ilikebeingsickanddisabled

t h e w o r l d o f i n v i s i b l e i l l n e s s

Love

OLD LOVE LETTERS FROM YOUR PAST: GOOD FOR YOUR MARRIAGE.

I’d forgotten all about them, so when my husband plunked down dusty, dirty old boxes for me to go through, I inwardly groaned at more work.  What I found caused me to turn off the TV, plop down on the floor, and get teary. Some things are personal.  It’s okay, healthy even, to keep private some things, especially from your partner.  You disrespect all three of you by telling all, […]

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HEALTHY LOVE AT THE U.S. OPEN

The U.S. Open, the last of the tennis year’s four majors, is powering its way to the finals, and I’m psyched. Tennis is an intense human drama that showcases the psychology of winning — belief in self, winning through intimidation, body language, gamesmanship, positive self-talk, courage, and reaching deep past pain and fatigue to tap the will to win. It’s not surprising as a couples therapist I would remark on the […]

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HOW CAN PARALYZED BE PRETTY?

Photograph of Rachel and her husband Chris on their wedding day. Photo credit: Martha Manning Photography I blog for the government’s disability website, Disability.gov   If you haven’t visited, do so; it’s cool, comfy, and inspiring.  At a recent look-see, I plopped into a story about Rachelle Friedman, written by the person who knows her best — herself. You might remember her story.  Last year, at Rachelle’s bachelorette party, a friend’s playful gesture […]

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How Come It’s “We’re Pregnant” But It’s Not “We’re Disabled”?

I don’t know when it became fashionable to identify pregnancy as an adventure à deux.  It always seemed lopsided that pregnancy excluded men from throwing up, having swollen ankles and shrewish moods.  I’m not even talking about all those forever changes like stretch marks, a bigger butt, and wider hips.  With the possibility of gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, or miscarriage, the adventure becomes a challenge, albeit one that affects the […]

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CAN I BORROW YOUR FINGER FOR A SEC?

  Here’s a news flash:  stress can make you sick. Maybe you haven’t gotten the message that stress can have a permanent effect on chronic illness.  Clouds your thinking, screws up your judgment.  Gives you the weepies and the angries.  Can take away your will to vacuum the house or cook a meal.  The effects of stress on the mood and memory components of your brain can get screwed up […]

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