#ToThePainTuesdays - Breathing Clean with Saje Nebulizer
The environment that you live in can effect how you feel. A space can comfort you, but it can also just as easily overwhelm you. It can effect your health in both positive & negative aspects, not to be forgotten as a variant of comfort & pain. Over the winter season my own space was not helping my health. It was dry, I felt sick, & my physical comfort was lacking. This was when I turned to trying a Saje nebulizer for the first time.
Unfortunately my apartment building is old & gives me no controls over the heating. In the winter months I hear the ‘tick-tick-tick’ of the heaters working away even on the warmer days. My apartment gets dry fast & during a sick spell it wasn’t helping me feel better. I’d try to fight back by lining cups along the heaters edge full of quickly evaporating water, but it was never enough. Knowing I needed a type of humidifier, I started to shop around.
What attracted me to buy a Saje nebulizer was the use of natural aromatherapies in a heat-free environment. I wanted to humidify the air without that feeling of a hot shower running. Using ultrasonic vibrations the nebulizer emits a cool water vapour which can be combined with essential oils to help relax & purify. It’s a device that can be used year round & yes, I have it running right now.
I purchased the limited edition aromaArt designed in collaboration with Dana Mooney. A portion of the sales were donated to the Arts Umbrella Foundation raising $20,000 in just two weeks. I was attracted to it because of the unique marbleizing brush strokes, the size of the nebulizer (meaning it can run for longer periods of time) & of course, I’m always up to the task of supporting a good cause.
Since I bought my nebulizer during a time where I had a really bad cold, I stepped away with diffuser blends Immune, Well-being & Liquid Sunshine. Dispersing droplets of Immune (smelling of eucalyptus & pine) into the air everyday, I could breathe better & I felt my chest relax. I used up this bottle in no time & will gladly be buying more very soon. Well-being I bought for my favourite scents grapefruit & lavender, while Liquid Sunshine helps to brighten up my space & mind through the power of citrus.
Within a few days of running my nebulizer I started to spot some visible changes. Emitting water vapour in the air helps to purify by having negative ions bind with dust & allergens floating around. The binding makes them heavier causing them to fall to the ground. Within a few days, the air in my apartment was visibly cleaner by the film of dust particles lying on certain objects. Most noticeably was the fog that covered the screen of my tv. To imagine that these particles were just floating in my room made me realize that my apartment was once filthy.
Reading up on nebulizers a little bit more I’ve learned that technology emits positive ions, so the emission of negative ions helps to balance everything out. Negative ions help our bodies by improving our general health, therefore helping our immune systems, metabolism & autonomic nervous systems. Now, the air that I breathe is cleaner & I feel much better for that.
Some things that I’ve learned in the months that I’ve owned my Saje nebulizer:
- Dispersing essential oils in my apartment smells amazing & makes me feel great.
- Keep your nebulizer on a flat surface. It will leak if you don’t. I’ve bought a clear plate for underneath mine because the lid attracts condensation that drips every time I open it to fill up. It won’t leak if the base stays flat, but I like extra security in my less-than-level apartment.
- The automatic shut off works so well that I forget to turn it off when I leave my apartment far too often. It will never run dry.
- The bigger the better. Saje nebulizers range from $60-$130 with more features & longer operation times in the pricer options. They do sometimes go on sale.
- I’ve gotten far too used to hearing the drips of water inside the nebulizer when I sleep. It’s so relaxing!
- Breathing clean helps me feel healthier & when I feel healthier I tend to have less chronic pains.
