When you’ve got a cold, or are in a flare up, or recovering from surgery,  you need some fun time to forget your woes. You may be stuck in bed or even the hospital but you can still do somethings to amuse yourself. Here are the Top Five Ways To Have Fun When You’re Sick:

1. Color - Be sure that you get a brand new box of crayons and a new coloring book. There’s nothing like the smell of Crayolas to bring a smile to your face. Don’t worry about coloring in the lines. Just go at it!
2. YouTube Videos - If you’re able to use a laptop, then just go to YouTube and watch the videos that people make themselves. Keep clicking around and laugh at the stupidity of people and what they’re actually willing to put online for everyone to see.  No computer? Watch some form of funny videos on TV. There’s tons of them now.
3. Talk Radio -  Find a talk radio station that has the most outlandish ideas about conspiracy theories or zombies and call in. Pretend to agree with the host and carry on like you’re having a normal conversation. Blame it on the meds.
4. Play With Toys - Pull out those old race cars, Barbies, Legos and play in bed. (Not that way.)
5. Hair and Make Up - If you feel up to it, play with your hairstyle and do something wild. Try some new shades of make-up that you haven’t used in a while. You too guys. Lots of girls love it. If you’re not up to it, let someone you love, help you out. Now that’s fun!

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: Myasthenia Gravis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ulcerative Colitis.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: with UC in 1985, with MG in 2000, the rest 2001 or the year later.
3. But I had symptoms since: 19844 for the UC
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: not being able to work and giving up my active lifestlye
5. Most people assume: I’m not sick
6. The hardest part about mornings are: waking up because I’m so tired
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my laptop
9. The hardest part about nights are: pain and insomnia
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please) 36
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am not able to try them because of the medications I am on for Myasthenia Gravis. There are many interactions for a certain prescription I take.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: visible so more people would understand
13. Regarding working and career: I’m sad that I can’t continue working in the career I chose for myself. I’m happy that I can work as a blogger though.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I’m in pain almost all the time.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I have to rely on other people for simple things.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: attend a conference.
17. The commercials about my illness: re: Fibromyalgia and RA - make it seem like a pill or shot cures the disease.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: dancing, drinking  a few beers, running, walking as much as I want to
19. It was really hard to have to give up: working
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: blogging and photography
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: spend it with my family, listening to loud music, dancing, cooking and eating all day long
22. My illness has taught me: to appreciate every moment
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: you look great!
24. But I love it when people: recognize that most of the things I do take me a lot of effort
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philipians 4:13
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: find a doctor who is supportive and knowledgeable and a support system
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how understanding my husband and family are
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: take my daughter, who was much younger for play dates so she didn’t have to sit home while I slept
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: it’s so important for people to understand about us, what our lives are like, what we go through each day and how they can support us
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: fantastic!

Find out more about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and the 5-day free virtual conference with 20 speakers Sept 14-18, 2009 at www.invisibleillness.com

June is the month that the United States sets aside as APS Awareness Month. APS stands for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome. It is also known as APLS or APL in the US or Hughes Syndrome or Sticky Blood in the United Kingdom.

APS is an autoimmune disease

in which the body recognizes certain normal components of blood and/or cell membranes as foreign substances and produces antibodies against them. Patients with these antibodies may experience blood clots, including heart attacks and strokes, and miscarriages. APS may occur in people with systemic lupus erythematosus, other autoimmune diseases, or in otherwise healthy individuals.

(from APS Foundation of America)

Symptoms: Blood clots, heart attacks, strokes in young people. Pregnancy symptoms include, miscarriages in early pregnancy, loss of baby after 13 weeks, small birth weight, placental abruption and a small placenta, and HELLP - hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells), elevated liver tests and low platelets. Low platlet count, found by blood work.

Diagnosis - If you don’t have a low platlet count, it is often difficult to diagnose APS because of the many various symptoms.

Treatment - Keep weight and cholesterol levels low. Stop or don’t start smoking and try to keep active. If you have clots or deep vein thrombosis, you will most likely be put on a blood thinner. If you are attempting to become pregnant, you may take low dose aspirin.

To learn more about APS, please visit the APS Foundation of America. You can also listen to to a recording on an APS Focus Interview.

