Mobile phones enable us as individuals to inform and share.

The speed at which we can spread information will undoubtable change the world we live in. The foundation of this great nation rest on our freedoms and most important, freedom of speech. Today, we live in a world where we can share our ideas and thoughts on how we can make this world a better place. We have seen the fall of a dictatorship in Egypt because the Egyptian people had the power to spread their ideas. A populist movement insued and changed the course of history.

Mobile phones have changed the game, enabling “ordinary” individuals to spread information at the speed of light. Many websites and mobile applications are using this technology to make our world a better place. The Rawporter app allows you to become a citizen journalist and spread the news as it happens. Change.org and Causes.com allow anyone to start a campaign to help someone, a group, or even a nation of people. Everyday ordinary citizens are changing the course of our world. All these movements are ground up, grassroots. Information is easily accessed, free and clear.

As a practicing doctor in North Carolina, I have recognized the power of knowledge. There is rarely a day where I do not see a patient going blind from an easily treated illness. No one should ever be hospitalized, go blind, or even come close to dying because they couldn’t afford their medications. Think about that…we live in the richest and greatest country in the world. Is that acceptable?

Through my years of practice and research, I have come to the realization that there is a domino effect causing our nation’s decline in health. 70 million Americans do not have prescription drug coverage, 8 out of 10 are WORKING families. When these patients cannot take their medication because they simply cannot afford them, the domino effect begins. These patients become more ill and hospitalized leading to further family hardship and even death. Here is a little fact that many people don’t know, including physicians: the price of one generic or name brand medication can be up to 16 times more expensive from one pharmacy to the next in the SAME neighborhood. I put this theory to the test. I called around to all the local pharmacies in Charlotte, NC to get the price of a medication, Atorvastatin, which is the generic version of Lipitor. Keep in mind, this drug is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in America. The drug price was $149.99 at CVS, $60.00 at K-Mart, and $11.00 at an Independent pharmacy. I was taken aback. You mean someone’s mother or father died because they walked into a pharmacy and thought the medication was $149.99 and decided their mortgage was more important for their child’s wellbeing, meanwhile they could have literally gone across the street and got it for $11.00. This made me angry and I hope it makes everyone reading this angry as well.

It was time to change the system. Every individual out there is part of a collective. If we take care of each other, we can make this world a better place. So I created a platform that puts the power back into the people’s hand. We will use the power of the internet to spread information. WeRx.org will allow advocates and patients to call pharmacies and ask for the price of a medication and then post that price for the whole nation to see. As we inform every family member and friend about the huge price discrepancy of medications, we will create an informed society. An informed society, is a powerful society. When we are unaware, we have no control and can be easily manipulated. Once we create awareness, we create true transparency, we change the system, and then we have a healthier society.

NHS to be transformed from a public Service into a competition health-care market.

For now, the ownership of major assets of the NHS remains with the Government, and most of the supply of purchasing power for the market will come from the Government. The new structure will push hospitals and other units towards prioritising private patients (to gain income) and towards closing down services which are unprofitable on the market.

The pressure will be increased by the cuts in the NHS budget which, despite Coalition promises, are large.

Some Tory advisers have already talked about a next stage in which the NHS is changed into a social insurance system, with the government paying only part of the cost of treatment and only for those who qualify by means tests.

There is widespread opposition. The Tories felt obliged to call a pause for consultation in the process of the Health and Social Care Bill, and senior Tories openly advocated dropping the Bill even late in its parliamentary progress.

Tories openly say that they expect trouble now, in the form at least of local revolts against local cuts, given additional edge by the wide resentment against the Coalition’s legislation.

The Labour Party, through shadow health spokesperson Andy Burnham, has pledged to reverse the Health and Social Care Act.

Between pledge and performance can often come a gap. Labour has not even promised to reverse the Coalition’s NHS cuts. Yet the NHS is unique as the only area in which the Labour Party leadership has promised that a new Labour government will undo what the Coalition has done.

There is a real possibility of slowing and limiting the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act, and forcing a new Labour government to reverse it. If battles against cuts developing in Greece and elsewhere in Europe spark similar in Britain, the NHS is the prime area where opposition to cuts can be massive and score some victories.

