The pain has been getting worse. It hurts when I use my left arm and when I sleep on my left side. I’ve had shoulder pain for years, but this is different. It’s lingering and the one side is much more sore than the other. I’ve mentioned it to my Rheumatologist, who has given me light exercises to do. He’s also given me trigger point injections numerous times.

Since I refuse to take narcotic pain medications, I use Biofreeze to relieve pain and do my deep breathing when it feels like it’s getting overwhelming. I try to remember not to use my left arm to carry anything heavy too. Believe me, when I do by accident, I switch arms right away.

I have a feeling that it’s a rotator cuff injury or something that may require more than the treatment I’m currently using because the pain is not getting any better. As much as I try to push those negative thoughts away, they’re there, just like I would get addicted to pain medications if I took them.  I’ve seen this happen too often, even in my own family and it scares me. Plus I don’t like the way I act on narcotics. Thankfully, there are free drug rehab programs that help with this type of addiction. But I won’t take any chances. For now, I’ll continue with the trigger pain injections, the exercises, the gel and the deep breathing. Thank you very much.

This is a sponsored post for drug rehabilitation programs. All opinions are my own. This blog uses affiliate links.

Sharing information about health related sites is one of the purposes of this blog. When I learned about a website devoted to menopause, its symptoms and treatments, I wanted to bring attention to it. GotMenopause.com was created for women going through menopause, perimenopause and post menopause. Besides informational articles, the website has a forum and groups, where you can get to know others going through similar situations.

Symptoms of Menopause

There are many different symptoms (35) of menopause and they can vary from woman to woman. It’s important to know about these symptoms so that you’ll know if you are indeed beginning menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, loss of libido, weight gain and anxiety are some menopause symptoms. When women are in the stage approaching menopause – perimenopause – these symptoms can be very intense. During perimenopause, irregular periods can begin. That is usually when a woman knows that something is different is happening with her body. Whenever your periods change, it is important to see your doctor to rule out other causes.

Treatments of Menopause Symptoms

If the symptoms of menopause become disruptive to your life, i.e. you miss work days or night sweats keep you awake frequently, you may wish to seek treatment. You also may want to treat one specific symptom that is bothersome, such as vaginal dryness. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was long used as a treatment for menopause. Because of the health risks associated with it, though it very rarely prescribed by doctors. Herbal treatments have gained popularity. These include, black cohash and soy. Prescriptions, such as antidepressants may help women cope with symptoms as well.

Lifestyle Changes

Because your body is going through the hormonal imbalance of menopause, making lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms and health risks that can occur during or after menopause. Stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise, and build up a support system are some of the top recommendations. Visiting and joining the community of Got Menopause provides the information you need and the support you need during this time in your life.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

The MDA has partnered with Walgreens for their Flu Shot Program. Since getting the flu can cause serious complications to those of us who have a Muscular Dystrophy diseases, the MDA offers free flu shots through a voucher program for members who do not have health insurance to cover the vaccination.  The flu shot is the best form of prevention.

Getting vaccinated against the flu is crucial to the health of people with a neuromuscular disease. It’s also necessary for family members and other close contacts to get the flu shot. The MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) also offers discount coupons for family members and caregivers of members. The cost with the coupon is $26. This is a new addition to the MDA’s Flu Shot Program this year.

Please check with your doctor before getting the shot, especially if you have Myasthenia Gravis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, or take immune-suppressing medications. Also, the intranasal form of the vaccine is not recommended for people who have a neuromuscular disease.

You can redeem your voucher or coupon at any Walgreens and Duane Reade pharmacies, including Take Care Clinics. Thank you to the MDA and to Walgreens for providing a much needed service.

Venus Williams withdrew from the US Open because of her diagnosis of Sjogren’s Syndrome. Her decision to drop out of the US Open came at the last minute, when she was having trouble lifting her arms. Ms. Williams stated in an interview on Good Morning America that she hasn’t been feeling well for a while. She complained of not having stamina, but there was no diagnosis from that. Then she began having difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with Asthma, but medications to treat Asthma didn’t work.

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Over the summer, her joints began to hurt and change shape. She lost the feeling in her hands, which began to swell and feel numb. The overwhelming fatigue began to interfere with playing tennis as well. Then the dry eyes and mouth became noticeable. With these symptoms, she was able to get a diagnosis. Venus William has begun treatment for Sjogren’s Syndrome and hopes to go back to tennis again, but admits that she doesn’t know what her future holds. She is like me learning to live with Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Ms. Williams is knowledgeable about the symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome. She stated, “If you have joint pain, dry eyes, dry mouth and feel like you wake up with a cold every morning, but you don’t have one, then you know something is wrong.” She understands that this is a chronic illness without a cure, but that treatment is available. It’s good to know that Venus Williams has come forward with her diagnosis and is helping to share information with the public. I wish her the very best.

Children’s Eye Health and Safety month occurs while parents are getting children ready for back to school. Many children get physicals at this time of year, and vision screening should be part of this check up. These screenings are usually checking for cataracts, checking eye movement and eye alignment, and having a child reading from a chart to check for nearsightedness and farsightedness.  The American Optometric Association recommends vision screenings in children before the age of 1, and at 3 and 5 years. Unfortunately, some insurance programs don’t include vision screenings.

