by Jamie Holloway | Jan 1, 2013 | Auto-immune, Exhilarating People, The Magnificent Journey
I took a break from blogging on the last day of the year. I wanted to spend time with my longtime friend whose birthday it was. We first celebrated by driving in the snow to Ridgefield, Washington to Myrtle’s Tea House. What a beautiful service they provide and...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 29, 2012 | Auto-immune, Exhilarating People, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
As I flipped my mattress on my bed I realized that I just did too much. Strange how something so simple can cause me to get so out of breathe that I have to sit down and rest. Thankfully my caregiver was here. I like the fact that he allows me to try to be independent...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 27, 2012 | Auto-immune, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
I started a big project to coincide with my myfitnesspal. I have a pininterest account and I have been spending the last year pinning healthy recipes that I find from Oprah, WebMD, and Eat Better America on my board called Good Eats. I have also pinned from other...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 24, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
Walking down the hallway towards the rec room I felt my body communicating its struggle to breathe, heart racing, difficulty in getting oxygen in the lungs as I moved my body, and a slower than usual pace all leads me to the conclusion that my inflammation is back...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 21, 2012 | Auto-immune, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
“You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered down, occasional hope that you’ll get to tomorrow. I intend to start exercising. I intend to get my desk in order; I intend to change my eating habits. Intention without...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 20, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
Wednesday morning I went to the Legacy Good Samaritan to get an Echo Cardiogram done of my heart. I got to see and hear my own heart, what an experience that was. I woke up with not wanting to get up. I wanted to stay curled up in my bed sleeping with my cat. I forced...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 18, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
“I now know what it is to feel as vulnerable as a human being can feel. I was ready to become dependent on others’ care, which, for someone as independent as I am, was no comfort. Having to say if this what I must accept, so be it, can feel like chewing glass, but not...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 16, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
I had an opportunity to view my timeline on Face Book. It opened my eyes to the fact that I had been through a lot in 2012. Six surgeries, getting a caregiver, learning to live with a trach and then a t-tube in my throat, doing the Christmas Angel Telethon, and...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 15, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
Another step towards my healing I am wearing a turquoise blue heart monitor. The reason you may be wondering is because when I had my chemo treatment on November 13th, 2012 a month ago to be exact. I started having heart palpitations and went to the ER. I remember...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 2, 2012 | Auto-immune, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
Anyone who knows me realizes that I read and research nutrition. That is one of my passions, though I have to admit that I rarely put any of the good information to use. The reason being I am overwhelmed with the amount of hard work, dedication, and commitment it...
by Jamie Holloway | Dec 1, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
I awoke at 4 AM looking forward to getting my results from the biopsy I had done at the end of October to see if I have IGG4. Arriving at my destination sitting in the doctor’s office anticipating the chance to finally know what I have and not just a bunch of guesses....
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 24, 2012 | Auto-immune, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
Last night I went to bed early, around 8 PM only to wake up by 10 PM with the pit of my stomach hurting. I have gone through this similar thing before. Every so often, my stomach stops digesting food and I end up with a pain in the pit of my stomach until I throw up....
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 23, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
I have been thinking about my body lately. I came across this concept of forgiving my body. Why not? Seems reasonable, we forgive others for things they do wrong, so why not our own frail bodies that fall apart for no apparent reason or have unknown ailments that...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 20, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and endless plans: That the moment one definitely commits...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 17, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
What does recovery mean? Recovery means according to my “Webster’s Twentieth Century Unabridged Dictionary” circa 1983 “the act or power of regaining, retaking, conquering again. Getting well again, coming or bringing back to consciousness, revival of a person from...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 14, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
My heart began racing after coming home from my chemo treatment. I had such a good day then this happened. I of course went to the ER, I hate going to the ER. I hate having all these ailments that plaque my body, but I am still fighting to live a life. My heart rate...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 13, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
A short post today, for I went and had my Rituximab infusion treatment today. Everything went well; I only had to be poked once. Strange what excites this woman nowadays. I was started at 25 units and slowly increased to 200 units. At 200 units is when I started...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 7, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
How do I stay calm in the storm? What centers me when bricks are being thrown left and right smacking me in the face each time they go by? Chocolate! Just kidding! It would be awesome if chocolate could be the answer to everything, but it isn’t. Darn it! Hmm, well...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 7, 2012 | Auto-immune, Inspiring Nutrition, The Magnificent Journey
“The Fabulous Life Of A Vegan Girl” by Daphne Appleton I love cookbooks. I love reading about nutrition, now following through on such an idea is another matter altogether. Something I know about myself is I want to have a wide variety of food and deleting a food...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 6, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
That is a question that I have been asking myself and others have been asking me. Am I stressed? Am I having an anxiety attack? I am going to say, Yes, I am. I have come to the conclusion that showing stress and anxiety looks different for everyone. According to what...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 4, 2012 | Auto-immune, Exhilarating People, The Magnificent Journey
I joined WEGO Health a great web site that promotes health and well-being for those suffering from chronic illnesses. It is a great way for me to get my voice heard and I feel connected to many of the bloggers I have met and am currently reading who have joined this...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 3, 2012 | Auto-immune, Exhilarating People, The Magnificent Journey
A question is going around Facebook, other blogs about illnesses, and the World Wide Web, why do you blog about being ill? I have decided that I am going to answer this question. The reason I started Jamie Chases Butterflies wasn’t for me to become some famous writer,...
by Jamie Holloway | Nov 2, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
The start of day two, yesterday I felt so exhausted, slept off and on all day long, took things extremely slow. I felt as though I was moving in slow motion all day long, the simple act of walking felt like I was moving like Jamie from Bionic woman when they were...
by Jamie Holloway | Oct 31, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
I am finally home from a week long stent in the hospital in which I received chemo. How do I describe what getting chemo feels like? All I can tell people is I feel strange. I feel weak. I feel drained. I feel blurry headed. I do not feel like throwing up. Thank God...
by Jamie Holloway | Oct 30, 2012 | Auto-immune, The Magnificent Journey
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, And he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) A lot can change in a twenty four hour period of time, heck, it can change in a weeks’ time. Last...
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