In October and November, 2023, I began experiencing pain in my right arm and shoulder. I could still use it for the most part, but it was steadily getting worse, even with rest. In January, I decided to get it checked out and was referred to Physical Therapy. At first they thought it was a rotator cuff strain, but it quickly became clear it was a frozen shoulder when I began losing range of motion. This was very unexpected, very painful and certainly not something I would have chosen.
Frozen shoulder is most common in women ages 40-65 with no injury. It occurs because estrogen, which is a vital anti-inflammitory, is decreasing. Lucky me!!! I fit right into that category!
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Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2025? Time keeps speeding up, and I wish I could slow it down a bit.
How was your 2024? Did you meet some goals? Did you change some habits? Or was 2024 a year of survival for you?
The New Year promises change and growth, but not always in the way we think. For me, 2024 was not what I expected. God allowed things to happen that I never anticipated, but I grew because of it.
In January of 2023 my son, Josiah, was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, Pawassan Virus and Epstein Barr. Shortly after that diagnosis we learned he also had pneumonia, which ended up being a stubborn case and took a while to resolve. He became quite sick, lost a lot of weight, strength and stamina.
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Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a blessed holiday with family, celebrating the birth of our Savior.
Christmas is my favorite holiday! I love the lights, the music, the food, getting together with family, and of course, gift giving (and receiving).
This week, I thought I would do something different and share a few of my favorite things about our celebrations this year.
1. Having my kids home for Christmas break! It's always wonderful to have everyone under the same roof again. They're both adults now, as they like to remind me, but they will always be my kiddos.
2. Our tree - we cut her down on Thanksgiving Day at Heath's parent's house. She’s perfect, and her name is Priscilla! We started naming our tree the year Jon died, and it’s been a tradition ever since. This year we named her Priscilla after my grandmother who passed away on Valentine’s Day.
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When Christmas Feels Heavy
In this season of gladness and festivity, it can be easy to feel depressed and lonely. You see the Christmas decorations and lights and just can’t gather up enough energy to put yours up. You want to be excited and cheerful, but it just feels so hard. Your heart just isn’t in it.
Grief may still be very fresh for you, and the happiness around you may feel impossible to muster. It can be easy for the weight of grief to make your spirit feel heavy, instead of hopeful.
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5. Prioritize Sleep
We all know sleep is important, but many of us don’t get enough. Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, depression, anxiety, hormone imbalance, brain fog, and so many more health issues. Women should be getting 8-10 hours per night. But how do we get enough sleep?
Here are a few tips that have helped me:
1. Keep a consistent bedtime every night. It’s tempting to stay up late on the weekends, but try not to. You will feel so much better when you’re going to bed at the same time each night, and with consistency, your body will have an easier time getting into a rhythm.
2. No screens at least 1 hour before bed. Two hours before bed is optimal. I like to read before I go to bed (in a REAL book, not on a screen). It’s relaxing, keeps me away from screens, and helps me unwind.
3. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask. Having it completely dark has helped me sleep so much better! I use a sleep mask to block out any ambient light from the moon, cars or neighborhood lights.
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