Winter’s coming, and it seems a bit early this year. Our first snow has fallen, and cold winds are blowing. With all this comes a familiar battle—one that takes all the strength and courage I can muster to meet it head on. Yes, I’m talking about the battle of Lupus versus my body, mind, and spirit…. **
Body
One word to describe my Lupus body today:
Cold
Which habits and rituals did I practice to soothe my Lupus body?
- Slept well
- Breathed fresh air
- Stayed hydrated
- Protected delicate skin
- Moved and stretched
More details about my physical symptoms:
While all the snow is beautiful and the smell of winter blows in the brisk mountain air, it’s cold outside. And, my body is feeling it. I find myself thinking about old folks lamenting about how the weather affects them,”The rain’s comin’, and I can feel it in ma bones!” Well for me, it’s the cold air’s coming, and I can feel it in my muscles, my joints, my nerves, and my chest when I breathe in the cold air. No matter how many times the seasons change, my Lupus body takes a while to adjust.
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Mind
One word to describe my Lupus mind today:
Fighting
Which habits and rituals did I practice to strengthen my Lupus mind?
- Focused on the positive
- Managed time and energy
- Managed stress response
More details and thoughts about how I’m feeling emotionally today:
My Lupus mind is in battle mode again. Well it always is, but today was especially difficult fighting the inclination to become negative, anxious, and overwhelmed. The battle rages on even though I spent a lovely Veterans Day with Hubby. He has no idea what’s going on behind my eyes. It’s all because the infamous instigator is at it again—PAIN. Today’s pain is like a vibrating musician’s tuning fork. Each tap of pain reverberates slowly until it finally dissipates, only to be replaced by another tap. Even with the pain and negative thought, I consider today a victory because I didn’t give in.
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Spirit
One word to describe my spirit today:
Loved
Which habits and rituals did I practice to nurture my Lupus spirit?
- Enjoyed sacred space
- Meditated, prayed, visualized
- Made someone happy
- Embraced uncertainty
Thoughts about my spiritual connection and spiritual lessons learned today:
What’s the closest antidote to pain? Experiencing and being surrounded by love. Today, I felt lots of love from my Hubby, and surprisingly from myself. No work, no plans, no routine. Just an enjoyable day together. The pain, though ever-present and demanding, was no match for the special connection I had today. Thank you God.
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Meals
Today my meals were:
- Breakfast: Scrambled egg, applesauce
- Lunch: Cedar grilled lemon chicken from Applebee’s (definitely not clean eating, but the best while Hubby enjoyed his free Veteran’s Day meal)
- Dinner: Leftover chicken breast, corn and peas
- Snacks: Gluten-free pretzels
- Water: 63 ounces
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Thanks
At least one thing that I’m grateful for today:
- An enjoyable day with Hubby
- Snow-capped mountain view from my house
**(This post is based on the format of the Lupus Diary that I developed for keeping track of how Lupus affects my body, mind, and spirit, I check-in here once a week to let you know about the more interesting days of my Lupus journey. To learn more about the Lupus Diary, how I developed it, and why I use it, click here.)
