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…
Beyond Blessed
I have read some books that basically tell you to treat God as a vending machine. I was hoping while reading Robert Morris’ new book Beyond Blessed that he wouldn’t be saying the same old jargon I have heard and don’t believe. He didn’t. I really appreciated what...
Once We Were Strangers
I love reading stories where two different cultures meet and build a friendship. In Once We Were Strangers by Shawn Smucker this is the exact story you get. Shawn becomes friends with a muslim who came from Syria. Smucker is honest and real in this book about how...
You are Enough
I have read a previous book by Mandy Hale, so I was excited to be able to read You Are Enough. I love that she shares her authentic story with her readers. I also appreciated that she shared her anxiety, depression, and pain with us and the active things...
Win From Within
I’m not familiar with a lot of the pastors who are preaching on TV, still I was intrigued by John W. Gray III title of his book Win From Within. He uses the story of Jacob and his fight with the angel and running from God as the premise of his own...
Delayed Justice
I love discovering a new author and a new genre of books to read. The author I discovered is Cara Putman and the genre is lawyer thrillers. What I liked is that Putman spins a believable tale of a young lawyer who happens to me named Jaime too and her quest to...
Lady of a Thousand Treasures
I enjoy reading historical novels just as Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd. In this amazing novel by Byrd she takes you on an intriguing journey through the world of rare, beautiful, and mysterious treasures that people collect. It is much...
Happily
Marriage is a sacred commitment between two people and God. I have never been married, but I have been blessed to watch several couples in my life who shown me what a real marriage is like. One of those couples were my parents, they were married for 50...
The Sparkle Effect
I’m not into watching the Miss USA pageants, so I wasn’t sure who Kristen Dalton Wolfe was when I was offered a chance to read her new book The Sparkle Effect. I’m glad that I took a chance and read her delightful book. This the type of book that would...
A Light in the Darkness
I have been living with my chronic conditions for ten years now. It’s been challenging, painful, scary, and enlightening sometimes all at the same time. While reading Lisa A. Sniderman’s E-Book A Light in the Darkness I felt like we are kindred spirits....
Legacy of Mercy
One of my favorite things to do is to read a historical novel. I got a chance to read Lynn Austin’s new novel Legacy of Mercy. I dove right in and I had a hard time putting it down once I got started. It is romance, but it isn’t one of those gross types of...