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Rebecca Angel

Writing. Music. Tea.

Cushing's

The Crap Theory: Living With Chronic Illness

By Rebecca Angel
Cushing's

Old Clothes, New Body

By Rebecca Angel
Cushing's

Let Go of Anger, Let in Creativity

By Rebecca Angel
Cushing's

Tips to Lower Stress

By Rebecca Angel
Cushing's

My Personal Cushing’s Symptoms List

By Rebecca Angel
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Writing Update doobeedoo

By Rebecca Angel on Sunday, June 24, 2018

Hey peeps, I was writin’, then vewy vewy quiet, and then suddenly writing again! And now quiet again. Updates: Writing:As I got sicker from Cushing’s I was no longer able to keep up this blog. Then after my surgery in Oct 2017, my brain started to function better and I started writing again. After a …

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Teen Parenting Olympics

By Rebecca Angel on Wednesday, April 4, 2018

James Breakwell, a very amusing parent and writer, posted a Parenting Olympics list that showcased the variety of skills needed to raise the younger set of progeny. After I read it, I replied to him:  Very funny, though it seems that this contest rewards skills aimed at keeping your child from killing themselves, which is …

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March Sucks. Here’s Some Tea and Inappropriate Laughter

By Rebecca Angel on Friday, March 23, 2018

God, I hate March. Macbeth, man. He should have known. I’m like an ice-cream server with a group of teen girls trying to decide on their flavor. Are we winter? Spring? Snow? Freezing rain? Sunny? Cloudy? Long-johns? A t-shirt? MAKE UP YOUR FREAKIN’ MIND BEFORE I SCOOP YOUR ASS!!! Sorry, just had flashbacks to my …

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Keeping New Wine in Old Bottles

By Rebecca Angel on Monday, February 26, 2018

“Perhaps we should never procure a new suit, however ragged or dirty the old, until we have so conducted or enterprised or sailed in some way, that we feel like new men in the old, and that to retain it would be like keeping new wine in old bottles.”― Henry David ThoreauYour pants are falling …

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Trying Hard, Surprising Limits, and Comfortable Failure: A Healthy Brew

By Rebecca Angel on Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Sipping my new green tea my daughter’s roommate gave me from her trip in Japan (smooth with a perfect aftertaste), I am re-evaluating my bar of success. Grocery shopping was one too many things today. I have a head-ache and since my afternoon students cancelled, I could have just rested.  Instead I went to the …

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Dear Santa: You’ll Need The Head’s Up

By Rebecca Angel on Friday, January 26, 2018

Dear Santa: I realize this letter is a bit early, but considering it may involve some time travel and shape-shifting magic, you better get started on my list. 1. My son’s Christmas present tea. Someone (he can’t remember who) gave him a container filled with a delectable herbal tea, probably home-made or a craft fair …

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Sipping Without My Ace of Spades

By Rebecca Angel on Sunday, January 14, 2018

I have a natural tendency to look on the bright side of life (whistle…) Twenty two years ago, this very week, I gave birth to my baby girl. When my boyfriend and I found out I was pregnant, in college, it was overwhelming and there were many tears. However, not even a week after we …

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2017: The Year You Learned to Let Go, Cuss, and Add Heavy Cream to Your Tea

By Rebecca Angel on Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Under my desk calendar was a letter addressed, “To Rebecca of 2017.” It was written by me at the end of 2016. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I don’t have a very good memory anymore; one of the symptoms of Cushing’s is mental problems (both the cognitive and emotional.) But my feeling of …

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The Crap Theory (with Chai Sisu)

By Rebecca Angel on Wednesday, December 27, 2017

There have been many attempts to describe to “regular folk” the challenges of those of us who have chronic illness. The Spoon Theory is a good one. The Matchstick Theory is a little more apt. But I’ll attempt my own called, The Crap Theory. This is less about choices of energy and just…about what it’s like to always feel …

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Body, Mind, and Spirit Discuss Over Tea: A One-Act Play

By Rebecca Angel on Tuesday, December 19, 2017

INT. Small, dark bedroom. A large form is under the blankets of the bed, covers drawn over its head. There is a  knock. The form does not move. Another knock. No response                                                …

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About Me
Rebecca Angel Maxwell
Rebecca Angel Maxwell

Writer, musician, Cushing's survivor, book lover, feminist, organic urban gardener, health and wellness nerd, Teapunk, curly-haired, spiritual lady.

