Many of us with chronic illness or disability have undergone or were born with physical scars or abnormalities of some kind. Hopefully we have learned not to obsess over this, but to accept and embrace our looks. I have a very large scar on my chest due to major surgery. At first I considered having cosmetic surgery to cover it up, but now I look at it as a badge of honor because without it, I may not be alive today.

Now I’d rather obsess over fashion than my physical appearance. One of my vices is buying shoes. Yes, they have to be comfortable, but there’s no problem finding gorgeous shoes like flats from Kate Spade. Although I’d only wear them a few times a year, Michael Kors boots would do me a world of good too. They’d have me strutting!

Simply put, buying shoes and feeling good about how I dress is a lot cheaper than getting cosmetic surgery. It’s taken time to accept the way my body has changed, but all women’s bodies change as we age. Focus on being positive, building up self-esteem, finding new interests and cultivating personal relationships. And, If looking good includes buying new shoes, go for it. And don’t forget to shop safely online.

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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!

I just joined a group to help us prepare for Christmas. We are going to share idea on how to have a stress free holiday season. Last year Christmas was very rushed and things were done at the last minute. I ended up getting very sick because of feeling so uneasy. For the first time in years I didn’t have a home made Christmas Eve dinner and I didn’t send out Christmas cards.

Cards are very important to me because I only have my mother and aunt living close by. Finding just the right photo holiday cards tops off my Christmas to do list. At 123print.com there are so many bright and cheery cards to chose from. I was able to find both religious and Santa cards, my favorites. It’s easy to upload your photo and find what you want by category as well as folded or flat cards.

I’ll be sharing this with the group so we can get one of our to do items checked off the list and feel the stress release too.

This is a sponsored post. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Many people don’t know what it is like to live with Myasthenia Gravis because it is a rare disease. I’d like to shed some light into my life.

Since Myasthenia Gravis affects my muscles, I am often weak. Most often my symptoms begin with my eyes. Almost all of the time, my right eyelid droops. To people who don’t know me it may not be noticeable, but it is to me and my family and friends. It becomes noticeable if my symptoms worsen and there’s nothing that I can do about it. I then begin to feel like my forehead is drooping. You can’t see that, but it’s a pretty awful feeling. My speech can get slurred and I sound like I’m drunk. My head feels heavy, too heavy for my neck to hold it up.

If I get worse, my arms and legs then begin to feel very heavy. I often feel that I can’t move, especially walk. This doesn’t scare me any more, but it annoys me. I get very frustrated because I feel like I’m stuck in one place. I do have a scooter to use so if I feel strong enough, I can use it.

The worst symptoms for me is feeling like my throat is closing up. When I am extremely weak, this happens suddenly. This scares me a lot. It makes me feel like I’m choking. This will also happen for no reason in the middle of the night. I have to either get up myself or if I’m too weak, have my husband get some food (if I can swallow it) and my Mestinon. I also have trouble swallowing food sometimes and issues with breathing, especially when I move around a lot.

When I have a flare up, these symptoms are more constant, but on normal days, they do not happen very often. Being in the heat, getting stressed, being around chemical odors (even cleaning supplies) and just doing too much physically can set the symptoms off.

Life with Myasthenia Gravis, is not too bad because I know that most of the time my medication can control my symptoms. It may take some time for it to work, but it does work. If I need to have my medication dose changed, I can call my neurologist or go see him.

I haven’t been to the ER because of MG symptoms, also called a crisis, in years. I am grateful for what I am able to do and how my life is going right now.

I can’t belive the hot flashes that I’ve been having lately. They hit me at all times of the day. The worst time is at night.

I’ve been sleeping with a washcloth on my head and face to try to cool down but it does very little. To make matters worse is that heat makes Myasthenia Gravis worse. I am going to have to bite the bullet and go to my doctor to talk about this as it is causing other illnesses including Fibromyalgia to worsen.

I feel weak and shaky during them and for about an hour or so after. Add this to the heat of Florida! I’ve taken to keeping a small battery fan with me.  I feel like a tourist in my own home state! I’m thinking of all kind of hot flash jokes too. Do you have any to share with me to make this time in my life go by a bit easier?

It’s good to laugh, especially when it’s laughing at something that is pretty ridiculous but is probably making someone a lot of money. What would you think if you saw someone wearing a bandana mask like this from FluFashion? They are real respirator masks but “decorated” to look hip and gangsta. Did I just write that?

I’m sure we’ll be seeing them on planes and trains since VP Joe Biden made his famous statement a few weeks ago. Or maybe not.