Focus on medicine side effects

When you see your family members or your children acting different, you should not always assume they are being crazy. Their behavior can be caused by side effects from medicine.

A lot of times, people may not want to know there is a reason, but if you stop and think about how you know the person, you should ask yourself if this is behavior that is common, or if it is new. If it is new, you should bring it to their attention to see if they understand it, and a majority of the time, they don’t understand it. At that time, they should talk to their doctor to see if it might be side effects from the medicine they are taking.   

I discovered an issue with side effects because my behavior was changing, so I went to my doctor. You have to be straight with your doctor, so they have a better understanding of what is going on. They may want to look at changing the medicine, or increasing or decreasing the dosage to see if that helps.  

 Try to be with the person when they go to the doctor, because often, they can be as firm and straight with the doctor, because they may be able to fill in some details that the person was unable to relate. I have been having trouble when I go to the doctor without my mom. I have been using my supports from the agency that works with me, and it helps to have an advocate.

Until next time…

Alyssa

Watching out for yourself.

 

Have you ever felt that someone is forcing you to be different, or do something you don’t want to do? 

When we get put in that situation, it’s best to say, “I don’t want to be involved”.   

A lot of times, though, people feel trapped if the person sounds bossy, or too firm, the other person may feel less comfortable saying “No!” Often we are going to be put in this position, so sometimes we need to practice saying “NO”, firmly.  If we don’t get to say “no” firmly, that is how we may be taken advantage of. I have experienced it, and it is not easy to get out of, once you are put in the situation.   

If you feel like people are going to be taking advantage of you, you might want to talk to someone you trust, because they will be able to give you advice on how to get out of the situation, and stay out of it.  The trick is, that we get caught up in our lives, but often don’t stand to see where we are. So, when we do, sometimes you find you are much further away than you need to be.  That’s what saying no is all about, to keep you on track. 

I know that it’s harder if you are at your job, than if you are at home, but you still always have the right to say "no."

Until next time…

Alyssa

Focusing on what's out there.

It seems that during this Spring season, there are a lot of germs in the air, and people are getting different illnesses. 

A lot of times, people are afraid to speak out about being sick because they may hear negative responses, like " We're doing all we can." The importance about opening up about our body is to keep track of what is going on, and then to be able to notice when something's not right, like side effects of medicines. 

I got myself into a tight situation at work, after falling while working outside, and having a hard time getting up. I kept working, and tried to tell people I didn't feel well, but they didn't listen. One of my coworkers spoke up for me, and said I was serious, then they listened. 

The point I want to make is:  opening up also means to express what you are feeling with your body. People need to respect and listen because it could be serious. We also need to follow up with our doctor often to keep up with our body. 

I say that everyone, disabled or not, has a right to speak up and speak out about what is on their mind. A lot of times when people do speak up, a lot of ignorance goes on, and I want to see more people being heard,because often times families don't find out until you get hurt. 

The bottom line is that people need to open up, and the rest of us need to listen harder.

After while crocodile!

Alyssa

Respect and Understanding: A message to the real world.

Every once in a while, everyone wakes up and is unsure what they want to do that day.

When that happens, I find it is best to write a list of things you can do, then decide if they have to be done that day, or if they can be put off. One of the things I notice is that a lot of times, people like to procrastinate, and that, I find very disturbing. 

If the person is doing something they need to do, that is all that matters. Yet, we hear a lot of judging and that gets in the way of a lot of people’s emotions, especially people who need help. 

I went through a process this week where I was having questions at work and people would answer me with things like, “You’ve been here for 12 years, you should know how to do that.” Or, “Use common sense!” 

We need to be more understanding and listen to people who ask questions, because whatever it sounds like to you, it is still important to them. 

Being understanding and listening are two very important goals toward guiding people. Like, if you don’t want your child to smoke, you should not smoke in front of them. This takes practice, so it is important if you can, to start doing it with them early in a relationship. I want to stress that people do that, because in my case, being heard is very important. I sometimes have a tendency to ask too many questions if I am not told that they understand, sometimes I don’t know they understand.

Have a good day,

Alyssa

The importance of listening.

I want to talk a little about listening to people. 

I was at work, fell while I was outside, due to a problem with my balance. No one was around to assist me, so I had to try to get up on my own.  I eventually got up and went inside my workplace and tried to tell co-workers and supervisors that I wasn’t feeling well. 

My supervisors listened to me, but my coworkers thought I was playing a game. Eventually an accident happened and I had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. It wasn’t until the accident happened that people took me seriously, therefore, I felt like I was being treated as a child.

When people tell their parents or teachers something that may sound silly to them, don’t assume that they are playing games. For the person who has disabilities, that is an important message to get out; they need to be heard. I think listening is a big way to help their confidence.

Thank you for listening to my blog. 

 Alyssa

Spring is here...and challenges too.

The beginning of Spring was late, weather wise. 

Due to that, it's going to be hard on food processing, which will make it hard for us to get some of the good we need. I've done some activities this week. I went to a birthday party, I met a couple of new people from CIF (Center for Independent Futures in Evanston where I live) that are new to the community I belong to. 

I am going to try harder to go to some CIF activities if it doesn't affect my work schedule. 

When we are looking for jobs, we want to be sure to find one that has a set, or steady schedule, one that gives you more than one week's notice at a time, and that you can work the same days and times each week. The reason I haven't participated in activities is mainly due to my work schedule, which means I can't always make plans in advance. 

Allergy symptoms and other health issues can also play a role in making plans. We want to have jobs, but part of life is taking whatever we can get sometimes. I am going to be going on vacation next month to Boulder, Colorado, to see all the mountains, and visit my brother and his family. 

Until next  time, stay positive! 

Hello again. I am glad to be back.

I decided to take a break during the winter months, and I am happy to be back!

This winter turned out to be a journey, and it has affected me in many ways.

Cold weather and medicine are not a good combination due to side effects. It was very cold and wet for close to 7 months. I discovered I have a balance problem, which has required going through physical therapy.  I'm now trying to keep myself motivated to do the exercises at home, on my own.

Besides that, it has been hard to get to work due to all of the snow and ice this winter, I've had to allow more time to get around. Winter can make it hard on people with disabilities, who already have problems getting around, the added time can add up. It's important to keep track of our responsibilities, and keep working at it, because it will eventually make you stronger at doing things independently.

I will write more again soon. Happy Spring!