Message from Jamie Holloway
For eleven years I have been learning to live well with chronic illness. It hasn’t been perfect. I haven’t always been successful at achieving my goals. It has been a chaotic, messy, learning experience that has made my life adventurous. I have learned a lot about how complicated, dangerous & even emotionally, spiritually & mentally draining living with several diagnoses is.
I am asked by my many doctors, nurses, caregivers, friends, family, strangers & store clerks how I have maintained my good attitude despite the many medical adventures, I have lived through, that might have left me feeling bitter, angry, broken & unforgiving. All I can say is, I made decisions & I followed through. One decision was to fight for me. Jesus fought for me so why shouldn’t I?
I also realized, I didn’t want my crawl through lifelong sickness, just for my own benefit. I wanted to be a wellness advocate & help those who are in the same predicament. I wanted to be one of the helpers that Mr. Roger’s speaks about. I do this by reminding myself that my attitude can help me navigate through the dark channels of chronic illness.
I am determined to say thank you to the doctors, nurses, caregivers, anyone who helps me. Showing gratitude reminds you that your life is not over just because you are sick. I say thank you & I mean it. I also decided that I didn’t want to become idle. I want to actually accomplish something, so I started writing.
I believe communicating my pain, needs, & being willing to listen as part of communication allows me to be able to be in a good relationship with my team. I have a good support system of family, friends, doctors, nurses, & caregivers who allow me to achieve many of the goals I have made. I am able to live in my home & able to keep on breathing, writing, reading & loving on my boy, Nicholas.
Since 2017 I have been an owner of Wellness Works NW. I serve as the Research Manager. I am a lead writer & my column is called Chasing Wellness.
Book Reviews
I love reading. This is one thing that keeps me busy and not feeling sorry for myself because I sometimes feel useless in my condition. I have enjoyed every book I have read, even if some of them weren’t my favorite. I enjoy the process of reading and reviewing books.
Read Jamie’s Latest Blog Posts…
Book Review: Believe It!
I listened to this book on Audible. A few months ago, I was part of Jamie Kern Lima’s book opening event on Facebook where she shared her book and other speakers on successfulness and self-care. I enjoyed it. I just finished reading her book. I must admit I...
Book Review: The Bookshop of Yesterdays
In 2021, one of my goals was to read more novel (fiction) instead of non-fiction. I had a habit of reading a ton of non-fiction books. I did not read very many fiction stories. The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson was a book that I purchased on Amazon,...
Book Review: Body Talk
I grew up hating my body. I was bigger than most girls. Not only did I weigh more but I was also taller. A lot of my friends felt that way about themselves. In Katie Sturino’s book Body Talk she talks about body shame and the unrealistic expectations from the...
Book Review: A Secret History of Witches
I have always been fascinating with researching the history of witches and the burnings they endured during the witch hunt times. Books whether fiction or non-fiction pique my interest. Louisa Morgan novel “A History of Witches” tells the story of 5 generations of...
Book Review: If the Shoe Fits
I enjoy reading serious novels when I choose to read one. In my latest, Once Upon a Book Club box I received a rom com novel that is written by Julie Murphy called If the Shoe Fits. She rewrites the Cinderella story. She has big curvy women as the romantic lead...
Book Review: Sunrise
One of the places on my travel bucket list is Alaska. I want to see the glaciers, the polar bears, the mountains, the mushing dogs, and the majestic scenery. I also want to see the whales and penguins. In Susan May Warren’s new book Sunrise, she takes you on an...
Book Review: The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water
Warning: This book deals with sexual assault and molestation. These might be a trigger subject for a few readers. When I saw the title of this book I was intrigued and wanted to read. I bet you can see why I wanted to. This book is about a writer, who...
Book Review: a Heart Adrift
If you enjoy reading historical fiction, then A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz is a book for you. Set in the 1700’s and a lady chocolatier and a ship captain fall in love and go through heartache and redemption in this book. I like Frantz writing style and the...
Focus Word For 2022: Recovery
Happy New Year! It’s 10:30 New Years Eve as I am writing this post. I am having a quiet day. I slept a lot because I started CellCept yesterday and it has made my body tired. This is one of many side effects of this medication. The side effects list is huge and if I...
My Year of Intentional
I am having a hard time fathoming that this is the last month of the year. That in a few short weeks will be the end of 2021. It is time for me to review my year. I chose the word Intentional. I chose the word intentional because my heart hurt after all the election...