Since April is Sjogren’s Syndrome Awareness Month, I thought I’d write a little about what it’s like to live with this disease.

• My Diagnosis: I began complaining of dry eyes and a very dry mouth to my Rheumatologist shortly after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I was having other health problems at the time but although my blood work showed a high ANA, nothing could be determined. I also was already diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, Ulcerative Colitis and Anemia at that time. When he say my tongue he was shocked.  He recommended that I visit an ENT to get a diagnosis and an Opthamologist. The ENT refused to do a lip biopsy because he was concerned about my healing. The Opthamologist saw how  dry my eyes were. We tried OTC artificial tears first. When they did nothing to relieve the dryness, he inserted tear duct plugs. Within 2 months both doctors decided to diagnos me with Sjogren’s without the blood work because I had the hallmark symptoms of this disease.
• My Treatment: I am now using Restastis, have two tear duct plugs in each eye (this varies as my dry eyes can get better at times), use OTC artificial tears, gel at night and take prescription form of Folic Acid. I can’t eat spicy foods at all and drink a lot of water every day. I see the dental hygienist 3 times per year and the dentist twice. I go to a dermatologist 3 times a year partly because of my severely dry skin. I wear sunglasses when ever I am outdoors (even if it is cloudy). And I see my Rheumatologist every 2 weeks for B12 shots. (please note that this is also due to my other diagnoses)
• How I Feel: Sometimes my eyes hurt because they are so dry that they feel like I have sand in them. I am frequently tired. My mouth is always dry, along with my lips. I have bad gums and cavaties even though I brush my teeth 3 times per day. My skin is dry and flaky and I sunburn easily.  I have other symptoms but because I have other diseases it is hard to distinguish what causes what.
• What I Do To Help Myself: I laugh a lot, especially about myself. I try to think positively and surround myself with positive people. I do things that I enjoy. I sleep when I need to and try not to overwork. I keep updated on all of the new information about Sjogren’s.
• What I Do To Help Others: I try to educate people about Sjogren’s and about all autoimmune diseases. Please share that this month is special to me and a lot of other people too!

April is Sjogren’s Syndrome Awareness Month. What is Sjogren’s Syndrome? Sjogren’s is pronounced show-grins and is a disease that affects the moisture producing glands in your body. It is an autoimmune disease and has many symptoms which mimic other diseases like arthritis, fibromyalgia and even Multiple Sclerosis, making it difficult to diagnosis.

The main symptoms though, are dry eyes and dry mouth which can be very uncomfortable and even painful. The eye dryness can cause infections, ulcers and other problems with the eyes. Dry mouth can cause cavities, problems with taste and ulcers of the mouth.

Sjogren’s can also affect other parts of the body too which can cause serious health issues. For example, autoimmune pancreatitis, peripheral neuropathy and autoimmune hepatitis. Having Sjogren’s doesn’t mean that you will be affected in this manner, but that you are more likely to be diagnosed with one or more of these diseases.

It is important to be treated by a doctor who is knowledgeable about Sjogren’s Syndrome. Most often a Rhuematologist is your primary doctor. You will probably need an Opthamologist (not an Optometrist) and a Dentist. Then depending on what other types of illnesses you have, you may need an ENT, Pulmonologist and a Gastroenterologist.

Please visit the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation for more information on this disease. I have written a Squidoo lens about Sjogren’s where I write about how my life has been affected by this disease. I include information about SS and some products that can help you live more comfortably with the side effects. You can also learn how to advocate and inform others about Sjogren’s.

When you feel as if you are always getting instead of giving, it is a wonderful feeling to be able to give back. I was able to do this recently when I got an email from someone newly diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome. The woman also had other chronic illnesses but her rheumatologist and opthamologist were not up to date on her new dx. She also lives in a rural area where there are not a lot of doctors to choose from.

I answered her questions to the best of my abilities and provided links to her for the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation and an online support group. She replied that just knowing someone who had the same disease as her was helpful. She had felt alone until our email exchange. It felt better than getting gift cards to her favorite stores. It wasn’t that I was able to answer all of her questions, but be there for her. I felt worthwhile and like I had accomplished something.

Reach out to others in some way. It can be the perfect gift for the two of you.