Today Is International Day Of Persons With Disabilities

(Image via communitybusiness.org/disability/)

December 3, 2012 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  The theme for 2012 is Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all. This is from the UN Enable background page:

Over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability.

Persons with disabilities, “the world’s largest minority”, often face barriers to participation in all aspects of society. Barriers can take a variety of forms, including those relating to the physical environment or to information and communications technology (ICT), or those resulting from legislation or policy, or from societal attitudes or discrimination. The result is that persons with disabilities do not have equal access to society or services, including education, employment, health care, transportation, political participation or justice.

Evidence and experience shows that when barriers to their inclusion are removed and persons with disabilities are empowered to participate fully in societal life, their entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole, and accessibility is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes that the existence of barriers constitutes a central component of disability. Under the Convention, disability is an evolving concept that “results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”

Accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD and are not only objectives, but also pre-requisites for the enjoyment of other rights. The CRPD (Article 9, accessibility) seeks to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and development. It calls upon States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all aspects of society, on an equal basis with others, as well as to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers to accessibility.

In spite of this, in many parts of the world today, lack of awareness and understanding of accessibility as a cross-cutting development issue remains an obstacle to the achievement of progress and development through the Millennium Development Goals, as well as other internationally agreed outcomes for all.

The commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2012 provides an opportunity to address this exclusion by focusing on promoting accessibility and removing all types of barriers in society.

The United Nations’s site on disability is called United Nations Enable and has links to various issues such as Highlights, Latest Developments and Key Issues. From their About Page:

United Nations Enable is the official website of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) in the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations Secretariat. The website provides public information on topics related to disability and the work of the United Nations for persons with disabilities.

NHBPM – Advice For New Research Doctors About The Common Cold

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

RESEARCH DOCTORS! I’m looking at you! Yes, you! In your white lab coats surrounded by test tubes, microscopes and petri dishes.

Why haven’t you announced the cure for the common cold yet? I know you have discovered it. I just know it. But, do you know how it affects me? Let me tell you.

I have a chronic illness. One that affects my ears and my balance. At the moment, I also have a cold.

This is not good.

Having a cold amplifies the symptoms of an already shaky equilibrium system. It’s way too easy for me to stagger when I go for a walk. It’s worse when I have a cold. I don’t like looking like I’m drunk, wandering from one side of the sidewalk to the other. You know why? People think I’m drunk. I look too young to have a chronic illness. Because people think chronic illnesses only happen when you are older, they think I must be drunk. It’s not right and it’s not fair, but it happens.

That and the safety issue of losing my balance and going into oncoming traffic on a busy downtown street. Not something I want to have happen.

When my world wants to wobble, I need to lie down. It’s hard enough to get more strength and stamina when the body doesn’t want to cooperate. It’s worse when a cold sends you back to bed. It now takes longer to get rid of a cold than in my younger days. I already have days with brain fog. I don’t need grogginess on top of brain fog because of a common cold.

I don’t like this feeling.

Especially when I think of all the money that has been raised from all the different cough medicines throughout the years. I get it, though. Pharmaceuticals like easy money.  It’s the same as cigarettes. They’re not banned because governments love the revenue from the cigarette taxes too much.

Cha-ching! Cha-ching!

So, I understand why you don’t want to admit that a cure has been discovered. Everybody gets a cold, everybody buys cold medicine. It’s a booming industry.

But, I’m here to tell you something.

GET OVER IT!

We are dealing with enough crap each day, we don’t need extra health baggage. We don’t need more time lying in bed. We don’t need more trips to the pharmacies, doctors offices and hospitals. We don’t need extra illnesses like pneumonia and bronchial infections. We don’t need to have extra flare-ups and more aches, pain and fatigue on top what we are already living with.

We don’t need the extra stress on our bodies that fighting a common cold brings.

We need you to turn your attention to chronic illnesses and finding their causes and, optimistically, their cures.

Those of us with chronic illnesses are depending on you to make the quality of our daily lives so much better.

NHBPM – This Is My Poster About Chronic Illness

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

Today’s prompt asks us to make a poster and I’m using my poster from a HAWMC prompt from earlier this year. We made a “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster that related to our chronic illness. I like it and think it suits today’s prompt.

I chose “Keep Calm and Keep Living” because, quite simply, that is what we must do. Having a chronic illness changes so many parts of our lives but we must keep living the best way we can! We may not win some of the battles with our chronic illness but must not give up and let our illness defeat us.

