Coping with RA and Travel by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

This has been a busy summer with more travel than I've been able to do in a long time. Part of that is because PTL!!! I can walk again! My third PRP procedure last December, seems to have made a big difference in my ability to walk and stand again for much longer periods of time!

So this summer I was able to do a couple of books signings, two library visits (where I was treated so well -- what a blessing!), and got to go visit several people at places where I'd like to sign books or present at next summer or beyond, in Michigan. I donned my pink New Balance tennis shoes and walked all around Mackinac Island. 

I learned a few things. One was that my husband was right about his theory that for me to travel well we'd need to take his big truck and fill up the back with a lot of stuff I need. Like:

My Kindle Fire with my Bible through the Year on it, so I can get into the Word first thing in the morning.
My own very flat pillow (didn't take it to writer's conference later and had to swap out to using a towel!) I have a spinal fusion and degenerative spine so the wrong pillow can cause big problems.
My green tea (I found out for me it lowers my pain about a half level to one full level if I drink it every day.)
My bag full of medications and ointments and patches (like lidocaine patched for my neck) plus supplements that help.
A thick gel foam pillow that I sit on in the truck or when I am in a chair for very long.
Recreational chairs in case I have to sit outside.
My special tennis shoes and orthotics and special sandals.
Ice packs (I use between one to three a night and often during the day use.) These packs can also be heated if need be. 
My glow-in-the-dark plastic water cup which I use during the night (dry mouth is part of the whole RA experience.)
A foam bed topper for my joints in case the rental bed is too hard or too soft.


If you are thinking right about now that I am high maintenance, that would be right! 

Carrie Fancett Pagels and cousin Susan Carey Matheny

One of my coping techniques was also to stop and see friends and family members (like my cousin Susan, pictured right -- she's a newlywed!) along the way. Susie lived for many years in Lansing, which is where my upcoming release "Requilted with Love" in The Blue Ribbon Brides (Barbour, November 2016) is set! 

We tried to keep our legs of the journey to 350 to 450 miles max. It was so wonderful getting to see so many folks, some blog friends I had not yet met in person, like Tina Rice, who has joined us on the Colonial Quills blog! I also got to visit Sister Mary Lou Kwiatkowski and some of her wonderful fellow nuns in Pittsburgh! And author Rita Gerlach, in Maryland, on our return trip.

Carrie Fancett Pagels with Tina St.Clair Rice

GIVEAWAY: Answer this question -- what do you have to do to make travel more manageable for you? One person will receive choice of format for Tea Shop Folly (Forget Me Not Romances, July 2017) and an ebook of O' Little Town of Christmas collection.

Tea Shop Folly (A Teacup Courtship Novella) now available in paperback. One of our commenters will receive a copy of this new novella! 

O' Little Town of Christmas collection is now available with all of the novellas in one ebook. Novellas from the talented Cynthia Hickey, Debra E. Marvin, Becca Withal, Teresa Ives Lilly, and Linda Baten Johnson and myself.

This includes my 2016 Maggie Award published romance novella finalist "The Substitute Bride" (please be praying as mine is the only inspirational finalist and the winner will be announced in October at the Moonlight and Magnolias conference!) 

7 Ideas for Coping with Travel Packing by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Summer is supposed to be a time of fun, right? And of trips and fun travels, correct?  But for those of us with chronic pain or other chronic conditions, planning for a trip  or even thinking about the trip can be stressful!

Lists are the friends of travelers, but for those with autoimmune issues, there is often an extra layer of lists just for medications and for over-the-counter medical stuff and supplements. There may be the five ice packs you bring along for your own inflamed joints and another family member's.  We're currently packing for a combo Camp JRA trip for our son and then later we'll have packing for our trip to Michigan where I have book signings and two library presentations. One thing I love about Pennsylvania's Camp JRA program is 1) they give you a complete list of  often-needed things for kids with juvenile arthritis and 2) your child is not the only one hauling all this stuff.

Deciding to even take a trip requires a lot of prayer. God, do you really want me doing this? Even knowing that I could have a flare up, or another family member could? What if I forget my medications? What if I need health care in a remote location? When you're out of state your insurance works a little differently, too.

For those of us already barely managing to do our daily activities of laundry, cooking, keeping up with bills, and some cleaning -- planning a trip adds an entire extra layer of requirements. There is usually some shopping to do. I mainly shop for groceries, every couple of weeks and that is pretty much it. So today, adding some shopping for cargo shorts added a little extra to our Sunday and, although I hate to admit it, taxed my already low stamina.  If you've never read about the spoons theory and autoimmune disease, here's a link (click here.)

