Chronic Diaries

  Chronic Illness & The Mediterranean Diet : 5 Foods To Eat Maria Aloysius Photo by  Brooke Lark  on  Unsplash W hat is the right diet for arthritis? Answer  : There is no special diet for arthritis. There are only certain food & supplements that may help decrease anti-inflammation. What’s in the Mediterranean Diet? Oily fish and fish oil — cold water fish such as salmon, herring, cod, trout and sardines How to Eat : Baked or fresh Photo by  micheile henderson  on  Unsplash 2. Olive oil — extra virgin olive oil How to Eat  : Drizzle over salads or use as a substitute for other cooking oils and butter. Photo by  Roberta Sorge  on  Unsplash 3. Vegetables — green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin K like spinach, kale and broccoli How to Eat  : Fresh/ Cooked (limited time) or steamed Photo by  Nathan Nugent  on  Unsplash 4. Fruits — cherries, strawberries and other red & purple fruits How to Eat : Fre...

  Chronic Illness : 3 Comebacks to Use on Doctors Who are Insensitive Jerks Maria Aloysius Don’t hesitate to speak up and have great comebacks & mic drops while you’re visiting an insensitive doctor My recent visit to a new doctor (a rheumatologist) was nothing but a DISASTER. It was ridiculous, unpleasant. I wish I never went in the first place. Why you ask? Well — she was an insensitive prick and a plain jackass. And a sorry excuse for a doctor . Here’s what went down — The entire trip was plagued with insensitive remarks, comments & questions. Not to mention bloody hurtful and IGNORANT as hell. Comment : You’re too young to have chronic illness/pain! She had the audacity to utter this comment in the first 20 mins into the appointment. Her ignorance on full display here. What sort of doctor comments on age this way? She should have kept it to the general statements : ‘Young women aged 20s or 30s are more prone to experience…..’ or just SHUT THE HELL UP! FYI, age has nothi...

 Kill Them with Kindness : Body Shaming & Chronic Illness Maria Aloysius T he internet (fans/people) seem to be invested in the Hailey Bieber/Kylie Jenner/Selena Gomez online bullying feud. Yes, people don’t like bullies. Bullies (Hailey & Kylie) are being called out by Selena’s fans and the entire fiasco has become scarier with Hailey receiving death threats. Yesterday, Selena defended Hailey on IG, writing ‘This isn’t what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop!’. Similarly, Selena has been very open and vulnerable on the issue of body shaming and chronic illness, her lupus journey in her documentary, My Mind and Me bringing awareness to people, her fans and bullies on social media. She is constantly criticized for her weight gain, her appearance in person or online. There is even footage of paparazzi body shaming her as she is filming and working. That’s beyond absurd! Anyone man...

  Grief & Chronic Illness :  Working through 7 Stages of Chronic Pain   Maria Aloysius What does grief and chronic illness have to do with each other? Well....lots! Grief is normal. Know that no-one can avoid grief. Losing a loved one (family/friends) or the loss of yourself when with chronic illness. Chronic illness / pain is a DAILY grief. You work through the stages and learn to move on. ALLOW yourself to grief!  I experienced these 7 stages and here's what I did to work through them, stage by stage :  1. Denial  I find this stage by far to be the trickiest. Denial is vital. The stage where you can't believe you have a chronic illness/pain. There are times where you lie or tell yourself that the illness can magically disappear, just like it appeared one day. Deny, deny, deny! What to do : Allow yourself to be in denial. Denial is the opposite of acceptance. Before you accept it, you are allowed to deny it.  2. Pleading, Bargaining & De...

Sociology of Culture Using Chris Rock's Selective Outrage on Netflix   Maria Aloysius Apart from having a great comeback and roasting Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith after his infamous Oscar slap, Chris Rock gave us a free masterclass in Sociology of Culture. Culture is often refers to a large and diverse set of values, beliefs, language and communication as well as practices and rituals people share in common. Culture is all around us, like it or not. I find these 3 cultures rather disturbing. 1. America's biggest addiction : Attention What's new? This isn't just happening in America. We are living in an attention-seeking culture, craving validation in the form of 'likes'. The need to loved and to be accepted is no longer what we strive for. We want to be 'liked'. Whatever does that mean? Everyone has this strange fascination about being rich, famous and of course, powerful and influential. Rock identifies 4 ways of being famous : showing of...

It's Not in My Head! : How to Spot & Deal with Medical Gaslighting Maria Aloysius What's Medical Gaslighting?  When doctors/ medical professionals minimize, dismiss your illness or symptoms of your illness. They tell or make you believe your illness is all in your head! Be informed that medical gaslighting is a form of medical malpractice! How Can I Recognize Medical Gaslighting? 1. Doctor constantly interrupts you, not allowing you to speak or elaborate on your symptoms and does not practice listening! 2. Doctor minimizes your level of pain and suffering. At times, making fun or belittling you! 3. Doctor is rude and even mentions blames your symptoms on your mental health 4. Doctor doesn't answer your questions and doesn't give you the relevant information or tests that is needed to rule out symptoms/illnesses How can I deal with Medical Gaslighting? Tip 1 Bring along your spouse/family member/loved one to appointments Why? They can listen to what the doctor is say...

Less is More : 5 Minimalist Habits to Manage Chronic Pain/Illnesses Maria Aloysius I believe minimalism is not something trendy, it's practical and necessary  for pain management. Minimalism is survival for me. Less is more, less means less  movement or pain and more rest and relaxation. I find minimalism  means less stress, less clutter and not worrying about cleaning or constant organizing of wardrobes or household items in my home/room/kitchen. Minimalism makes my life easier.  1. Less clothing I find owning less clothes (dresses, garments) including a fewer bedsheets and pillow cases are rewarding in the long run. Laundry, then becomes easier when there are less clothing and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can successfully wash and dry laundry in a short period of time. Since I love fashion too, it is easier to pair my clothing. An example would be dresses with cardigans or sweaters. That way I know exactly what to wear and all clothes get to be worn...