Our Proposal:

Our proposal is to create a liaison network bringing together as many as possible of campaigns and efforts to save the NHS, to exchange information and ideas and where possible to coordinate action. That is why we have organised three meetings of a liaison committee, and are working to develop it.

Realistically we will never unite all the groups in one campaigning effort. The variety of resistance many even increase in the next years as local campaigns multiply.

But we can make more coordination than there is now. At the very least, a liaison committee, involving even a serious minority of the active groups, and functioning on the basis of consensus and mutual respect, can:

• Sustain a website which gives timely and comprehensive information on all save-the-NHS activities;
• Enable exchange of information and ideas, and make it easier for each group to win support from others from its initiatives, or to tie its efforts in to what others are doing;
• Stimulate the creation of local NHS campaign coalitions which will bring together delegates from local KONP groups, Health Alarm groups, Labour Parties, union branches and committees, campaigns focused on particular local closure or cutback threats, anti-cuts committees, etc.;
• Facilitate the organisation of large local “save-the-NHS” meetings jointly sponsored by several groups;
• Where the different groups involved agree, organise joint actions – and even joint actions that would be beyond the resources of any single participating group on its own.

For example, the liaison network could facilitate agreement on a joint NHS contingent or feeder march for the big TUC anti-cuts march on 20 October 2012.

Such coordination or liaison will not compete with, detract from, or pre-empt any participating group. On the contrary, liaison and coordination will help every component. The more active and energetic a participating group is, the more it will gain from having the broader liaison network to extend publicity and support for its initiatives.

The practical case for a liaison network is clear even on the most day-to-day and unambitious level.

A liaison network can also inspire new activists with a broader picture than even the most keen and active of the participating groups, on its own and without liaison, cannot. It can enable activists focused on the NHS to combine forces to push the NHS onto the agenda of organisations like the big unions and the Labour Party, which have the resources to make a real difference, but which are often slow to move on difficult issues without concerted pressure having been applied.

An active united front – given sufficient participation, and given sufficient energy from us all as we participate – can create a visible framework for mobilisation wide enough and sustained enough to save Whittington Hospital Campaign in North London, the NHS, and not just to protest against its destruction. That is the prize for which we aim.

Unity in Action

Many groups have become active against the Health and Social Care Act and the NHS cuts. It is likely more will join us. We know there is deep-rooted and widespread public feeling on this issue. The NHS can be made the front line of agitation against the Coalition’s policies in the way that public-sector pensions were in 2011.

• The Unite union called a lobby of parliament against the Health and Social Care Bill on 7 March, and has provided meeting-space for the first meetings of a NHS campaigners’ liaison committee. On 20 March the Unite executive backed a call for the TUC to call a demonstration for the NHS (though it seems this idea has mutated into the general “for a future that works” protest planned for 20 October 2012).
• Local and regional bodies of Unison have called many protests and leafleting sessions.
• The Labour Party, together with the North-West TUC and North-West Unison, called a protest in Manchester on 3 March. Many local Labour Parties have organised stalls and leafleting.
• The Labour Party nationally circulated a petition against the Health and Social Care Bill, as did the 38 Degrees group.
• UK Uncut called a demonstration for the NHS on Westminster Bridge on 6 October 2011, and has called another for 26 May 2012.
• The Green Benches/ Labour Left group has called a series of vigils for the NHS.
• Health Alarm has organised protests against the private profiteers moving in to the NHS. A number of local groups of Keep Our NHS Public also organised similar actions at Virgin stores across the country on 21 April 2011.
• KONP has maintained a network of active local groups, often calling notable local protests like the Oxfordshire KONP occupation of their PCT offices. Some KONP groups have organised “national” as well as local protests.

There are many local campaigns like the Defend Whittington Hospital Campaign in North London and many groupings providing valuable information, briefings, seminars, and resources for the battle to save the NHS.

