Living with Lupus means living with stops and starts, progress and setbacks — not with just your body, but also with you’re your mind and spirit. While Lupus patients like me get a lot of practice with the “three-steps-forward-two-steps-back” deal, it’s not always easy. It’s especially tough to reconcile reality with the days of the past, remembering what you were once capable of in life before the disease….
Body
One word to describe my Lupus body today: Strained
Which habits and rituals did I practice to soothe my Lupus body?
- Ate a clean diet
- Breathed fresh air
- Stayed hydrated
- Protected delicate skin
More details about my physical symptoms:
Along with feeling stronger comes the natural next step of trying to do more. This week, my “more” was in the form of increased stretching of the painful muscles of my low back, hips, and pelvis. I thought I could take it, but unfortunately, I pulled or strained my groin muscles in the process, due to the lack of mobility in my arthritic spine and joints. As I write this, I’m at the end of day two of resting from any exercise—or as I like to say moving and stretching. There’s no pain like a groin muscle strain, and the only thing you can do is rest the muscle and allow it to heal on its own. Needless to say, I postponed the start of my aquatic therapy this week (not that I was too keen on going in the first place).
Mind
One word to describe my Lupus mind today: Acceptance
Which habits and rituals did I practice to strengthen my Lupus mind?
- Managed expectations
- Focused on the positive
- Managed stress response
- Managed time and energy
More details and thoughts about how I’m feeling emotionally today:
Living with Lupus, I’ve grown accustomed to lots of starts and stops, and progress and setbacks—you know, the three-steps-forward-two-step-back idea. Being accustomed to it doesn’t make it any easier to take, though. Some days, I get so frustrated with my body, especially when I consider how I used to be. Looking back to that time doesn’t help, and it certainly isn’t fair to the person I am today. Today’s reality is that progress is slow. Thankfully, my determination is stronger than ever. I have to channel my inner tortoise and remember that slow and steady wins the race!
Spirit
One word to describe my spirit today: Trusting
Which habits and rituals did I practice to nurture my Lupus spirit?
- Practiced loving myself
- Enjoyed sacred space
- Meditated, prayed, visualized
Thoughts about my spiritual connection and spiritual lessons learned today:
My Lupus spirit is focused on being patient and trusting that, although I can’t always see progress when I’m in the middle of a setback (or what seems to be a setback), progress is STILL being made. Trusting in the process is key, and so is knowing and remembering that today’s reality is really how I choose to perceive it: Is the proverbial glass half empty or half full?
Meals
Today my meals were:
- Breakfast: Banana Paleo muffin, scrambled egg, slice of bacon, orange juice
- Lunch: Crockpot shredded chicken breast, green salad with apple slices and walnuts
- Dinner: Grilled salmon, dill rice, peas
- Snacks: Gala apple with almond butter
- Water: 60 ounces
Thanks
At least one thing that I’m grateful for today:
- Peace of mind
**(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.)
