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: Shadows at Dusk
I enjoyed reading Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard. For one, it is a mystery set in Alaska and Montana. Second, it had a close sibling relationship, where a brother looked for his lost sister. I will let you discover what happened to her. You will not be...
Book Review: Against the Wind
I enjoy reading books with strong women characters. Again the Wind by Amanda Cabot is one of these books. Louisa, is a doctor during a time period when women were not respected or valued or even had jobs outside of the home. The storyline is really good and it...
Book Review: On Moonberry Lake
“On Moonberry Lake” by Holly Varni is about a woman named Cora who does not have a good relationship with her mother. Her mom dies and leaves her, she believes her grandparents lodge at Moonberry Lake with condition that she has to live there for a year. Turns...
Book Review: Lost and Found
“Lost and Found” is about a man name Micah who is head over heels in love with a girl who runs away from their Amish community. And another girl who is in love with Micah. The two girls are sisters. This story is a love triangle that is painful and has a good...
Updates and Musings
I have been lazy this year with my blog in just doing book reviews and not writing much on my journey with healing from Sepsis and relearning my life and routines and making new life habits for myself. I will start with the one good thing that I am happy about. I have...
Book Review: Blessed In This Mess
“Blessed in the Mess” by Joyce Meyer blew me away. She always does. All her books have one theme in them, God works through the power of your mind. He changes your life and relationships and etc through your mind. Your mind controls your attitude, your hopes,...
Book Review: The Inkwell Chronicles Race to Krakatoa
I have been enjoying reading children’s books. I know, I’m a grown woman and I am reading a book for an 8 year old. They are fun, colorful, and they take me to a time when I used to read all the time and make up movies in my mind. The Inkwell Chronicles: Race...
Book Review: Lucky Girl
My entire life I have been disabled in some form or another. When I was a freshman in high school I had my Achilles tendons stretched and I had casts on both legs for half a year. My legs and feet have always been affected by this including now. Reading...
Book Review: The Peach Seed
I have been stuck in a novel that I have won off of Goodreads called “The Peach Seed” by first time author Anita Gail Jones. This is an intense history of one family and how this one carving went through generations, an ancestor carved it out of a peach seed...
Book Review: Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
This year I have been reading more children’s books than I have ever in my life. I have some great nephews that will be born at the end of September and December and then one that was born May over a year ago. I love having these books available for me to give...