OrganizedWisdom Health Blog

Follow Friday: Featuring 5 Patient Experts

Meet these patient experts who rise above when it comes to inspiring and providing support to others. These individuals not only share their experiences and expertise, but they raise awareness and offer insights so that others can identify and be better informed.

1. @breathinstephen Marathons and severe asthma—no way? Think again. Stephen Gaudet has lived with severe refractory asthma since birth. Beating most odds, he has walked his way into the record books by becoming the first person with documented severe lung disease to finish the Boston marathon. Just this past April, he finished it again to raise awareness about current asthma research. His Breathin' Stephen blog is simply inspiring. He chronicles his fitness routine and shares tips for the benefit of others. His message is clear—physical fitness is critical for people with chronic lung disease.  His approach is motivating and commendable.
   
   
2. @accarmichael Cofounder of CureTogether and chronic pain sufferer, Alexandra Carmichael, shares quality health resources. CureTogether helps people anonymously compare health data to make more informed treatment decisions. This community allows patients to help each other and participate in data collection. Last year, CureTogether was a winner of the Mayo Clinic iSpot Competition for Ideas that Will Transform Healthcare. Check it out!
   
   
3. @ADHD_Hunter Want help and direction with ADHD and coexisting conditions in the family? A good place to turn is the outstanding ADHD Hunter's Hunter in a Farmer’s World blog. Chris, aka ADHD Hunter, shares insights and quality information on his ADHD and other conditions that his family lives with on a daily basis. He credits Thom Hartman for the Hunter in a Farmer's World concept, but uses this concept to paint a picture for those without ADHD to better understand the condition and support those who cope with ADHD. His What is Good ADHD Parenting? and related parenting posts are especially insightful.
   
   
4. @CancerVoicesSA Cancer survivor and Cancer Voices SA executive, Ashleigh Moore, contributes quality cancer resources and encourages those affected by cancer to connect with others. Cancer Voices South Australia was officially launched by the Minister for Health, John Hill, in November 2007. Ashleigh promotes ‘Raising a voice for those affected by cancer’ through advocacy,
   involvement, awareness, and information.  Check out this helpful cancer support site.
   
   
5. @BipolarChica Mental health blogger, Cristina Fender, shares quality and personal bipolar disorder insights. Cristina breaks through the taboo barrier and journals about her feelings, thoughts, and experiences while living with this disorder. Her HealthyPlaces Bipolar Vida blog chronicles her life as she "tries to open the blinds and see the sunshine." While she professes to not always win that battle, she sheds light for others struggling with bipolar disorder. 

Stay tuned as we feature other remarkable patient experts. If you know of someone who is worthy of our patient expert award, please use our contact form to recommend the Twitter profile of this worthy patient expert. 

by Julie Bohlen, MBA, ELS

Browse our new slideshows: famous fictional shrinks, celebrities with mental illness, and the best foods for your mood.

Sometimes you're itching to read and research, sometimes you just want to flip through pictures and captions. We know. We're like that, too. That's why the OrganizedWisdom team is so happy to announce the arrival of our latest project -- slideshows.

Here are our first three installments. Happy browsing:

Famous Fictional Shrinks
They can make you laugh, they can make you cry, but they can't actually write you a prescription. From Dr. Melfi to Frasier Crane, you're sure to find your favorite on-screen psychiatrist on our list.

Celebrities with Mental Illness
Everyone has their ups and downs. It's reassuring to know that even the biggest stars are no exception. Find out which conditions celebs like Mel Gibson, Axl Rose, and rapper DMX deal with daily.

The Best Foods to Boost Your Mood
Not only are salmon, lobster, and chocolate delicious, they're natural "uppers." Be sure to add these foods to your grocery list for the ultimate feel-good pantry!

(Be sure to drop us a line here if we've missed any great items in our lists above. Thanks!)

Have you had these questions? Now, we've got answers!

 Have you ever wondered:

• How will bipolar disorder affect my relationship?
• Is gaining weight part of bipolar disorder?
• Why do I have trouble sleeping?

If you're one of the 5.7 adult Americans with bipolar disorder, these are likely the same questions you asked when you were first diagnosed. And how do we know that? They're some of the questions we see coming up in the search queries we look at every day, and we thought it was time they got answered!

You see, OrganizedWisdom is taking our focus -- helping people find the health information they're seeking -- to the next level. Our new Frequently Asked Questions section (see our first installment, Bipolar 101) invites doctors and other qualified medical professionals to help answer these hot questions while directing users to WisdomCards loaded with helpful resources.

We invite you to flip through these new FAQs, tell a mental health professional you know to submit a response, and share with friends or family members who live with this condition.
 
And don't forget to tell us what you think. Please share your feedback here!