Living with chronic illness is expensive. Between the monthly premiums, regular office visits, lab work, imaging tests, supplement shots, and prescriptions, it’s no wonder healthcare takes up a large part of our household budget. My daughter and I both need a lot of care. It’s one of the reasons why I take some work that enables me to have “good” healthcare coverage even though it very often makes my symptoms worse. Imagine my irritation then when even my “good” coverage isn’

I've spent the past six weeks not writing. As every writer and writer-lover knows, that's a recipe for disaster. And, sometimes, like now, it's a disaster that looms larger and larger without much hope of relief. Kafka once said a non-writing writer is only about five seconds from crazy at any given time. (Well, okay, he said it better, much better, but non-writing me only paraphrases, and that's as close as we're gonna get today.) And, I don't know about you, but I'm not

I was so thrilled to speak with hosts List Tarves and Daria Anne on Love Liberty & Lip Gloss tonight about how readers can find happiness while living with chronic illness! If you missed the show, and you or someone you love experiences chronic migraine, you can listen to the show online now. Learn more about my book, Finding Happiness with Migraines: A Do It Yourself Guide, here. #migraines #living #radio #chronicillness

I had a wonderful time yesterday talking with Dr. Jeanette Gallagher on BlogTalkRadio about living well with migraines and my book, "Finding Happiness with Migraines: A Do It Yourself Guide." A few things we discussed: Pharmaceuticals Supplements Genetic mutations that might be affecting your migraine treatment Essential Oils Managing Triggers If you missed the live show, you can listen for free on BlogTalkRadio. #migraines #tips #livingwell #chronicillness #radio

I’ve finally done it, that thing I kept talking about, over and over, for the past nine months. And guess what? It feels great! I’m more productive, less anxious about deadlines, and more at peace with myself. In fact, it’s been going so great, I can’t believe I didn’t start sooner! No, I’m not talking about a new diet or workout routine. No, it isn’t a re-energized sex life. I’m talking about something much, much simpler. A thing we’ve all heard about, and yet rarely find th

My son turned one this month. He is walking, running, pointing, gesturing, saying words like “come” and “sister,” laughing, playing jokes, and learning about boundaries – his own and those of other people. He is not, however, sleeping through the night. In fact, after 40 weeks of pregnancy and 12 months of baby, a “good night’s sleep” for me is still a three-hour chunk of uninterrupted slumber followed (or preceded) by a couple of 90-minute chunks. I’m exhausted, and the get-

Having grown up in the U.S. to remarkably independent self-motivated parents, I internalized the idea that hard work equaled success from an early age. But, working hard doesn’t have to mean working 24/7. In fact, working constantly is a sure-fire way path to burnout: physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a homeschooling, work-at-home mom to a breastfeeding infant and a special-needs, pre-teen girl, I’m constantly fighting the urge to spend every minute of my day engaged