heard a crack.
Then something within me sharply turned to black.
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The shoes no longer held me up as I fell to my knees.
I could not bear the weight of my dear friend’s disease.
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She got down on the floor with me and held me for a while.
She put the shoes back on her feet and then she forced a smile.
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I don’t know how she wears those shoes!
She must have so much strength.
I’ll never understand; I wish I could help her bear the weight.
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This was written in honor of all of the women who live with invisible illnesses and invisible pain. May they have friends who try to understand what they face.
Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2014
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Poem featured on The #Spoonie Daily E-Magazine
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“Waiting for my Real Life to Begin”
Woke up with this song weighing heavy on my heart and in my head. Just because I cannot listen doesn’t keep music from playing inside of me. If you are like me and have trouble listening to music, the video includes the lyrics.
The second verse: “When I awoke today suddenly nothing happened.
But in my dreams I slew the DRAGON” plays into living with chronic illness and life now from a bed. But just as Colin Hay’s “love” keeps telling him to let the sun shine in and keeps reminding him there is already a plan; this is the same knowledge I have that God has a plan for me also. Not just in the future, but right now… I’m living it. My real life has already begun- even when it’s hard to feel it.
Sometimes we keep waiting for everything good to start up, and our purpose is right there in front of us. God bless you.
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You Know You’re a Spoonie When: fun list
I’m not Jeff Foxworthy but some things about being health impaired are so ridiculous, we might as well try to laugh. Here are a few I thought of along with some additions from my Spoonie friends. Please share yours in the comments section!
10,000 Spoons Poster
You Know You’re a Spoonie When:
-You have more cute socks and pajamas than sexy lingerie’ and heels.
-You are on a first name basis with all of the local pharmacists.
-Your family uses YOU as their excuse for getting out of things they don’t want to do with other people.
-If a stranger comes to your front door, you just hide until they go away.
-You have more salts in your bathroom than the DMV road crews in the winter.
-Your spouse/partner fills your meds for you as a romantic gesture of his/her affection (goodbye flowers!).
-You have become mysteriously artsy/crafty over time since diagnosis (was increased creativity one of your symptoms?).
-Your doctors and favorite nurses are on your Christmas card list.
-You know where all the elevators are wherever you go, yet somehow they always end up super far away from your actual destination (what is that about anyway??).
-Your pets seem to have a better understanding about how you are feeling than anyone else.
-Your loved ones have a favorite joke about your disability that makes you laugh. When they say it in public, people think your loved ones are horrible.
-You have more hair in your bed, in the drain, and in your brush today than is actually on your head!
-You start to talk to your Spoonie friends online more than you talk to your friends and family.
-You’ve learned so much about medicine that your doctors talk to you like a colleague instead of a patient.
-You’ve developed heightened super-sonic senses. You’re sure you are a super hero and keep looking for a lit up spoon signal outside. (To the sick cave!)
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From my Spoonie friends: You know you’re a Spoonie When…
-All the people who work at the drug store and pharmacy know you and your family by name. -Molly Williams
-Whenever you are in public people stare. You are starting to get a complex that you have grown extremely good looking. inspired by –Living Life Beyond Disability
-You joke about going to see your “drug dealer” a.k.a. your pharmacist. -April Hughs
-When I rate my pain 1-10 and 7 means I’m having a GOOD day. -Keely Blackburn
-You know all the different medications and their side effects. -Julie Pierpoint
-You have to bite your tongue when a friend keeps complaining about his/her allergies. inspired by –Sick and Sick of it
-You talk to your doctors, nurses, and pharmacists more than you talk to your own family! -Allisin Wonderland Hatfield
-Your deaf and blind dog thinks your crutches are trying to attack him! -Tegan Bert
-You go to hand your pharmacist the prescription card and she says “Nah, I remember you have one of those.” -Christine Brannon-Miles
-You make fun of the television commercials about medications that “help” symptoms like yours. inspired by –My Fibrotastic Life
-When your mum says you will never get a flu because all of your meds will probably knock it out of your system first. -Marika Dolinski
-You use ferocious animals and monsters to represent your illness. –inspired by Elle and the Auto Gnome
-You are so tired of explaining what’s wrong with you that when anyone asks, you distract them by responding: “where did you get your hair cut?” or “do you garden?” -Melanie Barker
What are yours?
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10,000 Spoons Poster
If you enjoyed the above poster or want to know what a “Spoonie” is, read the article it was based on: “10,000 Spoons, If Only! Why the Chronically Ill Love Spoons”
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This was featured on InvisibleIllnessWeek.com!
aBodyofHope 