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spoonieironman

• Spoonie & Patient Advocate
• Chronic Illness BA 🤒💪
• Triathlete 🏊🚵🏃🏅
• Dogs 🐶
• Financial Adviser 📈
👇 New Website - The Spoonie Ironman

#dollypartonchallenge - Did I do it right? - - -

Let us always remember one of the greatest minds t

Let us always remember one of the greatest minds that ever lived and one that paved the way for amazing change.

Enjoying the snow day with a sleepy pup and some w

Enjoying the snow day with a sleepy pup and some work.

I can't get enough of this dog. If you broke into

I can't get enough of this dog. If you broke into my phone, about 95% of pictures would be of her.⠀
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With that said, I hope she can see. She still has a while until her spa day on 1/29.

Self-Care Post!⠀ - - - ⠀ While I don't believe

Self-Care Post!⠀
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While I don't believe in year-long resolutions, I do believe in intentions and the actions behind those intentions. In my mind, resolutions are too mentally exhausting and set a person up for failure. As soon as there is a speed bump and we go off track, we believe that we've failed and before you know it we've given up. ⠀
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But with intentions, there is more flexibility. It allows us to have speed bumps, maybe fall off track but then make up for it. With less pressure, we're more likely to succeed and overcome any challenges or slips along the way. ⠀
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So for 2020, my intention is to attend 52 yoga classes to clear mental space and improve my health. I've heard for years how it can improve my triathlon training and health with chronic illness.⠀
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Currently, I'm 3 classes in and I'm already starting to feel a difference. Every Sunday I attend a 75-minute long yoga class at my club to center my mind, breathing, and reset my body. My only thought is why I didn't start this sooner because IT'S WORKING.⠀
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Now I just have to continue to follow my intentions for 2020.

The @Navage4Life system might be a game-changer an

The @Navage4Life system might be a game-changer and I've only had it for half a day! *This post is not sponsored* ⠀
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Living with a chronic illness isn't easy, and with any illness comes a host of other problems. Since my immune system is down all the time due to the biologics I take, this means I am more susceptible to simple infections, like sinus infections. But when a Spoonie gets an infection, it's normally at an entirely different level. ⠀
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Since the beginning of August, I haven't been able to breathe well at all. After fighting through my 70.3 Half Ironman this year, I was correctly diagnosed with roaring sinus infection. This caused me to go off my biologic, which then caused my Crohn's, arthritis, and asthma to all come back as well.⠀
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This lead me to research ways I can limit the number of sinus infections since I get multiple a year (thankfully never this bad). I found a few systems, but nothing like Navage. So much so, that I was beyond excited when it arrived yesterday. Yes, that excited for a nasal care system. Life of an adult and Spoonie. ⠀
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I've only used the Navage system twice, once last night and once this morning, AND IT'S INCREDIBLE. Not only can I breathe again, but I can also see how it will keep my nasal passages clear and clean, limiting the number of sinus infections I get, and improving my health throughout the year. ⠀
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Best part, this is only the beginning. I'm under the assumption that with time, it will begin to help my nasal passages even more and I will be able to breathe even happier. ⠀
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Thanks, Navage for allowing me to use my nose again and improve my overall health.

I will never get tired of watching these two play.

I will never get tired of watching these two play. Especially when they take the cuteness to another level like they did here.

Day 7 of IBD Awareness Week - One of the hardest p

Day 7 of IBD Awareness Week - One of the hardest parts of being an IBD advocate is all of the misinformation I see. While Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Week should be a time for our community to educate the world about our illness, there are people who are still spreading incorrect information. We have to do better. We have to learn about our own illness from credible sources. We have to put in the work to understand what our body is really going through.

Starting to think about snow and the fact it’s b

Starting to think about snow and the fact it’s been a couple of years since I’ve gone skiing. Hopefully this year I’ll get back on “two sticks and slide on ice/snow” as my mother says.

Cuddling up with her baby sloth to stay warm.

Cuddling up with her baby sloth to stay warm.

I know you aren't paying attention to this post fo

I know you aren't paying attention to this post for me, but more for my dog Aspen. ⠀
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With that being said, it's day 3 of IBD Awareness Week. It's hard not to reflect back around this time of year on how Crohn's disease has impacted my life. It's also hard to believe how it's turned around. Don't ever quit. Do what you can. You never know where it might take you.

#IBDAwarenessWeek Day 2. Crohn's disease has impac

#IBDAwarenessWeek Day 2. Crohn's disease has impacted my life in a variety of ways. It's taught me so much and gave me strength. It's also showed me how tough life can be and how low it can get. #IBDvisible

IBD is an invisible chronic illness in most cases

IBD is an invisible chronic illness in most cases to the eye. Today starts Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis awareness week. For 7 days from Dec 1st - 7th the IBD community will be making #IBDvisible. Join us to help raise IBD awareness.

The advice we get as Spoonies is priceless! What’s some of the advice or tips you’ve gotten over the years?
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In all seriousness, I know others are just trying to help and don’t take the time to educate themselves. When this happens, I try to just focus on the fact they care enough to want to help.

When Aspen naps, she naps hard! #playhardplayhardl

When Aspen naps, she naps hard! #playhardplayhardlifebalance

I try to take in all the little things life can gi

I try to take in all the little things life can give us. Like an unexpected aerial view of my hometown on a flight home. I quickly grabbed my phone and snapped this picture.
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After a long and stressful day, it took my mind off the challenges I faced traveling.
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Stamford, CT looks pretty good from above at dusk.

NEW BLOG POST: A Traveling Spoonie - Anxiety Never

NEW BLOG POST: A Traveling Spoonie - Anxiety Never Goes Away. Link in bio!⠀
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This past week I traveled for a panel I spoke on for IBD and since my health has not been well, it brought back all of the nerves that come when traveling with a chronic illness.

While this trip to Chicago was extremely busy and

While this trip to Chicago was extremely busy and I didn’t get a chance to explore as much as I wanted to, it’s was still nice to be in this city.
With that being said, this trip posed a few health challenges which made it a little harder with the anxiety that came with it. Blog post to come soon.

On a scale of 1-100, how tired is Aspen? 💯

On a scale of 1-100, how tired is Aspen? 💯

Roll Call! Tag someone you know who is making prog

Roll Call! Tag someone you know who is making progress!

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