Rock and Roll Saved My Soul

Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.” It’s a peak season for people with asthma and allergies, and a perfect time to educate patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases. More than 60 million Americans overall have asthma and allergies. About 25 million Americans have asthma (19 million adults and 6.2 million children) About 32 million Americans have food allergies (26 million adults and 6 million children) About 21 million Americans have hay fever, rhinitis or nasal allergies (20 million adults and 5.6 million children) These numbers paint a picture of how many people in the U.S. are managing asthma and allergies. But they don’t paint a picture of the overall impact these diseases have on people and communities. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the MedicAlert Foundation have teamed up to raise awareness about asthma and...

6/10/2019 Journal Entry #4: ‘Headaches’  By now I have touched on a couple of the silent or invisible ailments that I live with on a daily basis. There are a few that I have not touched upon and many that I won’t since they are pretty well control. Let’s talk about headaches. I want to say that I have first started struggling with them about a year ago where I would get this aching in my head, but only on the left side and fairly close to my temple then it would sometimes extended up into my head or around toward the back of my neck. It would come at random intervals and would sometimes keep me up at night, not because they were or are that painful but because I was worried about why they were there. When I tell people about my headaches I like to describe it as a head pain since to me they are different, not as intense as a headache. But either way, whatever they are called they are this annoying and constant dull throb that always seems to come and go. I st...

Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.” It’s a peak season for people with asthma and allergies, and a perfect time to educate patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases. More Than Asthma, More Than Food Allergies More than 60 million Americans overall have asthma and allergies. About 26 million Americans have asthma (19 million adults and 6.2 million children) About 32 million Americans have food allergies (26 million adults and 6 million children) About 21 million Americans have hayfever, rhinitis or nasal allergies (20 million adults and 5.6 million children) These numbers paint a picture of how many people in the U.S. are managing asthma and allergies. But they don’t paint a picture of the overall impact these diseases have on people and communities. These conditions can be challenging to manage. But it’s important to remember your con...

“Living with anxiety is like being followed by a voice. It knows all your insecurities and uses them against you. It gets to the point when it’s the loudest voice in the room. The only one you can hear.”  -Unknown This quote in my case with my battle with anxiety stands true and tells a story that most days I can’t tell myself. I haven’t been to therapy in about three weeks due to my therapist being ill, but I feel like I’m doing quite well with just taking my sertraline, even though I do miss the safe space to talk about things that are going on or bothering me. I have an appointment coming up Thursday. Sometime within the past two weeks I did experience my anxiety in a way that only happens sparingly, it’s not all of the racing thoughts over a new ache or pain. But just my brain racing through a bunch of fog, I guess is the only way to explain it. Everything in my head feels foggy and I am not able to focus on one said thing. Normally when this happens I go out...

4/15/2019 - Sometime around 2016 or 2017 I was diagnosed with thyroid issues. This diagnosis was made when I changed from my pediatrician to a new primary care doctor and they did new patient blood work. Upon receiving the phone call I was told to go to my pharmacy to pick up a prescription and that I should start taking one pill a day immediately. Then they set up a follow up appointment and put me in contact with an Endocrinologist in my area. According to The American Thyroid Association hypothyroidism is defined as “...an underactive thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism means that the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormone to keep the body running normally. People are hypothyroid if they have too little thyroid hormone in the blood. Common causes are autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’sthyroiditis, surgical removal of the thyroid, and radiation treatment.” Within less than a year this definition would go on to make more sense to me. After more blood tests and a thyr...

Journal Entry #1: The Beginning By Gina Dierolf 3/14/2019 - For a good chunk of my life I can remember dealing with some type of invisible illness. Considering that I have a couple, Asthma, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Plantar Fasciitis, Allergies, Migraines, Arthritis, and Anxiety. These have impacted my life significantly in ways by inhibiting me from enjoying activities and being able to go through day to day tasks at time. In my opinion the most prevalent invisible illness that I have been handed is anxiety. According to the American Psychological Association’s website anxiety is defined as “...an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry.” My earliest memory of having symptoms of anxiety was the summer between 6th and 7th grade. During that summer I remember not ...