Everything Is Different Now

#TriggerWarning

Grief is a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, spiritual, and philosophical dimensions.-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grief

Grief:

A Human emotion, one of the most painful we will ever endure. Grief is the kind of emotion that makes us feel as though our hearts get ripped from our chests, and send us into a spiral of depression, angst and fear.

Why does it happen?

Humans are amazing creatures with extreme emotional centres in the brain.

Grief happens because:

• Someone (or something) we love or care for dies.
• A relationship ends.
•  We lose a state or status we had in our lives, and that part is now taken from us forever.
• We lose the ability to do something, (in turn we feel though we have lost part of ourselves).
• We lose sentimental objects.

What does grief do?

Grief can rob us of many things:

• It can send us diving deep into depression.
• Ruin our performance in the work place.
• Ruin relationships we have with those we care for.
• It can make us feel anxious and irritable.

How can we help  someone who is grieving?

• Understanding: trying to put yourself in the persons shoes.
• Having Empathy for them during that period.
• Let them cry; let them grieve.
• Be there for them if they need you, and show your support and tell them that you care.
• Offer to help them. Do they need something from the store, or do they just need somebody to sit with them and keep them company?

Bottom line:

Be there, love and care and offer help where you can.

 I’m not a professional on this subject: For more information on grief (or if you need help) this is a great site to take a look at, but there are many others on the internet as well as helps lines  you can call. Please don’t suffer in silence, seek help.-http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm

When Awareness Fails: A story of Hope

#TriggerWarning

I am part of a “Rare” group of people.

click image for source

I am 1 in 100 000 people, and I have a Rare Disease.

There are two different kinds: Chronic and Secondary IH.

Intracranial Hypertension:

A short overview-

(IH) is the general term for the neurological disorders in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure within the skull is too high. (Old names for IH include Benign Intracranial Hypertension and Pseudotumor Cerebri).- exert taken from The IH Foundation.org

Very little is known about this disease and thousands of people are going without proper care. Many Doctors don’t know enough, add on the fact that there is no cure and things begin to go from bad to worse.

What is IH?

Intracranial hypertension literally means that the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the skull is too high. “Intracranial” means “within the skull.” “Hypertension” means “high fluid pressure.”

Something goes wrong inside the brain and the normal production and absorption system fails. When this happens the results are devastating.

I was first diagnosed in 2006. I developed  Papillidema, and as a result, I have lost most of my visual acuity.

Symptoms:

The symptoms vary from person to person, but the most common are:

•  Severe Headaches
• Pulsatile tinnitus
• Visions changes, such as: Double vision, Papilladema and sudden vision loss.
• Nausea (sometimes accompanied by vomiting)
• Neck and shoulder pain.

Possible Treatments After Diagnosis:

IH is most often diagnosed via a Lumbar puncture. Patients are often given drugs with harmful side effects or dangerous and painful surgery options. 

The Bottom Line:

There is so little awareness and funding for this disease, and there are thousands trying to hold onto hope that a cure will eventually be found.

For more information, please visit http://ihrfoundation.org/