PinnedMember-onlyIndex to My Articles by Topic — Danell teNyenhuis BlackMy most popular articles — I’ve divided my stories by topic and placed them in indexes for easy viewing. Thank you Paul Ryburn, M.Sc. for the idea! Biography COVID-19 Pandemic Family/Life/Miscellaneous Grief & Resilience Humor …Index1 min readIndex1 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jun 27, 2022Member-onlyPearls of Memories and a Few TearsThe anniversary I didn’t get to celebrate Today is an exciting day for me. After 2+ years, I am moving back into an office and working there four days per week. Since the pandemic started, I have changed jobs and worked at home for all but a handful of days…Family3 min readFamily3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Mar 15, 2022Member-onlyWhy I’m Happy To Be Overweight!Before I was overweight, I was obese. — On March 1, 2022, I hit the 6-month mark on my weight loss journey after gastric sleeve surgery. I’ve reached many milestones, and I should hit 100 lbs lost in the next few weeks! I’m currently down 97.4 lbs, and it has been a tremendous change for me, but with…Bariatric Surgery5 min readBariatric Surgery5 min read
Jan 25, 2022Member-onlyPerfect Words of Comfort Do Not ExistDoing and sharing are the best way to provide comfort — I don’t feel I have a tragic life, but I have witnessed quite a few tragedies, starting during my childhood. Witnessing trauma doesn’t make me an expert, but I think it has given me practice and the ability to remain calm. …Grief And Loss5 min readGrief And Loss5 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Nov 16, 2021Member-onlyThank Goodness for the ADAEveryone has the right to be safe in public — Last week a federal judge blocked the Texas anti-mask mandate. Unfortunately, Governor Greg Abbott’s attempt to ban mask mandates is a continuation of the politicization of the pandemic. Frankly, I’m confused and disappointed that this is still happening. …Covid-196 min readCovid-196 min read
Nov 15, 2021Member-onlyHer Father Said She Argued Too MuchShe took that to heart — “Can this class help her have less drama?” I’ll never forget Back to School Night when my oldest daughter, Sierra, was in the 7th grade. After her drama teacher finished her presentation, my husband Patrick approached her. “Can this class help her have less drama?” he asked. He may have…Resilience6 min readResilience6 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Oct 31, 2021Member-onlyMy Risk Factors Are ImprovingMy new life began 60 days ago. Nearly two months ago, my life changed drastically. Of course, that sounds much more dramatic than it is, but my surgery was a significant change. I underwent a sleeve gastrectomy on September 1st, and things are going well. However, I’m not going to…Bariatric Surgery4 min readBariatric Surgery4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Sep 1, 2021Member-onlyWhen Your Weight is a Risk FactorDrastic times call for extreme measures — I was a runner before it was cool to be a runner. And I never really appreciated it. Through the end of high school, I never had to worry about my weight. And I didn’t appreciate that either. …Bariatric Surgery6 min readBariatric Surgery6 min read
Jul 25, 2021Member-onlyChallenging the Double Standards of Privilege DeniersPlease stop making assumptions There is a Facebook post about privilege that’s popped up on the threads of several of my friends. …Racism6 min readRacism6 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Jul 20, 2021Member-onlyPrince Harry Shared EMDR With the WorldMy experience learning to practice EMDR therapy — My client watches the movement of my wand as I softly use the cadence comments, “just notice” and “that’s right.” After 15–20 passes of my wand, I ask her, “what’s coming up now?”Mental Health7 min readMental Health7 min read