Need solutions for the medication, medical appliances and/or medical travel that you can't afford? READ EMPOWER Yourself.
A Health Information Management professional, I survived a life-threatening emergency with information that only a person of my professional experience would know. And I’m sharing it!
B'SD 25 Tishrei, 5773 Sorry I haven't blogged much, lately. I'm preparing to relaunch the Refua Radio Show (Refua means "healing" in Hebrew), and it is one detail-oriented project!
I spent today having fun, meeting with fans of
and learned how the book helps readers with cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, brain tumors - and much more - in unexpected ways, as they dined on delicious food and spoke of the emotional and health challenges of holidays plus life in general. Here's a partial photo of some of who attended the event (see my other Facebook page for details!):
I'm in the orange sundress, holding one of the prayer booklets (tehilim mekhulak) the group used to ask The One Above for the healing and improved coping skills of ill people worldwide.
Buy the E-book or print edition today for a brighter holiday season: Click on the words EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.
One of the readers of EMPOWER Yourself commented that she’s grateful for the book because “It lets me be me. It offers ideas I can use or not use at my own discretion. I don’t have to start reciting some mantra you came up with or act in ways I’m not comfortable with. I don't have to be a cancer 'Warrior.' And the book is helping me. It has a lot to offer.”
I appreciate that nobody normal needs to be demeaned in order to get well. That “You Must FIGHT to beat your disease!” mindset in other books about coping with illness is echoed on websites about healing, too. It’s not realistic and it's not fair. It is inappropriate to pressure someone to do things your way when they are weak, in need of compassion and deserving of respect.
NOBODY is licensed by The One Above to tell the whole wide world what they “should” do to be healthier. There is no One Size Fits All healing or coping prescription. We are individuals.
Here’s an excerpt from EMPOWER Yourself to demonstrate just how strongly I believe in respecting the person before you, and not in the the alleged healer's ego-tripping:
“I wrote this book after having been on both sides of the hospital bill. Throughout my professional and personal experiences, I've clung to a sense of humor with the tenacity to grab life by the collar and yell, "I want more!" That attitude developed over my lifetime, and ultimately saved my life.
“About two years after my life-saving surgery and subsequent recovery, I began a new career as a Self-Help Coach. My clients tell me that their trust in my empathy, my insight, and in my efforts to help them to change their counterproductive beliefs and behaviors, let alone their delight in successfully replacing negative thought and behavior with positive thought and behavior are the outgrowth of my life-affirming choices.
“I welcome readers to benefit from my true-life experience at managing with a medical crisis. The opening segment of this workbook is Permission to Weep over your diagnosis. You might feel shock, betrayal, confusion, despair, and more because of the medical crisis before you. Those are normal reactions to the shock of a sudden, unexpected medical crisis or one that you tried to prevent. Read on to absorb the entire Permit. - Yocheved
Human beings mint coins and they're all alike. But when the Creator mints people, each of us is unique even though we come from the same mold. Our different personalities, skills and longings necessitate different paths to achieving a state of calm after we've been startled or terrified. There are no "One size fits all" methods of calming down or gaining perspective. Yet we need to reach the state of composed thought and behavior in order to live as productively and happily as possible under challenging circumstances. Sound reasoning enables us to choose the coping mechanisms that work for us.
Challenging? Oh yes. But the alternative to coping is worse.
After I revealed my diagnosis to friends and family, we cried together. Then we progressed to choosing coping skills and keeping me strong so I could have a chance to continue living. My choice to focus on sound psychological principles complemented my Orthodox Jewish religious convictions. Many of those sound psychological principles, as well as classical Jewish philosophy and laws are presented in this text. A blend of both appears in the next paragraph.
