Rock and Roll Saved My Soul

By Michaelle Madrid  Just playing Scrabble online with my Facebook sis, Patti. I play the word cee and she lets me know that she is editing a story with a character named, Cee. I got chills as I was reading her message back to me. Later, I was scrolling through Facebook when another friend was having a birthday. Since Facebook now allows you to have people donate to causes, she posted a fundraiser for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Both Patti and Elizabeth have EDS. This was my sign to share about this invisible disease. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a group of disorders that affect the connective tissues that support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Defects in connective tissues cause the signs and symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which vary from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications. There are fewer than 200,000 US cases per year. Lab and imaging testing may be required to determine a medical diagnosis. EDS is not curable, b...

Coping with the pressures of early adulthood: Aisling:  Coping with pressures during early adulthood can be stressful and difficult to manage.  If you can manage to avoid what is pressuring you by all means just avoid it.  If avoiding it isn't possible try to learn some ways that can help you deal with the stress, such as writing in a journal to vent your feelings.  Try to think positive, get enough sleep and focus on your goals.  Also try setting smaller goals that you can focus on that will help you reach your main goal in the long run. Focusing on things like these can help take your focus off of what may be pressuring you so much. Sandy:  Being a kid can be hard. Being an adult is also hard. However, having to be a kid while having to do things an adult would do is even harder. As a kid we always want to grown up because we see our parents doing things and we want to do them too. It is just part of being human.  Nothing is...

Claire's Battle with CDH By Andrea Stenlund To me, my little Claire is a miracle. She has gone through more in her life as a baby than most adults do. She is my hero, my strength, my motivation to make it through each and every day.  It started when Claire was around six and a half weeks old. She started acting differently. She was usually a good nurser, so when she started not wanting to eat, it sent up red flags. Then, eventually, she started to vomit which lasted almost twenty-four hours. I was thinking maybe she just had a stomach bug that her sisters gave her possibly, but when we woke up on Sunday morning, I felt something was terribly wrong after she vomited up bile. I called my mom to come stay with Claire’s sisters because I felt it was urgent and wanted to bring her into the emergency room. So, I took her in. They tried to set up an IV at the first hospital because of dehydration, but they couldn't get it in; at least three or four nurses tried. They...

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An artist's life is never easy. From the very beginning, they're face with struggles of criticism and self-doubt, making the lifestyle difficult. But from the ashes, they will rise. Despite all the negative they face, they use it to their advantage, using it to fuel their artistic side. We use music to escape. So do those who write or play music, creating the sounds we love the most. A Musician's Tale - Telling their stories. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D99UD7I Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29601408-rock-roll-saved-my-soul

By Michaelle Madrid Tucker was the name he had been given and that is the name that stayed with him. He was a black and white tuxedo cat with big green eyes. He was six months old when I received him. He had been a cat too many for his previous owner.  It took about a week before Tucker adjusted to his new home with me. Once he was given full attention, he flourished into a very social cat. He didn't hide when company came over, he would greet each person. Not only was he social, but he played fetch like a dog! This cat was something else!  After taking Tucker into the vet for a check up, shots, and testing, it was discovered that Tucker had Feline Leukemia. I was told he would not have as long of a life as most healthy cats. I didn't need to do anything special because Tucker would be able to lead a pretty normal life. For about two years, Tucker did seem like a normal, healthy cat and then I realized he was drinking a lot of water. Then one afternoon,...

Healthy habits: eating, drinking, exercise, self care Sandy:  Eating healthy is a big deal. It can help you to stay in shape with the correct vitamins, protein, fiber etc. If you eat the correct healthy foods you can lose weight if you are wanting to do that as well. It can help you keep a certain weight if you are already there. These 10 foods are the lowest calories and most nutritious in terms of amount and richness of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber and protein. Beans: Calories: 200 per cup Nutrients: Rich in folate, vitamin B1 or thiamine, magnesium, molybdenum, soluble fiber, iron and potassium. Yogurt or Kiefer: Calories: 140 per cup (plain low-fat or non-fat) Nutrients: Rich in pantothenic acid, vitamin B2 or riboflavin, calcium, phosphorous, potassium and iodine. Beef Liver: Calories: 137 per 3 ounces Nutrients: Rich in iron, vitamin A, biotin, choline, vitamin B12, vitamin B3 or niacin, vitamin B6, chromium, copper and phosphorus. Salmon: Cal...