Learning to be Assertive Despite the Fatigue of Illness

By Lisa Copen
I had just received the third pink slip in two weeks from the lab that said my payment was passed due. Over three times I had called and my insurance company had assured me that the lab work was covered and that they would mail out a check that afternoon. This time, when [...]

The First 5 Steps to Take After a New Diagnosis

by Lisa Copen
I easily can remember the day that my life shifted into a new kind of normal when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. At the age of 24, having dealt with a few weeks of swelling in various parts of my body, sometimes to the point of being disabling, my doctor called me [...]

Counting the Blessings Hidden in Illness

With the holidays nearing once again we are urged by everyone from Hallmark commercials to our local newspaper editor to take a moment to count our blessings. If you live with a chronic illness you may find that blessings are a bit more hidden in your life than they were previously.
Holidays past you may have [...]

13 Gift Ideas for a Chronically Ill Gal

We women like to shop and there’s nothing better than seeing the face of a friend light up when we offer up our thoughtfulness and creativity wrapped in a box with home-made, hand-stamped paper bag wrapping paper, all tied up with a raffia ribbon and dried orange slices. Say what?
If you’re like me—since it’s the [...]

The Grinch & 2 Spa Prizes Next Week

It’s that time of the year again when we share our annual Grinch story! Only this year we want to hear a few sentences from you too!
Just post a couple Seuss-style sentences below in the common section that have anything to do with the holidays, illness, etc. and we will take pick our two [...]

Talking to Our Spouse About Our Illness: How Much is Too Much?

It feels like I’m laying on thumb tacks,” I tell my husband as he crawls into bed beside me. “But there is nothing there! I feel so bruised.”
“I’m sorry,” he offers with a sympathetic voice, but there is little else he can do.
“I feel kind of nauseous too,” I say. “I wonder if I should [...]

Can a “Good Mom” Celebrate Back to School?

A popular office supply store commercial shows mothers and fathers riding shopping carts around the store to the tune of “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” (typically heard at Christmas time.) For decades mothers have been made to feel that we should all be crying as the bus stopped at the corner and [...]

When You Are Ill: How Pretending Can Be a Constructive Tool

Have you ever been tempted to just pretend that the life you are living is different than the reality? If you have, you can quickly imagine a new life by just hanging out for a few minutes with a 6-year-old. Since my son seems to want loads of interaction around any scenario that is different [...]

5 Tips to Relieve Joint and Back Pain Without Medication

If you are feeling down and out because of the daily chronic pain don’t let that be an emotional state you choose to live in indefinitely. Just a few little changes in your daily life can assist you to form clear positive thoughts to help relieve pain.
1) Before you head home from the doctor’s office [...]