More book tour stops

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Great stops so far. If you’ve missed them, go back and see where we’ve been.

This is what’s coming up:

  • Tues Nov 11 – achronic dose, Laurie Edwards interviews me about the book’s focus, the warrior spirit and more.
  • Wed Nov 12 – despite lupus, asked me to respond to this question: Why do you give so much attention to the issue of talking about chronic illness and do you think this is more difficult for women than men?
  • Thursday Nov 13 – Fighting Fatigue asked me for to write about raising a family, working and living with chronic illness. I offered one “big idea”- a strategy – that I found really helped us.
  • Thursday Nov 13 -Yes, we’re appearing on two sites in one day! Read a review of the book on Stuff and Nonsense.
  • Friday Nov 14 – My Life Works Today — I’m writing in response to a reader’s question: What happens when you’re too sick to work?
  • Friday Nov 14 – Getting closer to myself interviews me asking such questions as: what do I think about the universal issues women with chronic illness face, what should women in their 20’s & 30’s be thinking about as they look ahead and what can women do as a group to face these issues.

Look for next weeks post later this week.

Election over, Diabetic Gets Harrassed and Book Tour is On

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Yes, it’s finally over. We can get back to whatever we were doing before this started … what was it, two years ago? And now the work, to open healthcare access for all, begins. ***************************************************************************** Read how one young woman handled poor treatment when the proctor almost didn’t let her take the GRE’s because ofRead More

Presidential Candidates stand on healthcare

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A reader told me that Web MD has put together a comprehensive chart to compare how the candidates stand on health issues. This is useful information! Here are some questions for you: Would you vote solely on one issue – this or any other? Would you vote for a candidate who supports your issue butRead More

Join the Book Tour — no lines and no wait!

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Tuesday is voting day and I bet you’re wondering: How am I going to get to the voting booth, wait on those long lines? Here we go again, I look fine so I can’t say I’m too tired to stand on long lines and still get to work on time (or not — if you’reRead More

Where do they stand?

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It might not be the top story on CNN, but at least they’re running the ads, Vote Like Your Health Depends On It, which ask our presidential candidates: Where do you stand on healthcare and spending for chronic illness? HOO – RAY! The ads were created by The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. The PFCDRead More

The Blog Virtual Book Tour Starts Soon

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I’ve written about the virtual book tour for my book, Women Work and Autoimmune Disease:Keep Working, Girlfriend! It kicks off next week, Monday November 3. Those bloggers who have asked me to write a guest post for the day that they’re highlighting the book have suggested a topic to write on. That’s more difficult thanRead More

Wellness programs have their pros and their cons

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I’ve been hearing about organizational wellness programs for several years now. What could be bad? According to an article in The Wall Street Journal’s, MarketWatch (Even During Financial Crisis, Investing in Wellness is Good Business) Chronic illness accounts for 2/3 of a company’s health care expense. 80% of all chronic disease is the result ofRead More

Row, row your boat – – – even with Multiple Sclerosis or Breast Cancer

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You gotta’ respect a person who uses his pain to win. “During a race, … your muscles are on fire …. but you know the pain will subside. When I have to go to the hospital {with an multiple sclerosis attack), it’s like having someone pick at the back of my eyes, just tearing itRead More

Readers share

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I asked for information (Can you Afford Chronic Illness?) about the new ADA legislation and in response, I got helpful tips: New York Times article Senate Measure Would Expand Disabilities Act (Thank you Christine Gombar for leading me here) Senator Tom Harkin was the chief author of the original ADA legislation and you can readRead More

Can you afford chronic illness?

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Medical debt is on the rise and employees (yup, even those of you with jobs) can’t cover your costs. At least according to a recent study by the Kaiser Foundation and the Center for Studying Health System Change. If this is you, you didn’t need the study to confirm this — or even to sayRead More

Chronic illness, health insurance and foreclosures

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IF YOU SUBSCRIBE, GETTING THIS AS AN EMAIL, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST TO COMMENT (OR CLICK ON THE HEADLINE FOR THE INTERNET) ********************************************************************** I bet you don’t think about chronic illness as a cause when you read about foreclosures (unless, of course, that’s why you’ve lost your home!) But, a new studyRead More

