Chronic Wellness

You've completed the initial application for Social Security Disability, what happens next? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

I am not an attorney or legal advisor -- seek professional guidance when trying to make legal determinations or get professional input about important questions. I'm speaking from my experience of applying for Social Security Disability.

You send in your application and they solicit information from others. Your doctors will be contacted. So if you have a rheumatological condition, you need to have a rheumatologist who says so (etc. for a neurological, psychological, on down the line). If your ducks aren't in a row, don't apply yet. If your documentation isn't squarely laid out, consider waiting to apply. Similarly, if you aren't appropriately treating your illness, that isn't a reason to receive Social Security Disability. You need to consider all the holes in your argument. Think about the case you're building from as many perspectives as possible and try to be as thorough as possible.

Your doctors will be solicited on your behalf to submit documentation. They may be asked simply to submit records about you or they may be asked to fill out disability paperwork on your behalf. Regarding the first: you might need to sign additional forms to give permission for their facility to send records. Regarding the second: some doctors WON'T complete disability paperwork on behalf of their patients or may charge a fee to do so.

It's awfully frustrating when a doctor won't fill out disability paperwork and you can't compel them to, in that case you hope the documentation is strong enough on its own. But for any doctor who will fill out on your behalf, I make copies of my application paperwork (in case any gets lost, for future disability reviews AND because I share copies with my doctors who are writing on my behalf).

On your initial application you list the date you were unable to work -- this date can become very important for a couple of reasons. This date can mean back pay and it can determine your Medicare eligibility. Many people do not understand that Social Security Disability is tied to Medicare but one must be receiving benefits for 2 years before becoming Medicare eligible. That's just one more reason that the small details REALLY matter when completing these forms.

Take your time, do it when you have a clear head, don't rush. I check and recheck and have another person proof read. You complete your forms, your doctors complete theirs, you sign all the waivers, and once Social Security gets your complete file, a review is complete, they make a determination.

Eventually, you'll get a letter saying "approved" or "denied." Understand that an extraordinary number are denied from the start. Don't give up, there are still ways through. Most of the people I know who are receiving benefits go there on appeal. It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong or won't eventually get there.

Please leave comments, questions, or tips.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Should I apply for Social Security Disability? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

I am not a legal advisor -- seek professional guidance when trying to make legal determinations or get professional input about important questions.

I have be getting Social Security benefits for about 10 years. I've helped others apply for Social Security benefits. Maybe you've been wondering whether you should apply for Social Security Disability. Let's discuss.

Do your disabling conditions (mental, physical, emotional or a combination) have serious impacts on your ability to perform major life functions?

Have you paid into Social Security Disability?

Have you been working at a job and exhausted your PTO, sick leave, or short term disability and wonder how/whether you can keep working?

If you answered "yes," to most of these questions, Social Security Disability might be for you.

While it is not an easy, straightforward, or simple process. However, if you've been paying in, Social Security Disability is a benefit you've earned. If you qualify, you would receive a monthly cheque for the duration of your approval. You wouldn't have to pay it back, even if you could work again in the future.

You need to think about what major life functions are impacted by your disability, things like walking, breathing, bathing, eating. This is an important component of explaining why you're unable to work. It's a significant burden of evidence - but the sooner you start, the sooner you might be approved.

Is now the right time for you to apply? I'll talk more about the process in future videos. If you have questions or comments please put them in the comments below.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Sleep is the foundation for everything! I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

If you're watching this on video you can see I'm wearing my dark shades -- that means my migraine is off the charts. Part of the reason is that my sleep is gone to s*it. If you're tracking, you'll also notice I haven't dropped an episode in a couple of weeks and that's down to the same reason.

We are the proud parents of (1:05) a 14 year old pit-mix rescue. She is entering a phase of old age (senility, deafness, etc.) that is wreaking havoc on our sleep. There are a variety of things at play from her trying to get into our bed, her deafness, and her incontinence that are having significant impact on our sleep. This has been building up for the last couple of months, but now our sleep is being interrupted multiple times a night, every night. I can't solve this simply.

Several things are happening because of this a) without a solid chunk of sleep every night, my migraines don't get a chance to reset so I'm starting at a worse place when I wake up; b) my physical pain is worse for the same reason; 3) my mind is mush brain fog and thoughts are so muddled I can't track anything; 4?) keeping up on what I need to follow up on as a professional patient or any extras in life are just shot; and.... I forgot the last thing.

