Day 22 #NHBPM – What Am I Thankful For?

Nov22

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a time when the Pilgrims came together peacefully with the indians in the area and had a feast for the fall harvest. Over time, it has become a holiday where we look back at our lives and give thanks to the things we have.

So what am I thankful for this year? There is so much to give thanks to. I can give thanks to my doctor. With so many unsympathetic doctors out there that don’t care about their patients, mine took the time to listen to me, do reasearch on his own time and put his trust in my hands to let me try a different course of treatment for my Crohn’s. So far it is working so thank you Dr. Potack.

I want to give thanks to my wife. She has stuck by my side through the good days and the bad. Through flares and scopes. When I was sick and depressed she was there to tell me everything will be alright and to offer advice. She supports my choice to go gluten free which was a life saver. Thank you Heather.

I want to thank my dog. She is a stubborn dog that likes to bark at the slightest noise in the building hallways. But she is quick with her hello’s when I come home and is there to cuddle me when I am sad. She gives me unconditional love when I need it most and never asks for anything in return. She knows when I need to be cheered up and will try to play with me. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful soul. Thank you Sable.

This year I embarked on a new journey and started talking publicly about my disease. Out of a bad flare came a new life. I have started this blog and have met a lot of great people. I have become more involved in helping others with IBD. But without the help of others, I would never had taken the first step. I have thanked many of these people before, both privately and publicly, but today is special so I will do it again…because without their support and help, I wouldn’t be doing what I do. Thank you (in no particular order):

Kelly – www.sickgirldiary.com

Sara – www.inflamed-and-untamed.com

Alyssa – www.loveformutantguts.wordpress.com

Stephen – http://sdempster.com/ (The Road Less Traveled)

Jackie – www.bloodpooptears.com

Amanda – www.stopthinkingstartwriting.blogspot.com

Adam – www.IhaveUC.com

Jason – www.crohnsdiseasesn.com

This is just some of the great inspiration I have had this year. There are so many more people to thank that I don’t have the space to thank them all. So my biggest thank is to the IBD community. You have all opened up your heart to me and gave me so much love and inspiration. No one will ever really understand what it meant to me.

Day 6 – #NHBPM – News Style Post

Nov6

Since the explosion of the world wide web, many people have turned to going online to look for help for problems. For many people with IBD, going to a doctor doesn’t always help. They treat the physical problems, sometimes, and very rarely treat the mental problems. Because of the lack of a bedside manner, patients with IBD look for treatment online in the form of forums, social medias and medical based sites.

One new site designed to help those with many illnesses, including IBD is http://www.meddik.com. This is a new site which just came on the scene. It was developed by 2 medical students, one of which has a relative with IBD. The site is a user based site but also carries links to medical articles. The design behind the site is that you can research not just the inner workings of your disease but get first hand help from people who also suffer from the same.

Another site, with a heavier user base is http://www.crohnology.com. This site is made so that you can connect with people who not only have your disease but live near you. You can also ask questions to everyone on the site. You can look up people taking the same meds as you or have the same side effects or even symptoms.

If you are looking for an upbeat site with a dose of comedy, turn to http://www.ihaveuc.com. Adam has UC and treats his disease with comedy. He believes that laughter heals. He also has on his site a place to post and answer questions from other IBDers. Adam also post informative information about the disease and the treatments used.

If you’re looking for a feminine side to IBD, there is no shortage of that either. Sara at http://www.inflamed-and-untamed.com is probably the most recognizable face for IBD. She talks about a lot of personal dealings with Crohn’s and having a J-Pouch. She has become an inspiration to so many people and when she is ill, she in overwhelmed with well wishers.

Another person who is big on helping others is Kelly. She has a page on Facebook called I-Have-A-Bad-Tummy-With-An-Optimistic-Mind-Chronic-Illness-Support. Kelly is the face of being brave and strong with IBD as she has been very sick this year but still manages to come online to help others. She is yet another big inspiration to many.

If you have an ostomy and love videos then check out Maggie at www,youtube.com/LetsTalkIBD. She shows everyone that just because you don’t have part or all of your intestines doesn’t mean you can’t live life. She shows that you can do whatever you want to do, whether it is swimming in a bikini or going to college. Your life doesn’t stop just because you wear a bag on your side. In fact she shows just how life is just starting after surgery.

Are you athletic? Do you have IBD? Well, your life isn’t over. Brian at http://www.intenseintestines and Heidi from http://www.ostomyoutdoors.com both show that just because you have a disease doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy exercise. Whether it is hiking, running or biking..you can do it all.

With so much help out there online doctors need to step up their game. They can’t give the advice that any of these sites can offer. Most doctors don’t have enough time to spend with their patients to find out what is going on in their minds. It is no wonder why everyone turns to the internet now.

Inspiratation – Where do you find it?

