Tag / camping

by Erin Nowicki

The Princess Chronicle vol. 2

Welcome to The Princess Chronicle!

Thanks to everyone who messaged me about how they loved the format of my little newspaper-style post; I think it definitely helps break up the flow from those longer blog posts. If you have any ideas of what else I could add to The Princess Chronicle, drop a comment or message me!

Bi-Weekly Journal Entry

Positive: The hunky and I went camping this past weekend at Chain O Lakes near the Wisconsin border. It was so fun, relaxing and invigorating. My SPD didn’t flare up too bad either, so that made it even better. I made sure to bring some compression socks, which helps my SPD in the evenings when it gets colder.

Real Talk: Now I love roughing it in a tent and sleeping on the ground, but the whole Princess and The Pea thing is legit. I can feel every rock, pebble and bump in the ground. Thankfully I have to take medicine to sleep, because I know I would’ve been up all night feeling the “pea” under my sleeping bag. I love to camp, so it’s totally worth it.

The vast majority of health professionals just want to help, so describing your challenges as accurately as possible is really the best approach. Plus, advocating for yourself is important…

-Some great advice from the Love, Your Brain blog

What You Missed Last Week

My hunky, Jon, took time to answer some questions about what it’s like to live with someone who has SPD. He did such a great job and it’s been really cool to see the responses to this. It’s also been neat to hear how his post has already helped others with their relationships. If you missed it, go check it out and if there is another question you’d like answered, make sure to comment on the post so we can do another round!

What To Look Forward To

Next week, I’ll be talking about how hard it is to rate my pain when people inquire about it (especially doctors). I sure am glad that I’m not Pinocchio, because sometimes I have to lie about my pain in order to really have them diagnose the problem…hmmm interesting eh? Make sure to check back next week for more!

If you aren’t a blog person, head over to Twitter and follow me there! I will post little blips from the blog, inspiring quotes, and other fun things.

by Erin Nowicki

The Prince

I don’t think Charles Perrault, the Brother’s Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, or even J.K. Rowling could’ve created a better prince than the prince who was put into my story. Jon Nowicki is his name and Prince Charming has nothing on him…sorry Char. :p

Here’s a little background on hunky and then I will ask him some questions for you to get a glimpse into what it’s like being married to someone with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Jon was born in Wisconsin and moved to Florida in 5th grade. He has a degree in Music Ministry with an emphasis in percussion and is an incredible drummer. Not only do I get to have him as my drummer for Hello Wonder, he also drums for another awesome band called Flatfoot 56. H enjoys golfing (any Chicago golfers looking for a golfing buddy??), traveling, camping, and cooking.

The thing I love most about him is how much he cares about me. He has never pressured me to do anything I didn’t want to do, he always makes sure I’m comfortable (or at least as comfy as I can be), makes me laugh, feeds my unicorn obsession and is the most selfless person I know. Living with someone who has SPD, can be extremely difficult and I appreciate him so much because he’s patient, always willing to learn, and loves me for me.

♕Interview with a REAL prince♕

Were you aware of Erin having SPD before you got married?

Prince:

I found out about her SPD while we were getting to know each other. I went along and asked and did all the things people do when they find out about it (sorry Erin :)). During the first few months, it was hard to disconnect my fear of “hurting” her or causing her pain.

In the end, it came down to the fact that sometimes the emotional pain of SPD can be harder than the physical pain. Treating her like a “sick” person or steering clear of any physical contact can be just as hard. It took a long time for me to fully process it, but I’ve come to a point where I can be aware of her SPD, but it doesn’t control how I treat her. 

How do you support Erin when she is in a flare up?

Prince:

The best thing I’ve found is to ask what she needs. Communication is a big aspect of steering through the waters of SPD. It’s something we continually try to improve. I can assume that I know what may help, and sometimes I’m lucky, but other times the things that sometimes help could actually make the scenario worse.  Always ask what you can do before you assume what’s best.  

What’s the hardest part of living with someone that has severe SPD?

Prince:

One of the hardest parts for me is not being able to fully relate to her when she is in pain.  Sometimes I feel completely useless when she is flaring up, because I literally can’t do anything to help. That feeling of not being able to do anything for her is always the hardest part. 

How do you cope with the lack of intimacy?

Prince:

There is no real easy answer for this.  It is difficult. As Erin previously said, physical touch is one of my main love languages. The first years of our marriage have been tough. Learning how to live together, become adults, and manage all of it with SPD as well as processing her trauma has been a challenge.

If you know me, I am a fairly easy going, laid back individual. This along with the blessing of patience has helped me a lot with the intimacy aspect of our marriage.  Through the years I’ve also had great friends/mentors alongside of me who have been there for me.  It never hurts to have someone to be able to talk to, even if they don’t fully understand the scope of SPD. Personal honesty and open communication will give you the best chance for success. 

Erin is great about pushing through the pain to meet my needs. An extra hug/kiss/holding hands moment means so much to me. 

Do you have another question for Jon that you’d like answered? Please feel free to leave a comment below or direct message me on the Contacts page. No question is too awkward or uncomfortable, so be free. If I get enough questions, I will drop another blog post with his answers for you all to have.