Elizabeth Norton is known for founding the Cape May Moms and is also an inspiration to many. She is born, raised and “blissfully stuck” in Cape May, NJ where she is working to connect people locally. She is an inspiration because she could easily sit back and feel sorry for herself with her multiple health problems, instead she is a positive force to be reckoned with.

Elizabeth is married to “one hunk of a man” @drivesmecrazy. “Make no judgment about it, he is the one that drives ME crazy.”  She has 2 sons and is “also the mom to 21 others that have left my home through foster care but never my heart.”

My 1st boy was a surprise after getting pregnant after being married only 1 month my second was not a surprise but surprises me every day because he is the complete opposite from my 1st. I never know what to expect from my little burst of endless energy.

Elizabeth had a delayed traumatic brain injury that caused her to have POTs – Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome – Gastroparesis (paralyzed stomach), detached retinas, and many more health issues. It was diagnosed in October of 2007,  but she believes that it began much earlier when she fell off her horse freshman year of high school.  She’s always had problems eating and with fainting since 8th grade.  After going through numerous tests, Elizabeth has come to believe that only God knows why this has happened to her.

She has  good days and bad days – “Days when I can swing on swings with my kids and days I lay in bed for hours. I live day by day and so do my boys and my hubby.”  Her immune system is weak and even common colds can keep her down for a long time.  She has begun to take care of her own health and uses vegetable juicing, the liquid form of acai and other things that she knows works for her.

Elizabeth used to be foster mom and owned a thriving party planning business but had to give both of them up. “In a way it has been a blessing though because I have learned/am learning a new trade as we figure real time media (a.k.a. Social Media) and it’s effects and uses in our society.”

She’s lost many friends because of her invisible illnesses. Elizabeth accepts this by recognizing that, “My friends are human and made judgments. Many of those judgments I will not understand but one day will hope to forgive.”  Elizabeth does maintain relationships with good friends who understand, some in real life and some online. Losing friends and the judgment that came along with this has been difficult for Elizabeth, but she is “… learning that strength comes in what you can find in yourself spiritually and with those that really love you.”

Elizabeth talks about support:

My husband and I have been through a lot but he keeps me grounded, gives me a swift kick if I start feeling sorry for myself. My mom is slowly understanding the chaos of the last two years. In the moment there was so much I could feel but not explain. Things were happening but people couldn’t see them. My boys have been amazing and I think my 7 year old is one of the most amazing human beings that I know. He loves his brother and dad and without a doubt knew something was wrong with his mom. He didn’t ask questions like others. He just let me read him stories and hugged me a lot. I will always respect him and am so happy to see him enjoy his life as a kid a lot more now that I am out and about a lot more. I have had an amazing friend Tanya, that I think at many points has saved my life, my marriage, and my dreams. She was an angel through the toughest part of my life yet (and I have been through lots of heart break).

Her relationship with God is based on being able to accept God’s plan for her and feeling that she can be open and honest, even being angry when praying. She hopes to find a church home where she can fit in, where there members who love her as she is.  “I believe in God’s ultimate plan and feel he is using me as a tool.”

I am limited but I choose to replace the world limitation with placement. God knows where he wants me and needs me. He can bring a positive out of a negative. I strongly believe that he can take my life and pain and use it for the greater good. Am I “limited” yes….you could say that but I also am forced to listen and be still. With that combination I can learn many things.

Right now Elizabeth has three major business projects going on. I am planning (with the help of some awesome moms the 1st Ever Mom and Baby Expo, a tweet-up on the beaches of Avalon and to jump start the summer and an effort with local hair salons to ship salon cut hair locally to New Orleans to help with the recent oil spill.

Get to know Elizabeth Norton better online and if you’re lucky enough, connect with her in Cape May, New Jersey. If you have a business that needs guidance working online, she’s someone you should talk to. If you have any type of health issue or disability or are going through a rough time in your life, look to Elizabeth for inspiration. Her words and her giving spirit are sure to get you on the right track to thinking positively.

You can find Elizabeth Norton here:

@Elizabeth_N
Cape May Moms
Golden Inn Resort
Party Planning Professor
Professor Of Play
ElizabethNorton.com
Www.beeclicked.com

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.

10 Little Things That Make Me Happier And Healthier

1. I decide to be happy. Although I can be miserable and complain about every ache and pain that I have, or worry about the chronic illnesses I have, I decide to be happy. I smile a lot and laugh.
2. Drinking water as my main beverage keeps me hydrated.
3. Stay busy. I am not able to work outside of my home, but I maintain 3 blogs and stay active on social networks because I enjoy it.
4. Eat at least one healthy meal a day. Most of the time I try for a healthy breakfast.
5. Enjoy a hobby. I love to read, stay involved with current events and play word games.
6. Move around. I don’t like the word “exercise” because it sounds like work to me! I walk the extra steps around my house to get from one place to the other. I stretch. I dance. I park far from the store and walk.
7. Act silly. (That’s easy for me.) I do things that strike my fancy and end up laughing at myself. It keeps my spirits up.
8. If I can’t eat fruit or vegetables, I drink juices made from them. I find juices that don’t have added sugar or preservatives.
9. I sleep when I feel tired. Since I have a lot of health problems, if my body tells me I need a nap, I take it.
10. Volunteer work helps me to put my life in perspective and feel good about myself.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Many of us with chronic illness or disability have undergone or were born with physical scars or abnormalities of some kind. Hopefully we have learned not to obsess over this, but to accept and embrace our looks. I have a very large scar on my chest due to major surgery. At first I considered having cosmetic surgery to cover it up, but now I look at it as a badge of honor because without it, I may not be alive today.

