World Mental Health Day

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. The World Health Organization has identified Depression as the focus for this year. Globally, depression is the second greatest burden of disease affecting 350 million people worldwide.

For a Myalgia Mommie depression is a little black dog that is always nipping at our heels. I have found that we have an amazing weapon against it: our children.

True clinical depression takes clinical intervention and is so overwhelming that when an individual is in the throws of the disease, even our darling children can't reach through. This post is about "Mental Wellness," a crucial part of life that we do everyday and that keeps us going as Myalgia Mommies.

Most of the activities of finding a daily moment of beauty, engaging in an activity that gives us joy and finding pleasure in simple acts, we have adopted as a way of life. Studies have shown, and health professionals call this, mental wellness.

Recent research into my myalgia, "fibromyalgia," has shown that medication alone will not diminish symptoms and a holistic approach including these lifestyle changes is needed to address symptoms.

My darling baby is waking up. She is my daily joy and the reason this blog has so few posts.

I hope all you Myalgia Mommies have a chance to sit down with a cup of tea today, smile to yourself, congratulate yourself for mindful self-care, and bask in the beauty that you are. My tea party will be me and my baby, and we will toast you.

If it is possible to gain strength and support knowing that you are part of a greater web of women quietly trying to live with grace through a similar circumstance, then this blog has served it's purpose.

Please share a picture or short description of your cup of tea.

Hopefully today we will put up some pumpkin lights and have a photo worthy of sharing.

XO
ALJ

MM Health Alert

Hi fellow Myalgia Mommies, we are under a few public health red alerts that I wanted to share with you.

On the East Coast and South there is a nasty West Nile Virus going around (in St. Croix our mosquito bourn disease is Dengue Fever, 1in 3 die, others call it the "bone break fever. The symptoms basically are the same for my fibromyalgia so I was not sympathetic to nurses who had it and whined about being in pain!)

Please cover yourself and your kids in bug spray. The West Nile is getting into a death count.

The second warning applies to everyone who comes into contact with pigs. Swine flu is going around. You can get an H1N1 vaccine ordered thru your pharmacy or primary care doctor. Dying from Swine Flu is just silly. I'm just avoiding pigs (except in the form of meat!) but my kid got the vaccine in 2010.

Third warning, this is local to NC, we have had to put several horses, a few dozen dogs and more to sleep for rabies. Even the baby is now current for rabies. The treatment is painful if you get to the point where you are foaming at the mouth, they put you in a medically induced coma.

Lately I have been working in West Coast time zone, living with a baby on the East Coast. I need more sleep.

Finally, please don't start any fires.

This is the end of Myalgia Mommies public health warnings for Labor Day Weekend.

Xo
ALJ
JD-MPH