Hello, again!! Another day, and another post for the WEGO Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge. Ready? Today’s prompt reads as follows:
10 things I couldn’t live without…Write a list of the 10 things you need (or love) most…
Another challenge that sounds so easy, but when sitting down and trying to complete it is actually quite difficult. I presume that things such as food, water, air don’t have to be included as these are things that everyone needs to survive and live. This challenge seems much more personal…things which I probably could live without, but things which make my life better…
So here’s my Top 10 Things I Love Most or Couldn’t Live Without (and in no particular order!):
My Parents – an obvious first choice, as they are the most amazing parents – supportive and caring. They are both my rocks and have been with me through the good and bad times, and Dad without moaning, drives to appointments or wherever I need to go, or if I need to go to the shops for something, and when he’s not working will go out and buy me lunch which is a great help especially when my legs are feeling particularly weak so don’t have to worry about standing to make myself something to eat. And Mum is super brilliant – helping me out whenever, phoning to check on me if they are both working and I’m alone in the house. Mum is also the greatest person to talk to whenever I am feeling down or having a bad day, and we also have a great time together on the rare days we go out shopping together, or even staying in the house and watching a film. No words can express my gratitude to them or how much I love them…
My Dog – my dog Honey, although crazy and unbelievably annoying at times (you should see her whenever people come over, particularly when they leave!!). However, she is also the most sweetest, caring and loyal dog – if I’m on my own and have a fall she is there by my side straight away making sure that I’m OK. Or, if I’m having a particularly bad day, and balance is bad and my legs are very weak she is constantly following me, and never wants to leave me out of her sights. And if I’m bad, and lying in bed or if I’m on my computer, she will lie down beside my bed, or on the bed, or lie beside my computer chair. Once I fell whilst on my own, and was unable to get up afterwards, and she lay down beside me the whole time, until Mum came home approximately 20 minutes later, soon as she came through the door Honey rushed to her to alert her that I needed help. She is a super dog!!
Other family members – As with my parents, also couldn’t live without other members of my family, all of whom are also supportive and help whenever they can. I have stayed with an Aunt and Uncle of mine when my parents have gone away on holiday, as couldn’t cope on my own for the duration that they would be away, and so they kindly took me in and looked after me in their absence…
My Crutch – My crutch is my main mobility aid which I am finding that I am becoming more reliant upon. Whenever I am out of the house, I constantly make sure that I have my crutch with me as due to the dizziness and problems with my balance, I find that it is something that helps ground me. And also due to the weakness in my legs, the crutch is incredibly useful to help keep me somewhat upright whenever my legs buckle or give way. And it means that I can have somewhat more independence in the sense that I do not constantly have to hold onto somebody when out…
Online Friends and Community – The girls who I have met online are also something I can not live without now that I have met them. It’s lovely to have finally found a group of amazing and special people, who I count upon during the good and bad times…who can understand what I am going through. And it’s lovely that I am able to talk to them online via Skype and we can share our problems, or triumphs and have someone on the end of the computer to talk too when going through a horrible time of it, and know there is someone there who understands. Love you guys and a special shout out to Marissa, Theresa, Lynda and Michele…
My Computer – Another love of mine and something that I couldn’t live without. It enables me to buy things that I need such as new clothes, books or DVD’s, as I am not always able to get to the shops to buy these, especially long shopping trips due to the weakness in my legs and the inability to stand for very long. As I found recently, when I have had the rare chance to get out, not all clothes shops even have benches or seats in their changing rooms, which I need to use, and as a result had a few falls whilst trying some clothes on – online shopping makes it so much easier in that I can order clothes and have them sent to me and can try them on at home. Also enables me to Skype with friends who I have made online and who are very special to me, and other chores such as paying rent or researching and of course writing the blog!!…
My extensive DVD Boxset Collection – Yes, I have quite the Boxset Collection in my possession – CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and the rest. But these are great at keeping me occupied during the times I am alone, stuck inside the house, or to give me escapism from my illness. They also come in handy, on the ‘very bad days’ when my legs are so weak, and I am feeling very bad that I cannot get out of bed, and so they are excellent at keeping me occupied and entertained during those time…
Music – Yes, music is another passion of mine. I love all different types – pop, rock, jazz, blues. I listen to it when doing chores, or am stuck in bed, when I’m on the computer, to remember memories from the past or to create new ones. Music to make me happy or to wallow in when feeling sad.
Twitter and Facebook – I probably could live without these, but these are excellent resources for finding friends new and old, for keeping in touch with friends or family living near or far, or for generally keeping in touch with the latest news or gossip. I use it a lot for the support group aspect – for making new friends who may be experiencing similar problems as me. They are also fantastic for reaching out to different companies or for finding organisations which may be able to provide support or help. Also, a great tool for spreading the words of my blog and to let people know when there is a new post up…
Books – I could not live without my books…especially my Jodi Picoult novels as I adore all of her work and is a writer I really admire. Love books which can provide escapism, to take you off and wonder different countries or worlds. Books which explore the past, present and future. And especially, as with Jodi Picoult books, ones which make you think and question different moral and ethical questions. If there are any avid readers out there, I would thoroughly recommend Jodi Picoult’s works!! And there are an extensive number of books, to help you learn help you with particular problems or concerns. Having a chronic and invisible illness can be so tough, knowing that there isn’t a cure out there or no treatments that can really help, so I have found a book called ‘Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired’…a books which provides hope and coping strategies for those like me suffering from an invisible chronic illness, and how to deal with the emotions and difficulties that come with living with them. A book that has also been recommended to me is ‘How to Be Sick by Toni Bernhard. All books mentioned can be found at Amazon.com (US), Amazon.ca (Canada) or Amazon.co.uk (UK).
So those are my Top 10 of things that I couldn’t live without, what are yours?
All comments welcome….