Yesterday was a rainy, miserable day in NYC and with Mike having to make an appearance at work, I decided to be productive and clean out my half of the closet – the messy side! I decided to purge and that the best way to do that was to try on everything I owned – skirts, dresses, bathing suits – everything! Simultaneously this week-end, just when I  thought I was finally almost in the clear with my skin, the spots came back with their usual in-your-face, itchy body invasion. So trying on everything was frustrating, I couldn’t look past the spots in the mirror and was tempted to get rid of everything that didn’t cover them up. Shortly after I started, leaving piles of clothes all over the place, I took a Twitter break and that’s when I saw Jess’ request. It made me really think about my personal journey and what I wanted those words to be. It’s hard to describe a 15-year battle in two words, especially when my feelings about it are always changing. My thoughts led me from frustration to sadness, then back into my preferred positive state of mind – allowing me be in control of my skin, not letting my skin control me. A huge thanks to Jess and her continuing efforts to raise awareness and understanding about psoriasis. Her challenge was just what I needed to get out of my own slump and back to being me. I now have a super organized closet with lots of room for new summer fashion

You should follow Jess on Twitter too: @jessnpsoriasis. And don’t forget to follow me: @girlwithspots!

P.S. I’m getting back on track with the WEGO Health Writer’s Challenge. Today was HAWMC Day #23: Health Activist Choice Day 2! Write about whatever you like.

I’m skipping today’s prompt because I wanted to point out that this week is Psoriasis Speakout National Advocacy Week (April 9-13, so I’m a bit late letting you know). The goals of this week is to help raise awareness about the need for more research towards a cure! Participating is really easy; each day the National Psoriasis Foundation will suggest an action that you can take to help raise awareness. They’d made it incredibly simple and turnkey to participate. They ask that you report back on the actions that you take on their website and let them know your results and experiences. I’ve been pretty good so far about participating but fully admit that I get an F with my reporting back, so be better than me there! Head over to their website to sign up now~ https://www.psoriasis.org/speakout

Having psoriasis myself, I’ve found that stress is one of my biggest trigger factors. So, when I’m all stressed and anxious, and my skin flares up, then I get more stressed, then I breakout, and well, everything just gets pretty crap.

I’ve learned that my ability to keep my stress in check has a massive part to play in keeping my skin in control, and so, if I can keep calm, it’ll get better. Freaking out just makes the situation worse!

As part of the WEGO Health Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge, here’s today’s post, inspired by the Keep Calm and Carry On posters, especially for those of us suffering from psoriasis, acne and/or eczema.

The prompt for Day 4 of the Wego Health Writer’s Challenge is “I write about my health because…”

Prior to when I started my blog two years ago, a friend of mine had been encouraging me to write about what I went thru with my foot, but I wasn’t interested in writing.  After I found the DOC (which is the diabetes online community for you non-D people), I found help in managing my blood sugar with gastroparesis.  Prior to my finding the DOC, I never received help from doctors.  I was very frustrated and felt hopeless.  With help from my friends in the DOC, I was able to turn things around.

When I went online and started talking to other people, I realized that I was not alone.  There were a lot of people out there just like me that felt alone also.  It felt good to talk to people and share ideas.  I am a left handed person that grew up in a right handed world and I know just because something works for one person doesn’t mean it will work the same way for you.  The more ideas that someone can get, the better chance they have of finding one that will work for them.  I wanted to be able to share the things I have learned with other people.

After I started my blog, I received a message from a woman with gastroparesis that made me cry.  She wanted to thank me because she found more help from me than she had from doctors – unfortunately, I know that feeling all too well.  Her doctors put her on Regular insulin – doctors seem to think Regular is the best insulin for people with gastroparesis because it is slow.  It is slow but it also stays in your system for 6 hours.  When you have a stomach full of food going no where, 6 hours is a long time to have insulin floating around in your body.  This woman had a very bad low and her doctors told her family that she deliberately caused the low.  I was angry when I wrote about it a year ago and I am still angry thinking about it now.  Doctors really have no clue how to help someone with gastroparesis.  I know if I had not found the DOC, I would still be lost today.