Aug6

Recently, I watched a video from a fellow IBDer and she was talking about seeing other people do amazing things like running races and she was at a point in her life where she couldn’t do those things because of her fight with IBD. I wrote her a letter to help cheer her up and as I was writing it, I realized how much of an inspiration she really had been to me. She was one of the first people I watched on YouTube when I started flaring last year. She showed me that even though we have a chronic illness and it can affect us greatly at times….we should still live our lives.

When I wrote her, I also came to another realization. I have never had a mentor in my life. Whenever I had started a new job, so one ever took me under their wing. I never really had anyone I could say that I truly looked up to. But, she really changed my life and I always find myself looking at what she is doing and try to be a little like her or more specifically, try to be like her in helping people with IBD. To this end, she has kind of been like a mentor to me even though she didn’t know it.

Now, she isn’t the only one that has inspired me. There are so many people out there and if you look back over my blog, you will see who they are. Some of them I have written about. Others, I have included in my “Follow Friday’s”. There are so many great people out there advocating and giving me inspiration to get on with my life.

Recently, I have been starting to flare again and I felt some depression setting in. As usual, I started to withdraw within myself like I used to. But then I saw that video and wrote my online friend. I wrote her to cheer her up but it also was very therapeutic to me. I was able to get some things off my chest. Realizing how much of an inspiration she was in the past, helped to inspire me again. So, I am back fighting again.

Next week is a big part of the battle for me. I see my GI and I will be asking him to switch my meds from Humira to LDN. Since this isn’t a typical treatment for Crohn’s just yet, it will be a battle, but I am ready. If I let the depression sink in, I wouldn’t be able to have the conversation with my GI and argue it effectively. But thanks to my inspiration..I am going in guns blazing.

So, now I ask…..who are your inspiration. I would really love to hear back from you on who inspires you. Whether it is just to continue your fight with IBD, or someone who pushes you to blog, or helps you to get out and about with your life. Is your inspiration a person, a group of people, or a website?

I want to leave you with a quote I found online about inspiration:

“Inspiration is like picking up one of those blinky things in a video game that makes you invincible for a while. You can do anything, go anywhere, and you don’t have to worry about it.

Those blinky things exist in real life too. It may be a picture, or some words, or a sound, or an idea, or a mistake, or a moment. Whatever it is, pick it up and run with it. Run with it like you stole it.

You can’t bottle up inspiration. You can’t put it in a ziplock, toss it in the freezer, and fish it out later. It’s instantly perishable if you don’t eat it while it’s fresh.

Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.”

And just incase you are reading this and trying to figure out who my inspiration is…I wasn’t going to say because I don’t like to mention people’s names on here …but it is Sara from Inflamed and Untamed.

Plagiarism on the internet

Jun17

Earlier today I saw my online friend Sara from Inflamed and Untamed complaining. Now if anyone of you have seen her videos or read her blogs, you know she is a kind-hearted person. For her to be pissed off, something bad had to have happened. Sure enough, she was writing how someone stole her story and put it for themselves. The worst thing is that this time (yes I said this time) it was a guy stealing the info.

Over the past month or so, Sara has been talking about how people are selling her bracelets as their own and using parts of her blog as their own also. They give no credit to Sara and they are passing their work off as their own. Today I think was the last straw when it was a guy doing it. He took her “about me” section of her blog and posted it on his site to make it look like his.

My first question is Why? Why would you want to steal someones elses bio to make it look like your own. I don’t get it. Also, why would you want to steal any of the blog? If you are choosing to create a blog online and open yourself up to others…then do it. Give out your own details.

Now when I sit down to write my blogs, I never look at someone else’s first. I just log on and write what is on my mind. Blogging is like a journal only everyone in the world can see it. What I write comes from my heart and mind. I refuse to use someone else’s words. What would be the point. Also, I want to point out that blogging is a choice. No one is forced to write a blog. It is a conscious choice one makes. so why steal someone else’s words. I don’t get it.

My second question, and this is directed to anyone plagiarizing, Who the hell do you think you are? Where do you get off stealing someone else’s thoughts and words. Sara is very popular in the IBD community. Did you think no one would notice that you are stealing her words?

Now I am still small potatoes. Not many people are reading this right now, so I don’t worry about plagiarism. But one day I want to be as big and popular as Sara. And when I am that big, I hope no one chooses to steal my work. I, like every blogger out there, have chosen to open our hearts to the world. They are our thoughts.

Now, there is a way to copy-write your work online. Sara has recently done that, but from what she told me, it only covers her blog, not her bio. To me this is just wrong. It should be that if you get a copy write, it should be for all information not just some. In real life, if you steal someones name and information and use it elsewhere, you can go to jail. It is illegal. But if you go online and do the same, apparently it is ok. There is something wrong with that.

I hope anyone that reads this will agree with me but please do not repost this as your own work. You may share the blog, but do not pass this work off as your own. I am from NY originally. We don’t take kindly to theft. Also, I truly believe in the words of David Banner…”Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry”.

And Sara, if you are reading this…I know I joked about it on Facebook, but I hopefully didn’t steal any of your work. 🙂