25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 22

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

December 18, 2011

Featured Blog - Parga's Junkyard

After being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in addition to Fibromyalgia I finally understood why as much as I love the Christmas Holiday Season it always seems to wear me down and almost always would bring on a month long flare! Just how does one enjoy the season and not feel guilty about using the word "No" or "I just can't do that" when family and friends invite you to all those Holiday outings and parties?

Demands and expectations around the holidays can really affect and show in people whose invisible illnesses were hardly noticeable the rest of the year. Those of us that deal daily with what are known as "invisible illnesses" spend so much of our energy working and handling the daily chores of living throughout the rest of the year that we have little time left for socializing. Because of this we are often seen by others as "lazy" or as "homebodies" or worse yet those that don't know better accuse us of being "reclusive". Come the holidays however we are all expected to show up and contribute somehow to holiday doings....and usually not just one family party but the office parties, as well as other church and social obligations. The demands of all this makes enjoying the "happiest time of the year" so often miserable and painful for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Crones Disease or other Auto Immune Disease, or any one of the huge variety of "invisible illnesses" that are out there. Join Parga's Junkyard here for a few tips and tricks to making your holidays a little more bearable, a little less painful and a whole lot more enjoyable when dealing with any chronic illness.

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