Life with Chronic Illness

I have had journals over the years, but never really got into the habit of writing in them on a regular basis.  For me, one of the most therapeutic things when I am feeling down is to write.  It helps me to process whats going on, and to get out those feelings of sadness, anger, frustration.  Sometimes this writing has even taken form in emails sent at 1am to people who may not understand, but can be there for you, no matter what. But, I found one I like, and it's an app!  It's called the Five Minute Journal .  It's also available in a paper version , but I like how convenient it is to have it on my phone.  Every day when I get up, and every day when I get in bed I try to write in it. In the morning, it asks you to write down 3 things you are grateful for.  For me, this list stays pretty constant - my mom and Huck are almost always on that list!  It also asks "What will I do to make today great?" This is a harder one for me.  There is also a section for daily

The last month has had a lot of ups and downs for me.  I got to see a lot of people that I care about, but also was very challenged by my health. Highs: I got to see one of my best friends when he was in Boston for a few days!  We were able to go out for lunch and catch up.  We don't get to see each other often, so it was a nice surprise that we were in Boston on the same day! I went to Martha's Vineyard for week with a few friends.  I had a lot of fun, and spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach.  It's always my favorite week of the year. Lows: Huck was injured during a grooming appointment, which was very sad.  He was limping for a few days, and we had to give him pain medicine (prescribed by his veterinarian, of course).  He is still recovering, and isn't back to his usual bouncy self just yet. I am always struggling to breath these days.  I think the heat is contributing to worsening shortness of breath, but I also think I probably pushed myself a l