Inspiring and empowering people to maximize their quality of life in spite of a chronic health condition or a disability

STEPS TO CHANGE

 Issue # 13                                                                                                                               July 2006

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      IN THIS ISSUE

 

TRAVELS WITH TRISH

POST-DIAGNOSIS SUPPORT

FEATURE ARTICLE Diagnosis:  Just the Beginning 

FEEDBACK FORUM

CHUCKLES TO LIGHTEN YOUR DAY

FR~EE RESOURCES

WORDS TO CONSIDER

ABOUT TRISH

 

A chronic health condition can be a catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery. 

Are you ready to break free of the bindings that are holding you back from discovering your own personal level of optimal health?

 We all have one – no matter what the condition is that ails us.  

I challenge you to want to discover yours!

I take people from an overwhelmed existence to a comfortably paced lifestyle. 

Are you ready for that journey?

Contact me today for a fr~ee sample coaching session and get started on living your maximum life.

TRAVELS WITH TRISH

I don't know about you but as far as I'm concerned, this summer weather has got to go!  It's one thing to have 3 or 4 days a month during the summer over 30 degrees (that's 95 degrees for those of you outside Canada) but 3 or 4 days per week!?  Needless to say, I've been spending the bulk of my time since late June in the house either next to the air conditioner or in "horizontal mode".

Having MS when the heat is bad is not a picnic but I'm sure some of you with other health conditions can relate.  This type of heat and humidity is a terrible challenge for anyone.  Here's hoping that the rest of the summer is a little easier on all of us!

Last month I told you that I was going to be heading down to Windsor for the long weekend in July to visit my family.  It was a great trip!  I took my mom to see an Elvis impersonator for her ??th birthday (I won't say which one HEHE).  What a blast that was!  I would have included a picture of us but mom's a little camera shy.  I did get the picture but I don't think she would have appreciated my posting it in my newsletter.  <grin>  Glad you enjoyed it mom ~ LOVE YOU!

The photo shoot for Teva Neuroscience, Shared Solutions publication msdialogue^® went really well.  It was a nice comfortable day.  Thank GOD, I couldn't have imagined doing it in the extreme heat.  We actually managed to coax my husband Ernest into joining me in some of the photos.  I'm glad he was willing because he's such a huge part of my life.  I'm not really sure how I would have managed the last dozen years with my health without him.  He's been unconditionally supportive.  They tell me that the magazine will be out in early September.  I'll send you a link when the online version is available.

POST-DIAGNOSIS SUPPORT  *NEW*

AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS: WHAT'S NEXT?

Over the course of  8 weeks , we’ll walk through the steps necessary to go:

·        From denial to acceptance,

·        From uncertainty to hope,

·        From reactive to proactive living.

Be empowered to take control of your life in spite of the condition of your health!  Learn tried and true strategies for living well with chronic illness.

This interactive group teleconference setting (with a maximum of 6 participants) will:

·        Give you the chance to see that you’re not alone,

·        Show you that others have the same difficulties that you do,

·        Enable you to learn about unique and similar perspectives, and

·        Reward you with the synergistic energy that comes from group-enhanced learning.

Take this opportunity to break down the anxieties and the isolation that are inherent for many who live with a chronic health condition.

Seating is limited, so register now!  Upcoming program dates include:

Monday, September 12^th, 19^th & 26^th,

October 3^rd, 17^th, 24^th & 31^st and November 7^th

All sessions are 7:30 to 8:30 pm (Eastern/NY time)

 Cost:  A single payment of $149.00 or 2 monthly payments of $79.00 each.  

That's less than $20 per session!  What price would you put on the prospect of being well-adjusted to your diagnosis?

FEATURE ARTICLE

For some of us, diagnosis brings relief; especially for those of us who’ve had a long haul with diagnosis.  Once that takes place (and possibly before) self-education is necessary because our doctors frequently have less knowledge about our conditions than we do. 