Sleep is integral. Do I need to go to friends houses and sleep for a couple of nights? Do I need to sleep in our camper van for a few nights? There's a reason we use sleep deprivation for a mechanism of torture.

I acknowledge that I'm laughing right now and this isn't funny. I'm doing that out of discomfort and to put you at ease -- I'd like to have a good cry about this. However, crying takes a lot of oxygen and makes my head hurt worse. This has reduced me to tears. This had made me a jerk to live with.

The dog has not responded well to drugs and I can't find a drug strong enough to keep me asleep. We'll have to find some workable solution until the end of one of our days.

Do you have ideas about what to do when you aren't getting much sleep?

Also, every couple of weeks I'm hosting a Chronic Wellness Conversation on IG Live with authors, thought leaders, and sick people. Go check out those recordings on my Instagram. Talk to you when I get some sleep.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Searching for joy? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

I was recently reading about what to do if you've lost your happy. This is not specifically related to depression, which requires more specialized tools and perhaps deeper interventions. This is more about fleeting joy and temperamental stuff.

The suggestion was look your happiness the same way you'd look for your keys. "where did you last see it?" When was I last joyful? When did I last experience happiness? And mine those experiences for cues and clues for how to recreate it.

Were there things about the environment, the people, the things you were surrounded by or what you were doing that you aren't doing today? Perhaps you can't replicate the situation, but you might be able to dig into the experiences to find some of the paths back to happiness. No, all of the circumstances may not be available (because of situation, money, or our bodies) but some of conditions might be able to be recreated. Also, our brains like puzzles.

It's easy to think of all the reasons I CAN'T and I'm shortchanging myself I I'm not willing to dig a little deeper to seek out my own happiness. How can I take steps towards my own bliss?

How have you brought in more light or happiness?

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Colonoscopy and autoimmune disease? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

Do you have an autoimmune disease and you're getting a colonoscopy? Consult your physician and take their advice, not mine. However, I have a lot of experience so let's get into that.

In advance of the colonoscopy, prep in advance for food. You'll get detailed instructions about what to eat. The instructions are daunting. At the very end your diet will be VERY limited. But keeping enough nutrients and calories is important. Prep, think in advance about what you'll need. Make sure you have broth, a way to get protein. For me I supplemented my clear liquids with collagen powder to get protein. Think about the quality of nutrients and shop ahead.

Also, as you go through the process, disclose all of your conditions and medications to your endoscopist. There may be some medications you have to stop in advance of the colonoscopy and they may need permissions from other specialists to stop those medications (like blood thinners or statins). So there are lots of layers to the process.

Many of us with autoimmune disease have mixed connective tissue disorders. Because of that (and Reynaud's) I have poor circulation and I'm frequently cold. I called ahead to the surgery center and told them that. In any medical center I tend to be freezing. Add to that IV liquids, being in a paper or hospital gown, and having fluids injected into my bowel, I'm going to be very cold. Find out about whether they have the bear hug suits available or just warm blankets. But let them know in advance you'll need extra warmth. I also charge and bring my hand warmers.

Maybe your veins are poor. Talk to the nurses about where the best place to access your veins are. If you have a port, let them know in advance so they can have a port nurse available. Also, you may have sensitivities to particular forms of anesthesia. If so, it's critical to let them know about that or any allergies to anesthesia in advance so they can appropriately medicate you.

Bowel prep kits often times cause nausea. You can ask for anti-nausea meds to be prescribed at the same time as your prep kit. It's lousy to be nauseous on top of prepping.

Managing multilayered conditions while prepping for a colonoscopy is difficult but possible. These kits are designed to keep us from getting dehydrated, but be careful to keep fluids going while you prepare. Ask lots of questions if you haven't been through this process before.

If you have tips and tricks for dealing with a colonoscopy, please leave those in the comments below.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

I recently read Emily Henry's, "The People We Meet on Vacation." She did a great job putting to language the ways we are confident and insecure, and how relationships expose us to new layers of ourselves. In the book one of her characters said that the more someone got to know her, the more she was afraid they'd discover the ugly and unlovable in her.

I highlighted that passage and returned to it because I think that any of us who carry any shame or worthiness wounds -- that's what's at the heart of it. That when all the trappings are stripped away, we'll come up short and be rejected. That anxiety is often to difficult to bear and so we: hustle, people-please, distance, get addicted, hurt others first, and many more habits of self-defense.