Next week Saje is running in-store seminars on Natural Remedies in their core Toronto stores. More across Canada as well. I can’t wait to learn more on how to feel better the “natural way”. I have an extra ticket for learning if anyone wants to attend with me. Message me. xo
-Cory U
P.S. Today’s post focused less on pain & more on health, which I believe go hand-in-hand. How we feel is directly related to how we treat our health. Like always, I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’d love to hear from you & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
#ToThePainTuesdays - 5 Things To Do That Will Help You Feel Okay
Pain wise, I feel okay lately. I don’t want to jinx it by saying such a thing but I don’t want to lie either. My hand pains have been manageable even through my daily activities & it’s got me doing a bit of a happy dance for the time being. One thing that I’ve got to remember is that at any moment my pains could turn for the worse. Every day is different & every morning becomes a bit of a worry for me. My moods change, my energy levels vary, & my pains are rarely at a constant state. Even so, I’ve seemed to have found 5 things to help me feel okay.
1. Mental Relaxation - Whether it’s in the form of mediation, prayer, or just a quiet moment in a soothing tub alone, a bit of mental relaxation can do a lot of good. Our minds are very busy focusing on pain & the tasks of the day & just like your body, it needs a break too. Try to set some time to rejuvenate your mind & spirit.
2. Eat For Your Health - Over the past few years I’ve noticed that in myself & in my family you truly are what you eat. The idea that living/eating for the moment doesn’t sit so well when you find that the next day you’re lying sick in bed. Becoming health conscious takes time & education but it can make a world of difference. I don’t recommend it for everyone, but my (mostly) vegan diet has helped my body immensely when it comes to pain. Choosing one meal over another can be the difference between feeling okay for a moment or feeling okay for an entire week. Eating for your health can help your body internally more than you could ever imagine.
3. Remember To Stretch - Muscles & joints don’t like to be still all the time. I find that if I don’t stretch or regularly do light exercises I tend to ache more. Seeking a physiotherapist for recommended stretches & exercises can help with stability, maintenance & everyday pain. Remember to make this practice routine.
4. Pace Yourself - It’s the one you always hear, you always think about & when you’re in the moment, you always forget. It’s also the toughest one for others to understand. A great way to pace out tasks is to create a reward system of relaxation. Instead of having a list of strenuous things to continually tackle, add moments of restful activities to that list also.
5. Focus On A Hobby - What is the one thing that you love to do that makes you feel better? Being creatively active can be very therapeutic both physically & mentally. For me, I love to make in the form of crochet. For others, it may be dance, reading, or colouring that put them at ease. Finding a hobby that suits you can be a comforting tool to help take away the stress of the day.
What I find with this list is that it’s not just a list for those with chronic pain. It’s a reminder of tasks that anyone can focus on & anyone can benefit from. Although only five things are listed here, there can also be many more. What are other ways that help you feel okay? Are any of these tasks above something you already practice? I’d love to hear from you. xo
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’d love to hear from you & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
P.P.S. Photo used is thanks to Death to the Stock Photo. If you use it too, please do the right thing & give them a nod. They’re awesome!
#ToThePainTuesdays - The Power of Distraction... When Dealing with Arthritic Pains
Waking up in the morning is the toughest first step of the day for chronic pain. I lie in bed feeling every stiff joint scream out to just go back to sleep. My body does not want to move & I really don't want to make it either. I feel as though I'm not in control as I fight to find the strength to sit up in bed, step out of my room, & concur the simple task of even just attempting that first morning pee. It's exhausting.
The holiday season made this effort even worse. With the easy choice of sleeping in & not dealing with the struggles of the day, my body won. I didn't have any place to be, & whatever I wanted to do with my day didn't feel as important as the pains in my joints. On most days I gave in to doing nothing at all.
Miraculously, if I did have something planned with others I could deal with the strain. I'd get up slowly & I'd move begrudgingly, but the important part was that I was moving. Once I stepped out of the comforts of my home I could spend a whole day away from my bed with the power of the days’ distractions. With motivations to get up & get out of my apartment, the pains had less power & control of my mind as I had less places to rest & hide. Far from disappearing, or even improving my pains of the day, the acts of planned light activities helped me to cope & at least draw the focus away from the pain. If I were home I'd be drawn to rest, but if I were away, the temptation was taken away. With simple distractions my mind was focused more on the activity than the lingering thoughts of comforting my pain.
