A Better Way Not Just Another

How to Navigate Endometriosis in an Unhealthy Medical System – Part 3: Post-Surgery Disappointment & Symptom Management

This tripartite series is dedicated to those exhausted by mulish medical issues. Part 1 demystified the diagnosis dilemma; Part 2 provided time-saving tips for health insurer evasion and brought order to medical bill madness. In Part 3, we’ll explore post-surgery disappointment and symptom management. At the first postoperative visit after my endometriosis surgery, the surgeon …

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A Better Way Not Just Another

How to Navigate Endometriosis in an Unhealthy Medical System – Part 2: Health Insurer Evasion & Medical Bill Madness

Preparing for medical costs and correcting errant medical bills shouldn’t be a full-time job. I’ll provide tips to navigate the process, so you can save inordinate amounts of time. After: I can empathize with medical bill madness. Even with multiple calls, escalations and diligent documentation, my health insurer and providers caused me to fall into …

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A Better Way Not Just Another

How to Navigate Endometriosis in an Unhealthy Medical System – Part 1: Diagnosis Dilemma

Is any of the following familiar? If any of these exasperating experiences are familiar, in this series, I offer empathy and tips to navigate an unhealthy medical system. In part 1, I discuss diagnosis hurdles and empowering, experience-based propellors to clarity. In upcoming posts, I’ll focus on easing health insurer and medical bill uncertainties, as …

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A Better Way

Thrifty Ways to Use Natural, Personal Care Products

Save money, save space, and you may save your health.  This week, my content detours. Through substantial time and effort, I’ve discovered ways to simultaneously improve my wallet and health, while minimizing the number of products in my home. I couldn’t resist sharing successful (at least, for me), nontoxic options to help you avoid the …

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A Better Way Not Just Another

Mirror, Mirror

App, app on my phone, like my pic, so I can hear a nice tone. Those likes and, less so for me, the mirror, whisper a tempting idea: it’s not entirely hopeless to strive to be fairer than I actually am. Fairer seems to equal more attention, acceptance and influence. Women put their looks to …

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A Better Way

Is Christianity Compatible with Self-Help?

Self-help is a self-sought, self-taught and self-implemented solution. Following Christ, unlike any other remedy, philosophy or religion, is the lasting foundation to help yourself — every day, with any problem. Only Christ offers fearless pursuit of reality and freedom to change.  The Subtle Misrepresentation of Self-help, in its Purist Form: Trusting in Yourself Marketers’ mantra …

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A Better Way The Single Life

For Jane

Sometimes, what you don’t have the courage to say haunts you. My vocal cowardice creeks and wakes me. I’ve woken to a nagging, uninvited guest, but I knew the outline of its misshapen face. My passive silence etched its ugly features, which, although air, somehow revealed the solid form of my own weakness.  Perhaps, my …

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A Better Way Not Just Another

Mary and the Unplanned

For some, the holiday season is gray. The season’s brightness casts shadows we hoped time had erased. Its glow reminds us the shadow’s original is real. What causes life to dim may still be with you. I’ll go first. My life plans, well, haven’t gone as planned. Passing time seems to parallel growing distance from …

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A Better Way

The Loss Exclusion

In this life, is there anything we can hold on to? Aren’t material things conditional? They eventually depreciate or decay. Anyone’s possessions can be taken or destroyed, although it’s harder for some versus others. Death is guaranteed. Depressing, right? Why am I even writing about this? Hang with me, because when loss seems to be …

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A Better Way

Is Following God Like Following Waze?

Too irreverent a comparison? Consider this.  Waze Helps Save Time in Every Day Traffic If you haven’t used Waze, it’s a community navigation tool.  Nearby drivers add traffic data, and Waze uses the input to guide you on the fastest route. It may direct you on questionable routes. The neighborhoods are unfamiliar, or the path …

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