Partners in Healing
Not long ago, I received a phone call from a new doctor who came to me on referral. My husband often jokes that, for my…
Winning the Lottery
Years ago our family of four had piled into the minivan and was heading home from a great vacation in the Florida Keys. We had…
Chronically Unpredictable
If you’ve been following my posts, you know that I have lived for over three decades with a chronic illness. I’ve accepted that the illness—at…
Growing Older
Although none of us come with a guarantee of immortality, lupus taught me at a very young age that I am most definitely a flesh…
Loss
One of the most difficult aspects of chronic pain management is dealing with the losses that may accompany pain. Your roles may have changed. Your role as…
Living in the Present
I’m a big fan of Gretchen Rubin and her book, The Happiness Project. While waiting for my nails to dry one day (something I’m never very…
The Artist Within
I have heard it said that we are all artists, that each of us possesses a special talent. Having taught school to little ones and…
Sleep + Pain
A pain soother is anything that you can do that reduces your pain somewhat. The key is realizing that although being pain free would be…
The Surprising Health Benefits of a Good Cry
For chronic pain sufferers, frustration, exhaustion, medications, depression, anxiety and even the pain, itself, can cause tears. But crying can cause people, including friends, family…
Physical Therapy
If you have lived with pain for a while, you may have tried many options. Generally, a combination of different treatments is most effective. Have…