It's not the first time I've made this discovery of distraction, but it's the first time I’ve really had to push myself to make distractions. It's easy to just succumb to countless days of “Netflix & chill”, (& yes, I've had my fair share) but I’ve never felt great after knowing that another day had just passed me by. Fighting against the power of rest is so difficult to defeat & I found it easy to let the pain devour me. What I learned to break free of my resting habits was to make use of my small bouts of energy to distract myself with something new. Even on a full day of resting, if I found it in me, I would do small activities to distract myself for even just a small moment of time. The small task of baking a cake, making a few stitches of crochet, or taking a quick walk for errands helped me to feel better about myself. I'd feel less like I wasted the day & more like I at least tried. Some days the distraction just led me straight back to bed, but other days they helped to give me the boost to even do a little more. Either way, I felt a little more accomplished adding a tiny distraction to my day.
Now that I'm back to working more again, the push to get me out the door is much more real. Knowing I'm depended on & knowing that my colleagues give me support when I'm in need gives me great motivation to move & go about my days. However, on my days off I find myself reverting back to my holiday habits. It's my time of rest & my time to recuperate. My days off easily become the most difficult days of the week & the times where I can feel the most pathetic & sore. To shake out of my resting patterns & not revert back to my holiday slump, I’ve created a new goal to add even just one distraction to each day. It’d be easy to let pain win, but it never feels good if it does at the end of the day.
If you feel yourself giving into pain the same ways, try one of these little distractions on a bad day. At least you’ll know you tried:
- Bake something quick & easy - I love this 2-ingredient soda pop cake (& food is always a tasty distraction).
- Do some dishes - They say it’s “good therapy” for your hands & it’s a nice feeling to have a cleaner space.
- Read a book or magazine - Even if it’s just a few pages.
- Go for a walk - Just throw on some grubs & a jacket & get a little fresh air. Even a few minutes is worth the push out of the door.
- Write or draw - Let your mind wander & focus on something different.
- Take a bath - It’s restful & you deserve it!
- Call up a friend - Having company over is always a great distraction.
- Work on your favourite hobby - I crochet (even with bad hands) & I feel so much more like myself even if it’s just for a few minutes. It feels good to do something you love.
If you find some great distractions that work for you, I’d love to hear them too! xo
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’d love to hear from you & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
P.P.S. Photo used is thanks to Death to the Stock Photo. If you use it too, please do the right thing & give them a nod. They’re awesome!
#ToThePainTuesdays - My Favourite Heroine: The Paper Bag Princess
With the past weekend being Halloween & all, I figured that I’d take a moment to reflect. This year I found myself too busy & stumped to drum up a brand new costume. I either had no time to make what inspired me, or no quick answers on what to whip up without feeling like I was copping out. Somewhere in my gut, it started to dawn on me that the only thing I could possibly dress up as this year was a character that I already had.
The Paper Bag Princess is by far one of my favourite tough girls. She’s probably the first feminist story I truly remember from my childhood with a killer spirit. Princess Elizabeth fights with whit, with a clever mind, & with freedom. She carries no regrets & stands up for herself through & through. She is my favourite heroine (& hero too).
So what does this have to do with #ToThePainTuesdays?
When you live with pain, there’s a certain drive that comes with it. Your spirit becomes stronger & so does the fight inside of you. I think The Paper Bag Princess was & still is a great lead of inspiration to conquer the pain & battles before you. Even though you may have thought your life was set out in one direction, once your illness or struggles come to the surface your life changes; it’s up to your spirit, whit, mind, & the freedom to be you that help carry you through onto another path.