One of the worst reactions people had to my news was saying with a sense of fatalism and religious superiority over me, "You shouldn't cry. GOD only gives people the challenges they can face." I disagree. Many a good person has experienced a psychological or medical problem, and suffered terribly or not survived it. Some medical and emotional challenges destroy no matter how valiantly we fight to survive them. Other crises can be survived. It isn't fair to lump them all in one "You can do it!" category. It blames the patient, who is suffering already. No one on this planet is authorized to pass judgment on another person's trials and tribulations. That's GOD's job.
Are you afraid that religious people or even not so religious people will blame you for your very legitimate tears and fears, because GOD knows what He's doing? Are they doing it already? These types of pithy remarks get high scores for being truthful and meaningful. But they get big fat ZEROES for actually helping someone to conquer their misery. It's as useless as telling someone dripping blood or holding onto broken limbs in an emergency room that "I FEEL YOUR PAIN." It's no help at all.
A medical diagnosis that presents a crisis is something to legitimately cry about. It is a lack of stability and a lack of reliable givens that we need so much. One of the Gates of Prayer that remains open despite the lack of a Beit HaMikdash (ancient Jewish Temple) is the Gate of Tears. Crying is a form of prayer. It says, "I'm scared, I'm sad, I'm angry, I don't know what to do about my problem. I need your help HaShem (GOD)," and more.
We learn from the Talmud in Bava Metzia 59a "Even though the Gates of Prayer are closed (after the destruction of the grand Jewish Temple called Bait HaMikdash), the Gates of Tears are never closed."
GOD keeps the Gate of Tears open so we will cry to Him. Crying is part of our relationship with Him.
Consider the reason that you're crying. Do you feel shocked, lost, confused or angry with someone, as I did? Anger can express itself as outrage, frustration, jealousy, resentment, fury, and hatred. It can masquerade as judgment, criticism, and even (surprise!) boredom. Like all emotions, it is a complex, ever-shifting state involving thoughts, feelings, and bodily changes. So, not only do you have a medical diagnosis of concern, you also might be developing the stress of tummy upsets, unpredictable menstrual cycles, weight problems, and other complications. It's a roller coaster with thrills, spills, and corkscrew turns, none of it predictable or controllable.
A friend shared a relevant poem with me. I do not know the identity of the original author. I recommend that you share this deep message with loved ones so that they can learn how better to express their love from it:
Don't tell me that you understand,
Don't tell me that you know,
Don't tell me that I will survive, How I will surely grow.
Don't tell me this is just a test,
That I am truly blessed,
That I am chosen for this task,
Apart from all the rest.
Don't come at me with answers,
That can only come from me,
Don't tell me how my grief will pass,
That I will soon be free.
Don't stand in pious judgment,
Of the bounds I must untie,
Don't tell me how to suffer,
And don't tell me how to cry.
My life is filled with selfishness,
My pain is all I see,
But I need you, I need your love,
Unconditionally.
Accept me in my ups and downs,
I need someone to share,
Just hold my hand and let me cry,
And say, "My friend, I care".
All of us are holding your hand, and say... (your name)... "We care"
A medical crisis - you'd cry too, if it happened to you. Use your tissues and handkerchiefs with my blessings borne of experience. GOD gives you Permission to Weep. And you can say that to any critics after explaining that "It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To."
Did someone order YOU to be a Cancer WARRIOR? Show them this blogpost. Then click on the words EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge to buy the E-book or print edition today. Have a brighter holiday season with my blessings.
Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity.
Face Your Future with Optimism.
Hey, that high-stepping turkey looks happier than some of the people who survived this part of the holiday season. Somehow, holidays don't seem all that bright and cheerful when you're mourning the memories of loved ones no longer able to celebrate them with you.
Hanuka doesn't even look bright despite all those pretty candles.
Xmas and Kwanzaa seem to just bring you down with a sense of sadness and emptiness. But consider this: those holidays are about spiritual realities after all.
How about letting them help you?
Do yourself a favor. Look at this recreation of today's http://jewishworldreview.com/ page and follow its directions. Click the link for it. You won't be sorry.
We are doing something VERY different. Most of today's 5-MINUTE offering is music. You will find it inspirational. At the very least, I can guarantee it will be thought provoking.
