Despite the hardship and struggles I’ve endured over the years, I suppose I’ve always had a bit of the Pollyana complex—doing my best to find the good even in unpleasant situations. To the eternal optimist, when life hands you lemons, you make some lemonade. So when the second big storm hit New England in a week, the snowed-in optimist makes some cookies. As we have been clearing out the pantry … [Read more...]
Who says you can’t have your cake and enjoy it too? For many of us who are gluten-free, it can certainly be a challenge to find desserts that not only meet our dietary requirements, but please our taste buds as well. As someone who used to look forward to dessert as the highlight of a meal, I am especially selective about my GF sweet treats. When I came across this recipe for a chocolate cake … [Read more...]
by Renée Canada Yesterday was such a gorgeous day. The air was no longer swampy and wet, the sun not scorching and unbearable to be in its path. I opened the bedroom window and deeply breathed in that fresh air, enjoying every breath. Part of the joy I was feeling on Wednesday was that it marked four days since I had last experienced a crippling involuntary muscle movement. I was afraid to write … [Read more...]
by Renée Canada My eyes have been burning for most of the day, so this will be brief. Start with the not so happy news: one sty has turned to three, my eyes are itching and burning, have a very rare cold sore, rash on face and deceptive sore throat still here more than a week later has me admitting I’m stuck in an autoimmune flare. Good news, the rest of my body has been behaving pretty well … [Read more...]
by Renée Canada Last week, I finally took the big step of firing my rheumatologist. I decided to stop the chemo that I've been on for four months with no significant improvement on my dystonia or the autoimmune diseases we thought were causing it. There had to be a better alternative. After our recent appointment, I told my neurologist that I wanted to try treat my disease naturally. After … [Read more...]