HealingWell November Newsletter

In this issue, we announce of first book giveaway, how to cultivate gratitude for chronic illness, and much more.   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. November Newsletter Cultivating Gratitude Somehow it seems counter-intuitive to feel grateful for having a chronic illness.  After all it can change your life in so many not-so-good ways. That is how I looked at chronic illness before I was diagnosed and for several years after.  There was very little good I could find about it.  But then something gradually changed and it wasn't my health.  It was my attitude.  I started feeling grateful. Book Giveaway: How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This? Announcing the first ever HealingWell Blog book giveaway!  I'm very happy that the first book I have to give away is Carla Ulbrich's book "How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This?  Reclaim Your Health with Humor, Creativity, and Grit". Carla writes from the heart with refreshing wit and sometimes brutal honesty about her own struggles and challenges with chronic illness.   3 "Healthy" Lessons I Learned at BlogWorld Recently I travelled to Los Angeles to attend the BlogWorld 2011 conference. I went for two reasons.  First, I wanted to learn how to blog better.  I figured there were some things I could learn from veterans about what I'm doing right or wrong.  Second, I wanted to meet fellow patient bloggers.  These are the folks that blog about chronic illness and share with the world their trials and triumphs.  Many of them inspire me everyday. We Are All Connected I just finished reading an amazing book, "The Message" by Lance Richardson, about one man's near death experience and the lessons he learned from it.  I know what you're saying, "You need find lighter reading Peter!"  Maybe so.  But this book is different, I promise!  It's a short and easy read.  But what makes it really stand out is the message it shares of love, hope, and the realization that we are all connected. Celebrating 100,000 HealingWell Members Last summer HealingWell.com hit a major milestone, surpassing 100,000 registered community members.  I still don't think I believe it!  Growth the last few years has been exponential.  We don't do any advertising.  Most people learn about this site via word of mouth, just friends telling friends.   I've thought about how to best celebrate this milestone and what it means.  I decided it might be more appropriate to share what HealingWell means through the eyes of its members. CONNECT WITH US Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Read our blog Forward this to a Friend SHARE WITH OTHERS Did you know our HealingWell.com Community has over 107,000 members?  Join our community forums and chat and share with others coping with chronic illness. LIKE HEALINGWELL ON FACEBOOK Our HealingWell Facebook page continues to grow and is a great place to share.  Like our page to keep up with HealingWell news, announcements, and blog posts.  follow on Twitter | follow on Facebook | read our blog | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 HealingWell.com LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed directly or joined the HealingWell.com forums, which includes the option of a newsletter subscription. This list is low-volume and sent out monthly or less. Our mailing address is: HealingWell.com LLC ATTN HEALINGWELL.COM (Certified or Express Mail only) PO Box 459 Drums, PA 18222 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Calling all forward thinking pro-active retail Pharmacists

Calling all forward thinking pro-active retail Pharmacists:

Invitation: 'Skin care' survey
Duration: 10 minutes

Reward: £10 reward cheque (Sent upon close of fieldwork)

Survey link:
http://survey.opinionhealth.co.uk/uc/admin/a59c/?a=ext&b&c=PF

Opinion Health is an independent Healthcare Market Research company supporting the private and public health sector. We perform all our market research in accordance with the ABPI, MRS and BHBIA codes of conduct regarding anonymity, confidentiality, and the ethical practice of market research. Our market research aim is to gain your views and is in no way promotional. All survey responses remain confidential and are used in aggregated form. Your personal information will never be released to a third party.

Opinion Health - Quality Healthcare Research Solutions

Calling all forward thinking pro-active retail Pharmacists

Calling all forward thinking pro-active retail Pharmacists:

Invitation: 'Skin care' survey

Duration: 10 minutes
Reward: £10 reward cheque (Sent upon close of fieldwork)

Survey link:
http://survey.opinionhealth.co.uk/uc/admin/a59c/?a=ext&b&c=PF

Opinion Health is an independent Healthcare Market Research company supporting the private and public health sector. We perform all our market research in accordance with the ABPI, MRS and BHBIA codes of conduct regarding anonymity, confidentiality, and the ethical practice of market research. Our market research aim is to gain your views and is in no way promotional. All survey responses remain confidential and are used in aggregated form. Your personal information will never be released to a third party.