Recently on Instagram: The Paper Bag Princess reflected
“Two years ago I dressed up as The Paper Bag Princess for Halloween. Since then I've felt more & more like my favourite heroine every day. I've carved paths not taken, fought figurative dragons & won, & stood up for myself & what I believe in on a number of occasions, more so in these past two years than ever before. I've had people turn on me, people abandon me, & a great number of people stand with me through & through. Even more relatable now, tonight I'm dressed up as the bravest & most clever Princess Elizabeth once again; just because I can. Happy Halloween. xo”
Who are your heroes & heroines that inspire you when it comes to your struggles or illness challenges?
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’ve heard amazing feedback of inspiration & suggestions from others & love every post about it. I’d love to hear from you too & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
Yesterday’s post focused on water & reminded me of something I always forget; water is great for my joints. It’s an odd concept because water is also what I react to most weather wise. If it’s rainy or humid, water is not my friend. But if it’s a full body of water to sit or swim in, it’s my best friend. I’ve come to enjoy baths over the years only for the warmth & gravitational relief on my joints. If it weren’t for that, baths would still creep me out the same way cleaning dishes in a sink full of water does. How do you get clean if you’re soaking in grimy water?
Swimming is the best of all worlds. The buoyancy helps my joints to relax while the natural resistance of the water works as a light force for exercise. It’s hard for me to relax, but in the ease of under water everything changes. My arthritic joints don’t feel so clunky or clumsy in water & my mobility greatly becomes less of a barrier. Swimming is a relief of gravity & I’ve found it helpful for physio of my feet & knees in the past too.
So this is a post to remind myself (& you as well) to find more moments under water. I need to stay proactive in finding more relaxing moments & positive places for my body to be. Rediscovering the relief of under water has given me some motivation to continue to find these feelings again. Hopefully I can remember to make it so.
What are some discoveries that give your painful body some relief? Do you find being under water to be as relaxing as I do?
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’ve heard amazing feedback of inspiration & suggestions from others & love every post about it. I’d love to hear from you too & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
It's been some time since I've pushed myself as much as I have these days. Opportunities came at me all at once & I've chosen to devour them all entirely in return. I've dreamt past my limits & paid some consequences for it along the way. Lucky for me, I have people around me that are okay with this discovery of limitations. They know I'm still learning what works best for my health & they know some boundaries may need to be set in place. I'm still realizing what I can physically take on in relation to my arthritis, finding my maximums & minimums in life. What am I okay compromising & what will I push for no matter the cause?
Unfortunately, this new experimentation has made me have to compromise some of my blog time as of late. I spent the weekend resting my body indefinitely longer than I had imagined, throwing all my expectations out the window. Find your limits, learn from them, & respect them. This is what I'm working on discovering right now.
What are some limits that you’ve learned to respect about your invisible illness or struggles?
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’ve heard amazing feedback of inspiration & suggestions from others & love every post about it. I’d love to hear from you too & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
#ToThePainTuesdays - Can we take the age out of arthritis?
It happened to me again this week. I was going about my day wearing tape on my arms for extra support. Most people notice the giant strips of purple running down the length of my arms & I always expect to answer a few questions & expect similar reactions to always be heard back. Every now & again I get someone that blows me away, but for the most part the reactions stay the same. Some are sympathetic, some can slightly relate, & some bring it back to a stigma that just needs to end. "Oh, you have arthritis? But you're so young!" What these misinformed few don't know is that I'm not so young & have actually lived diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis since I was seven. If I'm so young now, what was I back then?
This stigma is around for good reason. Arthritis is a target to the joints & can degrade areas of the body, mostly seen in older generations compared to youth. It's the aches & pains that increase as you get older & your body just doesn't feel like working the same way anymore. However, there's always an exception to the rule & this exception is a fairly big one. Arthritis lives in many children these days. Growing up I regularly visited the rhuematology ward of Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital & once out of my teenage years I started visiting “adult” hospitals instead. Of course, I always feel like the youngest one visiting my rheumatologist now, but I know from growing up in a children’s hospital that this isn’t the case.
