Never say “give up!”

That’s one of my mottos for life with lupus.

The flare that was stirred up after I had to go off one of my lupus meds has also made me extremely sun- and fluorescent light sensitive, which made it difficult for me to spend much time writing over the past couple of weeks. And, what was a befuddling problem has now shed light (please pardon the pun) on yet another way in which many us with lupus, or perhaps any chronic illness, must learn to make lemonade from lemons (with real sugar, please, not artificial sweetener!).

For many “lupies,” the UV rays, particularly UVB, can stir up lupus flares. For years, I was told to limit my exposure to sunlight (I’m particularly sensitive), and if i did go outdoors during the sunny part of the day, I had to wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, broad-brimmed hats, sun block, and protective glasses. This most recent flare also keyed me into a problem that I hadn’t really thought of before. A few months ago, I’d purchased a new computer. As my flare worsened over the past few weeks, I noticed particular problems if I sat in front of the computer for any length of time. The culprit, for me, turned out to be that the monitor was an LCD (fluorescent) model which, of course, for me meant more exposure to the very thing that could stir up a flare even more. Live and learn!

I have since purchased an LED monitor and am much more comfortable with it. Not so much the flare, which continues along its way. But, at least, one thing that was in my control has been handled!

Sometimes, “one more thing” can be the proverbial straw breaking the camel’s back. But by digging deep and holding onto determination, other times we can find ways to adapt, to take a bit more control, and to help ourselves along.

“Determined adaptation.” I like the sound of that. And, I like how it looks on my new, better monitor, too!

Blessings for the day.

Maureen