Opinion Health - Quality Healthcare Research Solutions

Pharmacy Forum UK New Advertising Section

Dear Pharmacy-Forum member

I am pleased to announce the launch of a whole new section of the forum. The 'Classified Adverts' section has been designed to allow for advertising of services on the forum. This part of the forum is moderated by, and is under the direct control of the 'advert admin'. It is an area purely for classified adverts.

I believe this is a valuable addition to the forum as it will mean that members can quickly identify suitable suppliers and/or providers of services, without having to trawl the internet. The new 'Recruitment' section will also allow members to look for a new job or locum vacancies, as well as advertise their own services, all within the pharmacy-forum.

Please feel free to visit the Classified Adverts forum as it will have new adverts added frequently.

Thanks to your contribution, the pharmacy-forum is the leading forum in the UK for discussion about the pharmacy profession. With this new section, it will be THE place for all your pharmacy needs.
If you are interested in this new service, contact adverts@pharmacy-forum.co.uk for further details.

Best Wishes

Admin
www.Pharmacy-Forum.co.uk
The UK Forum For All Things Pharmacy

HealingWell.com May Newsletter

In this issue, we discuss the importance of friends and family in getting support, supporting a spouse with chronic illness, maintaining balance, and much more.   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. May Newsletter Getting Low: Helping Others with Chronic Illness   I've thought a lot about the phrase "getting low" recently after seeing the movie Get Low.  In the film, Robert Duvall plays a hermit who lives deep in the woods, isolated from everyone that matters to him.  One day he walks into town and demands a "living funeral" for himself and along the way finds forgiveness and reconnects with friends and loved ones before his death.  It is a beautifully told and touching story.  I believe it also charts a path for each of us as we reach out beyond our comfort zone and help others with chronic illness. Maintaining Balance (or Something's Gotta Give) Life can get out of balance pretty quickly.  When you have a chronic illness, that balance can be even more difficult to maintain.  It is one more demand upon our limited time and energy.  I know from personal experience, my life is often just a form of controlled chaos.  It doesn't help that I'm a recovering Type-A personality!  Maintaining balance in life is like driving a car.  If you aren't regularly checking your tire pressure, you may end up with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. Getting Sick When You're Sick   Not much about my chronic illness surprises me anymore.  After 17 years, I've come to know all the familiar ups and downs, flares and remissions associated with having Crohn's Disease.  Don't get me wrong, it's still not easy and I struggle as much as anyone else.  It's just that there are few symptoms I haven't seen before.  I know my symptoms and what they indicate better than most doctors do.  But there is one thing that happens that always seems to catch me off guard. Getting sick. Guest Post: Supporting a Spouse with Chronic Illness   Peter's Note:  I'm pleased to introduce Ashley Young as the author of our guest post today.  Ashley is a Christian housewife that drinks way too much Diet Coke. She and David have been married for four years, and love to spoil their dog, Henry. Ashley blogs extensively about her life as a well spouse of someone with chronic illness.   Why Support From Family and Friends Can Make A Difference   How much support do you receive from the people that matter most in your life?  I have been blessed with a very supportive wife, loving parents, great kids, and family and friends that may not always understand all aspects to being chronically ill, but accept me and love me for who I am.  Unfortunately, that kind of support is missing from the lives of many people. Review: Romance and Illness in "Love Simple"   Chronic illness isn't portrayed often in movies, or at all really.  I suspect there are a couple of reasons for this.  One may be that we don't want to see the hard realities of life portrayed on the big screen, but rather prefer fantasy stories with perfect endings.  But I would argue that truth is better than fantasy.  Whenever a book or film portrays real challenges like chronic illness, it gives us an opportunity to take a closer look at ourselves.  It gives us insight into the heartbreak, the loss, the pain, as well as the joy we all experience.  That's what the movie Love Simple does. CONNECT WITH US Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Read our blog Forward this to a Friend SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY Did you know our HealingWell.com Community is approaching 100,000 members?  Join our community forums and chat and share with others on your journey to healing well. SHARE WITH US ON FACEBOOK Our HealingWell Facebook page continues to grow and is a great place to share.  Be sure to follow us to keep up with HealingWell news, community announcements, and blog posts by founder, Peter Waite.  follow on Twitter | follow on Facebook | read our blog | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 HealingWell.com LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed directly or joined the HealingWell.com forums, which includes the option of a newsletter subscription. This list is low-volume and sent out monthly or less. Our mailing address is: HealingWell.com LLC ATTN HEALINGWELL.COM (Certified or Express Mail only) PO Box 459 Drums, PA 18222 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

