MSI Press Blog

Excerpt from  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness  (Charnas) -- Tip #2 (Oh, Say) Every Wednesday I flex my work schedule and arrive at 8:00 a.m. at the Naval Hospital where I’m employed. I should be sitting at my desk by eight o’clock, but more often than not, I’m running a few minutes late, scurrying across the large medical complex toward my office. Each morning the national anthem plays over the loudspeaker at oh-eight hundred. Protocol requires all people outdoors to cease what they’re doing and face the flag. Some of us stand at attention. Others salute. I like to place my hand over my heart. There are always two thoughts running through my mind at this time: “Darn, I’m going to be late again” and “This is so lovely, I should make an effort to do it every morning.” Standing at attention for the few minutes required to listen to the “Star Spangled Banner” serves as a reflective moment. It forces me to be still, pay attention, and remember the purpose of my day.   I’

   Excerpt from  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness  (Charnas) -- Tip #1. CALL ME DADDY   When I visit New York City, I usually stop by Levain Bakery on West 74 th street to buy their amazing chocolate chip cookies. The storefront is down a flight of steps and occupies a space the size of two coffins. Previously, this had never been an issue. But when visiting the city last October, every time I passed the bakery I saw people lined up for ten yards outside. On my last day of the trip, despite the cold weather and long lines, I decided to buy a couple of cookies. Several middle-aged women wearing transit uniforms stood in front of me in line. I asked them why the store suddenly had such long waits, and they explained that it now had a Facebook page.    The three transit workers and I chatted briefly as we tried to stay warm in the frigid air. One of the ladies, Darlene, had never eaten a cookie from the bakery before. Fed up with the wait, she declared to her friend,

  excerpt from 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness (Charnas) -- Chapter 3. FACING SETBACKS   Tip #22. MOVIES FIRST   On a recent Saturday morning, I desperately wanted to go to the movies, but I had a long list of chores and errands I’d convinced myself I should finish first. I often worry that if I don’t accomplish tasks when I plan them, they won’t be done in time. That morning I decided they all could wait. Sometimes when you live with chronic illness and its complex demands, you need to step back from the daily grind of managing your illness and simply enjoy life. After the bargain matinee, I left the theater ready to face my long list of chores. When we don’t relax or take time to enjoy our lives when we’re able to, we run the risk of losing out on some of life’s pleasures, which are already frequently circumscribed by illness. Creating balance between what we must do to remain functional and enjoying our lives is a constant challenge. Don’t forget to do w

  From the author’s point of view, there is probably little of overwhelming significance. The author had maintained a blog in the wake of the publication of her book, Living Well with Chronic Illness, a well-received book. After a couple of years, she came to me, the publisher of that book, with the suggestion of organizing these blog posts and putting them into book format. (Nothing super-exciting in this, either. Many authors try to do this with their blog posts.) From the publisher’s point of view, many authors do indeed try to turn their blog posts into books simply by downloading them into a manuscript. This rarely works, and we would not be interested in such a book. However, Joanna organized these in ways that were easy for readers to access. She put thought into the publication, and, as a professional in the field, she knew what blog posts would be of most help to readers interested in the topic. So, she came to us with a pretty solid proposal. Based on that and the fact that h

  Today's daily excerpt comes from 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness by Joanna Charnas.  11.  A SLICE OF CANINE HEAVEN             When Emme died, I struggled to find the right words of condolence for her owner, my colleague Matt. I finally told him that rarely are my expectations of great things completely fulfilled, but my day with Emme exceeded my hopes and was a joy. Emme was a 170-pound Great Dane who spent one hot summer day, per Matt, “babysitting” me when I was homebound with a sinus infection. I’d been sick in June with a similar illness, and when I returned to work, Matt offered to bring Emme to my home the next time I felt ill. He knew I loved Great Danes but couldn’t own one because of my chronic illness. So, during my second week-long bout that summer with sinus issues, I gave Matt a call. At six-thirty the next day, he arrived with Emme and the largest dog bed I’d ever seen.  After an hour of anxiously checking my front door, Emme settled in. She was th

 In honor of Caturday, we are sharing a picture of Joanna Charnas's foster failure. It probably is difficult to give up a foster cat -- one gets attached. To get a better understanding about Joanna, read her book, A Movie Lover's Search for Romance .  A diverting and informative story of searching for love in mid-life by a divorced social worker, who intertwines entertaining stories of successful love interests with well-known movies containing similar plots and themes. Written as diary entries covering a 15-year period, the author shares openly, in detail, and with insights her experiences with dating, friendships, affairs, and relationships. Written candidly with a light hand and turns of phrase that reflect her personality and make the book hard to put down. Joanna has also written award-winning non-fiction about coping with chronic illness. Check out: Managing chronic illness demands constant mindfulness and management. It’s a process that constantly evolves over a lifetime

  Read our book review clips. Excerpts from reviews all (well, as many as we can find) in one place; right here, with links., so you can read the whole review. From Library Journal an encouraging read From US Review of Books ... accessible narrative is written from the heart, filled with sensible guidance from someone who understands how to strengthen and manage the mental aspects over the body’s limitations. From Amazon Easy to read, in short segments a great book Wise advice for any reader. Fun and inspiring read. From Splash Magazine tips anyone can use From NYC Tech Mommy You have no idea how much I needed to read Joanna’s words at this very moment. From Goodreads Will use this as a helping tool for when we have bad days. Thank you so much Joanna 🙂 For more posts about Joanna and her books, click HERE .                     

11. A Slice of Canine Heaven  When Emme died, I struggled to find the right words of condolence for her owner, my colleague Matt. I finally told him that rarely are my expectations of great things completely fulfilled, but my day with Emme exceeded my hopes and was a joy. Emme was a 170-pound Great Dane who spent one hot summer day, per Matt, “babysitting” me when I was homebound with a sinus infection. I’d been sick in June with a similar illness, and when I returned to work, Matt offered to bring Emme to my home the next time I felt ill. He knew I loved Great Danes but couldn’t own one because of my chronic illness. So, during my second week-long bout that summer with sinus issues, I gave Matt a call. At six-thirty the next day, he arrived with Emme and the largest dog bed I’d ever seen.  After an hour of anxiously checking my front door, Emme settled in. She was the most obedient animal I’d ever encountered. She jumped on the couch to cuddle on command. She placed her head

13. Body Beautiful   After three months of sitting on the couch and bingewatching Grey’s Anatomy, funked out, combined with holiday overeating and two months of illness, I gained ten pounds. I had just enough work clothes to make it through the week. In the mirror, I saw a small watermelon nestled just below my rib cage. I kept thinking, this isn’t good, but I’m not allowed to catastrophize. I will lose the weight eventually. This fluctuation in weight is common for many women in their 50s and 60s. I have several friends who gain and lose fifteen pounds routinely. I thought, under no circumstances am I allowed to hate my body. So I didn’t. I tried to combine my limited work wardrobe in creative ways. My colleagues complimented me. I worried that I would be less attractive, but both a previous and a current paramour let me know this wasn’t an issue. I struggled, failing week in and week out to lose the ten pounds. I repeated: you are only allowed to love your body. Eventually I

Just up! Managing Editor, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, and Graphic Designer/Tech Director, Carl Leaver, traveled to San Diego, California in February. While there, they met with author, Joanna Charnas, author of three books, and conducted an interview on each book. Listen to the podcast  about 100 Tips & Tools for Managing Chronic Illness on our podcast page on our website by clicking  HERE . Take a look at Joanna's three books: 100 Tips & Tools for Managing Chronic Illness Living Well with Chronic Illness A Movie Lover's Search for Romance (to be released in July)