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5 ways to make your holiday less stressful

When you're new to the chronic illness game, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. If you're not blessed with a supportive family or spouse, our struggles can be increased dramatically. We feel haunted by the seemingly fearless, boundlessly energetic former self, and want to project that image in the present.

That's not giving your former self or current self enough credit. Look yourself in the mirror and embrace that person. They need love and deserve it.

Your current self may not be physically at all what you used to be, but in character and spirit, your new you is strong. And that person needs to let others know this too.

You have heard of less is more? This is now the approach you need to have to your life. You can have just as satisfying holiday season by learning to:

1. Simplify your holiday meal--Realize that if you are the head of party planning, it is time to simplify your plans. Mix it up if you can, and consider going out to a restaurant. And if you cannot, make sure that the majority of the work is done by everyone on the guest list. Don't want random items? Then give your guests simple recipes for what needs to be brought. Especially if some guests have food allergies or issues. Putting all of the stress on yourself alone is not being thankful for who you are and where you are.
2. Be Blunt--Pharmaceutical advertising has helped promote some unhealthy ideas about what living with chronic illness is really like. Even those closest to us may not realize the seriousness and severity of our illness unless we tell them. It may take bluntness. Repeated bluntness. When we see ads now for cancer treatment no one accuses them of faking or exaggerating their illnesses. Many chronic illnesses are just as life-threatening. It's not just hindering our golf game, or slowing our run time. Showering is our new marathon. Cooking dinner our new tennis match. There is no shame in owning this.
3. Skip Black Friday--For those of us with chronic conditions, online shopping should be our wheelhouse. Many online retailers want your money whichever way. There are few things worse than overextending yourself over the holidays. And many will extend sales to Cyber Monday, which encourages shopping online anyway. Save your strength. There are loads of websites great and small hungering for your business.
4. Make a to-do list, and expect to do one-third of it--What is the most critical third? Overextending is a constant struggle. It won't do you any good to complete the entirety of your to-do list in one day if you end up spending the next two weeks in bed or in the hospital because of it. 
5. Find soothing, healthy rituals.--Is your thing prayer? Is it meditation? Is it listening to an audiobook? Is it playing your favorite videogame? Whatever helps you unwind and de-stress. Keep these things in your schedule. These are part of that critical third of your to-do list.Stress feeds the fire of chronic illness. Holidays are known for putting undue pressure on ourselves and others. It is about family and celebration. But it's also about doing so in a way that doesn't burn your candle to a nub. 

Make these adjustments, and you will be on your way to having a much more enjoyable holiday season.

How would you like to have pain relieving products sent to your door monthly?

Shamelessly using a walker

I think when you have an invisible illness younger than retirement age, it's a matter of pride to want to struggle along without the markers of old age. A walker has come to wrongly signify old age, when what it really should signify is that you have an impairment but it is perfectly okay.

When my pain was escalating and I was still in the limbo of trying to get the referral to my rheumatologist squared away, I bought myself this walker. I had a knee injury many years prior, and had become very familiar with using a cane. Now it was pain on both sides of my body making it increasingly difficult to walk. I just needed some of the weight off without having to balanced my weight fully on hands or shoulders like with crutches. 

This one, unlike standard walkers, has three wheels. It's lighter than most all-wheel models and folds up really flat for transport.

Even though I don't use it all of the time, it has become a go-to item for my parents too. It is the travel walker. The walker used when you know you could use a little support and need it to not take up space. It even has that little storage area that you can put purses, tablets, bottled drinks, etc. into so you don't have to try to carry them.

I feel that there comes a time when you just have to let go of your pride and just do it. I actually felt better, more balanced, and was actually able to get around much more freely using it. And even when I'm not using it, it is a comfort knowing I have it again if the pain gets too bad.

Click On this link to check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MCLELQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Happiness of Open Jars

Back in the days before Rheumatoid Arthritis upended my life, I was one of those people who could sometimes open their own jars. How times have changed. Between my hand problems and the problems of my aging parents, there wasn't a person in the family who could get a jar open easily.

This little gadget was a total game-changer. It hooks on the edge and with a lift of the handle will help give that glorious seal-popping sound. Then one can fairly easily unscrew the lid. Not that unscrewing is always painless, but certainly much less painful thanks to this little tool.

It is called a Jar Key and is available through Amazon. We cannot function well without it. Pickle jars, we scoff at thee!

Will you open this for me?

I think if someone were going to develop a catch phrase for me, while I would prefer something zippier, it would probably be, "Will you open this for me?" Because, with RA, I say this all the time.

Early on, I didn't have a diagnosis yet. My brother was in the hospital's ICU, and I only had limited times to switch off with family members eating in the cafeteria. I didn't have anybody around and my fingers were doing their impression of the Michelin tire man. Getting a grip on anything was painful and totally impossible.

It's times like this, which make you reliant upon the kindness of strangers. Luckily, I live in a town with incredibly kind and helpful people. Water, juice, or whatever bottle I needed to open would be no problem and they seemed genuinely happy to help. I usually chose someone who didn't seem too involved in a conversation or too deeply involved in reading.

However, as time went on I just didn't want to have to do this everywhere I went. I didn't want to accost people at every place I ate, or every theater I went to. I wanted to gain at least a little independence.

And so, this little tool came into my life. Behold the Jokari 3-in-1 beverage opener.

I got one first to try at home. It worked so well that I left it at home and got another that I carry it around in my purse. I probably can't take it on flights because they probably consider it a weapon. I don't know for sure. Regardless, when I'm out with friends and get a water at the movie theater, or a San Pellegrino in a restaurant, I can absolutely open it myself.

Score one for independence!

Welcome, to Beauty and the RA Beast!

I was officially diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis almost two years ago. While the answer to my months of pain and suffering was a relief, it would also be months yet before I got even some of the relief I was looking for. I was in full flare for a long time, would go through other seasonal illnesses that would make my RA so bad I could barely do things like dress and go to the bathroom. Most activities during the worst days required a walker.

Luckily my pain has been reduced to about 75% of what it used to be. But my rheumatologist is still not happy with the remaining inflammation and its potential to make my life miserable. As the weeks follow, I'll let you know how it goes with the medications prescribed and my journey. I also belong to support groups online, so anyone wanting to know more may ask in the comments.

But I have also come across a number of tools to help me along the way. And that's the purpose of this blog. I not only want to share my chronic illness, but also to show you some products that have made my life a whole lot easier. My goal is to at least once a week show you a device that will help you in your ability to do everyday tasks, like open a water bottle, or medicine.

So, follow me. Won't you? We're in this together.