Chronic Illness & The Healing Power of Community & Kindness

~ Hope Heal Cook ~ Leave a comment

Kindness1st70

My pain was unusually high that day. Wonderhubs came home to find me curled up & crying on the living room floor. It was an all too familiar scene, but thankfully one that’s become increasingly infrequent. Thanks to my ongoing healing efforts, I have good days now; I also still have hard days. This was decidedly the latter. 

Or so I thought until I saw the package I’d received, which Wonderhubs had brought in for me. Wiping my eyes on the back of my sleeve (I keep it classy) I pried open the packing tape. Inside was a Lyme Don’t Kill My Vibe tote bag by friend & fellow Lyme Superhero, Melissa Cox (www.lipstickwarpaint.org) along with a card that concluded with the words, “P.P.S. Thank you for helping to heal this world.”  Continue reading…

Putting Everything on Pause & Putting Myself First: How I Finally Turned a Corner with Chronic Lyme

~ Hope Heal Cook ~ 2 Comments

healing-hiatus-selfie

It’s been several months since I last posted here, and I want to apologize for dropping off the radar without so much as a “hey, I’m taking a break.” If you’ve been following me on Instagram or FaceBook then you probably know what’s been up, but basically I crashed.

Last year I went from being at a “healing plateau,” to experiencing a number of health setbacks. By the end of the year, I found myself in yet another flare up, feeling chronically overwhelmed despite my dedication to daily stress-management & self care practices. Something had to come off my plate. It couldn’t be my Chronic Lyme treatments or self care. That left all things Hope Heal Cook.  Continue reading →

No Bake Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

~ Hope Heal Cook ~ Leave a comment

{Gluten Free, Paleo, AIP, Vegan}frame1stpumpkinpie802

My No Bake Pumpkin Pie Tartlets are full flavored + super easy: perfect for a low-stress Holiday!

I looooove to cook. But I don’t like to bake. Which is fine because I’d rather have savory than sweet. Forget cookies and cakes; I’m all about that extra dark chocolate, thank you very much. Wonderhubs, on the other hand, has a special fondness for certain baked goods, pumpkin pie being his favorite. Thankfully, my oven-free version is so good I’ll never have to bake a pumpkin pie again! Phew!  Continue reading →

How Lyme Disease Taught Me to Let Go & Let Love In: an Interview with MoreThanLyme.org

~ Hope Heal Cook ~ Leave a comment

framemtl

At the peak of my illness, I had to let go of virtually everything. In doing so I found a new freedom. 

The often painful process of letting go has been transformational. Only by emptying myself of so much, did I discover what it is to be truly full: of life, of love, and of the magic present in each moment. Of all of the things I’ve had to let go of during my time with Chronic Lyme, I believe what’s most profound is the extent to which I’ve let go of my own suffering.   Continue reading →