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    Choices: Lemons or Chocolate
    Choices: Lemons or Chocolate
    Choices: Lemons or Chocolate
    Ebook109 pages1 hour

    Choices: Lemons or Chocolate

    By Susan Flam

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    About this ebook

    The author's journey of self-discovery, diligence and coping with the symptoms, stigma, pain and depression associated with chronic illness and the simple ideas that empowered her to survive day by day and year to year. A shocking discovery would test my courage and fortitude. Will I succeed this time in implementing my principles which are outlined in this book?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSusan Flam
    Release dateMar 2, 2012
    ISBN9781466095823
    Choices: Lemons or Chocolate
    Author

    Susan Flam

    Susan Flam was born in Germany but immigrated to Toronto, Otario, Canada with her parents who wre Holocaust survivors, when she was six months old. She continues to reside in Toronto with her husband, Ron.

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      Book preview

      Choices - Susan Flam

      CHOICES

      Lemons or Chocolate?

      By Susan Flam

      My journey of self-discovery, diligence and coping with the symptoms, stigma, pain and depression associated with chronic illness and the simple ideas that empowered me to survive day by day and year to year. A shocking discovery would test my courage and fortitude. Will I succeed this time in implementing my principles which are outlined in this book?

      Copyright 2012 by Susan Flam.

      The book author retains sole copyright to her contributions to this book.

      All rights reserved.

      Published 2012.

      All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

      Smashwords Edition

      Licensing Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

      Cover design by David Bahm

      Printed book published 2011 by BookCrafters, Parker, Colorado.

      BookCrafters@comcast.net

      self-publish-your-book.com

      Printed copies of this book may be ordered from online bookstores.

      bookcrafters.net

      Table of Contents

      Preface

      PART ONE - The Catharsis Begins

      1. It’s Time to Purge

      2. An Old Discovery

      3. What Is in It for Me?

      4. Like Mother Like Daughter

      5. My Hero and Role Model

      PART TWO - My Story

      6. My Story

      7. Positive Ideas and Good Planning

      8. Small Miracles

      9. Clueless Again

      10. A Revelation

      11. What’s with My Eyes?

      12. Can’t Get a Break, Well, Just for a While

      13. And So It Continues

      14. Not a Good Year Either

      15. Shocking News

      16. Update: August 2011

      17. My Paradise

      18. Facing the Demon Once Again

      PART THREE - Liberate Yourself from the Cycle of Chronic Illness

      19. Use a Support Network, Family Friends, Groups and Specialists

      20. Live with Humor and Laughter: Take Life Less Seriously

      21. Volunteer: Make a Difference to the Sick, Needy or Impoverished

      22. Positive Attitude and Making Choices

      23. Exercise but Know Your Limitations and Make Your Goals Realistic

      24. Diet and How It Affects Your Mood and Your Health

      25. Recognize Your Illness and Educate Yourself

      26. It Could Be Worse

      27. The Best Medicine

      28. What I Have Learned from My Journey

      Glossary of Chronic Illnesses and Procedures

      Acknowledgements

      About the Author

      DEDICATION

      I dedicate this book to my talented, loving and enchanting grandchildren, Halee, Nolan, Cameryn, Ella and Myles who have taught me to view the world from a child’s perspective where all stories end happily and life is always filled with adventures and endless positive possibilities.

      They seem to always choose chocolate!

      PREFACE

      "My Momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get"

      (Forrest Gump,The Movie)

      How true. In the opening scene of the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest is seen sitting on a bench at the bus stop next to a woman reading a magazine. He opens his box of chocolates and offers her one but she politely declines. While conversing about his life with this total stranger, who appears not to be listening, Forrest digs into the box to make a selection from these mouth watering treats and hopes to pick one of his favorites. Forrest derived considerable pleasure from the simple act of choosing and unveiling the mysterious fillings inside. Each chocolate was a marvelous journey into a luscious tasting adventure and although he never knew what he was gonna get, always accepted his choices without reservation.

      Forrest mastered his path wherever it led him. His courage, tenacity, gentle, kind hearted spirit and compassion for those he met along his journey were a testament to this simple man’s ability to cope with the hurdles and roadblocks he encountered in his day to day life. He brought joy and hope to the many people he encountered and changed their lives, and his, beyond comprehension.

      Life is so unpredictable. So as in that box of chocolates we never know if we will be satisfied with our choices or where they may lead us. You may choose a certain path and not until you follow it do you know what you’re gonna get. When you start out on your journey certain chains of events occur and the decisions you make along the way shape your future. During your lifetime you will experience little bumps and curves that may deter you, steep hills too difficult to climb or deep valleys into which you may fall. How you cope during your adventure with the obstacles blocking your path is what matters most.

      "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...

      it’s about learning how to dance in the rain."

      -- Vivian Greene

      Some of the selections I made from my box of chocolates were not always sweet and tasty; they plunged me into years of traveling a road filled with a profusion of gravel and potholes resulting in painful episodes of suffering and depression. I decided to write this novel as a catharsis of all my innermost feelings about struggling with persistent chronic illnesses. Upon recalling my 30 plus years battling many different ailments I noticed that somehow I was able to overcome their traumatic effects by using very simple methods to get me through the agony and despair. Could it be possible that passing on the techniques I used to others who were experiencing stress as a result of their own ill health be helpful or better yet, life altering? How can one exist if each day is filled with severe discomfort and hopelessness? There have been so many instances over the years when the mere act of getting out of bed for me was mentally and physically impossible. I have been in some very dark places and through my unwavering will to enjoy my life to the best of my abilities I have survived.

      I have spent most of my adult life ingesting a multitude of medications, endured many surgeries and tests on almost every part of my body. It is not my intention to urge readers to self-diagnose themselves or take medications or remedies prescribed by physicians, but only to encourage, support and inspire those wanting to find satisfaction and meaning to their lives. I am not a doctor, therapist or specialist of any kind. The information and advice I outline in this book is given purely as a guideline that I used to overcome the hurdles in my life. The choices I made through the years provided me with ways and means around those obstacles to help me live a happy and productive life. We all face the choice of swimming in a bitter sea of sour lemon juice or indulging in the euphoric sensations derived from the silky, smooth taste of chocolate melting in our mouths. You have all the answers within you. My purpose is to make you aware that all things are possible when you set your course with a positive outlook.

      Two very sweet and empathetic local pharmacists suggested I document my life long journey of ill health and chronicle how I taught myself

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