I have another reader going thru a foot wound and we have been talking about that stuff.  It feels really good to offer someone hope that he will make it thru his wound.  He said he has looked for other stories out there and they just aren’t there.  I know I looked when I was going thru mine and although I found pictures, there were no stories to go with those pictures.  He said that it felt like someone threw him a life preserver.  Talking to him gave me an idea because he was interested in seeing a timeline of pictures.  I only have the pictures that are posted here on my blog, but I am going to try to get more from the wound center.

It feels good to be able to help someone else, even if I had to go thru something bad to be able to offer that help.    Just hearing one person say that they felt what I wrote helped them makes everything I have been thru worth it.

Please visit Wego Health’s Facebook page to see other Health Activists’ “I write about my health because …” posts.

Superpower Day. If you had a superpower – what would it be? How would you use it?

I am curious about so many things, I could really use a superpower to learn new things instantly! As a freelance writer, I’m always researching as efficiently as possible, while trying not to leave anything out. In my personal life, I would love to understand my own health issues and those of my family. My dream superpower would give me the ability to comfortably download information to my brain and enable me to know what to do with no question marks whatsoever!

Article deadline is looming? No worries, no pressure, just shift into mega-learning mode and write like the wind.

I’d know in an instant whether I should worry about my racing pulse.

I’d have the perfect soothing words immediately for that 2:00 am call from a distraught friend.

Of course, every superpower has an Achilles heel. Mine would probably be exhaustion! I guess it’s best to hold onto the uncertainty and good intentions that make us human. Anyway, push-button learning just wouldn’t be fun anymore! And my friend who calls at 2 am wants me to listen, not to have instant answers. And my racing heart? That’s just evidence that I need to slow down — not speed up. So just I’ll listen, read, write, hug, cry, laugh and be myself…and let God handle the details.

What’s your dream superpower? Join us at http://blog.wegohealth.com/2012/04/03/hawmc-day-3-2/

I just realized it was never published!

A little anti-climatic after my last post…but just imagine you read this one first.  : )

1 – WEGO Health Award Winners

Be sure to check out the WEGO Health Award Winners!  You can find the winners with links on WEGO Health on Facebook or on the WEGO Health Blog Post.  Keep watching these sites for more information about the 2012 Health Awards.  This was WEGO Health’s first Health Activist Awards and they would like your input to help make them even better, you can take a quick poll here http://4159395.polldaddy.com/s/tell-us-what-you-thought-of-2011-health-activist-awards.  I am thrilled that I was chosen as a finalist for the TMI Health Activist Award.  There were many nominations for each category, I hope you took the time to nominate your favorite blogs.  Everyone who is a Health Activist should be proud of what they accomplish.  You make a difference!

Brain MRI - photo from http://www.eldr.com

2 – Monday, January 30th…a day at Duke.

On Monday I had 3 appointments at Duke Medical Center. 12:15 pm Clinic 1D have blood tests.  Since this is a mini-post I will not go into detail about how odd the technician was, and how very painful the procedure was, needless to say, it wasn’t the best experience.  (who takes blood from a person’s hand?  Without even looking for a vein elsewhere?  And fishes around under the skin for the vein?)  Yes, not a goo experience.

1:30pm Lennox Baker Center (located about 2 or 3 miles from the clinics) for Brain MRI with Contrast.  The first person we encountered there was very confusing to me.  I kept getting confused as to what I was supposed to do next, I told him I couldn’t hear, but he just seemed to get frustrated with me…glad I had Stuart with me to help (but he got a bit confused too, so it wasn’t just the hearing issue).  I got an IV for the contrast dye, I have a huge black bruise from this, but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the blood test I had earlier.  The MRI itself was pretty easy, much easier now that I can’t hear the extremely loud noises that it makes.  (I also took a Valium before going, so it was much less stressful!)  When the technician took me back to Stuart, he just held the door to the waiting room and left.  Stuart wasn’t there.  I didn’t have my hearing aid.  I asked the people in the waiting room if they had seen another man, and asked them just to shake their heads because I can’t hear.  Everyone said NO…yes, I began to panic a little.  I’ve never been put in that type of situation before.  I couldn’t hear what anyone was saying, and I had no on there who knew me who could help me.  I went back to where we checked in, and Stuart was in that waiting room.  They told him that’s where they would bring me back to.  It was only a bit of a panic for a moment, but once again I’m reminded of how much I must depend on my husband.

