health-e inspiration

Invisible Illness Week Team Offers Free Ebook of 263 Tips

20 Experts share their best tips about living with a chronic illness, from coping with illness and relationship tips to travel and homeschooling.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is September 13-19, 2010. A free 80-page ebook is now available for download to anyone who signs up for daily updates from the web site invisibleillnessweek.com.

“Chronic Illness Tips: 263 Ways To Do More Than Just Get By” is by Invisible Illness Week founder, Lisa Copen and friends. Friends include chronic illness career specialist Rosalind Joffe, relationship expert and best-selling author Pam Farrel, advocacy authority Jennifer Jaff, and illness advocate Jenni Prokopy. Read the rest of this entry »

Support bluehealer in the 2010 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

Today, bluehealer announced that it is participating in the fourth annual StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition, a ranking of outstanding home-based businesses and the people behind them.

The contest is open through the end of September. Please vote for the bluehealer diary daily!

Invisible Illness Week Seeks To Encourage Through Anonymous Notes of Kindness

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week kicks off awareness efforts by spreading anonymous notes around the USA and beyond that will bring encouragement to those suffering silently. Invisible Illness Week, September 13-19, 2010 is an annual event sponsored by Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill.

When Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries and Invisible Illness Week, had 4 joints replaced in her left hand during the winter of 2009 due to rheumatoid arthritis, she wore a scary looking outrigger splint for four months, 24 hours a day, that caught the attention of many people wherever she went. While some people awkwardly looked the other way, many approached her and started to share their stories. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you have a favorite blog?

I know you’ve got your favorite blogs, and I hope that health-e inspiration is one of them. That’s where the Blogger’s Choice Awards enters the picture! The blogs are all nominated and voted on by users like yourself! Votes will be displayed on the site in real-time, so you can see who’s leading within each category at any moment! You may nominate and vote for as many blogs as you want, as long as you adhere to their Rules and Regulations. I’m not telling you to vote for health-e inspiration, (wink wink).

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Expands Library of Patient Materials

Updated brochures offer the latest on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

New information on the diagnosis of, treatment for, and research on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is rapidly growing. These chronic and often debilitating digestive diseases affect 1.4 million Americans. To help connect the Crohn’s and colitis community with this new information, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America has introduced a new brochure, Understanding IBD Medications and Side Effects; and has  updated, Living with Crohn’s Disease; Living with Ulcerative Colitis; A Guide for Teachers and Other School Personnel; and A Guide for Parents. Read the rest of this entry »

Optimism v. Pessimism: A Treacherous False Choice

The sunny-side-uppers claim that a positive attitude is the secret to success. If only all the Eeyores of the world would start thinking more positively, we could cure disease, create world peace, and line our pockets with riches.

Yet the self-proclaimed realists assert that they’re the only ones are willing to face the facts. Leave life to the Pollyannas, and they’ll skip us off the edge of a cliff, clutching a copy of “The Secret” to their chest, passionately chanting, “I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly.”

But which side is right? Read the rest of this entry »

Happiness happens

It has been a hot and busy summer. I took two family vacations and have been slammed at the office. I missed posting a blog entry last week because 1) I was at the beach, and 2) I was sleeping in from the previous night’s birthday celebration.  This week’s entry will be short and sweet because I need some time to catch up with life.

If you’ll take a look at the health-e inspiration editorial calendar you’ll notice that August is “Happiness Happens” month. Coming off two weeks at the beach I can say with certainty that life is good. And after looking at the Secret Society of Happy People website I started wondering what makes life good? What makes me happy?

My dog Skyy makes me happy.

My dog Skyy makes me happy. A kitchen sink cookie from Fresh Market or Whole Foods makes me happy. Or, more seriously, my husband makes me happy. I’m blessed to have a reliable car, a job I love and a roof over my head.

Happiness Happens Month

The Secret Society of Happy People has some suggestions to spread happiness and pay it forward during the month of August. Sunday, Aug. 8 (the official Happiness Happens Day) or anytime during August wear your silver shades, donate your silver coins to pay someone’s toll, bus or subway fare, buy someone a soda, take up a donation for your favorite charity, or pass out silver kisses. Why silver? Because not-so-secretly happy people have a way of finding the silver lining in even the darkest clouds.

Now it’s your turn. What makes you happy?

Understanding IBD: What every patient needs to know

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is hosting dozens of interactive educational programs “Understanding Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: What Every Patient Needs to Know,” in cities around the country. This event, open to all patients, family members, caregivers, and community members, is hosted by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and will be led by local physician experts.

Our experts in patient care and research will provide an in-depth overview of IBD, including: Read the rest of this entry »

You’re a grown-up: Get a colonoscopy

Recently a friend of mine posted on Faceboook excerpts of a newspaper columnist’s article about having his first colonoscopy. I was ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing) after I read it. After all, this wasn’t written by just any newspaper stringer. It was written by humor columnist Dave Barry.

If you have never had a colonoscopy, in all seriousness, you need to get one. It could save your life. If you are suffering from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis then you’ll surely appreciate Dave Barry’s article from the Miami Herald. Enjoy!

Preventing Pediatric Melanoma by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Melanoma accounts for up to three percent of all pediatric cancers. Ninety percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10-19. Between 1973 and 2001, melanoma incidence in those under 20 rose 2.9 percent. As a result, more parents may want to practice preventive measures.

The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is committed to educating parents about how to safeguard their children against the dangers of melanoma. One important step parents can take is to teach their children the shadow rule: When you are outside, if your shadow is shorter than you are, it means UV rays are intense and you need to be extra careful. However long their shadow is, children should always apply sunscreen with SPF 15 before spending time in the sun.

Parents should also learn the warning signs of melanoma: Read the rest of this entry »