 Darla Nagel signs Lightening the Shadow I was honored to help make history for Baker College of Flint—its first book signing! Here I am with President Wen Hemingway and bookstore mascot Wilson. Thanks to everyone who made this possible! #whereswilson #BakerCollege Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to enlighten others on our experiences. If you want to receive quarterly updates from her, email darla.nagel {a} gmail.com.
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You're all invited to this event at Baker College of Flint Tuesday, Oct. 23! https://www.baker.edu/about/get-to-know-us/events/lightening-the-shadow-book-signing  Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to enlighten others about our experiences. If you want to receive quarterly updates from her, email darla.nagel {a} gmail.com.
When I first went to college, it seemed like Mom could only say, “Be careful.” When after years of illness I started entering remission, again, all she could say was “Be careful.” When I visited my ME specialist a few weeks ago and told her how much better I was, she was delighted but said...wait for it...“Now be careful. Don't overdo it.” I know. But there's so much I want to do and should do. I don't think I ever fully broke the habit of being an overachiever. I just switched to being the best patient I could be. Now that overachieving streak is growing stronger and threatening to reverse the progress that I've very slowly made over the past few years. The rule of pacing is to know how much energy you have for the day and exert yourself only that much. Underestimate that amount; never overestimate. Being careful to pace may not always be fun, but it's far better than crashing or relapsing. Now I will do my Mom impersonation: Be careful!  Photo: Greyerbaby, Pixabay Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. If you'd like to receive quarterly updates from her, email darla.nagel {a} gmail.com.
 Among all the noise about how to live a healthy lifestyle, there needs to be a clear, moving voice on how to live a chronically ill lifestyle. Lightening the Shadow is now available in print and e-book versions. Read this medical mystery with encouragement for patients and education for doctors: https://www.amazon.com/Lightening-Shadow-Diagnosing-Invisible-Chronic/dp/069214949X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1535920310&sr=8-1 Nothing will improve for patients with invisible disabilities if we don't come out from the shadows and shed light on our needs. If you like this book, review it online and share it with a doctor. Thanks for following this book's progress! Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to encourage patients and enlighten health care professionals. If you'd like to receive quarterly updates from her, email darla.nagel [a] gmail.com.
The book won't launch today as planned, and I'm aware that Lightening the Shadow is showing as unavailable at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. There was a production error that I'm having fixed. Check back Tuesday, Sept. 11! I couldn't let the world read a book that wasn't perfect. Happy Friday, and thanks for your patience! Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to receive quarterly updates from her, sign up by emailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.
The countdown to Lightening the Shadow is winding down! 5. There’s nothing wrong with asking for major help in the face of life-changing events. Independence is an American value, not a law. 6. Accept the limitations chronic illness imposes and your new life and identity. 7. Find a way to contribute to society or your caregivers. This is last because you need to manage your illness first, but helping out even from bed has made me more content. Come back tomorrow! Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to receive quarterly updates from her, sign up by emailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.
Lesson 3: Trust yourself more than you trust health care professionals. You know your body better than anyone because you’re the one living in it. Lesson 4: Don’t use YouTube or the Internet to learn how to do medical procedures. I hit a nerve and nearly passed out when I gave myself a shot without medical supervision. Three more lessons are coming in the countdown to Lightening the Shadow. Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to receive quarterly updates from her, sign up by emailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.
Lesson 1 for life with #chronicillness: Examine your medical records to see if there’s an abnormal result the doctor missed or something he or she is trying to hide. Lesson 2: Compile illness timelines for yourself and for physicians. What symptoms started when? When did you start and stop treatments? When did you have each diagnostic test? More lessons coming soon as part of the countdown to #myfirstbook. Lightening the Shadow will be released September 6! Darla Nagel is a copyeditor and writing tutor with an invisible chronic illness. If you want to receive quarterly updates from her, please email darla.nagel[a]gmail.com. Thanks for visiting!
I'm feeling better than I have in years and taking on more work than ever. However, the metaphor of my ME/CFS as a heavy shadow remains apt because now instead of being one me, it's lingering behind me, following me. It won't go away. It's always there. I keep looking back at it to see how big it is. What will it do next?  Photo: Damien Walmsley, Flickr Creative Commons Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to receive quarterly updates from her, sign up by emailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.
Breath & Shadow published—and paid for—my submission of an excerpt from Lightening the Shadow! Read it here: https://www.abilitymaine.org/BS2018Summer/%22Instant-Relief%22 I thank the staff. I also got an email from Kaleidoscope expressing interest in a third excerpt, but a new editor-in-chief is about to come on board. He or she will need to review my excerpt and make the final decision. As for the full book, it's nearly ready for production and has benefited from the work of cover designer Michael Brady Design and proofreader Sharyn Mathews. Launch date: September 6, 2018. Thanks for following my book's progress! Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to receive quarterly updates from her, sign up by emailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.
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Darla Nagel
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