What's also interesting about this is that it's a commentary on the other person, too. It suggests that I'm so skilled at maintaining a façade that you can't see through, but if you did you wouldn't like what you'd see... So it also suggests that the other person (whose opinion we seem to care a lot about) is dupable or dim.

Perhaps in a life without many obstacles, it might be easy to never have to examine these questions. However, chronic pain and illness stops you short and requires facing these kinds of questions.

This weekend I was talking with a friend of a friend who had a life-altering surgery. They're questioning things like "What is my worth?" "What is my value if I'm not in the world of work?" "Will my partner stay if I'm significantly transformed?" These aren't simple questions.

In a world where productivity is tied to output, it's difficult to not see that as a commentary on our worth. While it's so simple for me to see that YOU have intrinsic worth, your value is your existence, your value is your YOUNESS. But, it's much more difficult for me (on a hard day) to say it about myself -- but that is the goal.

Do you struggle with these questions?

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Can setting boundaries be life-saving? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

$49 Boundary Course (through April 2024) https://jennywalters.thinkific.com/courses/boundary-uprising

A few more words about boundaries. With chronic illness boundaries are critical for our health. I recently read Dr. Pooja Laskhmin's best-selling book book "Real Self-Care." She examines the difference between what capitalism has told us "self-care" is and what is authentic self care. True self-care is 1) an inside job, 2) is values driven, 3) is a journey not a destination. Like so many things it is a practice.

In her book, she examines four ways we claim the sacred territory of self-care and boundaries is one of those avenues. Women, in particular, tend to be poor at setting boundaries. From our conditioning to put others first, to people-pleasing tendencies, to examples of martyrdom, boundaries are not something that comes easily for most of us.

However, when we are sick and our time and energy are so limited, boundaries are essential. One of my dear friends who is very healthy and active, is down from a recent surgery. I checked in with her this weekend. She's having a hard time slowing down. That isn't surprising. However, because she now has a month off, people are laying claim to her time. People are coming over in droves. She's feeling wiped out from the visits. She told me she's so depleted. I suggested that she needs to say "no," or set limits on how long people stay. She's having such a difficult time. I think that's so understandable.

When we are unaccustomed to setting limits with people in our lives, it's very difficult to start. The first reason is likely guilt, the second is something like not wanting to offend or inconvenience others.

When I was starting a new friendship years ago, my new friend told me: "Annette, I want to be closer to you, but I see you saying 'yes' to everyone and everything in your life." And I thought "yeah, because I'm a good friend!" and then she said: "until I see you saying 'no,' I can't trust your 'yes.'" That was a revelation to me! We need to be able to trust one another's "yeses" by knowing that they will say "no" when they need to. That will give me permission to do the same.

But when we accommodate, people-please, and guilt-trip, that isn't always what we were socialized to do. But, as Anne Lamott says "'No.' Is a complete sentence." and so is "I've changed my mind."

As the spring kicks off, maybe you can grow a new habit around boundaries. Please sign up for Jenny's class if you need a tune up in this area. Also, please use the comments to share your tips, tricks, and brags with the community about the ways you've set or improved your boundaries recently.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Can setting boundaries be life-saving? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

You know that I'm a big fan of Dr Gabor Mate. His book, "When the Body Says, 'No'" is a big part of why I'm still ALIVE today. That's a big claim and I really mean it. His work has transformed my life. If you've had cancer or an autoimmune disease, get this book. He talks about how our personalities, our family structures, our emotional tendencies, and our background have likely contributed to our illnesses. While this is not about blame, it is about getting to root causes and, therefore, solutions.

When we are back in the drivers seat, we can make different decisions.

The job of our emotional system is to help us self-regulate and to allow in all that is nurturing, generative, healthy, and loving. It is also designed to keep out all that is harmful, toxic, and poisonous. He draws a parallel between our emotional system and our immune system which fundamentally does the same job to keep in all that is nurishing, nurturing, feeds growth, and to keep out all that is toxic, harmful, poisonous, and leads to cell damage/demise.

For those of us with chronic illnesses learning to set boundaries is a necessity. Self-care means learning to prioritize our self and in doing so, we have to set boundaries. In Gabor Mate's new book "The Myth of Normal," he has an activity about what keeps us from setting the boundaries we need to set/want to set in our life.

