Top Ten Social HealthMakers for Hepatitis C
I was recently honored by being named me one of the Top Ten Social HealthMakers for Hepatitis C. Seriously? I thought it was a spam email and asked a friend to check it out. So I ended up accepting and the next thing I knew the picture that my granddaughter took of me in her living room was posted on Dr. Oz website. She could not believe it either. I had to show her. My mama and daddy would have loved to see me beat the virus and start the Best Friend’s site and Hepatitis C blog. Daddy would have said, “I’m prouder than all Get Out!” and Mama would have said it was only right and that my website did not have to be “High Falootin” to be named in the Top Ten Social HealthMaker. I feel excited – and humbled. Maybe the side effect of brain fog from Cirrhosis has not wiped me out totally.
My Best Friend’s Guide to Hepatitis C is, well… it’s our blog. If you have been on the site much, you know that I talk to my friends (YOU) about our journey through Hepatitis C diagnosis, treatment, and the liver damage that we can incur. I sit here on my little 3 acre farm in Oklahoma and type out very personal details of my life in hopes that it will help you to feel encouraged – less afraid. Part of the reason I began putting my journals on here was to leave something behind for my girls to read in case I did not make it. I wanted them to remember something about me and the battle I had fought to stay alive.
For real: I feel like it is just you and me sitting down and talking about how you can make life the best it can possibly be – Spirit, Mind, and Body. I asked my sis to look at my sight and she said it was hard for someone who has not gone through it to understand, but she was proud of me. Translate: She and my other sis were happy that I was not calling them to discuss every lab result and symptom, but spent my time writing to you instead. By the way, I talk about you like I know you. I have met many of you through our messages and comments. Well .… I do know you because we share a common bond of HCV.
Anyway, I felt like a thank you or an acknowledgement was in order, and began this blog post. All I could come up with was the top ten reasons I probably should NOT have been on the list. You know I am not being self-deprecating. That’s not my style. I believe in self love and awareness. But there are a lot of people more deserving than me who could have taken slot number 7 in the Top Ten Social HealthMaker for Hepatitis C lineup.
Here are my Top Ten Reasons that I probably should NOT have been picked:
I0. I write like I talk. Chatty, run-on sentences rule in the Best Friend’s kingdom. Some days the words pour out and I hit publish before edit. Oh, and remember? I’m an English teacher. Haha. I put up the red pen when I talk to you though.
9. My Liver Loving Recipe pics are so unprofessional. My kitchen counter needs to be replaced. Heck, most of the time I do not even wash it because of the rush to eat what I just made. The light bulb makes everything look jaundiced. I take pics on my phone and hit upload. How embarrassing.
8. My Liver Loving Recipes drop down is a hot mess. And what’s up with the new number 2 Recipe menu? I messed up and so… I created a second menu. Because I can. I have a college student who began to help me clean up my site. He said it was so tangled up that it will take a looong time. He even hinted that I should slow down posts so he can work on it. Nope. Not happening. But let me remind you that nutrition does work, so please do NOT discount the recipes for low sodium dishes.
7. My personal taste in youtube videos range from plumb crazy to deeply spiritual lyrics. Some of the links get broken and I am clueless until one of you messages me. I try and fix them fast. Obviously some of my Best Friends are plumb crazy too. (Eyebrows raised)
6. The Plight of the Passwords. Running a website, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and all the other stuff requires me to have a LOT of username/password combinations. I started out organized and wrote them down. I lost the paper. (Wince)
5. Ain’t nobody got time for that! (Yes, Sweet Brown is from Tulsa too) Most of my blogs and pages are written while dealing with insomnia. I work all day and try and spend evenings with my family. So I think, write, and post a couple of time a week. I might post zero blogs the next week. I have brain fog. One morning I read a post and did NOT remember writing it. I love you. You forgive me and read it anyway. Haha! Cause YOU have brain fog too!
4. It is a “Come As You Are Party”. When I sit down to talk with you, (You know what I mean – posting a blog, right?) my bare feet are either curled up under me, or if they are swollen, they are propped up on a chair next to the computer. I am in my yoga pants or sweats with little or no make-up on. Just chillin like a villain with my friends. Classy.
3. I talk about my personal life drama. Names are not used to protect the innocent. I tell the truth about Riba Rage, caregiver woes, and pity parties. I tell the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hey, we all have that stuff in our lives.
2. I talk about weird side effects – in detail. No one wants to know where we itch. The people in our lives get tired of hearing about what is aching, numb, or swollen. But on this site? It’s ALL out there. WE know what is going on and we care enough to share it.
1. I am just me. Now the tears started. Sigh. We all got this lousy diagnosis with the Hepatitis C Virus. We all got scared, mad, and life became chaotic. We have spent every dime we’ve got trying to get better. We are just people who are fighting for a chance to live. We want information. We want to make good choices. We are just who we are. You know what? Maybe the number 1 reason is WHY I got put on that list.
See, Dr. Oz saw patients just like us who got on the internet for information. He encouraged folks to educate themselves about what is going on with their body, but was concerned if they were misinformed. He started the Sharecare.org website because he wanted to help everyone to live a lifestyle that would prevent disease. He thought that Sharecare would make it easier for them to make the right choices for their health.
I like what Dr. Oz said about the internet: “We are in the midst a renaissance of medical knowledge.” He realized the educational power of the internet and started a website to provide responsible, accurate, and clear information from many different viewpoints. That is why ShareCare includes the nation’s top hospitals, medical experts, commercial brands of medicine, and even bloggers to join the conversation. They all partner to answer questions because people have a right to get good answers for their health needs. I’ve been a member of his Daily Strength forum since before I started treatment. I keep losing the password.
The Best Friend’s Guide to Hepatitis C reminds us all that I am not an expert. But I have survived and I do my homework. That allows me to point you to the best resources for the most honest and positive information out there. I am still excited, humbled, and even surprised. I think the Sharecare group picked sites that get so many “clicks” to win. That means that you are reading, feeling at home, and getting help at www.ihelpc.com. That is all that really matters. When you have faced the end of life, it becomes clear that love and comfort is everything. Thank you dear bff for helping our site to get this honor. Daddy used to also say, “Keep the faith baby, and we’re all gonna share in the gravy”. We’ll share our Top Ten Social HealthMaker status, and every other victory we win. Your bff, Karen:)
Here is the link to the site: http://www.sharecare.com/static/top-ten-social-healthmakers-hepatitis-c
Top Ten Social HealthMakers for Hepatitis C
pics via sadderbutwiser.wordpress.com, Dr. Oz, Sharecome.com