One of the remarkable events of my healing journey concerns the eyelid paralyzed by life-saving brain surgery. Yes, the surgeon removed the benign tumor crushing my optic nerves and all the others caught in its hold. But the experience traumatized my body. It left me weak, in need of physical, speech and occupational therapy. And I needed to see again.
My entire medical team knew I could see only glimmers. And, those medical professionals predicted that the glimmer would fade to black, forever. They expected me to be blind lifelong. None of them seemed especially concerned at the paralyzed eyelid that would otherwise block my view. But as you read EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challengeyou’ll learn how I revved up my motivation to be as functional as possible with the life left before me.That motivation included lifting the eyelid with nerves too weak to make it rise or even to flicker a bit.
I went for craniosacral therapy from a practitioner trained by a leader in the field, John Upledger himself. That practitioner, Andrea/Chana Bracha Kornfeld, quickly made my craniosacral fluids move in a more optimal fashion (CSF fills our spinal cords and surrounds our brains, helping them to function). The once paralyzed eyelid fluttered open, though at half mast. With further treatment, we watched it rise to an increasingly normal position. Today, few people can detect the slightly off-kilter position of the rather normal-looking oval.
Andrea/Chana Bracha and I worked together for months to promote other healing. My skull, damaged by surgery, regained strength, correct positioning and – years after the surgical event – healthy new bone!
I’ve watched Andrea/Chana Bracha and other craniosacral practitioners effect miraculous results in babies, children and adults of all ages. The process is rather pleasant. The patient sits comfortably or lies upon a treatment table as the craniosacral therapist (CST) lightly touches them to promote the improved flow of the CS fluids.
Not every medical procedure needs to be painful or frightening. Want to learn about other medical miracles you or a loved can benefit from? Read
Holiday season means lots of moving around. If you're having a hard time traveling with a disability, check out the Association for Airline Passenger Rights http://www.flyfriendlyskies.com/
I've done a lot of coaching this past week. So many ill people and their loved ones need immediate comforting.
Holidays are hard for many reasons. Less sunlight can = SAD syndrome, making hard times harder. Budget-busting expenses don't lighten the mood.
Here's a Quick Comfort Tip that just might ease your mood:
Pour fresh olive oil in a bowl.
Add a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Soak that up with some whole grain sliced bread and dine slowly.
Pita works!
It's surprisingly delicious
Fill up the rest of your appetite & tummy with fruits, sliced veggies and pure water.
Rest, reflect, recharge your mind and body as the meal digests.
You'll be well nourished without the fuss of cooking & no sinkful of dishes to wash. Ahhh...
Want an affordable cookbook for a healthier, happier life? You'll pay only $8.95 for quick and convenient E-book EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Buy it today and feel better soon. Your budget can, too.
Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.
It's supposed to be common knowledge that a few behaviors promote better, deeper sleep:
Regular Sleep Habits that include relaxing rituals before sleep time and same bed-time each night.
Discussing Your Troubles and possible solutions to them with someone you trust before bedtime (keeping bedtime journals can be helpful, too)
Letting Go of Stressful Thoughts Before Bedtime (this includes apologizing to people you care about before going to sleep, praying for insight and guidance
to deal with the issues in your life).
There are alternative healing products that promote sleep, but I hestitate to mention them. You'll be far better off with genuinely natural sleep preceded by good sleep-promoting habits.
Hoping you'll enjoy snoreless, deeper Zzzzzzz...
Holiday/travel season is a major stressor. So are terrorism fears. Take sensible precautions, pray often and reduce your to-do list. Lower your stress levels as best you can, focusing on the sweetness in your life.
Here's an item to lower your trips to the mall and your gift budget. Buy someone a stress-reducing, cost-cutting E-book entitled EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Click on the flipping pages below for a sample of the text:
Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.