Much like any stigma, the misinformed will stay that way until they've seen differently. Even though my body may sometimes feel like an old lady, that doesn't mean I am. I've lived with this illness for over twenty years being "too young" to their perceived notions of arthritis all of this time. But I'm not too young, & even the most youthful body can not work the way you want it to all of the time. It can stiffen up, swell, give jolting pains, & deteriorate faster than expected. It can slow us down, limit our activities, & cause a child to miss out on what their healthy friends can do so easily. Arthritis exists for all ages & isn’t just for an old body to develop when we grow old. Arthritis is in our youth & we need to stop thinking otherwise. Please, can we take the age out of arthritis?
.....
This is a topic that can go on for a lifetime. It truly has for mine. It’s a response I hear all too often & although the sympathy is kind to hear, the lack of knowledge gets to me as every year I hear the same thing. Until I’m old & grey, I know this response will continue & I know I’ll be writing more about it again from time to time. Today, I’m only writing a quickie opinion on the matter but I’m sure I’ll expand this topic in the future. In the mean time, what is your one stigma to your illness that you’d love to not hear again? xo
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’ve heard amazing feedback of inspiration & suggestions from others & love every post about it. I’d love to hear from you too & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
P.P.S. I found this picture of ittie bittie me & thought it was pretty fitting for today. This was a time well before any diagnosis was ever made. I was too young to even know what would later be so much a part of my life. Look out little Cory, your life is about to change in 6-ish years from now... Too young then & still too young now.
For some time now I've had my guard up even more than I usually do. I found myself in a place where I lost my trust in some very close people around me & I didn’t know what else to do. I had people betray me & turn me away with no real control over the situation. One of the factors that got in the way & partially to blame was my health. The pains in my hands became a heavy burden of mine, & got to be too much for some people in my life to understand. Knowing me beforehand, seeing the decline from a healthy individual to someone that struggles everyday was hard for them to comprehend. Even for me, it was something new to adapt to & I needed support on my side. I thought I had it in those around me until they lost their compassion & patience to help. I lost them as companions & confidants & in turn, I put my guard up.
I started writing here weekly for #ToThePainTuesdays to uncover my invisible illness to the world & to find pride in what I live with each & every day. After I lost certain relationships in my life, I wanted to find a way to be comfortable in myself & my disease. There were times before that I tried to hide my inabilities & push through what I shouldn't have to show face, but I didn't want to do that anymore. Hiding my struggles didn’t seem to have a positive impact anyways. Through writing, I've found a way to be more comfortable saying, "I have Arthritis," to the world. I've worked hard to let go of what I guarded during these past few years of struggles & have been lucky enough to find that by letting go I’ve found some amazing opportunities & have become a better, happier person by doing so.
With this new found confidence, I don't hide my pains & struggles anymore & have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I've come into a whole new community of people that understand & respect me for who I am. They support me & offer their hands when mine don’t seem to work quite right. They ask questions & find the willingness to meet me halfway. It's a kind of understanding I've never experienced before since this whole new community only knows me now, not my healthier version from the past. They support me, they lift me up, & they even lead me to new opportunities that I couldn’t even dream of a year ago. I thank these new found companions I've come across in my life & am happy that I've finally found understanding in those around me.
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Wow, what gushy personal post for #ToThePainTuesdays today. I just want to say that I’ve had great support & understanding from close friends & family over the years. This story is not about them. This story is about a few special people that I had trusted but didn’t stick around for a few special reasons. I was given a sense of support until they couldn’t personally benefit from it anymore. I now have genuine, selfless support from those I keep around me instead.
Who is someone that's surprised you with understanding? It can be someone you've known for a long time or even a new person in your life. For me, it's an amazing new friend & clients & colleagues that I'm so happy to have found. xo
-Cory U
P.S. I like to write #ToThePainTuesdays as a conversation starter for others. I’ve heard amazing feedback of inspiration & suggestions from others & love every post about it. I’d love to hear from you too & carry on the conversation if some how you relate. Please get in touch. xo
