[michael-shane-hollen]

Alyssa,

I practice daily as a way to help with work stress and overall anxiety. I dont necessarily focus on breathing. I was taught to set an alarm for 2 minutes and just sit in quiet contemplation as my intro to meditation. I usually will read something spiritual prior, so I then have something to ponder OR focus my thoughts back to. If I just try to sit there and be quiet, I tend to have racing thoughts and never really relax. And i dont beat myself up when my mind does wander. I just redirect back to the moment or the idea/reading, etc that i was initially focusing my attention on. After the 2 minutes is up, I then go about my day. After a week or two of doing 2 minutes, i increase the time to 5 minutes. Then after a few weeks at 5, i increase to 7, etc, etc. I have been practicing this mindfulness/meditation for a few years now and no longer set an alarm. I usually average 15 to 20 mins. The key is to practice every day.
And for the breathing part of it, that just comes on its own as my mind starts slowing down. I dont have to focus on it. H

Hope this helps

shane

[michael-shane-hollen]

Tammy,

I have been on Evrysdi since end of April and take Hydrocodone and Tramadol every night. Their pharmacist stated that there would be no interaction and I have not had any issues to date

Shane

[michael-shane-hollen]

i have to have massage every 2 weeks or i get in a bind as well.  I have found that when a heating pad and/or ice pack are not helping, then using a TENS unit helps alleviate the muscle tightness.  I find I have to use it a few times a day to get the relief I’m needing.  I also have muscle relaxers, but i have feeling loopy.  If the tension gets real bad, I will take a half to take the edge off

[michael-shane-hollen]

great video Michael.  I’ve worked for several companies over the years and all have been accommodating.  I’m currently with a large telecommunications company, but am starting to sense I may not be able to continue working at the rate I have been the last 15 years.  It was encouraging to know I can go on permanent disability, but still find something part time to keep myself engaged in life .  Will probably need to make the shift here in a year or so.  Thanks again for a great video and great message!

[michael-shane-hollen]

Ryan,

I went to school for psychology and philosophy, but found myself liking technology towards the ends of my college career.  I did a little bit of recruiting / headhunting right out of school (calling employers, interviewing people, etc).  Didn’t require much other than some light typing and being able to talk on the phone.  I later moved onto helpdesk work for an IT company.  Required a little more hands on computer work.  That job led me into what I do now which is I’m a Sr. Relationship Manager for a telecom company.  Basically I’m assigned to one of our customers and act as a middleman between the customer and my company.  I help escalate issues, create incident reviews, coordinate activities within our datacenters on behalf of the customer, etc.  I’m the guy who knows just enough about technology to understand what the customer is asking for and then being able to translate that for the engineers or vice versus.

I work from home 4 days a week (5 if needed).  Most work is responding to emails and opening trouble tickets for customer.  A little bit of time is on the phone or listening in on conference calls.  My job is fairly laid back unless a big issue occurs, but that rarely happens.

I was always fearful of what employers would think when I came rolling in for the interview in a chair OR talking about what I would need accommodation wise.  Yet, every experience i have had has been positive.  In fact, I think I have landed jobs because I am in the chair.  If you go in with some level of confidence, are able to have a simple conversation with the people you interview with, and have a little knowledge of what the job description is requiring, you just might end up with a sweet career.  Dont let fear hold you back.  If you want to work, I guarantee there is something out there for you and a whole new world to be explored.  We are so much more than SMA.  Let me know if I can help in any way

Shane

[michael-shane-hollen]

I started with just 2 minutes a day in the morning, but I was once told that I can choose to restart my day at any time. So, I did find myself doing 2 minutes at other times during the day, especially when I would find myself frustrated, etc. Its amazing how just taking 2 minutes to stop, slow down and focus on something positive/meaningful versus continuing to focus on the insanity that my mind is focused on (work issues, disability frustrations, spouse/partner frustrations, etc), actually does help.
Again, after practicing with 2 minutes for a few days or a week, and you find yourself experiencing the quieting of your mind during that exercise, you will probably want to increase the time by a minute or 2 (not more than 5 mins).