The Resource Center for Resolving Medical Problems is quick and convenient E-book EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge. Buy it today at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4244.html
Face Your Medical Problems with Dignity. Face Your Future with Optimism.
Shuddering at the memories of past hangovers, family fights and delayed connections for getting to where you need to be during holiday season? Read on for quick tips to feeling better when you travel by train, plane or highway traffic:
PACK ASPIRIN in a sealed container (e.g., clean film containers, pill holders from drugstores) to tuck it into a handy pocket for immediate use when necessary. Holiday travel is often a BIG headache.
Airline food is not ideal in many ways. Minimize your problems. PREPARE ENERGY-PACKED SNACKS (rice cakes with no-drip honey and peanut butter, pre-washed fruit, bananas, already peeled hard-boiled eggs, sliced veggies, some chocolates) in sealed-shut plastic bags. Stick to the served salads, rolls and juices if possible. Leave the greasy foods on your plastic plate.
You can PRE-ORDER vegetarian and other SPECIAL MEALS when you book your tickets. Re-confirm those special meals within 48 hours of departure, then again 24 hours before take-off. Sip bottled water and real – not watered down – juice, often.
Liquor is quicker and candy's just dandy if you want BIG headaches while lugging suitcases, tickets, and family or friends all over creation. Don't do the hard stuff and, please, Prevent Choking Accidents: Avoid liquor and small candies while you're traveling. They're just not worth adding to your list of What Went Wrong this Time.
Does flying hurt your head? AVOID EAR PROBLEMS with an already-purchased package of gum in one of your pockets. Start chewing as soon as the seat belt light goes on. Keep chewing until the ear pops stop.
If you don’t have gum, place your palms over your ears as if protecting them from cold weather. Or hold a paper/plastic cup over each ear. Have an air host-hostess bring you paper towels soaked in hot water if possible. Tuck the cooling lumps into those cups and over your ears. Or hold them down with the flat of your hands to keep the relief in place. These activities reduce air pressure in your eustacian tubes, where ear pain happens during hilly and air travel.
Cranky kids? Losing your own poise? Use some Pre-Packed POCKET GAMES and/or READING MATERIALS. Crossword puzzles, riddle books and crayons with pictures to be filled in can keep kids quieter. Distract bored children with mind games: play "I Spy with My Observant Eye," "20 Questions" or something along those lines.
Feeling cramped in your seat? DO ISOMETRIC and simple YOGA EXERCIZES in that spot: press your palms together – hold – release – repeat. Press feet to the floor – hold – release – repeat. Do stretches, flex/extend and squeeze your toes/hands/eyes and mouth together and apart, one by one, to keep your blood flowing better than it would with too much sitting in place.
PREVENT SORE LEGS. Buy some compression sox or stockings in shoe stores or medical supply shops before flight day. They can help to prevent blood flow problems that pose serious health risks.
DRINK WATER all through the travel time even if you need to pee later. Trains and planes recycle dry, germ-filled air. Cars heat up from bodies and tempers. Prevent headaches and grogginess by sipping water to re-hydrate and refresh you top to bottom. And, uh, buy some disposable toilet seat covers. Use them well.
Buy one of those NECK ROLLS you fill with air from your mouth, or bring a small, cheap rolled up towel onto the plane for your neck. You'll sleep more comfortably with neck support and not wake up with a sledgehammer sensation. If you lose the cheap towel you won’t feel as upset as if you'd misplaced something expensive.
Use deodorant foot powder before you head to the airport or train. Remove your shoes or boots while you snooze in your seat, for more relaxation.
As for jet lag, I wish you the best.
Sipping water throughout your travel time can help. Eat turkey or dairy foods to induce sleepiness (honest, they make you feel like napping) before bedtime at your destination.
One more thought: keep reconfirming your travel plans. Holidays are notorious for delays, bad traffic and tempers raging out of control. Terrorism threats are adding to the messed up scheduling mix. PREPARE your LOVED ONES about WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES long before you set out with, or, to see them.
