A favorite song of mine from written by Dave Matthew’s. He sings, “if the road gets rocky girl, Just steady as we go. I know troubles they may come and go, but good times they’re gold…And if your load gets heavy, girl I will lift you up…I will walk halfway around the world, just to … Continue reading Steady as we go, Week 4 post op
Tag: volunteer
Bariatric Surgery 8/27/24 Pre-op check-in
Tuesday 8/27/24 is my surgery date. My bariatric surgeon, Dr. Eli will perform a R-NY gastric bypass. The past three weeks I have been on a liquid diet in preparation for the surgery, and have lost close to 20 pounds from that. I am not nervous. I am extremely hopeful and relieved to have this … Continue reading Bariatric Surgery 8/27/24 Pre-op check-in
Back to reality
I spend the early morning hours trying to coax myself back to sleep. The last few days I have had some disrupted sleep, spending the 3-4am hour lying awake and trying desperately to fall back asleep. I despise when my routine is thrown off and my mood starts to shift. Lately I have struggled with … Continue reading Back to reality
The summer slows its roll.
I finally feel like I can take a deep relaxing breath. The summer semester is finished and my work in child welfare is manageable at the moment. The family is all well, especially Chloe the dog, as she gnaws on her bone next to me on the couch. Ella and Hazel start school in less … Continue reading The summer slows its roll.
Weekend.
Spent the majority of the weekend laid up in bed with strep throat. I was extremely lethargic, sore throat, fever and body aches. Finally went to get tested and get a prescription for antibiotics. Other than my exciting weekend I keep checking in on my final paper and exam grades on the canvas website. It’s … Continue reading Weekend.
A day in the life.
My bestest friend on the planet suggested that I blog about what it is like, living and functioning with my bipolar 1 disorder. What I experience, how my behavior might fluctuate, how I respond to others, what I am thinking. How difficult it is for me to function or expected to be rather, high functioning. … Continue reading A day in the life.
To be at peace with self
We live in a society that is obsessed with being thin. Whatever it might be called “fat phobia” or otherwise, when life gets tough, to try this or that diet or exercise regime. Fat phobia has become so ingrained in our culture that it is almost unrecognizable to the naked eye. Today’s diet culture doesn’t … Continue reading To be at peace with self
Everything is going to be okay
Sometime the simplest concept is the most difficult to practice. Today my best friend, shared an album with me that I immediately dismissed. Its message is one of positivity, and just that being okay. At first I had this preconceived notion, judged the material, the album. When I settled into the beat a little more … Continue reading Everything is going to be okay
The results are in…
I received a grade for one of my classes, the Group Psychotherapy class. We recently had a midterm exam, one that took me almost the complete amount of time, 4 hours allotted total to take it. I took 231 minutes out of 240 minutes. I wrote 2,737 words during those 231 minutes. This class in … Continue reading The results are in…
National Adoption Day
Admittedly certain days working in child welfare are extremely difficult. There are days that you’ll get yelled at, tasked with investigating and put in uncomfortable situations. There are long nights, many court reports to write, calls to make and children to visit. Then there are days like today. It is National Adoption Day. For the … Continue reading National Adoption Day
The fall back
Historically, the fall hits hard. Between political and worldly unrest, consistent media influences, my full plate, balancing home and family time, and then volunteer duties. I have little time to consider how this affects my mental health. I am trying my best to chip away at the old block, one piece at a time. Not … Continue reading The fall back
Words
Words have the power to elevate or destroy. As Joseph Conrad once said, “There is a power in the spoken word…and a word comes far—deals destruction through time as the bullets flying through space.” There have been times in my life where words injured me, at times I conceived beyond repair. Now, I do not … Continue reading Words
NAMIWalks 2023
Join me on September 23, 2023 at the Winston YMCA (221 Riverside Ave) for NAMIWalks!! from 8am-12pm #Together4MH #NAMIJax I joined NAMI ( National Alliance on Mental Illness ) 15 years ago, when I found a NAMI support group as a young adult struggling with my mental health. I have remained active with the non-profit … Continue reading NAMIWalks 2023
To my dad on Father’s Day
Spring, 2009: The infamous man, aka Papa Joe to our girls. This picture is a wonderful memory with my Dad, on the deck of our old family home in Maryland. The backdrop of the Potomac River, just as I remember it. Now our family living in Florida, I do not get to visit him and … Continue reading To my dad on Father’s Day
To be a mom….Mother’s Day 2023
What it means to me to be a mom. It is the most rewarding, gut-wrenching, anxiety-ridden, and soul changing experience that i have come to love. My girls. Ella and Hazel. Made me in part who I am today. Their love, their sweet words, can pierce my deepest sorrow on a dark day. Their eyes, … Continue reading To be a mom….Mother’s Day 2023








