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Continue reading →: Life Saving Journal ExercisesOne habit I’ve picked up over the last year or so that has helped me in nearly every arena of my life is journaling. I was never one for journaling before because I would start each page in a “Dear Diary” format that just never truly resonated with me. My…
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Continue reading →: 5 Myths about Multiple SclerosisFor those who do not live with a chronic illness, it is easy to be misinformed. When it comes to living with MS for the last ~ 12 years, I have heard a lot of wild assumptions from those who just simply do not know better. Let’s take a dive…
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Continue reading →: To Declare or not to DeclareWhen I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I felt such a deep sense of shame in being “different” that I didn’t want anyone to know. As a Business Administration major in college, I ran into more reasons to hide this part of myself away from the world. I was…
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Continue reading →: Bridging the GapOne of the most challenging aspects of a Chronic Illness diagnosis is figuring out how to navigate your interpersonal relationships while learning how to understand the life altering diagnosis yourself. For others who are not experiencing the illness directly, it can be incredibly challenging to understand how to approach the…
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Continue reading →: Prioritizing what’s ImportantMy sister once said to me, “People prioritize the things that are important to them” and it’s stuck in my mind ever since. Like onions, it turns out that motivating statements can also have layers; in the last few weeks, I’ve stuck to this one liner as I always do,…
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Continue reading →: Fighting the Gargoyles & Integrating the ShadowsWhile everyone faces their own unique inner demons, a Chronic Illness diagnosis amplifies those demons to an extreme degree. For years, I felt “less than” or even unworthy of happiness because I felt like damaged goods. I personally like to refer to my demons as the Gargoyle on my shoulder…
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Continue reading →: 4 Things keeping me Alive this SpringHappy Spring, lovely readers! To make this highly pollinated season that much easier for everyone, I am going to be sharing 4 essential things that have been saving me during the season change! Exercise While this one is not necessarily relative to the Springtime season and applies year-round, I can…
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Continue reading →: Being Alone does not equal LonelyI proudly identify as an enigma of a human being when it comes to my personality and passions; I don’t fit into many molds or social settings but always enjoy the energy that comes from those times and places, even when I can’t personally relate to the discussions. Something I’ve…
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Continue reading →: “You Don’t Look Sick”To be questioned when you’re struggling invisibly adds an additional layer of pain to the “unfortunate nonsense” cake. A gentle reminder that we don’t know the full scope of what anyone else is experiencing in their lives, so it’s best not to make negative assumptions. Living with an invisible illness…
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Continue reading →: Clumsy cuz I’m OVERHEATINGSpring is in the air! As the weather has started to warm up (or at warp speed with the random 80-90 degree days), I am once again reminded of standard MS symptoms that have followed me from the beginning. Not only is my body trying to mitigate the outburst of…
Hello,
I’m Catherine
Welcome to Chronically Joyful, my joyous space on the internet dedicated to sharing my personal journey with living with Multiple Sclerosis. Here, I invite you to join me on this journey where I will share knowledge of lifestyle hacks for health & wellness, symptom management, and my secrets to remaining positively Joyful through the good times, as well as the bad. May something you find here resonate; happy reading!
Chronically Joyful 