Lunch – 2:45 – 3:10 Chipotle – There was really only one faster type place we could stop on the way back to the clinics for my next appointment.  We stopped at Chipotle.  I used to love this place, and I thought I was being very cautious when I ordered.  I had the grilled chicken tacos (no onions or gluten!)  Then I got some guacamole…I love their guacamole.  I didn’t realize until I’d eaten about 2 tablespoons of it that it has red onion in it.  My stomach bloated to such an extreme my loose top was very tight around my tummy, I really looked like I was pregnant!  I had the worst heart burn.  I was not a happy girl…but lunch tasted really good!

3:30 Duke Clinics – Dr. Kaylie’s office – As expected, my MRI was clear.  No brain tumor, a little fluid still around the surgery site, but that was to be expected, it will dissipate over time.  The greatest adventure we had at his office was with the Blood Pressure machine.  First they couldn’t get it to read my BP, then the BP cuff actually blew off!  She fixed it up, and then she took my BP again…it was 175/113!  They told me I couldn’t leave.  The nurse started asking me questions, was I light headed, did I have a headache….I mentioned I had heart burn, she started to look worried and asked if I had pain in my jaw.  I thought…oh great they think I’m having a heart attack!  I explained I had heartburn because I’d just accidentally eaten onions.   She decided to try a different machine, again, after numerous tries it wouldn’t take my BP.  We decided to rest for a bit and try again.  Third machine, finally read my BP 145/92 – yes still a bit high, but after what I’d just been through it was understandable, and Dr. Kaylie said I was OK to leave.  Whew!  I hope my blood pressure is normal next time I go to the doctor, I don’t want to go through that again.

This is a close example of what my new glasses look like.

3- New Glasses

After my appointments at Duke we went and picked up my new glasses.  I was so excited, looking forward to seeing clearer, the frames that would fit better with my hearing aid, the lighter material, and the new look.  I put them on and looked in the mirror and didn’t really like the look.  I’ll get used to it.  (I think most of it has to do with my face being so much rounder.  I’m just not fond of that look!)  In the office I thought I could see fine.  On the ride home I realized I couldn’t read the street signs.  Then yesterday while at class I realized I was having a very hard time going from distance seeing to seeing close up.  Oh great!  My optometrist and I discussed what I do and how I need to see.  She told me that the glasses I have now are single vision lenses., not bifocals.  So I decided to get two pair of glasses, one that is just single vision, and one that are called “computer progressives”.  They will help my vision seeing the computer and reading up close.   After examining the glasses I have now, I realized that they are in fact bifocals.  I’m not sure I would have added the extra expense of the second pair if I’d know this.  I’m usually very frugal about how much money I spend on glasses, but I was so unhappy with the last pair we decided to get the “perfect pair”.  Now for the beginning of trying to get these glasses fixed.  *sigh*

So there we go, 3 short versions of things I wanted to say….unfortunately, I still have much I want to post about.  Receiving the Candle Lighter Award and passing it on…a link to a post about being positive featuring me, and my day yesterday….so much I want to share, you may get tired of hearing from me.

What struck me was not the conditions, it was the fact that she did not want to do anything about them. And it was also interesting to note that she was able to talk about drinking alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle as desirable elements of her life. I will not judge this person, everyone is entitled to live their life the way they see fit. And I know I find it easier sometimes to eat extra portions, slack on exercise and have been using the vehicle more than I actually need to in the last few months. My point with this is that many of us have totally given up on our most important asset and are allowing other people to take responsibility for it. We are putting our trust in others totake away the pain and are not prepared to make changes that could reverse the damage or prevent it in the first place.

Maybe we are not aware of this, even if there are widely reported facts indicating that our health care costs are mostly wasted on preventable (or lifestyle) illnesses. Maybe this information sharing is not enough, knowing at an intellectual level doesn’t seem to make a big difference. It appears more a question of changing our belief system, shifting the health paradigm from one of illness patient to one of health activist. When I work with someone who wants to be healthy, I ask more questions then provide answers and I encourage people to take responsibility for their own health. Many times, this means that I lose clients because they don’t need me any more. I love that. Will I ever work myself out of a job? I hope so.

