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Teenage Thoughts on Anxiety and Depression

Brooklyn shares her thoughts on being a teenager with anxiety and depression. #anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #teenager #parenting

Written by a 15 year old… People need to realize how important mental health is. My name is Brooklyn and I am 15 years old. I suffer from severe anxiety and depression. I first started struggling with anxiety around the fifth grade, at least that’s when it got bad I’ve always been an anxious kid. I thought of the outcome in anything and everything that I did. I stressed about my grades and…

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Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, and Vocal Cord Dysfunction

Differences and Similarities of Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, and Vocal Cord Dysfunction. #asthma #cf #cysticfibrosis #vcd #vocalcorddysfunction

Many people don’t understand the difference between cystic fibrosis and asthma. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease, and while it does affect the airways significantly it also affects the entire body. The overproduction of mucus leads to clogged and sticky airways in a cystic fibrosis patient that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease,…

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Teens Managing Chronic Illness

Allowing teenagers to begin managing their own chronic illness is hard but necessary. #cysticfibrosis #chronicillness #mentalhealth #parenting

When your child is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and any other chronic life impacting medical condition, the social workers talk to you about the critical need to let go. By that I mean when your child reaches those teenage years, you’ve got to let them begin to manage their healthcare. Of course that is a journey, and doesn’t happen all at once. It’s definitely not something where you simply…

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I Was Wrong

It’s hard to admit to teens when you are wrong. #parenting #highschool #education

How much courage does it take to say those three words. Weekend anxiety because a teacher hurriedly entered 00% instead of 100% and suddenly your failing a class. You spend the weekend completely stressed out. Emailing a teacher who isn’t working the weekend. Then the phone rings on Monday afternoon and it’s the kindest most gracious and apologetic teacher ever. Because that teacher made a…

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I’m mourning what we’ve lost.

I’m mourning what Covid has taken away from us. #covid #politics #chronicillness #pandemic

I believe Covid has won. Covid has won because we have given up. We have waived the white flag. We don’t want to talk about it anymore. We’ve lost our empathy. Americans say it’s ok to take the weak. Americans say it’s ok if my neighbor dies. Americans say I’m ok if my kid gets sick. Americans say we accept the risk. JUST DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!! Covid has beaten 427,635 Americans. Today…

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I Have Anxiety

I have anxiety, and that is ok to talk about. I have talked about our families struggle with anxiety, but never my own. This has been a very hard week for me, and I think probably a lot of other people. So I wanted to talk a little bit about my own struggle with anxiety. It’s probably something I’ve had my entire life, as I always use to throw up on the first day of school, but it isn’t something…

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Election 2020

Tomorrow is election day and the world seems upside down. I think about the civil unrest that I have seen on TV over the last 47 years, and how I would think that I was so thankful that I lived in America where we have peaceful elections and transfers of power. I was born after the events of the 60s, and have lived during a time of relative peace in America. I wonder what those people around the…

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Masks. Chronic Illness. COVID.

Everything I've learned about masks, and everything that makes me mad about masks in 2020. #masks #covid #cambridgemasks #cysticfibrosis #asthma #highrisk

About a year ago I did a blog post on choosing a mask and no one cared one bit about it, unless you were in the special needs community. Then this thing called COVID hit, and it is the most read blog post I have ever written. Now that we are a couple of years into our Cystic Fibrosis journey, and many months into the COVID pandemic, and I know a lot more about masks. Masks are one of the most…

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Air Quality: Cystic Fibrosis | Asthma | COVID

Air quality can make breathing hard for Cystic Fibrosis and Asthma patients. Plus a moms rant about masks. #cysticfibrosis #asthma #pollution #masks

This morning the temperatures were down in Arizona for the first time all fall. We opened all the windows and we were enjoying the fresh air. We put the rabbits outside to play, and Lexi went out to enjoy the cooler morning. We did what probably a thousand other people in Arizona did this morning, but for us it was a terrible mistake. Lexi quickly took a turn for the worse. Coughing and…

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Insanity: Pandemics & Politics

Insanity: Pandemics & Politics

Does it feel like the world that we are living in is insane? Insane isn’t exactly a nice description, but over and over again today that is what went through my mind. I feel like everywhere I go or everyone I talk to is usually just on the verge of melting down.

Earlier this week I went to the grocery store, and was shocked to see the shelves looking very empty again. I’ll admit I’m an…

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How are you coping?

How are you coping?

I always forget how much I miss writing until I spend time doing it. When I started this blog, and we know it’s come and gone several times over the years, it was really just to share what was on my heart without burdening everyone around me. Since that time I feel like I’ve found a strong community in the special needs world that really has given me an opportunity to share and connect with moms…

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Physical Movement and Anxiety

Understanding the link between human touch and mental health. #anxiety #mentalhealth

When your nervous do you tap your foot, twirl your hair, or bite your nails? If you watch people in anxious situations you will probably notice all sorts of little habits that people have. You might not realize that these are self soothing activities. My youngest recently started a very annoying habit of doodling on herself. Drives me crazy and I told her to get paper and doodle there. She told…

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Living Through 2020

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a year since I blogged. I’ve thought about it many times, but each time it just seemed to be a bad time. 2020 is full of so much emotion and negative energy that I just didn’t want to put more of that into the world. But life is going ok, and we are thankful for our health and home. So what have we been up to this year?

We were blessed with…

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Accessing and understanding medical records. Plus a new diagnosis.

I took the time to review Lexi's medical records. I uncovered a medical diagnosis that she's had for years but no one ever told us about. #scoliosis #medicalrecords #chronicillness #parenting #awareness #caregiver #specialneeds

I’m a firm believer that if you go to the doctor enough they are going to find things wrong with you.  I think that is why people with chronic illness sometimes end up with some many different diagnosis.  Not because they are out there looking for things to be wrong with them, but just because we probably all have minor things wrong with us that we ignore or dont cause big issues.  But if you dig…

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Attitude and Gratitude

Taking the time to document the things you are grateful for can help change your attitude. My perspective and an invitation to focus on gratitude. #attitude #gratitude #journal #bookclub #momlife #blog #mondaymotivation #motivation

You know it’s easier to have a bad day then a good day?  Especially on a Monday.   How many of us go into Monday thinking it’s going to be a bad day.  I have a few good friends that have amazing attitudes and approch each day by jumping up, working out, and maintaining a positive day.  I am not that person.  I don’t hit the snooze button because I hate mornings so much that snooze time is…

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Don’t wait for someone to buy you flowers. Buy your own!

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