NHBPM – “If I Had Unlimited Funds And Spoons…”

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

One of the things that most people think (or daydream) about is having more time and money. We all have the same amount of hours in a day so I don’t need more time. What I want is money and spoons.

For those who don’t know what people with chronic illnesses are talking about when we say we want more spoons or we call ourselves spoonies, check out this link about The Spoon Theory. It’s a great explanation on  how spoonies have to make choices each day when we are affected by our illnesses. Do you do a load of laundry or do you wash the growing amount of dirty dishes that you haven’t had the energy to wash the last few days? Do you do more chores today, knowing that you will be in bed for the next few days recovering? These are the types of questions spoonies ask each day.

Having unlimited money would ease so many problems. I have had similar discussions with a friend who lives with chronic illnesses about what we would do if we had more money than what we would ever need.

We want to be healed, feel normal and healthy, and be able to have options and choose what we want to do!

I’m sure that comes as no surprise to those of us with chronic illnesses. My friend and I have talked about what we would do. Here are some of my plans.

First things first. Get a team together so that my immediate financial and legal matters are taken care.

Next comes a home base. I would rent an apartment or condo so that I have a temporary home while I look for a permanent home. I would love to have a house with a back yard where I can bbq and relax. Maybe even have my own watering hole.

(Image via artscapesonline.com)

Next, I want to visit specialists to see if they can figure out what is wrong with my ears. I realize that, ultimately, the doctors my not be able to help me. But, I have to try to get all the help I can so that I have a better quality of life.

I’d give money for inner ear research in the hope that more people would get help and not suffer from uncertainty. I’d also donate to organizations that help people with inner ear disorders and other chronic illnesses.

I’d set it up so that children don’t go to school hungry, have all the school supplies they need, have clothes and get the extra attention they may need to succeed from tutors and mentors. I would also have the kids participate in after school activities where everything they need is provided in the hope that the children will grow up to be more well-rounded adults who didn’t miss out on things because their parents couldn’t afford it when the children were younger.

Whether the doctors can help me or not, I still want to do things and I have the money to do it.

I want to travel to so many places. Pick a continent and there will be places I want to travel. I may even try to go to Antarctica. By boat (hopefully it doesn’t affect my ears) and by train. I don’t think the changing air pressure in an airplane would be a way for me to travel as changing weather sends me to bed some days.

I want to keep learning. I think I would start by learning a new language. And I could practice it by living  someplace  where the language is spoken. Even buying a home there so that I can escape winter. I may need a home to escape the humidity of summer, too.

(Image via torontosun.com)

I would play some more. If society was set up so that everyone was paid the same amount no matter what job you did, I would work in a craft store like Michaels where there is a seemingly endless variety of crafts to learn and do. But, if I had unlimited funds…the fun would start. I would have a craft room in all my homes. With some design help from Martha Stewart.

(Image via studio11charms.blogspot.ca)

And a library in my homes. Most of the books and magazines I now buy I read on my tablet. I don’t have the room for books but if I could…

(Image via beautiful-libraries.com)

I’d buy a car and a truck. Then I would hire drivers so that I could go somewhere on a whim. I love going for a drive and look at the scenery.

(Image via editorial.autos.msn.com)

And a personal chef, maid, an exercise trainer and a pool boy in all the homes. When you have unlimited amounts of money, who doesn’t have a pool boy. One must do one’s part to help the economy and keep people employed.

(Image via dearjackiecollins.blogspot.ca)

NHBPM – What I Am Thankful For!

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

When you have your health, you have everything. Or, so the saying goes. But, if you aren’t healthy, can you still be thankful when you don’t have “everything”?

Of course. There are days where it’s definitely harder to be thankful about anything. But, there are also times when I’m doing something and realize how thankful I am.

These are in no particular order, the small things are just as important as the big things.

• living in a country with universal health care
• having a doctor
• my prescription drugs, though mostly generic, is covered on my disability plan
• tea
• music
• books and magazines
• technology that lets me connect with people
• shopping online, especially when I’m too sick to walk 2 blocks to the grocery store or too dizzy to go to the mall
• watching the leaves change colour in the fall
• watching everything turn green in the spring
• loving the neighbourhood where I live
• the people I live with
• being able to still laugh and have a sense of humour

I’m thankful for the big and little things in my life.  Some help reduce stress, some are definitely stress relievers and some simply make life sweeter.

NHBPM – Some Advice If You Or A Loved One Lives With Dizziness

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

You or a loved one has been diagnosed with dizziness. Here’s some things that I have learned along the way.

