Saturday, October 24, 2009

Sending Encouragement

I've been very busy with the Masters programme but my desire to reach out and help people dealing with miscarriage is still very strong. So if there is anyone who is struggling at this time, I would like to send you this card.

http://www.crosscards.co.uk/cards/cardform.aspx?cp=1&iNo=97&No=35

I hope you are able to read and enjoy it.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

In Honour Of Pregnancy &Infant Loss Remembrance Day

October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and in honour of that, I want to share a poem I wrote for the one I lost.

For my Angel.
Like a flash of lightening
You lit up my world and then you were gone
Like the morning dew fall
You came, then vanished with the rising sun

Your life was so brief
You brought me such joy, you left me in pain
It’s so hard to grasp
Why you had to go, no one can explain.

My Angel
I’ll love you forever
My Angel
I’ll forget you never
My Angel
I am a believer
That one day I’ll see you
That one day I’ll hold you
That one day, we’ll always be together.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Taking Care of Yourself when Grieving

There is a great article on msn health and fitness about this and I would like to share some of their points with you. Even though it's focus is on grieving a loved one at the end of their life, I know that the grief of a miscarriage is just as real and needs to be addressed.

This is just my summary; you can find the full article on http://health.msn.com/health-topics/caregiving/end-of-life/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100245934

First, be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Grief is often described as a syndrome with intense emotional responses but it can also have cognitive, physical and spiritual effects too.
Emotional: You may need to identify and express your feelings as you experience them, be they of sadness, guilt, regret, anger, numbness, fear or even suicidal thoughts. Writing in a journal or finding someone to talk to can be really useful.
Cognitive: You may also find it difficult, in the first few days after the loss, to concentrate on work or any task and you may be more forgetful or have a short attention span.
Physical: Sleep deprivation or excess, changes in appetite, aches and pains and even the ’flu are symptoms that can be attributed to the grieving.
Spiritual: You may be attacked by a crisis of confidence in your spiritual beliefs, you may question your beliefs about the goodness of God and have difficulty making a meaning out of the loss.
Whatever symptoms you feel, be patient with yourself; they will pass with time. Take good care of yourself by ensuring you eat a balanced diet and avoid excessive alcohol (no matter how strongly you are tempted by Ben &Jerry or Johnny Walker).
Take time to meditate and reaffirm your faith and convictions and if you can afford it, pamper yourself with a manicure, a massage or even just a soothing bath. Finally, always remember to ask for help: from your doctor, your religious leader or your family.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Update

Well, I'm happy to report that I have begun a Masters in Public Health programme. I'm really grateful for the opportunity because I believe it will give me the needed skills and knowledge to improve on the work I am doing and will be doing in Nigeria as per promoting the best form of health care for women, starting first of all with women after a miscarriage.

It's been a very busy time of registration and settling in. I hope that I will still make time to update the blog and that I will continue to help those that I can.