Nights here have been clear and cold, and the moon is waxing brightly. As I write on Monday morning, I’m anticipating tonight’s stunning view, when the moon will be full, a huge silver plate in the sky—that is, until 12:44 a.m. Tuesday morning, when a two-hour total lunar eclipse will begin. As the moon passes […]

The post Spring Beckons appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

I have spent far too much time with medical professionals of late. Last Thursday, my blood pressure suddenly spiked. I don’t typically measure it. When it goes too high, I just know. My heart, normally gently beating in the background, pounds in my ears and makes my chest vibrate. Usually this subsides. But on Thursday, […]

The post And Then This Happened appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

This past week here in Massachusetts has been hot. Really hot. And humid. As much as I like warm weather, temps in the 90s and high dew points are not my preference. Low 80s with a light breeze and sunshine is my favorite kind of day. Just right for my Raynaud’s, no need for air […]

The post Too Darn Hot appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

And so, despite my best efforts, I did get Covid last week, after all. In fact, I tested positive on Tuesday afternoon. At first, I thought it was just allergies. All the trees have finally bloomed here, and pollen is in the air. Just to be sure, though, I took a test. When I first […]

The post Best Laid Plans Department appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

Monday afternoon found me in my hometown rheumatologist’s office. I see her twice a year, so that I always have a specialist nearby who knows my history, in case I need help pronto without driving into Boston. She is chair of the rheumatology department for our local health care organization, very thoughtful, compassionate. She also […]

The post Routine Exam appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

It is rainy and chilly and dreary as I write on Monday afternoon. Here in Central Massachusetts, we were fortunate to avoid the worst of Hurricane Lee over the weekend, and the rest of the week looks sunny. But I’m feeling the chill in my hands today, knowing that fall officially begins this Saturday. Already, […]

The post Enter Fall appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

Over the four decades I’ve had scleroderma, I have occasionally participated in research. One of the first studies I signed up for was in the mid-’90s, a trial of medications for Raynaud’s at Boston Medical Center. It was a randomized double-blind study that involved taking a daily pill, recording my experience with Raynaud’s in a […]

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No doubt. It’s winter here in New England. Over the weekend, we got about a half-foot of snow, plus some icy rain. Our bird feeder’s squirrel-blocker, a plastic hood that hangs above the feeder, looked like a snow hat. And it’s cold, hovering in the ’20s F. Today we plunge into single digits. Despite the […]

The post Little Victories appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

It definitely feels like fall this week in Massachusetts. A few days ago, it felt like summer. But now the trees are really starting to change colors as the days grow shorter and temperatures hover in the 50s. I find myself feeling more tired, which always surprises me when cooler temperatures finally settle in. It’s […]

The post Sympatico appeared first on Living with Scleroderma.

On Monday morning, steam clunked through our radiators. The sugar maples on our street are beginning to tinge yellow and orange and shed a few leaves. The days grow shorter. Fall is officially here. My bonsai has been flourishing all summer, but as temperatures begin to drop, I need to learn how to prepare it […]

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