DIZZINESS IS NOT ONLY VERTIGO! This was missed by most of my doctors as I have disequilibrium/off-balance issues. I could count on one hand the times I had vertigo and a couple of them involved having bad head colds. Emedicinehealth.com has a list of symptoms of dizziness. Depending on the cause of the dizziness, some symptoms include:

• faintness (“lightheadedness”) or actual fainting,
• weakness,
• confusion,
• tiredness,
• off balance,
• headache or head pressure,
• facial numbness, weakness, or facial droop,
• eye pain, vision loss or changes, blind spots, twinkling lights,
• dry mouth, and/or
• ringing in the ears, decreased hearing.

Breathe. I know it’s a cliché but it can be one of the best things you do. Stop and breathe when things become overwhelming.

Go through the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. And don’t think that when you have dealt with each stage that you are done. I still deal with anger and depression.

Getting the common cold or having allergies will sometimes drain you of whatever energy you may have. And, because the ears, nose and throat (just like the specialist you see) are all connected, dizziness could become worse.

Use the internet to find others with chronic illness, both those who have dizziness and those who have other chronic illnesses. You will learn from many.

Share what you know, what you’re looking for and how you feel. There are others with knowledge and experiences that can share and help you and one day you may be the person who is helping someone newly diagnosed.

REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! You will find this out very quickly and it will bring you comfort realizing that others know how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally.

Get out of the house, even if you are only out for a few minutes. You may not be able to do it every day but getting some fresh air and maybe going for a walk for a few minutes close to your house can help in so many ways, not just physically.

Do strength training exercises. The stronger the muscles, the more endurance and stamina you can try to build and the farther you could walk.

See a physical therapist if your doctor thinks it could help you.

Find a support group in your city. Many cities have groups for people with Meniere’s Disease.

Wear easy to clean, comfortable clothes and walking shoes with good ankle support. When you have to go out but feel miserable, you don’t want to aggravate the situation by wearing uncomfortable clothing, clothing with buttons and shoes that make you unsteady. Most of my clothes is summer wear – shorts, skirts, tank tops and walking shoes with ankle support. This helps on days when you feel like hell, are hot, have thrown up before getting to the bathroom or getting your barf bucket and you want to get the clothes off you as quickly as possible.

Keep informed and your mind active. If you have to stop working, you miss everything from the gentle banter to philosophical debates. Read newspapers and magazines, watch videos such as TED and Big Think. Play games on the computer, do crossword puzzles. Keep engaged.

That being said, there will be times that you will have brain fog. Find ways to help yourself such as such as keeping things in their proper place, writing things down, using apps. Whatever you find works for you.

Eat low-sodium, balanced meals. Our bodies need sodium but having too much of it can cause problems for those with dizziness. The sodium retains water in the body and possibly increases inner ear pressure. And eating a well-balanced meal is a given but when you don’t feel well or don’t have the money to always buy healthier foods, it can be hard. But, there are many sites that offer tips on how to eat better on a budget and recipes for easy to prepare meals.

The most important advice needs to be repeated and that is YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

NHBPM – A Picture That Shows How I Feel About The Chronic Illness Community

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

(Image via morethanshipping.com)

Today’s prompt asks us to use a picture to inspire a post. I chose this picture because I think it represents not only that chronic illness affects everyone, but that we are there for each other.

If you read the blogs and comments by people with chronic illness, you know how important the internet is to us and how thankful we are that we are able to connect with others.  I have “met” some of the most wonderful people. They are funny, wise, kind and supportive. If we need to take a break from the internet, whether it’s self-imposed or illness-imposed, we know that there are people thinking about us and wishing us well.

Chronic illness doesn’t care what part of the world you live. Chronic illness doesn’t discriminate. Chronic illness doesn’t affect only the person with an illness. It affects the family and friends of the person with the illness. While chronic illness can change our lives – sometimes drastically -  we make adjustments so that it is not the only thing happening in our lives. We are not our chronic illness, we are someone with a chronic illness. And there are many of us who we will never meet in person, but we are there for each other during our ups and downs.

And that is what the picture represents to me – how people all over the world are there for each other.

NHBPM – Doing My Own Prompt Today – Chronic Illness Links

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

I must admit, I am not feeling any of the prompts today. But, I still want to try and do a post each day this month so today’s post is a collection of chronic illness articles.

Two University of Toronto students, Alex Levy, 25, and Aakash Sahney, 22, have created an app that gives a voice to people with disabilities. As the article states, the app helps a variety of people.

“Users include young people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism and muscular dystrophy as well as elderly people affected by strokes, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, aphasia or other conditions.