But the reasons why I am drawn to G+ are not quite as important to me right now as why a Health Activist would be drawn to it. Health Activists, the busy storytellers of the health world. The minstrels of health care, those who have undergone tests, diagnoses, years of treatment, and not only have lived to tell the tale but take genuine pleasure in helping others navigate the tumultous health world as well. They are champions of knowledge (both factual and anecdotal in nature) and tell it to you straight and often with a virtual hug.

Whether you’re privy to Health Activism already or will soon be (seriously – the bandwagon’s getting full and driving over the speed limit – get ready to jump on) – an important thing to know about them as a group is that they are A) excellent communicators who actively pursue better and more effective communication tecniques and B) early adopters. They are e-patients with megaphones and a plateful of cookies. So, of course, it came as no surprise to me that many of the Health Activist friends are already on G+ and braving the first portion of confusing adaptation to dig in an learn how they can latch on and really take advantage of possible opportunities therein.

Here’s why I think Health Activists could really benefit from using G+ and a few changes or adjustments I’d like to see made to better enable their user experiences here… Jump to my blog posted over on the WEGO Health Blog. 

Image via Wikipedia

I recently wrote a post on WEGO Health, “Speaking Out as a Health Activist” about getting out there as a health activist. I wrote about looking for speaking opportunities and about “just asking“. It’s so important to ask. If there is something you want to do, as a health activist, as a human, make sure you ask… you won’t know unless you do!

But sometimes, you ask, and the answer is “No”. You know what, that’s okay. It feels like crap when it happens, especially if you were really excited about the potential opportunity. But really, other opportunities come along if you look for them.

So yes, I asked, and the answer was no, but I am keeping my eyes open for new ways to engage and new ways to share. One thing I’ve learned, keep asking. I might even experience 10 more “no”s before I finally get a “yes”, but that’s alright, too. My ideas, my creativity, my spirit all get a little bit fired up when I feel more intensity. There is almost a sense of urgency, in a good way. It’s like I have a secret, a happy one, and I’m  just dying to share it.

I see a whole world of opportunity for myself that I haven’t noticed before. It’s almost like I stand before several different paths and they all look very exciting and adventurous. A world of learning exists, so much knowledge to be gained, so many different directions to go.  Perhaps the “no”s in life are more like guideposts (than stop signs) that lead you down a slightly different path than you thought you were on. Sometimes, we just have to keep walking and follow our guides, even when they come in the form of a “no”.

Related Articles

• Patients Speak at BlogWorldExpo2010 (brassandivory.org)
• The Big, Bad Wolf. (sixuntilme.com)
• WEGO Health to Sponsor Ning Health Networks (eon.businesswire.com)
• BlogWorld Expo, here I come! (chronicbabe.com)

We will discuss what it’s like to be health activists while living with chronic pain and offer our tips and advice on how to keep your momentum going. Keeping your own personal morale up and lifting up the health community in which you engage can be a challenge, but it is possible!

Not sure if you are are a health activist? There’s a good chance you are if you are here and you care about mental health issues and/or chronic pain. Not sure what  kind of health activist you are? Take the quiz on WEGO Health and find out! No matter what stage of health activism you are in, even if you are just thinking about it, I believe you will find this webinar relevant if you deal with chronic pain.

It would be fabulous if you would join us for this opportunity to explore living life as a health activist while dealing with chronic pain. I’ll be there, I hope you will be too! Register right here or here.

Related Articles

• Chronic Pain: A Disease in its Own Right (sciencebasedmedicine.org)
• WEGO Health to Sponsor Ning Health Networks (eon.businesswire.com)
• How To Cope With Chronic Pain (prweb.com)

To give you a brief overview, Saturday October 9th I traveled to Denver, Colorado to visit a dear friend, I spent two nights and 3 wonderful days playing and having girl time. I traveled back home on Monday evening. Upon arriving home I was ecstatic to see my family, but shifting from fun to the daily grind was a little tough.

