My Life Works Today!

If you have a multi-symptom, hard-to-diagnose or treat illness such as lupus, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or multiple chemical sensitivities, please consider participating in an interview-based research study. Dr. Suzanne Morrissey, professor and medical anthropologist at Whitman College, would like to interview you about your experiences using naturopathic medicine for your illness(es). Interviews last 1 ...

There’s a popular and ugly misconception that folks who have been found disabled under a Social Security disability benefits program are: (a) elderly (b) undeserving (c) disabled for life; and/or (d) taking advantage of the system Our social security disability clients are young and old, wealthy and homeless. And their “impairments” - the word that Social Security uses ...

“You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.” – Ethel Barrymore   In April, the MLWT book discussion group on Shelfari.com hosted Carla Ulbrich’s  book  How Can You NOT Laugh At A Time Like This? (Tell Me Press, 2011), where Carla herself joined in.  I was drawn to this book simply because I ...

As we come to a close this May, I wanted to make special mention of a disease that is often misunderstood and lumped in with lupus in the diagnostic stages.  I was initially told I had Lyme when I didn’t present the usual symptoms of lupus and have met many people who were wrongly diagnosed ...

Today we are hosting Patients For A Moment (PFAM) and the theme was to divulge the wishes, dreams, goals and plans for the summer months ahead.  I’m noticing a slow-down in PFAM participation and really had hoped this theme would get us motivated to share.  I want to say a big “thank you” to the ...

Okay, I am amazed that we are already in mid-May.  Thanks to Leslie at  Getting Closer To Myself   for reminding me to get going on calls for submissions.  I will be hosting the next Patients For A Moment (or PFAM) blog carnival and, even though it snuck up on me, I am really eager ...

I am pleased to introduce author and pain archeologist, Sue Ingebretson, as our guest for today.  You may already know her from her website Rebuilding Wellness and/or from her book, FibroWHYalgia . You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.  She lives with Fibromyalgia and works diligently in creating self-care resources to address the ...

  If you are living with lupus, or know someone who is, you will undoubtedly come across references to it live or via internet.  Over the last three years of MLWT, I have watched the presence of lupus grow to new heights and am grateful to the powerful impact the internet has given to so many ...

I have had the pleasure of meeting and collaborating with some amazing people, including the crew at the Spondylitis Association of America. Although there isn’t an official chapter of the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) here in Oregon, they do have a strong website and use social media (especially Twitter and Facebook) to connect with patients all ...

Here we are again~ National Lupus Awareness Month.  International Lupus Awareness Day is May 10th.  In Oregon, SB348 (Senate Bill 348 designates May of each year as Lupus Awareness Month and makes May10, 2011, Oregon Lupus Day.) reflects the same awareness calendar, spotlighting lupus on behalf of many of us living with lupus...or does it?   I’ve ...