Natasha Tracy of Breaking Bipolar has a video where she gives some suggestions on becoming an empowered patient and having the conversation with your doctor on becoming an empowered patient.

The BBC has an internet radio show and a blog about living with a disability called Ouch!

Disability Horizons is an online magazine. Their vision from their about page is:

To create a positive, interesting and useful disability related magazine with articles and resources to help disabled people achieve whatever they wish.

The Lovers’ Guide has a variety of articles about sex and disability. It’s an NSFW educational site that has articles about sex and relationships that also has a sex shop.

MedicinePlus has two articles to help those of us with chronic illness, whether we are starting our journey with chronic illness or need a gentle reminder about things we already know. They are Living with a chronic illness – dealing with feelingsand Living with a chronic illness – reaching out to others.

Happy reading!

NHBPM – Write About Your Favorite Thing That Is Not Health-related But Likely Improves Your Life

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

(Image via bestbuy.ca)

That is my microwave. I know, it’s only a small appliance, but for years I have said that a microwave is one of the best things I have ever purchased. It has been a great appliance over the years, giving me the great combination of convenience and being a time saver. But, I never knew how wonderful and helpful a microwave could be until chronic illness became part of my life.

When there are days that I don’t have the energy to stand in front of a stove and cook something decent to eat, the microwave is something that absolutely improves my life. I do batch cooking so there is always food such as chicken meat loaf, roasted potatoes and carrots, and frozen peas and corn in my freezer. On my really crappy days, I can still make myself a healthy meal. I’m able to sit or lie down while waiting for my meal to heat up and I’m not standing in front of a hot stove or in a hot kitchen on a day when I’m feeling dizzy and hot.

The microwave is not a health-related item, but it definitely makes things so much easier when I’m feeling woozy and I’m able to have a healthy meal in only a few minutes.

NHBPM – Redesign A Doctor’s Office

Welcome. This post is part of the WEGO Health National Health Blog Post Month (NHBPM) challenge for November, 2012.

This is very much a fantasy office that I’m thinking of, and specifically, it’s a fantasy waiting room. I don’t spend a lot of time with doctors. I spend what sometimes feels like eons waiting to see the doctors.

I wish doctor’s offices had comfortable waiting rooms. This is the type of waiting room many of us know.

(Image via wsj.com)

Sitting with the sick, huddled masses on chairs that are in rows and along the walls – with the obligatory fish tank that is supposed to lower stress levels – is not my idea of comfort on the best of days. When you are dealing with a chronic illness and you are in pain or feeling weak, it sometimes takes every fibre of your being to not scream and cry. Especially when the doctor is running behind schedule.

The waiting area would take comfortable and relaxing elements from bed and breakfasts and hotels. There would be an indoor area, an outdoor area and an atrium. The waiting room would have comfortable couches, chairs and La-Z-Boy chairs if you would like to, or need to, lie down. There would be an outdoor area so that children could have a place to run around and an atrium area so that you could “get away from it all” and relax.

(Image via vrbo.com)

(Image via hoteltelnet.hu)

(Image via guardian.co.uk)

(Image via tripadvisor.com)

And, in my fantasy, everyone has health insurance and there’s  always enough doctors, nurses and assistants. There is no shortage of staff, people aren’t overworked and everything runs smoothly. If your doctor is running behind schedule and you don’t need to see your doctor, one of the other doctors or nurses will see you so that you don’t have to wait.

If you need to see a doctor and your doctor is sick or on holidays, one of the other doctors will help you because there are enough doctors for all! And there is extended and weekend hours so that if you need to see a doctor during off hours, all of your medical information is there. You don’t have to go to another doctor’s office and see someone who is not familiar with you or your health.

I want the wait to be as relaxing as possible for the patients and everyone accompanying the patients. These are the little extras I would like.

A coat check area that would also look after shoes and boots on rainy and wintery days.

Separate areas for people who have viruses to help not spread the colds and flues but who still need to see the doctor.

A media room with TVs with headphones, up-to-date books, magazines and tablets.

A separate, sound proof room for small kids with workers to watch the kids.

(Image via gundluth.org)

A masseuse so that you can get a quick head and neck massage.

(Image via cnyhealingarts.com)

Heating pads.

Blankets (warmed on damp and cold days) and slippers.

Snack area with healthy foods and drinks.

If you choose to wait and see your doctor, you get a pager. You can then go to one of the other areas and you will get paged when you are the next patient to see your doctor.

Did I mention there would be a masseuse?

(Image via pithersyardclinic.org)