Wednesday afternoon, the 13th, I found out around noon that I was going to BlogWorld! It was an incredible opportunity for me and completely last minute notice. I left that evening for Las Vegas and arrived there at 11:30pm Las Vegas time, but to me it was already 1:30am. Long story short, I attended the conference and participated in a panel on the Social Health track on Thursday and came back home Friday. I arrived at home Friday evening after a full day of travel and then picking up the kids, etc. Wow! What a whirlwind. Saturday involved soccer games and birthday parties and life was in full speed, no stopping. That one week of my life was jam packed full of experiences, all incredible and rewarding, but exhausting none-the-less.

I wanted to share with you my attempt to vlog after I arrived in Vegas as I was thinking on the day that was to come:

I was very tired, but can you tell how enthusiastic I was feeling? I truly hope my enthusiasm and passion showed during my time speaking on the panel on Thursday! I was blessed with the pleasure of speaking at the side of two extraordinary men, Manny Hernandez of TuDiabetes and Bob Brooks from WEGO Health. They were extremely kind to me since I had little to no time to prepare and also knowing that I was a somewhat novice speaker. We pulled it off, and I think it went really well.

This experience gave me the knowledge that I often set my expectations far too low for myself. I have a message to share and I am passionate about sharing it. I feel so grateful that others had faith in me when I was not so sure of myself, and now I know… I can do it! I have submitted a speaker proposal to Blissdom 2011 and I am crossing my fingers, toes, and saying prayers that my proposal will be accepted. (And, oh yes, I’m looking for sponsors!) I feel such a sense of pride and accomplishment that I have not experienced since my speaking opportunity at the Out of the Darkness Community Walk 2009. Sharing my story and my insights about health activism and social media gives me a great feeling, a knowing that the challenges of my journey have not been in vain, and that perhaps, somehow I can help others along theirs.

Here I am, having been home for a few days and as you might imagine I am still dealing with fatigue. Today was my first day of feeling like me again, and it was wonderful. I went for a walk tonight and enjoyed the crisp Fall air and watched as the moon hung brightly above, as if to say, I’m still here and shining bright for you.

Related Articles

• BlogWorld Expo, here I come! (chronicbabe.com)
• Social Networks: Compatible or Competitive? (sixuntilme.com)
• I Even Had Frozen Cocktails (somebodyhealme.dianalee.net)
• Social Health, Silos and Blog World Expo (33charts.com)

It is interesting to me to see how this has evolved and how I am beginning to feel the need to get out and connect more with my peers, as well as a desire to get more educated! On this journey of mine, since developing Fibromyalgia, I have often felt limited, but as my interests and passions have grown, so has my desire to look outside of my box of limitations.

It really struck me today when I received an email notice from Mental Health America regarding their upcoming annual conference. The theme this year: “Get Connected: Social Inclusion in Wellness and Recovery“. This fits in perfectly in regards to my efforts with the Mental Health and Social Media chat I have developed on Twitter. I have been stung with a pang of the “wish I could’s“! The conference is in June in Washington, D.C. I’ve never been to D.C. before… you see where this is going don’t you? If you feel the need to nominate me to win a free trip to the conference, by all means, don’t hold back!

Other similar events have stung like this recently, too. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Overnight this year is being held in Boston, MA. I have a great desire to go to Boston, for a variety of reasons, and also to support this cause that I hold so very close to my heart. It just isn’t in the works for me this year. (Last year was such a great experience!)

It is actually a great sign to be feeling this way. It means that the fire to take more action in my life is kindled. I have visited with the college I previously attended to see what is needed to go back and complete my degree in Psychology. It may have to wait a short time, but I can see the opportunity coming soon for me to get back to school and accomplish this goal of mine. I would hope that opportunities will continue to come my way in regards to paid work in the area of writing and/or health activism as well. My eyes are open a bit wider to possibilities in my life. It may seem small…but this realization is quite big.

What are you not allowing yourself to see today? Are you closing off possibilities simply by your own vision? I know that I often do just that. I hope to continue peeling back the layers of cloudiness so that I can see more and more possibility each and every day.