Buy the Book here

I’m asking for $26 through orders not done on Kickstarter via paypal.me/mbartleson/26

I’m self-publishing an honest book about growing up with chronic illness and mental health. I wrote the content before rose colored glasses impacted my experiences too much. To help this book get published, you can visit the crowdfunding page to learn more, back my project, and help spread the word. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her blog “There’s More to the Story”.

Goals, Books, Chronic Illness, & Mental Health

We all have goals. We all have dreams. They vary in size and can change as we do.

We also know what it’s like to have something get in the way. Maybe it doesn’t stop you. Maybe you just pause. But it can cause a bump in the road or a wall you need to figure out how to get past so you can get to the other side. These obstacles can also vary for everyone. Sometimes they’re more difficult than others. For a lot of you reading (and for myself), that obstacle can sometimes be chronic illness or mental health even though we don’t want it to be- even though we work hard to make sure it isn’t.

 

Well, I had a goal. I made a self-imposed deadline to finish a project before I turned 24. I was the kid who would still turn in her assignment on the original due date even if it was extended (yes- that was me!).

But as we know, things happen. Unforeseen things we didn’t plan on. New diagnoses arrive and can turn everything upside down until you figure it all out again. Diabetes burnout can sneak up on you often at the most inconvenient times.

All of these things can make it harder. It can impact that goal. You get behind., You lose motivation. You need more breaks. It might change the goal itself.  Maybe- you even need to push things back. It doesn’t necessarily stop you. It doesn’t mean you cannot do it. It just adds more steps, time, and things to consider.

 

When I was 22 years old, I set a goal for a big project. This goal was to finish the content before I turned 24 years old. Well as we all know, life happens- chronic illness and mental health happen even if we do everything right and even if we plan.

During the summer of 2016, I was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis. The process of (finally getting diagnosed) and getting things manageable took months. Just like diabetes, there was a lot of fine tuning, trial and error, fighting stigma, educating, and of course frustration. Trying to stop my period and the pain took a long time, this caused mayhem for my blood sugars and mental health. My period causes absolute chaos on my health in general, but it also drives my anxiety through the roof and makes it hard to keep my blood sugars in target.

Eventually, things got sorted out and more manageable over time, but of course there was an impact. My A1C went up 1.4 % points in about four months. The highest it’s ever been in my life. I had tried so hard to manage my diabetes, but nothing worked like it used to. All of my tried and true methods no longer worked. I had to run higher because my blood sugar would plummet suddenly and without warning. I was exhausted and very weak which impacted my desire to cook and to walk to work or go for runs. On top of that I was sick and I was more anxious. I was resentful at the healthcare system. I was disappointed because I had tried to take care of my diabetes, but my A1C went up anyways. That is when the burnout hit.

 

As my goal came closer in November 2016, I started thinking maybe I should push it back. I hadn’t really told anyone yet. I had valid reasons. This was also the time things got more under control, and I decided to get counseling for the new diagnoses and resentment.

I wasn’t even thinking about meeting my goal at a certain time anymore, but I kept working on getting better and working towards my goal. Before I realized it, I was days away from my 24th birthday and within reaching distance of my goal.

I was going to meet this goal. I was going to meet this goal for me and the past few months, and I did. I shut myself away in my apartment to work on it or changed up my surroundings outside or in a coffee shop. On the day of my 24th birthday, I reached my goal.

 

What was this goal? Many of you know!

My goal was to finish all of the content for a book about coming of age with chronic illness and mental health. I wanted to finish all of the content before I turned 24 so rose colored glasses wouldn’t impact all of my experiences. After graduating college and starting my new job, I noticed rose-colored glasses changing how I looked at past experiences. 

Now I’m in the editing phases with a week left of this Kickstarter to self-publish this book and achieve a dream of being an author (and bonus- it would be at the age of 25- WOW.)

I’m self-publishing an honest book about growing up with chronic illness and mental health. I wrote the content before rose colored glasses impacted my experiences too much. To help this book get published, you can visit the crowdfunding page to learn more, back my project, and help spread the word. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her blog “There’s More to the Story”.

 

Hey you! Yes, you!

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We’ll both be glad you did! -Mindy