Family Life w/ Chronic Illness

I posted some updates on my personal blog yesterday about some exciting finding for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (and potentially for a host of other neruo-immune, auto-immune and related conditions). (If you haven't heard much about the newly discovered human retrovirus XMRV, in the same family as HIV, read here first.)

If you are living with any kind of chronic health condition, you know the exhausting fatigue of just trying to "do life". Doing it well, doing it to your satisfaction, doing it to the fulfillment of your dreams, seems out of the question when pure survival is your state of being. What are your personal tips for "doing life well" within your limitations? Your limits might be financial, physical, health or other, but I would love to hear how you have risen to the challenge of harvesting hope in the midst of your heartache!

It was encouraging to me to read one such story this week as a reminder that not only am I not alone in these feelings of frustration, but that there are others "doing life well" while sick. It offered me hope that I might be able to better do the same. I honestly can't say I'm anywhere near where this woman is in my organizational skills (then again, she references a "sick day on the couch" as if it isn't her common state of being as it is for me), so I glean what I can from her story and don't burden myself with the rest. (Fertility-sensitive warning: Children and parenthood are referenced both directly and indirectly in the following resource.)

Making a House a Home When You Are Chronically Ill (and Chronically Fatigued!)

What's Your Sign?

People frequently ask me, "What's your sign?"

For years I didn't know the answer because I do not believe in the Zodiac. I've had enough people inform me over the years that I now know I'm classified as a "leo" but I would much rather claim the Lion of Judah, the Creator of all constellations, as the Answer to why I have the unique personality traits He has given me.

What's my sign? I choose the sign of the fish.

What's my sign? I choose the sign of the cross.

What's your sign?