Book Reading in Newton MA

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If you’re a subscriber and get this is an email, you can comment either by clicking on today’s headline or scroll down to below today’s post to where it says comment. ********************************************************* I’m giving a “lecture/reading” of my book, Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend, (co-authored with Joan Friedlander) this evening at aRead More

Sarah Palin's stand on chronic illness

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Have you heard what Sarah Palin is saying about healthcare access for people with chronic illness? NO? That’s because she hasn’t said a thing,   Nor has any other candidate  (and in case the media frenzy has caused  you to forget, there are 4 candidates in this race.) Am I surprised no one is talkingRead More

Assess yourself before looking for that next job

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Are you STUCK when you think about the next job  — now that you’re living with an invisible chronic illness? Then tune in to my free  radio seminar to get ideas about what you can do! Assess Yourself: Find the Job You Desire and Can Do Despite Limitations Tuesday Sept. 9 at 9:00a.m PT  /11:00a.m.CT/12:00noonRead More

Chronic illness making you think about a new job?

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Have you talked to a virtual assistant today? If you live with chronic illness, you probably dream about two things — (other than becoming healthy): working for yourself and working virtually. Do you know about the Virtual Assistant? It’s a new career – – part of the “new marketplace” of solo entrepreneurs and web-based business.Read More

The Virtual Book Tour, a special price and a special opportunity

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the Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend! Virtual Book Tour I’m thrilled that some of the best read bloggers (see the list) in the online disease community are participating. TO KICK OFF THE BOOK TOUR: (and let’s face it, I know money is tight but I’ve seen how valuable this information can be),Read More

Michelle and her Dad's Chronic Illness

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Did you notice that in her address to the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama spoke about her father (read here for full story), Frasier Robinson? He lived with MS, walked with a cane and supported the family. “My dad was our rock,” she said. “Although he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his early thirties,Read More

Invisible but still here

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When I became very sick 30 years ago and  the diagnosis was multiple sclerosis, I didn’t have a clue what that meant. But hey, I wasn’t alone. No one else did either. Not much has changed — which is why it’s still chronic illness and not cured and healthy! But one thing I know forRead More

Does your doctor know what you do at work?

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How patients with chronic illness should talk with their doctors is a frequent topic online. Laurie Edwards wrote about what patients need to think about in terms of other patients (The patient to patient relationship). But are you telling your doctor enough information about your current job situation? Think about it. Does your physician askRead More

Using a crystal ball with chronic illness and employment

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Have you asked for flex time because of invisible chronic illness symptoms – and not gotten it?  Emily, who blogs on Finding Equilibrium, did so and when she couldn’t get what she needed, she quit her job to work on her own in a virtual capacity.  That was a big move for her.  She regrettedRead More

The employment GAP from chronic illness

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FYI – IF YOU ARE A BLOG SUBSCRIBER (YOU’RE READING THIS IN YOUR EMAIL BOX ) – BUT IT’S TOO MANY EMAILS FOR YOU, YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE — AND SUBSCRIBE (ON MY WEBSITE HOMEPAGE) TO MY (once only) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, Monthly Words of Wisdom. *********************************************************************************************** When you’ve taken time off from working because of chronicRead More

Stress and chronic illness: Are they really a dynamic duo?

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Stress and chronic illness symptoms. Sort of like Batman and Robin, peanut butter and jelly, tea and sympathy?  But do they have to be… Yesterday (a gorgeous summer Saturday here in Gloucester), I had a busy morning that sounded great when I was planning it : early morning kayak with my husband, Jake, food shoppingRead More

Do you suffer from a Failure to Communicate?

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“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Cool Hand Luke I bet that if you live with a chronic illness you understand what I mean when I say:  The single most difficult issue that I’ve faced living with chronic illness hasn’t been feeling lousy or having pain. It’s been knowing what to sayRead More

Monkeys, Dogs and a Job Lead

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Today’s post has two ideas for help we can get to make ourselves even more productive while living with disabling symptoms and a job idea. Do you ever go to health fairs? They’re often sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and some people don’t like them for that reason but there often really interesting vendors (like me!)Read More

Sinking while working around the clock

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Do you think that living with a chronic illness makes you unemployable —  because you can’t possibly work the long hours that are expected in America’s workplace? Not long ago, I blogged on this topic on my other blog, Keep Working Girlfriend.  It got some interesting responses.  One reader was motivated to research this topic.Read More

Sometimes you make mistakes

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One of the tenets of blogging is to use real examples so people can see your experience and relate to what you’re saying. The thinking being that’s what brings and keeps readers. But there’s a fine line between using real life examples and lifting someone’s story. And I stepped over the line in a recentRead More

What do you REALLY want?

