The Seated View

I have a new bed. I have never slept this well and it has reduced my chronic pain levels significantly. It is a blue checked Hästens bed. Earlier this year, I wrote about my quest for a new bed . To recap: every bed I found was too high, too hot, too smelly, or contained latex (I’m allergic). Any kind of foam would have to be broken in for months before it was as soft as was needed by my very sensitive body due to fibromyalgia and a lifetime of rheumatoid arthritis. Visiting Hästens In the last couple of years, I’ve wandered into the Hästens Toronto store as a tourist. I’d bring along friends who needed to see these unique beds and enjoy the atmosphere of peace and serenity. I got to know Sleep Consultant Nicholas Vardon and we’d have far-reaching conversations about all sorts of topics. He mentioned his own Hästens bed, saying that it healed him whenever he’d go climbing. Sounds nice, but I didn’t believe this was possible. At least not for me. And t

  Reading a review of the book you've written is always a nerve-racking moment. It doesn't matter if you know the reviewer and figure they're not going to cut you to shreds because they are a nice person. It is still a nerve-racking experience. Mariah Leach of From This Point. Forward has written a review of Chronic Christmas for RheumatoidArthritis.net and turned it into a lovely experience. Thank you very much, Mariah! "The holiday season is a time for joy – but it can also be a very stressful time, particularly if you are living with a chronic illness. Lene Andersen is a writer, health and disability advocate, and photographer who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since early childhood. In her newest book, Chronic Christmas: Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness , Andersen provides “an Advent calendar of tips for a sane holiday season.” For each of the 25 days leading up to Christmas, Andersen has a chapter that discusses a source of holid

Giving and receiving care is much more than just the physical act of helping and being helped. Both sides of the relationship have to find a new way to interact, and it can be a real challenge. It’s one of the reasons that half of every chapter in my new book Chronic Christmas: Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness shares ideas for how loved ones can help someone with a chronic condition. When we think about caregiving, it is usually in the context of someone who needs a lot of help. For instance, my attendants provide caregiving, helping me shower, get dressed, prepare food, and so on. But caregiving can be so much more — or less, if you will — than that. Any time you help someone, you are giving them care. It can be as simple as bringing your beloved a drink or snack while you’re up getting one for yourself. More commonly, the word caregiving is used when there is an element of caring for someone who has physical limitations, such as chronic illness. As two a