Rehearse scenarios so that if GOD forbid you must cope with disaster, you can go into autopilot mode.
Consider wearing a strap-on First Aid Kit or packing one in hand luggage.
for someone you love and appreciate. Ease their mind and heart this holiday season. The E-book is full of humor, can-do coping suggestions and money-saving information (especially for travelers!).
Need to know how to cope with some other form of illness?
Calming techniques, low-cost and free assistance for medical appliances, medication, medical care and much more you might not even imagine can be found in my book.
BUY A COPY for Happier Holidays! Benefit someone you love, including yourself. And just in case you're low on self-respect, the book can show you how to improve on that situation, too ;^ )
Check out some of the ideas presented in the manuscript:
One: eat nutrition-dense and age-reversing organic foods that repair cellular damage.
Two: Spend all the time you need with books, music and other media that strengthen your emotions and worldview.
Three: Count your blessings and list them on paper if that serves your emotional strengthening needs.
Four: Get into an exercise regime you can live with and enjoy (I do not advocate making yourself believe you must be a slave to the exercise gods. Working out needs to be fun so you have good short-term and long-term reasons to stick with it.). Want to sample the text? Click the flapping pages and take the book for a test drive:
To Your ever-improving health and coping skills,
Yocheved Golani Coping with a Medical Crisis? Make the Changes You Need in Your Life
I want to share a smile with you. While I was at a friends' party this past week, a gentleman in the crowd asked "Are you the lady who wrote that book about coping with illness? Like how to get help for getting better, all around the world? How to stay upbeat if you're feeling down and sick?"
"Yes, that's me," I smiled. He promptly bought two copies. I asked what he does for a living and the man replied "I'm a psychiatric nurse. I heard about your book and how much it cheers people up. You really give your readers a sense of optimism. I had wanted to buy your book, and now that I just heard about the Resources section in it, I had to come over and get a few copies for work."
OK, folks. You know what to do. Check out the right-hand margin of my blog and click on the hotlink for buying your copy of my book today. Make someone feel happier this holiday season (including yourself!).
Buy copies of It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To for the gift-giving Holiday season. It's a great way to say "I love you." And it's a terrific way to be good to yourself.
Places of worship can sell It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To in their gift shops and at special events. Kwanzaa, Xmas and Hanuka celebrants can benefit from this book. Have a holiday? Read my book and find out how to cope with many emotions: joy, sadness, stress, rising and falling moods.
***
Exhaustion, both physical and mental/emotional, is part of the growth process. When you learned how to ride a scooter or bicycle, how to master calculus or how to win somebody's heart, you sometimes felt pretty drained in the process. Think of inner growth as learning how to shed a former inability and how to attain a new skill or ability.
Comfort comes with the sense of satisfaction you feel when you consider, then realize, what you've achieved.
Why is the inner growth process so tiring? My hunch is that it prevents us from wasting energy on unrealistic or unrewarding goals. Think about it. Remember when you spent way too much time and effort trying to accomplish something, then realized (perhaps too late, perhaps in the nick of time) that you were wasting your energy on the project? It was a valuable life lesson. It pays off because it prevents you from making the same mistake again. Now you're blessed with focus, not derailed by blind ambition. Nor are you playing computer games as time flies by during your health crisis.
Realizing that your medical or emotional crisis is tiring you is not a reason for despair. You can make it into a cause for celebration that will recharge your batteries. You're making progress, doing your work to improve your physical and/or emotional state. That need to nap or to kick up your heels is proof positive that you're heading forward. Be sure, though, that the people who love and respect you agree that you're moving in a good direction. A group consensus is likely to be correct. It's neutral, unaffected by your personal prejudices (which might be misleading your objective assessment effort about the situation).
Truth is the light with which you find your way out of darkness. Turn it on.
– Rebbe Nachman of Breslav
To your emotional and physical relief,a happy and healthy holiday season to one and all,
Yocheved Golani Coping with a Medical Crisis? Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.