The more often we examine, work our way through this activity, the greater potential for change we are given. It is four questions for us to respond to:

1) Where in your life are you not setting a boundary?

2) What is your belief behind not saying "no?"

3) Where did I learn this belief?

4) Who would I be without this belief?

The illusions we hold about why we stay stuck have an opportunity to fall away. Boundary work is self-care. We'll keep talking a bit more about boundaries and chronic illness.

Here's my challenge: brag on yourself! How are you setting boundaries? What did you learn from this activity? When did you say "no?" or any other aspect of boundary setting?

Because when we are sick and have any bit of the disease to please, setting boundaries for our own self-care is really challenging. So tell us all about it!

Your health journey is all your own. I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

Several things made me think about this topic. I recently was talking about my friend Amy. She died almost exactly a year before I got my diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis. She was waiting for her lung transplant and when she passed she was a frail shadow of herself. Also, my mom died with complications of several of the autoimmune diseases that I have.

It's so easy -- especially when we have a difficult or unfamiliar diagnosis, to lean on Dr Google, or other peoples' experiences and let those things coopt our imagination about our illness and I think that can have some disastrous and unintended consequences.

The Google will tell you that my life expectancy is 3 - 5 years. Well, here I am 9 years later. While many things COULD have led to my demise -- but tuning that out and walking my own path has been crucial. As a reforming people pleaser, as someone who values information, it's easy to be captivated by the stories people share about anyone they know who may have had something similar to what I have, how that's gone, what's worked, what remedies they've tried.

Sometimes, hearing those stories can contribute to the sense that I'm doing it wrong, or add to the sense that "this is going poorly and I've already made the wrong decisions."

Having done this for a while and having learned how to BE EMBODIED in this experienced: doing body scans, checking in with my thoughts and feelings, knowing when something's changed. I'm the best person to asses what's going well and when it's time to make a change. No, it isn't fun, it takes a lot of effort to tune in like that, to advocate for myself, to coordinate with my docs and insurance companies, but it's the only way to take control of my health.

When I start thinking "well, she said that by this time next year things got really bad..." then I'm initiating a slew of chemicals that will lead to anxiety, fear, pain, or being addicted to my own catastrophes. Perhaps those things will happen, but perhaps they won't. But, the only guarantee is that I've robbed myself of this present moment.

The idea of suffering is terrifying. I'm not trying to pretend it isn't. There is fear and anguish. But there are tools. Whether it starts with a contemplative practice, journaling, or noticing what's happening to find a skilled therapist. There are ways to keep my fear of the future from enjoying the present. This journey is YOURS ALONE, from the small to the large. But no amount of today is improved by me fixating on how bad it's going to get.

Notice when you get hooked, when you start to borrow trouble. If you don't have tools, skills, or support about making change in that area, it might be time to get some.

Let us know how you're making your journey your own.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard

It's February, Black History Month, and we just had the Super Bowl. After watching the Netflix movie about Diana Nyad, my wife mentioned that people living with chronic pain have some things in common with elite athletes. Intense pain. Of course, unless there's injury involved, athletes can choose to stop.

Obviously, living with chronic pain we can't skip the practice, training, workout. I thought it was an interesting perspective.

Recently, my wife has been experiencing some hip pain and headaches. The onset has given her renewed appreciation for what it's like to live with intense chronic pain. There are moments when I appreciate the validation and other times when I'm annoyed by it.

I though on this Valentines Day, I thought I'd send this note to you all in pain: I know your fuse is short, your energy is less. I think about the ways your life has had to be smaller because of pain. I'm sorry. I wish we had better solutions. I wish you weren't having to use your energy and giving so much of yourself figuring out how to get through the day/get out of bed/get to the bathroom/manage the kids/cook a meal. I hate that we don't have better pain management.

This invisible demon means that others can't see all that you're up against. They can't see that all your energy is being consumed by pain. As you manage a pain level 8 and try to carry on a conversation. This isn't an easy path. You don't get to put this weight down, and experience relief.

You get to take up space. It's easy to compare my suffering to others -- but it isn't helpful. If your self compassion needs a tune up, check out Kristin Neff's resources:

https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations

Do a meditation, journal, or take a quiz.

I'm sorry you're hurting that we don't do a better job managing pain.

This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness.

Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.