I know I haven’t written much in the past month. I have been really busy with so many things that I haven’t had the time to come on here. But, I do now and I have great news (well, great for me) 
Last year Wego Health opened up nominations for their Health Activist Awards and I was nominated for the Ms?Mr Congeniality award. This past week they announced all the finalist and I made the cut. So I am now one of 5 finalists. Sadly I am not up for any of the other awards I was nominated for but that is ok. Just being nominated is an honor.
So, I was sitting here thinking about this award and just what the category is all about. Mr. Congeniality. Anyone that knows me might say I am far from this in real life. I can be very loud at times and even rude. I would have to agree with those people because, yes, I am. I know I am and I am ok with it. But online, I am another person. When it comes to an illness, you have to be different. I don’t mean in a talk in hush tones and walk on eggshells different. It is just that I know what it is like to be sick with a disease no one really understands except for the people with it.
Part of going through life with IBD is that no one can see it and most definitely most people don’t understand it. Heck, CCFA wants to show everyone it is a pooping disease. Because of this many of us are depressed, angry and just can’t cope. It isn’t easy to deal with a disease when no one around you can help you out. I understand all of this and I know if I spoke to anyone with IBD in a nasty tone, it would not go well. So I have to alter who I am. When it comes to people with any illness, I turn into a caring person. I used to not want to deal with illness but now, I have made it a part of my life. And I am using it to grow. Because I change who I am to people online, I am trying to be a better person in my real life also. I am trying to be more caring, more understanding and less abrasive.
People online see me as a congenial person and when my wife saw I was nominated for this award she laughed. This really hit me as it was really then that I noticed I was two different people (that’s the Gemini in me). So just being nominated for this award has already helped in changing me. I am now trying to be a better person. Not just to sick people, but to everyone.
As for the award, I share the honor the honor with some other people who have now opened my eyes to some other illnesses that I didn’t even know existed. I hold nothing against these people even though I am battling with them for the award so I want to share who they are and their site. They are:
Barby Ingle – www.barbyingle.com
Pamela Sloate – http://dystoniamuse.com/
Peachy Pains – www.peachypains.com
Tosha Sisler – www.bottledtime.wordpress.com
Good luck to everyone for the final spot and no matter who is given the award, we are all winners.
