Browse published articles attributed to Lisa Copen, with full-archive search.
We often assume that the chronically ill are in the minority, however, you may be surprised to know that nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic illness and about 96% of it is invisible. Are these women attending church retreats? Too many of them are suffering silently. They are ...
If you were to walk up to a person on the street and ask him what he believed the difference was between illness and health, chances are that you would likely receive a fast reply about how health is when the body works correctly and illness is when it does not.
So, you know you're eating out too much, you've added a few pounds, and the cost is starting to get out of hand. But with your busy schedule and limited energy, where do you start to find the right meal planning idea that will work for your family? Are you one of the people who check with a ...
The medical world could not function without nurses. It's no secret to any of us who has had a doctor's appointment or been in the hospital that a nurse can make all of the difference in our total experience and recovery process. Whether undergoing a routine procedure, scheduling a simple appointment, or being there beside us while the doctor has a serious conversation, a nurse's presence can determine how well we as the patient copes with the situation and emotionally processes the outcome.
If you have ever wanted to dream about having a life that is different than the one you are currently living, you are not alone. And if you need any additional help in imagining a life different than the one you have, just go find a 6-year-old.
As you begin to decide on the logistics of your support group, one of the first things to consider is who you would prefer to actually attend. For example: - Will this be a group for men as well as women, adults, and possibly teenagers? - Will your group serve those have recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, or those who have lived with illness for many years? - Will seniors who live at home independently find it to be of value, as well as those who are currently living in assisted living facilities? - Don't forget to include people who are single who live alone, as we
I distinctly remember the day that my life changed forever. After a few weeks of intense swelling in various parts of my body, my doctor called to give me the lab results at my place of work. She said the rheumatoid factor was positive and that this most likely was due to the fact that I did indeed have rheumatoid arthritis. I took a deep breath and asked, "On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being normal, what can I expect my life to be like from now on?" She tried to avoid the question, not wishing to discourage me.
"When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I actually felt relief," shares Cindy. "I had been trying to find a reason for my pain and it finally was acknowledged as being something physical not mental." Cindy goes on to explain, "It wasn't until months later that I started getting ...
If you have a chronic illness or live with daily chronic pain you are physician may have requested for you to keep a diary of your pain levels so that he can monitor what activities or influences in your life can increase your level of pain. He may have recommended that you also record your sleep patterns and even your diet Anyone who has ever tried to do this can find it overwhelming. However, it can be extremely helpful to both you and your doctor when you have an increase in inflammation or in a extreme flare. What caused the increase in pain? The weather? Something you ate?
We will never find the perfect doctor, as they are all human and none of them are perfect. It comes as no surprise to most of us that they call their professio "the practice of medicine." One of the leading causes of death and injury in the United States is medical mistakes. Statistics show that medical errors result in death in the lives of somewhere between 44,000 to 90,000 people in the United States.
As you begin to make plans for starting an illness support group in your church or community, it can be easy to forget to pray, even about the simple things that have to do with your group. Although you may have the best of plans, it will all be pointless if you do not first have a daily walk with God and spend time with Him in conversation. Small Groups web site recently did a study and found the following results about the relationship between prayer and small group success: 83% of group leaders who have what they define as a strong prayer life had at least 1 person come to accept C
Twitter has quickly become one of the most effective ways of sharing with the world what you believe is important. If you live with a chronic illness or have an interest in a specific health condition, you will find that Twitter can be one of the most exciting ways to let others know about it, even if you have little or no budget. Here are 16 things to know if you plan to use Twitter for your health awareness campaign: Preparing to have an effective Twitter account from the start: [1] First, decide if you want to use your Twitter account to share more personal information (and for
1 in 3 people in the U.S. have a chronic condition. If it's not you, it's someone sitting next to you or a friend who has yet to reveal her greatest personal struggle. Chronic illnesses are often invisible. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 96% of the people who have ...
Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill, recently did a survey and asked people to "List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting comfortable" They have provided a sampling of some of the 800+ ...
"I feel like there are thumb tacks in my bed!" I say to my husband as he crawls into the other side of our bed. "I know there is nothing there, but I just feel bruised all over." "I'm sorry," he offers with a sympathetic voice, but there is little else he can do. "Actually, I sort of feel nauseous too," I share. "It's probably just the drugs. I wonder if I should eat something or if that would make it worse. I'm sure it will pass if I can just get to sleep." I look over and he is already starting to snore. For many of us, our spouse is our best friend.
Living with a chronic illness that has no visual signs can be more of an emotional struggle than a physical struggle at times. Accepting one's own illness is a step that most people come to terms with it at some point; because, in order to have the best life one can, one needs to be educated on ...
Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that serves the chronically ill, recently did a poll, asking "List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting comfortable" Below is a sampling of the 800+ responses. 1. Encouragement emails. 2. Make an ...
As I write this article my 4-year-old son sits beside me with a cold and a little fever. All he has said since he woke up today is "I'm better now. I'm all better." Does our attitude change how we cope with illness and our level of happiness? Everyone deals with the difficulties in their lives ...
When your wife has a chronic illness, though you may love her no matter what, it can be hard for her to get into a romantic mood. Physical pain from the actual illness to weight gain or loss, bloating, and less-than-fun symptoms of medication can all be a deterrent to some romantic ...
Leading a support group can seem like an overwhelming task, but follow along with this simple checklist to cover all of the administrative tasks, and it will run much smoother down the road.nn[1] Purpose of your group. Sit down and work on a mission statement of 1-2 sentences so you understand ...
Mommy moments come in all forms of days at the park, backyard BBQs, or meetings at the pool. They are a great time to get to know other mothers and share activities as well as advice. But as the number of women who live with chronic illness such as chronic fatigue syndrome and lupus continues to ...
At the age of twenty-four, a thousand miles away from my family, living in a new city, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Over a period of four weeks and about eight doctor's visits, I finally found a physician who listened to me explain my symptoms and in less than two days I had a ...
After weeks, or even months, of planning for your support group, the time for your first meeting has finally arrived. You have prepared a proposal to start up a support group which has been approved by an organization or church. You have gathered items for a welcome package and have topic or ...
"You look so good! You can't be as bad as you say. You look perfectly healthy." "You think you have fatigue? Try working full-time plus having four children! Then you'll know what chronic fatigue is." "I think you're spending too much time thinking about how you feel. You need to just get out ...
When you first received the diagnosis of your illness, thenodds are that many people around you, perhaps even you doctor, reommended a support group. Reseach has studied thenimpact support groups have on how well one copes withndisease, and it is positive. However, if you have no desirento ...