Managing your own expectations with lupus in tow: a work in progress

At the beginning of the month, I posted about the new found freedom I have, now that both my girls are in school full-time. You can read that post here, entitled "Walk, don't Run."  Many of us experience the Back-To-School euphoria that comes at the beginning of September. But I know I'm not alone in experiencing the "But Where does the Time Go?" slump that hits after you realize that  B-T-S doesn't equate to eating bonbons. There's still stuff to get done. Add to that the lofty goals and grand expectations we set for ourselves in the Fall, and many of us have overbooked before the month is even out.

Thus, I know I need to employ a few strategies to make sure I don't implode. Remember - as a lupus patient who fights fatigue, I have a daily nap to attend to, between the hours of 1-3pm. That means that I have to work backwards from 1 pm every single day. How am I doing so far? I'm getting there. I'm about 65% for fitting in a sufficiently long nap before I go to pick up the kids. The other 35% could use some tweaking. My intentions are good, but I struggle to stick to that one o'clock deadline. Here's what I need to consider to ensure that I get my rest:

1) Go slowly - I have to keep in mind that this new schedule isn't going to go away anytime soon. It's not temporary. I will still have from 8am-1pm tomorrow, and next week, and the week after that. There will be exceptions, of course. But generally speaking, whatever I don't finish today, can most likely be tackled tomorrow.

For the sake of long-term strategic planning, and for my own peace of mind, I do keep a running list of all of the things I plan to accomplish (one for work, one for home). I know I can't get to all of them on Day 1. But knowing they're down on paper, and not just swirling around in my head makes me feel grounded. It's as if writing them down is step 1; making them happen is step 2. In fact, when I do write my grand list of to-do's, I find that become more specific, and they become more attainable action items than just "Organize the kitchen" or "Increase sales for 3Q".

2) Find the flexibility - The concept of "self-imposed" can wreak havoc on the life of a lupus patient. This was never more true than in the early years of my disease. I desperately wanted to maintain my high level of work and social commitments, not for other people, but to prove something to myself. My work was willing to bend; I wasn't. My friends and family were happy with a quiet evening at home; I refused. I put pressure on myself to look and act like lupus wasn't affecting me. Those expectations were self-imposed. And my health suffered greatly for it.

So when I think about all of the things I need to do to grow my business, get the house in shape, or plan for the future, I'm going to go easy on myself. I don't need to add stress where it doesn't exist. I'm going to find and appreciate the flexibility that I have. Granted, not every job allows one to work from home, and we all have family commitments that are non-negotiable. But I bet we can each eek out a little more flexibility on when, how, and where we make things happen. I like to think small on this one - grocery delivery, carpooling, ordering out. Just because you promised yourself you would do "x", doesn't mean the world will come to an end if it doesn't take place this one time.

2) Resist the urge to finish - I come from a long line of folks who live and breath by the phrase "just one more cast". (My father and grandfather were fisherman. What can I say?) This mentality, the one where you simply can't pull yourself away from what you're doing until you've finished, is a dangerous one. At one o'clock, I have to lift my fingers from the laptop keyboard. I have to put down the laundry I'm folding. I simply have to stop. I can't tweak. Or futz. Or fiddle. I'm just going to save my work, and walk away. (Eeeeww. That doesn't sound fun at all, does it?)

3) Prioritize and quantify - In theory, I've always prioritized my lists. But now that I have a new schedule within which to work, I find that my mind is bigger than my time (or make that my time-management skills.) So I've started to allot a time to my tasks. Most often, I'll assign 20 minutes here, or 45 minutes there, only to find I have 4 hours and 45 minutes worth of stuff to accomplish in the 3 1/2 hours I have available. So I prioritize. I pick the 3 or 4 things that I really want to get done that day, and I make those my new musts for the day. I remind myself of #1, and I rejoice in the fact that I have #2, and I force myself to stick to #3.

I'll continue to let you know how it goes!

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Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania- Join me at the upcoming workshop, 10/8/16!

I am thrilled to be joining the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania for their upcoming Living with Lupus Workshop on October 8th. Details are below, and I love that my dad's hand modeling made their brochure. I appreciate the pillbag highlight! Check out their website for more details here.   Hope to see you there!

Living with Lupus: Education & Empowerment

Saturday, October 8, 2016 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Add to My Calendar

Location:Holiday Inn Express Suites - Allentown West

Description:5630 West Tighman St.
Allentown, PA 18104

8:30 am Registration Check-in and Continental Breakfast

Program begins at 9:00 am

Speakers & Topics

Marie O'Brien, D.O. - What is Lupus & Manifestations of Lupus

Carolyn Casey, D.O. - Lupus Diagnosis & Treatment

Sara Gorman - Finding Your Voice - How to Tell Your Lupus Story With Confidence

Registration fee
$15 - members of LFP
$20 - non-members

Registration deadline October 6th

7

Bee Content Yoga - Lupus and Chronic Illness, featuring Christa Fairbrother, Guest Blogger

I am thrilled to bring you a series of guest posts from Christa Fairbrother, owner of Bee Content Yoga, and Program Director for Yoga for Arthritis. Below she shares valuable information about why yoga is so good for chronic illness. She speaks from personal experience, as she uses yoga to help manage her own diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. You can find out more about her company and philosophy on her website. This is a two part series, so be sure to check back for her second post at the end of the month. 

