Courage, They Cried: Life with Chronic Illness
It takes a lot of guts to have a chronic illness. This thought came into my mind as I was preparing for a drug challenge appointment that had the very real possibility of me going into anaphylactic shock.* It’s a fun thing to do on a Wednesday. Granted, this one is a somewhat extreme example…
Chronic Christmas Advent Giveaway #2: Integrale Adaptive Cutlery
Does your disability or chronic illness make it difficult for you to use using regular cutlery when you eat? Then do I ever have a great giveaway for you! Isabel Heubl created Integrale because adaptive cutlery “wasn’t only ugly, but didn’t fulfil all the functional aspects needed either.” She worked with a large group of…
#ChronicChristmas Advent Giveaway #1: Books and Books — Winner
I don’t know about you, but I’m having a grand time with this giveaway. The excitement is just going to build with each other the next three Chronic Christmas Advent Giveaways! I might explode by Christmas. Just a warning. Thank you to everyone who entered the first Chronic Christmas Giveaway to win a signed copy…
Colorblind Teens Experience a World of Color Through Color Correcting Glasses
Have you ever wondered how people who are colour deficient* see the world? And what happens if they try colour correcting glasses? I didn’t know about colour correcting glasses until I had the opportunity to talk to a scientist whose research led to the development of this technology. And then I got to interview two…
Chronic Christmas Contest #1: Books and Books
I’ve loved Advent calendar since I was a little girl. Opening a small gift every day for the month of December is such a wonderful way to build anticipation while temporarily calming down the excitement so you don’t explode by the time Christmas arrives. It’s one of the reasons I wrote Chronic Christmas: Surviving the…
Making the Most Out of Vaccines with RA
As I know first-hand, being immunosuppressed can make it a real challenge to fight back against infection and illness. Vaccines can protect you. With the arrival of flu season, this is even more important: “As another flu season approaches, those of us who take immunosuppressant drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) start getting twitchy. One of…
5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness
How to do less, so you can enjoy the holidays more.
The Seated View 2018 Calendars Are Here! (and a Surprise)
I’m really excited about the calendars this year. Not only do I have my usual’s — The Seated View calendar, the Bird calendar and of course the Ships — but I’ve added some new ones. The Seated View 2018 Calendar by TheSeatedView In fact, it’s possible that I may have binged just a little. Can…
Facebook Live This Wednesday!
According to every merchant out there, Christmas started about a week and a half ago. There are decorations, Christmas trees, even a countdown to Christmas. Which really just ramps up the stress. And you don’t need that. Because stress makes chronic illnesses flare. Join me this Wednesday on my Facebook Page at 2:30 PM ET…
10 Ways Naturopathy Can Help Your RA
I’ve been using alternative treatments to treat my RA (or at least the symptoms) since I was a child. I grew up in a time when there were no treatments, so I tried a lot of different things to make life easier. A lot of them worked. One especially valuable tool for me is naturopathy….
Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, read Turtles All the Way Down. There are also a lot of other reason is to read the book. It’s an amazing story of friendship, of growing up, of love in many different forms, of obsessions, compulsions, and finding a…
What Someone Who has Universal Healthcare Thinks About the Repeal of Obamacare
I have some thoughts about what’s happening with health care in the United States. In my latest column for HealthCentral, I share these opinions: “Last spring, I spent 34 days in the hospital. Three weeks of this was in the ICU, receiving complex high-level care and treatment. For a month after I returned home, a…