This whole process is usually quite overwhelming; especially when added to the daily symptoms we’re experiencing.  Mental exhaustion and pervasive fatigue becomes a familiar presence in our lives.  For many of us, depression becomes a secondary condition that we have to find a way to cope with.

Sometimes we need to do some ‘doctor shopping’ to find someone that we trust and respect and also respects and values our input about our own condition.  This is invaluable in enabling us to create the support network that we need to manage.

Alternative therapies are an avenue that a very large number of us explore.  Traditional medicine doesn’t necessarily have the answers we seek.  For those of us with an incurable condition, the need to manage our symptoms becomes our primary focus.  Modalities such as chiropractic, homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture and others offer hope and some sense of control over our health.

As with all healthy individuals, we benefit from exercise but it can be a two-edged sword. Done past a certain point, it can actually exacerbate our conditions.  Activity and exercise is very beneficial to our general health and well being but must be combined with a keen awareness around our limitations.  Proper rest and pacing oneself is key to maintaining an active lifestyle.

This is where self-care comes in.  Healthy people tend to procrastinate self-care and tell themselves that there’s ‘more important’ things to get done.  The greatest part about being diagnosed with a chronic condition is that we now have ‘permission’ to take good care of ourselves.  If we’re committed to doing that, we discover that self-care empowers us to take some control over our health.  Bonus!

In the end, some of us have decided that our illness turned out to be a gift of all things!  It gives us a mandate to reduce the stress in our lives.  If we end up having to leave the workforce, it provides us with the opportunity to do things we never had time for before we got sick.  Many of us have discovered the world of volunteering; which in turn helps us to develop skills and relationships that are both meaningful and rewarding.

On the one hand, having a chronic health condition tends to make long-term planning very difficult if not impossible; but on the other hand, life is never boring!  :-)

FEEDBACK FORUM

RE: STEPS TO CHANGE NEWSLETTER

CHUCKLES TO LIGHTEN YOUR DAY

I'm sorry. What was the question again?

FR~EE RESOURCES

TeleSupport Group

Support for People with a Chronic Health Condition

An easy-to-access effective support system

(membership is a $10 per month value – yours FREE)

Held the 1st Thursday of every month 7:00 to 8:00 pm (Eastern)

What's a TeleSupport Group?

Glad you asked that!  It's like an in-person support group meeting in that there is a facilitator (me) and there'll be participants (yes, hopefully you) and we'll be getting together to share the challenges and successes we've experienced living with a chronic health condition.  The differences are that you don’t have to leave your house, you don’t have to drive to some distant location and you don’t even have to get dressed! 

How do I join?

Key Strategies for Living Well with Chronic Illness

A multi-part series - jump in at any time though

(this event is a $30 per month value – yours FREE)

Held the 2nd Thursday of every month 7:00 to 8:00 pm (Eastern) 

Call me today at 905-967-3014 or email me, provide me with your first name only and I’ll provide you with the bridgeline to join us for the next class.  I hope you can be with us for this interactive event. Contact me today - you'll be glad you did!

WORDS TO CONSIDER

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."
                                                                                                                                     ~~ Will Rogers

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."
                                                                                                                                   ~~ Roger Caras

"If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them."                                                                                                     ~~ Phil Pastoret

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."                                                                                                               ~~ Robert A. Heinlein

ABOUT TRISH  *Updated*

Trish Robichaud is a Maximum Life Coach who lives with major depression and multiple sclerosis.  Her passion is helping people to maximize their quality of life in spite of a chronic health condition or a disability.  Through the process of coaching, she takes her clients from a state of overwhelm to a comfortably paced lifestyle.  

Trish facilitates TeleClasses and a monthly TeleSupport Group at no charge to participants as well as publishes a free monthly electronic newsletter.  Her services also include Disability Awareness Coaching for organizations through interactive experiential workshops.  

Her background is in business with training and extensive experience in supportive counseling and life skills facilitation.  Together with her vast experience advocating for people with disabilities, her success with her own personal journey makes her ideally suited to coaching others through their life and vocational transitions. She can be found on the web at www.ChangingPaces.com.