Now I’d rather obsess over fashion than my physical appearance. One of my vices is buying shoes. Yes, they have to be comfortable, but there’s no problem finding gorgeous shoes like flats from Kate Spade. Although I’d only wear them a few times a year, Michael Kors boots would do me a world of good too. They’d have me strutting!

Simply put, buying shoes and feeling good about how I dress is a lot cheaper than getting cosmetic surgery. It’s taken time to accept the way my body has changed, but all women’s bodies change as we age. Focus on being positive, building up self-esteem, finding new interests and cultivating personal relationships. And, If looking good includes buying new shoes, go for it. And don’t forget to shop safely online.

This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

When you’ve got a cold, or are in a flare up, or recovering from surgery,  you need some fun time to forget your woes. You may be stuck in bed or even the hospital but you can still do somethings to amuse yourself. Here are the Top Five Ways To Have Fun When You’re Sick:

1. Color – Be sure that you get a brand new box of crayons and a new coloring book. There’s nothing like the smell of Crayolas to bring a smile to your face. Don’t worry about coloring in the lines. Just go at it!
2. YouTube Videos – If you’re able to use a laptop, then just go to YouTube and watch the videos that people make themselves. Keep clicking around and laugh at the stupidity of people and what they’re actually willing to put online for everyone to see.  No computer? Watch some form of funny videos on TV. There’s tons of them now.
3. Talk Radio -  Find a talk radio station that has the most outlandish ideas about conspiracy theories or zombies and call in. Pretend to agree with the host and carry on like you’re having a normal conversation. Blame it on the meds.
4. Play With Toys – Pull out those old race cars, Barbies, Legos and play in bed. (Not that way.)
5. Hair and Make Up – If you feel up to it, play with your hairstyle and do something wild. Try some new shades of make-up that you haven’t used in a while. You too guys. Lots of girls love it. If you’re not up to it, let someone you love, help you out. Now that’s fun!

I just joined a group to help us prepare for Christmas. We are going to share idea on how to have a stress free holiday season. Last year Christmas was very rushed and things were done at the last minute. I ended up getting very sick because of feeling so uneasy. For the first time in years I didn’t have a home made Christmas Eve dinner and I didn’t send out Christmas cards.

Cards are very important to me because I only have my mother and aunt living close by. Finding just the right photo holiday cards tops off my Christmas to do list. At 123print.com there are so many bright and cheery cards to chose from. I was able to find both religious and Santa cards, my favorites. It’s easy to upload your photo and find what you want by category as well as folded or flat cards.

I’ll be sharing this with the group so we can get one of our to do items checked off the list and feel the stress release too.

This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Many people don’t know what it is like to live with Myasthenia Gravis because it is a rare disease. I’d like to shed some light into my life.

Since Myasthenia Gravis affects my muscles, I am often weak. Most often my symptoms begin with my eyes. Almost all of the time, my right eyelid droops. To people who don’t know me it may not be noticeable, but it is to me and my family and friends. It becomes noticeable if my symptoms worsen and there’s nothing that I can do about it. I then begin to feel like my forehead is drooping. You can’t see that, but it’s a pretty awful feeling. My speech can get slurred and I sound like I’m drunk. My head feels heavy, too heavy for my neck to hold it up.

If I get worse, my arms and legs then begin to feel very heavy. I often feel that I can’t move, especially walk. This doesn’t scare me any more, but it annoys me. I get very frustrated because I feel like I’m stuck in one place. I do have a scooter to use so if I feel strong enough, I can use it.

The worst symptoms for me is feeling like my throat is closing up. When I am extremely weak, this happens suddenly. This scares me a lot. It makes me feel like I’m choking. This will also happen for no reason in the middle of the night. I have to either get up myself or if I’m too weak, have my husband get some food (if I can swallow it) and my Mestinon. I also have trouble swallowing food sometimes and issues with breathing, especially when I move around a lot.

When I have a flare up, these symptoms are more constant, but on normal days, they do not happen very often. Being in the heat, getting stressed, being around chemical odors (even cleaning supplies) and just doing too much physically can set the symptoms off.

Life with Myasthenia Gravis, is not too bad because I know that most of the time my medication can control my symptoms. It may take some time for it to work, but it does work. If I need to have my medication dose changed, I can call my neurologist or go see him.

I haven’t been to the ER because of MG symptoms, also called a crisis, in years. I am grateful for what I am able to do and how my life is going right now.