At the beginning of 2017 Mr. Meena and I had been back in the USA, after living in Germany, for less than 100 days. We were living in an apartment of our own choosing for the first time and generally feeling very conflicted about the direction of our lives. I guess repatriation tends to do that to you. Now, 12 months later, we are settling into our first house, preparing to have a baby (!!), and feeling much more certain about […]
A Day in the Life with Lupus.
Have you ever wondered what life with lupus might be like? As one of the 1.5 million people in the U.S. and about five million people worldwide with lupus, I want to share a day in my life with you. In case you aren’t familiar with lupus, I’ll give you a brief introduction. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that makes your body self-destruct. Normal, healthy people have an immune system that works properly and kicks into gear when there is […]
Visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald – an Incredible Treetop Path in Bavaria, Germany.
A little over a year ago I had the great pleasure of visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald in Bavaria with a dear friend of mine. You may be asking, “The Baumwipfelp… uh, what?” Well, “Baumwipfelpfad” is German for treetop path and “Steigerwald” is simply a region of Germany, which includes the Steigerwald Nature Park. But the term ‘treetop path’ doesn’t fully describe just how awesome this attraction truly is. Visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald. The Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald is located in Ebrach, which […]
Taking One Day at a Time: Daily Living with Lupus.
This is a guest post by Brittany from NewLifeOutlook. In this post, she is sharing tips on daily living with lupus, which range from dealing with skin rashes to coping with the reactions of others. I hope you find it useful and educational. Living with lupus sometimes requires you to slow down and take one day at a time. There’s no sense in pushing yourself so far that you become fatigued. Yes, there will be some days where you’ll […]
A Guide to the Outer Banks Lighthouses in North Carolina.
Visiting the Outer Banks Lighthouses was my favorite part of our trip to the North Carolina coast this past summer. Even though I’m a North Carolina native, I’ve spent very little time in the Outer Banks and I had never actually set foot inside a lighthouse before this trip. I found the five Outer Banks Lighthouses so delightful that I’ve caught lighthouse fever – I’ve set a goal to see 90% of the lighthouses on the eastern coast of the […]
10 Things I Didn’t Realize Would Happen After I Was Diagnosed with Lupus.
Being diagnosed with lupus was a bewildering experience for me. Suddenly, everything made sense – the joint pain, the rashes, the fatigue, the swelling… the endless appearance of new and strange symptoms. Yet, at the same time, nothing seemed to make sense. No one in my family had an autoimmune disease; I’d barely even heard the word lupus spoken before. It’s been eight enlightening months since I was diagnosed with lupus, and I feel like I’m just starting to get […]
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Ride Reviews and Tips for Visiting.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a beautiful, thrilling theme park located in – you guessed it – Williamsburg, Virginia. The park is so gorgeous that it’s been named the World’s Most Beautiful Theme Park by the National Amusement Park Historical Association every year since 1990! Surely this is because the park is channeling the charm and beauty of Europe through its nine villages, which represent six different European countries. You can take a photo in a typical red English phone booth, […]
In the Depths of My Sickness with Lupus (and Learning to Put My Health First).
I’ve been absent from this blog since my last post in early June, although my posting frequency had been slowing down since the beginning of the year. I didn’t choose this three month blogging hiatus. In fact, I was more or less dragged away – down into the depths of my sickness with lupus. I was too sick to put even the shortest of blog posts together, and for a while I had no idea when I would be well enough […]
Using Hemp Based CBD Oil for Chronic Pain (Product Review).
Living with chronic pain and illness has driven me to the edge of my sanity at times, and once or twice it’s taken me right over the edge into delirium. I’ve tried so many different things to relieve my chronic pain from fibromyalgia and lupus. This includes trying ice, heat, exercise, salt baths, bed rest, massage therapy, physical therapy, and at least a dozen medications. I will keep trying things as much as my ability and finances allow (I have a […]
When Your Spouse Is Also Your Caregiver (+ Tips for Easing the Burden).
I recently wrote a post about how thankful I am for my spouse as a chronic illness sufferer. And while that post was completely truthful, it only shared one side of the story. I’ve found myself thinking lately that I want to share how hard it can be when your spouse is also your caregiver. Even though Mr. Meena is a great husband, there are times when he has said or done hurtful things due to the stress of being […]