#ChronicChristmas #4: Take a Walk
Is it cold out? Is it raining? Better yet, is it snowing? Take a walk, bring an umbrella if there is wet stuff coming from above. Moving get you out of your head and into your body, and that’s a good thing when you have a chronic illness. It helps you connect the two and…
#ChronicChristmas #3: Decorate 5 minutes everyday
When I look at the beautifully decorated homes and magazines, on my friends’ blogs, and in the movies, I wish I had the energy to do more so my home could evoke that sense of Christmas hygge. (Hygge: a Danish term conveying coziness, love, togetherness) I also wish for a cat that didn’t have an…
#ChronicChristmas #2: Pace Yourself when Eating
Pace yourself with the goodies. This is the season of chocolate, cookies, other baked goods, fudge, fruitcake (much-maligned, undeservedly), more chocolate, and let’s have a little drinkie-poo while we’re at it, shall we? There’s nothing wrong with indulging — after all, there are lots of really yummy treats around this month and it would be…
The Problem with Selfies when You Have RA
HealthCentral boss-person: “we want to do a cool project with selfies and quotes from people with chronic illness . Can you do one?” Me: “of course!” Yeah, well. That turned out to be little more complicated than I thought. My RA got in the way. It’s like this. You know that effortless move you make…
#ChronicChristmas #1: Shop Online
Do your gift shopping online. Cyber Monday may have been yesterday, but I bet there are still deals to be had. One of the best part of doing your shopping on the Internet is that poking about you normally do anyway is now with a purpose. You’re not procrastinating at all! Online shopping is God’s…
Learning to Undress My Stress
Something had to change. When I went to the ER in an ambulance for a suspected heart attack for the second time in eight months, it was clear that something wasn’t right. When I, for the second time in eight months, was diagnosed with nasty GERD mimicking the symptoms of heart attack, it was time…
True Love Means Respecting My Independence
In a recent viral video called Blind Devotion, true love is described the following way: “Cecilia will never know how much I do for her and I don’t need her to know. That’s how much I love her, even though she doesn’t want me to.” And this is how the video ruins what is otherwise…
Is the Term Patient Counterproductive in Advocacy?
Updated May 17, 2021 “We need to support the journey from passive patient to patient leader. “ – Annette McKinnon How do you include the voice of people who live with illness — chronic or otherwise (patients) —in the decisions that affect how healthcare is provided? And how do you do that without these voices being used…
Writing with a Chronic Illness: Creating a Writing Habit
Lucy tries out for the position of Muse Writing is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. So, how do you exercise this particular muscle when you have a chronic illness? You start with creating a writing habit, and a writing trigger. The Writing Habit Creating a writing habit starts with…
Why Me? Thoughts on Having a Chronic Illness
We’ve all asked the question at some point. Why me? Why did I get rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, migraine, Crohn’s, psoriasis, etc.? It is an existential howl of despair into the darkness, asking that most fundamental of questions. Why did this happen to me? Closely on the heels of that question follows the expanded version:…
The Consequence of Germs
Earlier this week, one of The Boy’s colleagues was diagnosed with strep throat. And then said colleague came to work the day after and the day after that, contagious throat infection and all. And that means my beloved and I will not see each other for the next week while we wait out the incubation…
Why Does Mommy Hurt? Giveaway Winner!
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for a signed copy of Why Does Mommy Hurt? Helping Children Cope with the Challenges of Having a Caregiver with Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, or Autoimmune Disease, the new book by Elizabeth M. Christy. The winner is Kerry. Congratulations! Send me an email at landers5ATgmailDOTcom with your address and…