10 Benefits of Yoga for people with 
chronic illness

There are over 20 million people in the US now practicing yoga. That’s almost 10% of the population. You might be in the other 90%. That 90% is made up of people who have some vague idea that yoga might be good, who’ve maybe read an article or talked to someone, as well as people who think yoga is a waste of time unless you’re a dancer and it’s all woo woo anyway.

I’m the Program Director for Yoga for Arthritis which is an evidence based training program for yoga teachers to help people with rheumatic diseases in yoga classes.  In the spirit of evidence based, I wanted to give you a checklist of the potential benefits of yoga to people with lupus.  

Notice I already rolled out potential.  The impacts of yoga have not been studied on lupus patients.  When I say yoga reduces pain, it’s been shown to reduce pain but not specifically in lupus patients, just in the general population or people with a similar condition.  Until there are studies on how yoga impacts lupus, we have to infer.  So please keep in mind the limitations of the evidence as well as the strength of common sense.

Yoga reduces pain – Yoga has been to shown to reduce pain in a wide array of chronic diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic back pain.

Yoga reduces inflammation.

Yoga reduces stress.

Yoga increases disease coping skills.

Yoga reduces fatigue.

Yoga reduces depression.

Yoga reduces anxiety.

Yoga strengthens relationships.

Yoga reduces insomnia and improves sleep quality.

Yoga improves digestion.

These 10 benefits focus on impacts more likely to be encountered by someone with a chronic illness. Yoga does increase flexibility, range of motion and strength of course also.  While people with lupus might appreciate those benefits as well, some of these chronic issues are more impactful day to day for us.

Achieving all these benefits through yoga is extremely safe.  This 2015 meta-analysis of yoga research showed yoga is no more unsafe than basically being alive.  Each of these links is to a recent, peer-reviewed journal.  Yoga has gone mainstream and the research is beginning to catch up.  The gold standard however is how it makes you feel.  Give yoga a try.  My next guest post is about how to choose a class.  Do a little research, go to class and enjoy the benefits yourself.

About Christa – I am a RYT-200 who specializes in working with those with chronic health challenges.  I came to this work after a lifetime of yoga practice and a rheumatic diagnosis myself, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.  I am also a Certified Yoga for Arthritis instructor and the Program Director for Yoga for Arthritis.  While Yoga for Arthritis primarily serves arthritis patients, it does encompass the full suite of rheumatic conditions.  They did a small pilot study on Yoga as a Form of Self-Care in Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) which they would like to expand and publish.  Please feel free to reach out or connect with me further.

Bee Content Yoga

My Facebook Group - Yoga for Lupus

Yoga for Arthritis website

Lupus and an Immune System "Off Switch". I'll take one, please!

Exciting news from Lupus Alliance Research: 

Discovery of Immune System 'Off Switch' Speeds Hunt for Lupus Therapies

Scientists at University of Massachusetts Medical School have discovered a new piece of the complex jigsaw that makes up our immune system - one that ensures the immune response stays switched off in the absence of germs.

The study reported in the leading scientific journal Cell - and supported by the Lupus Research Institute* - could help researchers find new ways to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

Katherine A. Fitzgerald, PhD, Professor of Medicine, looked at the role of a type of RNA molecule in lupus, called lincRNA. Although RNA molecules are essential in all forms of life, most lincRNA are thought to lack function. Dr. Fitzgerald, however, found otherwise. She focused her novel exploration on one of these RNAs called lincRNA-EPS, and found that its levels change when the immune system goes into action to fight off germs. Her study exposed two groups of mice - one with and one without this lincRNA - to the same germs, and found very different reactions. She discovered that groups lacking lincRNA-EPS produced massive amounts of inflammation. Dr. Fitzgerald notes, "The results show that this lincRNA switches off the body's inflammation response unless germs that need fighting are present."

"By discovering what lincRNAs do, our study reveals a whole new layer of regulation that we didn't know existed in the immune system. We hope these molecules can be harnessed to develop new therapies for autoimmune diseases," she explains.

Read more about Fitzgerald's findings and what they mean for people with lupus in the press release from University of Massachusetts Medical School here.

* The LRI has now merged with the Alliance for Lupus Research and the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation to form the Lupus Research Alliance.

Rock, Paper, Cocktails! Hope to see you at this year's Vienna, VA event! 9.25.16

Looking forward to the annual Rock, Paper, Cocktails event coming up on September 25th!

This year's shopping extravaganza will be held at Westwood Country Club, in Vienna, VA, and is sure to deliver the finest boutique vendors Vienna has ever seen.

