Prompt: My Dream Day. Describe your ideal day. How would you spend your time? Who would you spend it with? Have you had this day? If not – how could you make it happen?

I have had a number of dream days despite multiple chronic illnesses. Here’s one:

Sitting in the hotel room while my family goes on an adventure without me because the pain is so bad. My choice is to get upset about it, or do something to change it. I think of them together and the fun they are having and instead of jealousy, I’m happy for them. A smile comes to my face. It’s easier now to imagine myself with them. My daughter’s laugh, my husband’s watchful eye, the connections they are making. Soon a few text messages come in that include photos of what they’re doing. They tell me to rest up because we’ll do something special when they get back.

The TV is turned off, the drapes closed and I find a comfortable position to rest. My deep breathing exercises help me get over the waves of pain. I find myself drifting off to sleep. It’s a fitful sleep, so I get some ice and wrap it in a towel. It numbs the pain a bit and I can sleep better.

When they return to the room, they gently wake me. And I’m showered with hugs and kisses. There’s a to go bag filled with some fresh fruit, a cup of soup and a sandwich. My husband opens up a Gatoraide and suggests I drink some mixed with my water. The food is delicious and helps me to feel more alert. As we sit and talk, I find myself laughing again.

Then the question, “Do you want to go out tonight or stay in the room?” I don’t want to ruin their night in case I need to rest again, or can’t cope with the pain. But, they understand so why worry? As they rest, I get in the shower and let the hot water hit those aching muscles. I take it slowly to reserve energy. Sitting and resting after my shower helps, instead of doing my hair and dressing right away.

Some how, I feel a lot better. And the thought of being with my family brightens me up. So I add some Naproxen in my purse, ask my husband to put on some Tiger Balm where I hurt and get on my scooter to go out for a few hours. After seeing the sites and splurging on some goodies, we have dinner. Mine is a salad, my favorite. The taste of the food, the view out of the restaurant window and the joy of coloring the kids menu with my daughter is too much to handle. I might burst from the love and gratitude that I feel.

Please understand, that I know all too well how detrimental pain from fibromyalgia, arthritis, Sjogren’s Syndrome and migraines can be. I don’t make light of it. And there have been periods of time when I could not function because of it. This is a dream day post. Although it has happened to me, it can be because of many factors, including that the pain wasn’t severe, that I recently had a trigger point or Humira injection or that I just darn lucky. I believe in using relaxation and deep breathing to help reduce pain, but I do not look down on anyone who needs more. I do too at times.

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

Lisa Copen is a force to be reckoned with. Although she has Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, she is the leader of the National Invisible Chronic Illness Week aka Invisible Illness Week. She also runs Rest Ministries, which is an online support group for people with chronic illness.

Lisa was diagnosed at 24 with Rheumatoid Arthritis so she can understand what it is like to be a young person facing a life long disease. She feels exhausted a great deal of the time and her hands and feet hurt most of the time. In fact right after last year’s Invisible Illness Week, she had to have surgery on her foot. She continues to have issues with infections as well as the ongoing pain.

Although Lisa is found everywhere on the web, she does have a personal life too. She is married and has a 6 year old son. She openly shares about the struggles she goes through on a daily basis, but those issues are tempered with her strong Christian faith and the support she receives from her family and friends both online and in real life.

Invisible Illness Week is September 14 – September 20th this year. It will be an online conference like last year, held on Blog Talk Radio. This allows people from all over to attend, as well as those who may be unable to due to sickness. Some of the speakers and topics this year include:

• Coping with Chronic Illness in Your Marriage with Bill & Pam Farrell
• Can Versus Should: Pregnancy, Children and Chronic Illness with Laurie Edwards
• Applying and Winning Disability Assistance When You Are Chronically Ill with Scott Davis
• Being a Teenager with a Chronic Illness with Naomi Kingery

There will be time for phone calls, questions and chances to win prizes. There are many ways that you can help. For example, you can blog about II Week, donate a prize, or hand out brochures.

Lisa Copen leads by example. Being chronically ill herself,  she volunteers to provides awareness about a subject (Invisible Illness) that many people do not understand or even knows exist.  She shares her personal struggles and her triumphs. She has a sense of humor about what comes her way.

She supports others in similar situations through her online work, her empathy and her kindness. She is always willing to share the limelight and gives credit to those who assist her in her work.

One of Lisa’s favorite scriptures that she hopes encourages others is “My comfort in my suffering is this: promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:50

This is an ongoing effort to spotlight people with chronic illness, health issues and disabilities who are making a contribution in some way despite their pain, sickness, etc.

DOUA, The Disabled Online Users Association, now has a brand new area on their training center to help you learn how to blog. Membership to DOUA is free and open to anyone with any type of disability from MS to Fibromyagia, from Raynaud’s Syndrome to Bipolar Disease, any type of physical or mental impairment.

You just fill out an online form, get approved and gain access to the Training Center. Inside you can learn about earning money online. This organization mainly teaches about selling on eBay, but has opened up to starting your own website, selling on Etsy, Amazon and blogging. There is information on all types of ways to make money. DOUA is also a support group where members get to know and trust each other. I’ve been a member and a mentor there for years.

Take advantage of this offer and learn how to blog for free.

Does the weather affect how you feel if you have fibromyalgia? Can you tell if it’s going to rain a few days in advance without watching the weather on the news? Do you feel more achy if it’s cold? What about if you have arthritis?

If this a problem for you, what do you do to feel better besides taking medicine? Have you tried any kind of salves or creams? Do you use a heating pad or an electric blanket?

I like to use the rice filled heating pads that you put in the microwave. They ease a lot of the muscular pain I feel when I’m cold or when the weather is damp. It also helps me when I’m just in pain even without the weather being out of whack.