Today I received a private message asking a wonderful question about my anxiety.
I don’t think I have actually shared with anyone how I overcome my anxiety, how we afford this disease, and how I can stay so positive.
I figured why not.
When you watch I love Lucy, or the Brady bunch you see positivity but what we don’t see is the behind the scenes. On Facebook, yes I tried to remain very positive. I’m always smiling and we post wonderful photos…
How do I treat my anxiety? I do take medication. It’s not a cure-all but it definitely has helped. With the diagnosis of a terminal illness such as ALS aka amyotrophic lateral sclerosis it is something none of us can really prepare for. Yes we are given a timeline of 2 to 5 years but we never know what to expect or what is next. The great news is I have a team of doctors that have helped me prepare for whatever may come. This is helped because when they suggest something I try not to push it away and I get it done. I am grateful that I went this route because it has prepared me tremendously.
How do I deal with my depression? I have depression, there are days I cry because of frustration or unable to do things that I used to do. I’m not even able to touch my face let alone move the hair behind my ears. Going around my house I take a mental picture of where everything lies so that I can guide the next person to whatever is needed. I cry at night wishing I could just roll over and hug my husband or reach out and grab his hand. This is kind of the ugly side that I don’t like to share but it’s real. How do I deal with it? I pray. I can definitely say praying has helped me in a huge way. If you asked me 4 years ago I would have said something completely different. You would have seen a completely different person.
How do I stay positive? This is something that I practiced honestly all my life. If you knew me from my past I had a nervous laughter, I always tried to smile and I would do anything to make others smile and think of the great things that have happened in their day. Positivity helped me and has helped me. That my husband’s shared perspective on how things are said definitely is a huge factor. I could say that knowing that I will soon be in heaven is such a big blessing. Having my husband and his family and my boys has been the biggest blessing. Positivity feels so much better in your heart.
Finally, how can we afford this disease? Well as my husband says if you want to live then you’re going to live no matter the cost. I am grateful for insurance! Are things hard? absolutely. I think the hardest part is when my husband must stay home from work due to no care to help. This however has not stopped us from tithing, praying and believing that God has a plan for us.
So I guess my message that has been super long is that no matter how rough this road has been every second of every minute of every hour of every day has been such a huge blessing. With the sun shining on my face and the smiles that I receive, how could I not want to live and fight till live. How could I not want to try and spread positivity? How could I not want to share what God has done for my family? This girl is not going to give up on hope! No matter how difficult, how much I might cry in frustration, I will fight with my family right next to me ☺️
So if you’re reading this and you made it to the bottom. Think about your day today and what was your favorite part? Find something to make you smile. Think about the memories you have created thus far. Thank God for another day.
#tamuraisadventure #rockinALS
