Let’s talk stress. I’ve been doing really well for a few months now. Things have been really good.

“The strongest people I’ve met have not been given an easier life. They’ve learned to create strength and happiness from dark places.” ~Kristen Butler

This past week,

• my husband began preparing our camp to be sold
• my father-in-law went into hospice care
• my husbands Uncle died
• my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

I feel like all that would be to much at once for a healthy person. But this disease just compounds everything. I get stressed, then I get sick, I’m exhausted & my pain levels are doubled. This all adds to my anxiety and we start the whole vicious cycle over again. It makes it so much harder to do what needs to be done.

Stress triggers everything at once & most times kicks off a serious scleroderma flare. My Sjögren’s, Raynaud’s, Gastroparesis, Pain, everything is just magnified. This triggers my anxiety & sometimes my PTSD. Which amplifies everything & we start this whole cycle over again.

When this happens I’m left in this torturous loop. I’m start wishing I could just get off this Sclero bus until life eases up! I need a vacay from my body. Since that’s not possible, I say a prayer, remind myself who I am and what I want. I prioritize calming my brain & put in to practice all the things I’ve learned about taming my anxiety. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t. But I always make the effort to keep trying. There are times when I just have to ride the wave of my anxiety and emotions. Then begin again when the ride is over.

💙🦋💙