Honnor Moore, Persistent Focused Determination

August 30, 2011 by

“Take your healing path seriously and change something today. One little change today will bring a big change tomorrow.” – Honnor Moore, from her blog:www.howweheal.blogspot.com

Join me in finding inspiration through the journey of Honnor Moore, fitness model champion, who will not let rheumatoid arthritis get the best of her.  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune disease, whereby the body’s immune system painfully attacks healthy tissue, resulting in inflammation of the joints and muscles.  It is a chronic condition and can damage cartilage, tendons, and bones, often leading to deformity or disability.  The Arthritis Foundation reports that approximately 1.3 million people in the United States, or nearly 1 percent, suffer from RA, with almost three times as many women as men being diagnosed.   http://www.arthritis.org/rheumatoid-arthritis.php

Honnor admitted she was in denial that her condition was as devastating as doctors proposed when she was diagnosed at the age of 30.  Shortly after her son was born, she began to notice difficulty flexing her finger, leading to reduced mobility and intense pain throughout her body.  Initially thought as a virus, she had difficulty grasping the complexity of her condition.  Taking a couple of years to process her condition, she refused to live up to the to the looming expectations of others based on her new disease…wheelchair bound the rest of her life with inability to maintain a career, and only some relief from a myriad of auto-immune and pain medications with unfortunate side effects.

With persistent determination, Honnor focused on her healing path despite the statistics and painful obstacles of her condition.  She did use a wheelchair but refused to give up.  “If you let it get you, it’s got you, and you’re done.”  She pursued a natural health path, including medication, complete nutrition re-invention, and physical therapy.  Honnor gives credit to her functional treatment at Sanivov Medical Institute for reversing her downward spiral.  After 21 days of intense holistic treatment including conventional, natural, homeopathic, and alternative modalities, she began walking unaided in February 2008.  Determined to not let it “get” her, she began fitness training shortly afterwards.  In October 2009, she pursued her goal to compete at the FAME Canadian Nationals and won the Inspirational Athlete Award and 1st place Physically Challenged Award.  With further goals, she continued to the FAME Internationals in November 2009 where she won Fitness Model Masters First Place and Fitness Model Physically Challenged First Place awards.  Honnor explained her true moment was winning the Fitness Model Masters First Place award because the other athletes did not even know about her medical condition until the awards were called.  She was determined to not use her condition as an excuse or avenue for receiving sympathy.

When asked to explain the functional medicine approach that keeps her going every day, she confidently stated “It’s all about the way I eat, think, and live.”  She was happy to explain her simple relationship with food:  “I don’t believe junk food should be called food.  Food nourishes you.  If it doesn’t, it’s just junk or garbage.  Any food that’s processed and not natural is garbage, not food.”  Her blog www.howweheal.blogspot.com offers many simple steps people with and without RA can take to eat, think, and live healthier, such as replacing table salt with sea salt.  “You have to listen to your body and realize that things will catch up to you if you don’t watch it.”

Honnor’s positive attitude is apparent from the moment you talk with her.  She emphasized how powerful the mind is and how important it is to maintain a positive perspective.  Even as she described upcoming joint replacement and fusion surgeries on her hand due to a recent injury related to the deterioration of her joints, she stated “What can you do but keep going.”  She could be dwelling on anger related to the cause of her RA, which is believed to be related to a dental instrument found in her jaw years after a root canal.  Instead, Honor focused on her own healing and became proactive by providing education, resources, and encouragement to empower others through her blog.  If we could all learn from Honnor’s perspective that things happen and you can choose to let them destroy you or strengthen you, perhaps we would think twice before getting wrapped up in complaining about minor day to day stress.

Fully aware that RA is a life-long condition, Honnor also remains faithful in her healing potential.  When asked if she is used to the pain, she explained she just gets used to the pain as “a familiar companion instead of a scary unfamiliar intruder.”  She continues putting one foot in front of the other, maintains a career in Interior Design, exercises and monitors her diet, listens to her body, and surrounds herself with love and solid support.  Full of wisdom, she welcomes others to join her positive persistent, focused, and determined approach:

  • “LIVE BELIEVING in MIRACLES.  Everything is possible.  Everything is not always easy but Everything is possible.  Miracles happen a little at a time…and one day grow into a great big MIRACLE.
  • The power from the depths within you has got to give you strength to get you through.
  • Find people that will support and encourage you.  Get in your own boat and find people that will help you row.
  • Heal your heart, mind, and soul.  Live and Love authentically from [your] heart.
  • Live honestly about what [you are] doing to hinder [your] everyday healing to help everyday healing.
  • Live Consciously.
  • Live and Nourish by the Paleo Diet ( lifestyle).
  • Natural and organic fruits and vegetables, lean meat and proteins.
  • LIVE SANS junk to the best of [your] ability!  Junkfood is not food.  Its Junk!  Trash. We do not digest trash…and  besides it hurts!
  • I live and appreciate what I can do, do my best with how I do it and LIVE the best I can LIVE as I am ABLE to *LIVEABLE.*”

Honnor has founded a SOCIETY called LIVEABLE SOCIETY( fitness and health for PWD), website to be launched soon.  For more information, please visit:

www.howweheal.blogspot.com

http://www.arthritis.org/rheumatoid-arthritis.php

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Filed Under: Inspiration, Motivation, Physical Illness, Professional Insight
About Kimberly Rodgers, LCSW, RPT-S

Kimberly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Florida and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor through the Association for Play Therapy. She also supervises clinical social work interns pursuing licensure. She has worked as a psychotherapist for twelve years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia and Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Central Florida.

Her experience includes foster care, adoption, youth shelter, youth related research, school-based counseling, and sexual assault crisis center settings prior to private practice. She specializes in counseling children, families, and adults struggling with stress, anxiety, trauma, and adjustment to life transitions. Kimberly is a current Board member of the Mental Health Association of Southwest Florida and former Vice-President of the Southwest Florida chapter of the Association for Play Therapy. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers and EMDR International Association.

Kimberly is founder of Monarch Wellness (originally Monarch Therapy), an integrative center focused on empowering individuals and families through emotional and behavioral metamorphosis. In addition to counseling and play therapy, the center offers other supportive modalities to further enhance emotional healing and stress management including support groups, yoga, laughter yoga, breathwork, integrative relaxation, and sound therapy. Monarch Wellness' sister site eFitFamily.com offers health related information and inspiration for everyday families to live healthier every day. The center is also involved with House of Gaia community center and other community and service focused organizations. More information about Kimberly and her practice can be found online: www.MonarchWellness.net.

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