Female Speaking Character Projects

Rebecca Angel's bookshelf: read

Fart Quest
liked it
Fart Quest
by Aaron Reynolds
41% female speaking characters (as compared to male only) 32 total 16 male 11 female 5 non-binary Author: male MC: male
Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes
liked it
Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes
by Jules Moulin
44% female speaking characters (as compared with only male) 19 male 15 female 4 non-binary 38 total Author: female Protagonist: female
Eight Ways to Ecstasy
liked it
Eight Ways to Ecstasy
by Jeanette Grey
50% female speaking characters (compared to only male) 17 total 8 male 8 female 1 non-binary Author: female Protagonist: female, male This and the previous book could also be titled, "How to trust and find love despite having horrible ...

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#Musician, #Writer, #cushings survivor #Teacher, #booklover, #urbangardener , #teapunk , #healthandwellness #GeekMom, #spiritual lady.

Rebecca Angel
Thatcher Park hike to find treasure. Does anyone k Thatcher Park hike to find treasure. Does anyone know what these flowers are?
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-‘Spring Beauty’ comes to mind but I believe those flowers have stripes? So what are these? They were in white, pink, and purple.
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-It was the perfect temperature and I tried to enjoy it as much as I could knowing hotter weather is on its way and not my favorite.
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-I got my vaccine the day before and was feeling fine until we got back from the hike. I guess I should have been resting. Head-cold like symptoms for the evening turning into an adrenal low crappiness until I remembered to updose. It’s hard to remember how to take care of myself when I don’t feel well.
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-I spent the two hours before bed giving myself Qi-gong body massage, slept great and woke up tired but no pain or anything.
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-I rested yesterday and my brother in law bought me @emacksalbany ice cream to help with my recovery 😁
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-all good today!
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-#icecream #vaccine #johnsonandjohnson #treasurespot #springhike #thatcherpark #springflowers
Wednesday Cushing's and Health! Bones and Joints A Wednesday Cushing's and Health! Bones and Joints ALIVE!

Osteoporosis and arthritis are only known to a few older (much older) members of my family. It was never on my radar.

I was in my thirties when I had Cushing's and led an active lifestyle. No athlete, but I exercised daily, ate healthily. Gaining weight scared me into ramping up my exercise. My knees, hips, and ankles always hurt, but I attributed that to the excess weight. But my wrists and shoulders hurt too.

With many other symptoms taking focus, I ignored these problems until I couldn't walk and found out I had broken my feet running. A scan showed Osteopenia, a "hair's breadth" away from Osteoporosis. It took a year for my feet to heal and by then I had been diagnosed with Cushing's. Cushing's depletes bone mass. However, I continued to be active with gentler exercise.

After surgery to remove the tumor causing Cushing's, I was in tremendous pain in all my joints. I was told this was normal due to withdrawal from cortisol causing inflammation. But I couldn't use my wrists and thumbs, my knees and hips creaked and hurt while climbing stairs, all movement caused pain in my lower back.

Scans showed I have early-onset arthritis in practically ALL of my major joint areas. Doctors said this was typical in Cushing's patients because the excess cortisol destroys all body tissue including the ones that protect joints. This made me angry because it can't be reversed and I had tried so hard to be a healthy person all those years before!

Without Cushing's, the degradation has stopped to my bones and joints. I can rebuild my bones with diet and strength exercise, but it might take many years. Although I can't reverse joint damage, careful exercise and diet can keep the areas strong and supple to prevent pain and further problems. Acupuncture has proven to be the most helpful therapy.

A healthy diet is challenging, but my family is supportive. Being adrenal-insufficient means I have to be careful with exercise, but it is a MUST to help my body heal so I can live the rest of my (VERY LONG) life to the fullest!

(See previous Wed posts on the saga of my broken feet and my current exercise program!)
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