Children can be put at a disadvantage in school if they have a vision problem that is not diagnosed and treated. Parents and teachers should look for the signs of eye problems in children: (from Children’s Vision Information Network)

• Difficulty copying from the chalkboard
• Headaches that accompany reading and writing
• Burning, itching, watery eyes
• Holds books (or objects) close to eyes
• Tilts head to read
• Bumps into things, knocks things over

Some schools provide vision screenings each year for students, and if a problem is found parents are notified. If you do not have insurance coverage for vision screenings either with a pediatrician, optometrist or opthamologist, The Prevent Blindness America Organization has a list of specific vision programs and a list for individual states.

Do you have a child with vision problems? How was the diagnosis made?

Katie VanderKoois is a young Scoliosis Advocate, who was diagnosed with Idopathic Scoliosis at the age of six. Now as a college student majoring in Music Education, Katie is a blogger,  and is a member of forums to help inform others about brace treatment and surgeries to treat Scoliosis and offer support.

Idopathic means that there is no known cause and Scoliosis means abnormal curvatures to the spine. Katie has two curves. When she complained to her parents that her back hurt, she had MRI’s and Xrays done which showed one 18 degree curve. At 10 years old, when a checkup revealed that  she had two curves and they progressed to about 23  and 27, her doctor decided to brace . She wore 5 Boston back braces in about a 6 year period. A Boston brace is made of plastic that extends from under the arm pit to just below the hips.

Unfortunately, the braces didn’t help improve the curves, instead they worsened – to 52 degrees and 57 degrees.  Now, she was in the serious range and started to have difficulty breathing and back pain on a daily basis.

So on November 17, 2009, I had two 18 inch titanium rods screwed into my spine with 18 screws. The surgery took about 7 hours, and my surgeon also fixed my flat back syndrome. That’s when your lower back has no inward curve. So he reduced two curves, and gave me another one. While spending about a week at Shriners Children’s Hospital, I had to learn to do almost everything all over again—how to walk, stand up, hold things, sit down– basically how to move. And now I am left with perfect posture and an awesome 18 inch scar, also called “the Big Zipper”.

According to Katie, Scoliosis make your body asymmetrical. This can cause:

• Your hips and shoulders become uneven
• Your ribs to twist, making one side stick out
• One side of your chest may cave in
• One shoulder blade may protrudes out, which causes that shoulder to roll forward
• Rib humps, where one side of your back has a hump
• And other medical problems

Katie’s family has been and still are her main support system. Although she feels that her my parents were very protective, which she didn’t always like, she realizes that they meant the best and is thankful now. She also has her faith:

I am a Christian. I believe that God created this world, that we are sinners, and that because of that sin, we deserve to go to hell when we die. But I also know that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth, live a perfect life, and die for our sins so that we can be right with God and live with Him forever in heaven someday. And the great news about it all is that Jesus rose from the dead, and I serve a living God! He is the ONLY reason I have gotten through what I have. It has not been easy, but He gives me such hope and joy that only He can give. And knowing that He created me for a reason, including my scoliosis, makes me so thankful for it. He is in control and does only what is best for me. If He has the power to save me from the punishment of my sin, I know He has the power to get me through any temporary trial here on earth.

Now she makes use of the internet for support and to help others. She’s a member of join WEGO Health, Daily Strength, and the National Scoliosis Foundation Forum. The NSFF has been very helpful because the members all have Scoliosis and either have gone through or are going through very similar situations. On her blog, Brace YourSelf, Katie writes about Scoliosis, her own experience with it, including how she is dealing with it emotionally.

Katie is doing well as a college student even with her practicing and playing the piano and clarinet. She doesn’t hurt much, but if she overdoes it, she knows it. She also works at the music library on campus and is thankful that she is able to shelve books and sit at her desk. Heavy lifting is not allowed and working outside can cause her pain.  Even if she isn’t hurting, I she must be careful to avoid the the rods in her back from breaking. She cannot bend her back, so things we take for granted like putting on nylons, painting my toenails, etc. are difficult.

The chairs in hair salons and the seats on airplanes cause her problems because her back doesn’t fit into them, so she is often sore after getting a haircut and taking a flight.  But, Katie’s positive outlook allows her to look at what she is able to do and focus on that. She’s also learned to make adjustments for not being able to bend her back.  And meeting new people who have been affected by Scoliosis has made her life more positive. And she’s never given up on playing volleyball, even when it became difficult to breathe. Almost 2 years post-op and she’s back as an outside hitter again! It’s definitely different,  and a little harder because of her restricted movement, but she’s having fun!

Scoliosis hasn’t stopped Katie from making plans for her future.  She’d like to be a school music teacher (general music teacher, band/choir director, etc.), have a piano studio, and teach woodwind instrumental lessons and  become a volleyball coach. She wants to give back to the Ronald McDonald House, where her parents stayed during her surgeries (at no charge) through charity events, such as a concert and a volleyball tournament.

Katie’s beautiful video gives others with Scoliosis strength to get through the tough times:

Kaite VanderKooi is an advocate for people with scoliosis. She’s worn back braces for almost 6 years and went through spinal fusion surgery at the young age of 17. Her knowledge, positive outlook and willingness to help others is a gift to the Scoliosis community.

This is an ongoing effort to spotlight people with chronic illness, health issues and disabilities who are making a contribution in some way despite their pain, sickness, etc.