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…
Stumbling Towards Wholeness
Dealing with any type of addiction is not an easy process. One has to go deep and be willing to do the work. In Andrew J. Bauman’s book Stumbling Toward Wholeness he takes you on a journey through the story of the prodical son that is in Luke 15. I...
Shelter of the Most High
I enjoy reading. I enjoy getting lost in a story and visualizing myself in the plot line of a great novel. Shelter of the Most High by Connilyn Cossette is one of those novels that you start reading and have a hard time putting down. Shelter of the Most...
Hope Your Heart Needs
My day seems to go better when I spend time with God each morning. The days that I don’t, I don’t feel like myself. That is why I spend time with devotionals. One devotional that I just completed was Holley Gerth’s Hope Your Heart Needs. In this devotional...
Beauty in the Breakdown
I enjoy reading memoirs of other chronic illness babes like myself. Beauty in the Breakdown by Julie Roberts is one of those memoirs that I can now include on my list of inspirational memoirs to read. In this book she is candid about her experiences in...
Silencing Insecurity
I learned a lot from reading Becoming Resilient from Donna Gibbs so I was looking forward to diving into her newest book “Silencing Insecurity”. I was not disappointed. Gibbs thoughtfully and with wisdom describes so many of the mental, emotional, and...
Second Chance Dogs
I have a rescue cat. I love him dearly. He adds a lot of enjoyment in my life. So, when I received Second Chance Dogs by Callie Smith Grant I knew that I would love this book. Pets, no matter what they are add a lot of love, healing, and comfort to everyone...
Pull It Off
Identity is a tough subject to meander through, even for a middle aged adult woman, so I can imagine all the confusion for the young ladies get from all social media and magazines. In Julianna Zobrist book Pull It Off she takes us on her own journey...
The Nehemiah Code
Rebuild has been my focus word for 2018. God has shown me so much and has brought some interesting things into my path. The Nehemiah Code by O.S. Hawkins is one of those things. Hawkins talks about how Nehemiah rebuilt the temple and how he got it done....
Thirsty for More
I love reading memoirs especially ones that share their own period of being silent and alone while recovering. In Allison Allen’s case she was having a challenging pregnancy. I love that she wrote about her desert season while making a new...
Give Them Jesus
Being a parent is a challenging job, you are responsible for so much when it comes to children. It can be overwhelming. In Dillon T. Thornton’s book Give Them Jesus he gives you a guide in teaching them about Jesus. Teaching children about Jesus...