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Before I get to today’s topic, here’s an offer you can’t miss: My free, groundbreaking report, Chronic Illness in the Workplace: Career Success is Possible in exchange for completing a two question survey. It couldn’t be easier. Click on the link, take the survey and recieve my report. THANK YOU! ************************************************************************************************** I told you inRead More

Some interesting research on chronic illnesses

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I think these are worth paying attention to because they each uncover information that goes beyond one illness – and might hold some links to how we can live more ‘productive’ lives. In this recent study ( Mechanism behind Mind-Body Connection Explains How Chronic Stress Ages Immune System), the researchers have identified some factors that mightRead More

What do you do when you don't like your choices?

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There are times that we can’t help but wonder what our lives might have been if only . .. . I woke this morning with this thought on my mind: If it hadn’t been for chronic illness, my career would have been very different. Would it have been more satisfying? Don’t get me wrong. IRead More

Lemonade anyone?

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In an interview this afternoon, a reporter asked if my book, Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend!  (co-authored with Joan Friedlander) is the result of my own ambition to be a writer.   And did I plan to write more?  My first response was, “You’re  kidding, aren’t you?” I found writing a bookRead More

Interview with chronic migraineur

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For today’s post, I interviewed Diana Lee,  Somebody Heal Me: The Musings of a Chronic Migraineur. Diana’s story of living with pain is typical for many of us who have had life altering chronic illness. She’s taken a highly creative and productive path to address it. FYI: This month’s headache and migraine carnival hosted atRead More

Are you using social media?

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(I’m posting late this week because I’ve been struggling with wordpress to get an image in – sometimes this system just locks things out. So frustrating.) You heard it here first: the meteoric rise of social media is the best breakthrough for working people with chronic illness since … the internet.  It saves you timeRead More

Life can be disrupted but it doesn't stop

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Where do you turn when you’re feeling completely alone and you’re convinced no one could possibly understand what your life with chronic illness is like? My friend and colleague, Laurie Edwards, just published, Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in your twenties and thirties. Not only does she include snippets from her own compellingRead More

You have to be careful about closing doors

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It’s hard not to blame yourself if chronic illness leaves you feeling as if you have no choice but to stop working. But the fact is that sometimes you just can’t get out of bed on a daily basis and that’s usually what work requires. Milwaukee morning dj (WLDB-FM 93.3), Ellen Stout, 54, is retiringRead More

Planning a summer vacation can be a lot like cleaning your kitchen floor

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When we were living in our first apartment, my husband would ask me, ” Why do we have to wash the kitchen floor once a week if it doesn’t look dirty?” How do you answer something that seems so obvious? When people tell me that summer vacations is a source of stress – I thinkRead More

Getting to yes is more useful than you might think

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If you think that it’s only the adult work world in which a chronically ill person struggles to around being “successful”, read this article (When Schools Punish Sick Children Who Miss School). Kids face the same crap (sorry but it made my blood boil). Here’s an example: A parent wrote that her child completed allRead More

Coming Out – Into the spotlight

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Occasionally, I interview people about their “story” because I think it would be valuable for you to hear a different take on these issues – other than mine. Today’s guest is Leslie Rott. She is 22 years old and was diagnosed with and is being treated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)Read More

Chronic illness isn't sexy

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There is nothing sexy or headline-making about chronic illness. It rarely kills a person — but it sure can curtail a life. Ted Kennedy was presented with what seemed liked larger than life issues that forced him to make quick decisions and take risks. All the more inspiring. And Kennedy, as do so many celebritiesRead More

Chronic illness means frequently weighing the pros and cons

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This past weekend, my husband’s family gathered at our house for his youngest brother’s (there are 4 “boys”) graduation (at 44!) from U Mass Medical School (Worcester, MA). A big deal, no? But it’s late Spring and as is typical for me, multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms are flaring, with some pain and some fatigue.  NotRead More