I always look forward to setting up shop at RPC, and raising money for a great cause. The proceeds from this year's event go to Inova's Life with Cancer and Amy's Army. I usually get a jump start on a ton of Christmas shopping while I'm there. Can't wait to start crossing gifts off my list!

Details are below, and you can buy tickets here. Check out the RPC website here, read about Amy's Army here, and check out the list of vendors here. See you there!


***
ROCK, PAPER, COCKTAILS! 
Sunday, September 25th, 6-9pm

Please join the 2016 RPC Host Committee at the EIGHTH annual 
Rock Paper Cocktails! to benefit INOVA Life with Cancer + Amy's Army

AT WESTWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

Heavy hors d'oeuvres and sweet treats
Two complimentary drink tickets and discounted cash bar
Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.
Advance ticket sales for purchase only
Cash, checks, and credit accepted by all vendors.
Over a dozen local fine gift vendors will be on hand.

The evening will also feature raffle baskets and silent auction items.

Learm more and see  our amazing Vendors and Sponsors at RockPaperCocktails.com /center>

My SunGrubbies fashion show: Sun protective clothing still a success, despite Hermine!

This past Labor Day weekend, we headed to the Jersey Shore, bracing ourselves for the potential effects of post-tropical storm Hermine. We heard reports predicting flooding, surges, dangerous winds, and plenty of rain - and we watched as people made a mass exodus from the island. Thankfully, Hermine had other plans, and Ocean City, NJ remained relatively untouched. Those of us left were able to enjoy our holiday weekend, as the storm spared us the terrible damage and destruction it caused down south.

We considered ourselves very lucky, and instead of fighting wind and rain all weekend long, we were able to thoroughly enjoy the sun and surf. (The beach remained opened throughout the weekend, but

access to the water was off-limits after Saturday.)  The beach, void of people and towels, umbrellas and lifeguard stands, was eerily beautiful, and we had Hermine to thank for great mid-morning shelling.

The fact that it was mostly sunny and beautiful, with a touch of coolness, gave me the opportunity to try out the new sun protective gear I received from Sun Grubbies, a well-established sun protective clothing company. I've always struggled to find fashionable UV protective clothing, but based upon their selection, it seems SunGrubbies is constantly updating the look and style of their pieces. One of their shirts is my new go-to! 

The three pieces they sent me to try were the Solar Face Shield in Black, the Casual Traveler Hat in Natural, and the UPF 50 Sport Long Sleeve Women's Shirt in Mint. Here are my thoughts:

I can't say enough great things about this shirt. I am so picky when it comes the cut of long sleeves, and I have to say, they nailed the fit perfectly. It's stylish, and fitted right where it's supposed to be. The scoop neck and raglan sleeve (I think that's what it's called) is really flattering - and makes for a great look. The fabric is light, and very comfortable, and features Pure Wick wicking technology to keep you dry. The Mint green was a great color, and sizing was spot on. I'm an XS, and this fits just like an XS. Two thumbs up! 

Next up is the Casual Traveler hat - which was, indeed, perfect for traveling. It folded flat, and unfolded easily upon arrival. I thought the hat was going to be too big when I pulled it out of its orginial packaging, but I discovered the great feautre of a hidden tie inside, which cinches the hat to the size you need. That snug fit turned out to be great for the increased winds we had at the beach - it didn't budge. Nor did the nice thick fabric from which it's made - the brim didn't flop around so the sun was always blocked. I brought it intentionally for the expected deluge, but I ended up using it for the sun.  

Last up is the Solar Face Shield, which was not a typical choice for me, but I was happy to give it a try. First, I was surprised at how comfortable it is. It feels like you're wearing a comfy visor, that is somehow magically shielding every ray of sunshine from your eyes and face. No pesky nose or ear pieces - just no sun! I imagine the shield would have been an added bonus if pelting rain or blowing sand had been an issue, but they weren't. The airflow is awesome, as venting comes from both the side and bottom. Despite my preconceptions,  it didn't get hot under the shield either, as long as I wore the visor at the angle it was intended. And it really shields the sun - like, you stand there and feel quite comfortable because the heat from the sun is blocked. The most amazing thing is that you forget you're wearing it because it's so comfy...until, that is, you turn to look in the mirror. As mentioned on SunGrubbies' website, their Face Shield has been featured in Allure magazine, and celebrities use it to ward off paparazzi. (Thankfully, they didn't follow me to the Shore.) 

Overall - SunGrubbies is a great company with great products. I will be a walking billboard for their stylish shirts, and the hat will be super when I hit the beach. I think I'd prefer one of their smaller brims for the pool. And if you're really looking to shield all sun from your face, their Face Shield will do it. I believe the owner of the company even wears it playing beach volleyball!

Now through the end of September, SunGrubbies is offering a promotion to all Despite Lupus readers.  Simply use the code “DESPITELUPUS10” on their website to save 10% off your purchase!