HealingWell.com April Newsletter

In this issue, we will be discussing the launch of our new HealingWell blog, how to overcome adversity, becoming more resilient in the face of chronic illness and much more.   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. April Newsletter Announcing the HealingWell Blog It has been a long time coming, especially since blogging has been around for over 10 years now.  Well, I'm late to the party, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun, right!  I've found it increasingly impossible to confine my thoughts and ideas to 140 characters that a simple tweet would allow.  As they say in baseball, it's time to step up to the plate and swing for the fences. Becoming More Resilient in the Face of Chronic Illness   Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be able to bounce back more quickly from personal challenges, illnesses, disappointments, tragedies, etc. better than others?  On the surface it seems that some people are just born with extraordinary resilience.  You know the people that seem to weather life's storms without skipping a beat!  But when you look a little deeper, that's often not the case.  It's something they've developed over time.  They've become masters of resilience.  You see, resilience isn't a natural characteristic, it's a learned one. Letting Go of the Life We Have Planned   Sometimes that life isn't what we expect and coming to terms with the new reality of life with chronic illness is difficult and can be traumatic.  I know it took me many years before I found acceptance and could re-point my compass in a new direction. It was as much of an emotional as it was a physical healing process.  And the healing journey is never fully completed.  We must tend to our emotional and physical selves, so we can stay balanced as we strive to live happy and fulfilled lives. Still it isn't easy. Growing Through Adversity   Sailing life's stormy seas. Adversity.  To be honest, I don't like that word very much.  I've had my portion, thank you very much, and I don't want another helping.  To me adversity often feels like an unwanted yet familiar companion.  So much so that when it's absent, I feel like something is actually wrong!  It's strange how we get used to living with challenges.  We have to expect adversity in our lives.  Especially if you have a chronic illness.  But we can choose how we respond to it and can grow from it. Too Young for Chronic Illness: An Interview with Laurie Edwards I've been a fan of Laurie's blog, A Chronic Dose, for several years.  So I knew when I started this blog, she was going to be one of the first I would interview.  She is a gifted writer and has a unique take on living with chronic illness.  Her recent book, Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties, has had a great impact on the lives of people diagnosed at a young age.   Coming Together - A Member's Perspective   Sharing is caring and before four years ago I had no idea how valuable that little piece of information could be. Until then I was still an invulnerable 44 year old male with a strong career and seemingly everything under control.   Then it happened. In October of 2006 I found out how little control I truly had. What I did have was an unexpected diagnosis of prostate cancer.  CONNECT WITH US Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Read our blog Forward this to a Friend SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY Did you know HealingWell.com Community just reached over 97,000 members?  Come join our community forums and chat and share with others on your journey to healing well. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK Our HealingWell Facebook page continues to grow and is a great place to share with over 4,000 fans.  Be sure to follow us to keep up with the HealingWell community and observations by founder and blogger, Peter Waite.  follow on Twitter | follow on Facebook | read our blog | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 HealingWell.com LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed directly or joined the HealingWell.com forums, which includes the option of a newsletter subscription. This list is low-volume and sent out monthly or less. Our mailing address is: HealingWell.com LLC ATTN HEALINGWELL.COM (Certified or Express Mail only) PO Box 459 Drums, PA 18222 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser