Struggling

Please indulge me, as I need to rant a little bit..

Today started out as a good one. My dad came up to Vermont for the weekend to attend an awards dinner I was being honored at, so we got to spend a lot of much-needed time together. This afternoon we got lunch and Ben & Jerry’s, and then took a nice walk around Burlington before we parted ways. It was such a great day, but right now I feel so shitty. I don’t know why, but I fell into a deep low about an hour ago and still can’t get out of it. I don’t know whether I want to cry or just go numb. It doesn’t help that I have a ten page paper to write by tomorrow, either..

I’m not sure why I feel this way; it could be any number of things. This Wednesday is the one year anniversary of my being admitted into treatment for my eating disorder, and I have been thinking about that a lot, and what that means. I have come a long way in terms of my recovery and behavior modifications, but the mental stuff is a little harder to shake. I still have problems with body image, and the lymphedema affects that a lot. Having a swollen leg makes me feel like less of a person sometimes, like I’m not deserving of any attention because I’m grotesque, not normal, not perfect. I know, I know.. “nobody’s perfect”.. but hearing that doesn’t make me feel any better.

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In a “mood”

Hello, lymphies..

I’m in what I like to call “a mood” tonight, where I feel particularly down-and-out. I’ve been feeling a little depressed these couple days, and to top it all off, I started to look through pictures of people affected by lymphedema and it just got me even more upset. I worry that I don’t do enough to manage mine, and that it will get worse over the years. I’m scared by the hopelessness of it, and the permanence. I’m scared of the future with this condition.

What do you do when you’re feeling particularly low about your condition? How can I cheer up? :(

I found this picture on the internet, and it makes me feel a little better. It’s a nice little mantra to repeat to yourself during particularly tough times, and one that I’m going to try to live & learn:

Be well, and good night <3