Here are just a few tips I have besides first committing your travel to prayer and to the Lord:
1) Figure out your usual schedule and how often you are "down" from your ailment, on average. Take the "good" days or your best days and count those up and divide by the number of weeks. Let's say you find out you really only have 2 days a week that are "ok" days where you get your list done (for me it is a)laundry, b) meals, c) bills, and d) some kind of cleaning) then estimate how long it will take you to prepare for the trip. Take that time and divide it up over those good days.  You may find out it takes you over a month to have stamina to prepare for a one week trip.
2) IF possible, delegate and also enlist the help of others to help with the work.Sometimes just discussing the list with another adult can help. Be sure that person understands where you are going. For instance, in some rural areas of Michigan, where we often travel, there isn't going to be a Walmart to run to! And even if there is, they may be out of stuff that you didn't bring.
3) Be careful not to add too many activities to that period of time leading up to the travel. IF you do that, then you need to add more weeks to your expected packing time.
4) Personally, I've found it easiest to keep a travel bag of sample sizes ready for personal items. That normally takes me a ton of time to pack, so keeping a personal bag all stocked up saves me a lot of time.
5) If you're going someplace where you're wearing your normal everyday clothes, as you get closer to departure consider packing right from the dryer, instead of putting clothes away. Ask kids and spouse to use some of their less-worn items in the interim before the trip.
6) Don't compare yourself to others. You may need an entire suitcase filled with cold packs, special pillows, TENS unit, etc. and a special pillow.
7) The stuff you use at home to manage your illness often becomes taken for granted. As you get closer to the trip really pay attention to the stuff you use on a daily or even weekly basis.  For instance, I use a memory foam pillow when I sit for very long, so that has to come with me. Also, don't forget to pack medications that are only for your "worst" days, just in case.

GIVEAWAY: What about you? What do you need to pack for your vacation that you can't do without?

I'm VERY excited about the paperbacks of my new release Saving the Marquise's Granddaughter coming out on July 1st and I'll be packing a box to take up to my book signings!!! Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy!

Honoring our Aging Parents by Laura Frantz

Laura Frantz

Aging Gracefully

When I was a little girl, I memorized the Scriptures that told children to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1: Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.) Now I think more often of the 5^th commandment in Deuteronomy: Honor thy father and mother that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. The emphasis for younger children is to “obey” their parents while the focus for adult children is to “honor” their parents.

Recently my mom and step-dad decided to move from Kentucky to Washington State to be closer to me and my family. Since leaving their Kentucky home, several things have happened which have made it hard for them to adjust to a long-distance move. My step-dad was diagnosed with dementia soon after they arrived as well as having a history of heart disease, the latter which has required numerous surgeries and hospitalizations the last 20 years. And my mom, though more able-bodied, is aging quickly and struggling with arthritis and fulltime care-giving.

Now that I live so much more closely to them, I’m struck by the things that makes aging challenging. Roles are often reversed as adult children become the caretakers and fixers and helpers and comforters of parents. People often become more childlike as they grow older. They need help with basic needs, they lose and break things, are unable to do things and require help. They can be fearful and emotional like children. Impulse control lessens and they can strike out like children and say things they wouldn’t otherwise. Challenging, yes!

The Lord knew all this would happen as we are His creation. That’s where the concept of “honoring your parents” becomes so interesting to me. What does this look like? For me, it involves praying daily for wisdom and finding ways to honor them and make them feel loved and respected. It means never belittling their concerns or making light of their struggles. It means responding with patience when I’m interrupted or have to repeat myself or try to hunt for that lost item again or repeat a task with them that has been done many times before. It means loving them no matter what with a Christ-like love, much as they did for me when I was little and needed them.

I love what Charles Wesley said about honoring parents below:

Honor thy father and mother - Hast thou not been irreverent or undutiful to either? Hast thou not slighted their advice? Hast thou cheerfully obeyed all their lawful commands? Hast thou loved and honored their persons? Supplied their wants, and concealed their infirmities? Hast thou wrestled for them with God in prayer?

THREE GIVEAWAYS This week!!!:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Laura’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.

Are you caring for aging parents? Have you in the past? Can you share how you handled this very special season?

Fibromyalgia and Arthritis

First of all, I want to again extend condolences to Andrea Boeschaar on the loss of her mother to cancer this past week.  Diana, Teresa, and I ask our readers to continue to pray for Andrea.  Diana and I know first hand how difficult a time this is to get over our mothers’ deaths. 

Weekend topic: Fibromyalgia

If you missed Andrea Boeschaar’s post on dealing with fibromyalgia, go back to Monday of this week.  She has a lot of wisdom about dealing with a chronic illness.

When I first got diagnosed with arthritis and told I had fibromyalgia (later confirmed as RA) I was urged to get Arthritis Today   the magazine of the Arthritis Foundation.  I am surprised by the number of people who do not know about this premier source of information about arthritic inflammatory conditions, including fibromyalgia.  The issues are usually pretty evenly balanced among the various types of arthritic conditions.  There are a bunch of great resources within the website, including one for ease of use products   You can also sign up to follow them for dailytips from the Arthritis Foundation on Twitter.

If you are someone being treated for fibromyalgia, keep in mind that many people with this are eventually diagnosed as having sero-negative Rheumatoid Arthritis.  And don't listen to people, including medical doctors(!) who refer to the condition as a waste-basket diagnosis, as someone recently told a friend of mine.  One way to keep up-to-date with the research is to get the magazine and to also check the website for the Arthritis Foundation. 

Thank you, again, Andrea for opening your heart and sharing your story with us.  And we will keep praying as your continue your journey in overcoming, through time, with God's help.

Our winner will be announced Sunday afternoon in the comments section below.