Hi again! Season’s greetings to all. It seems at this time of the year a lot of the attention goes to being grateful for good health, cherishing family and friends, and remembering good times. It can also be incredibly stressful. From shopping to cooking, the kids and visiting relatives, the holidays come with an assortment of unintentional stressors. So what do you do with all of that? There are those who, like myself, fall into a stress attack and breakdown.
Lupus is so not funny, but sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Tis the season to be emotional. That’s what I and many others have to deal with. Just like with anything, sometimes you have to find an outlet the free your emotions and that’s where laughter comes into play. Watching a funny movie and laughing to the point of tears is very liberating. Just to see something out of the window has the capacity to bring about happy feelings that lead to a moment of laughter. It’s like taking a deep breath and letting it out. Instantly you feel a little better.
I don’t consider myself to be a funny person or a comedian, but I have found that sharing stories of my family brings side splitting laughter. Wherever you can find it, laugh, tell a funny story, and laugh at a leaf. Whatever you need, just laugh it out. It works for me and I’m sure it will work for you. I am sharing some jokes I find funny and maybe you will laugh with me. Enjoy!!!!
Taking the seriousness out of lupus makes sense. If you can laugh at it, you can live through it.
- A “good hair day” is when you realize you have some left.
- You make a grocery list so you won’t forget anything, and then forget where you put the list. (On a REALLY bad day, you also forget where the grocery store is!)
- You bathe the lawn, fertilize the dog, and brush the kids.
- You use the smoke detector to tell you when dinner is done.
- You can’t effectively argue with your husband anymore. ~ “I am mad as all heck at you! I just wish I could remember why! DAMMIT!”
- You invent your own “Lupus Language” when typing.
- Your medications take up the entire medicine cabinet.
- Your wardrobe contains mostly sweat pants, stretch pants, T-shirts and a robe that never gets washed because that’s all you wear most days.
- You’re on a first name basis with your doctor and the ER staff.
- You can’t remember if the post-it note telling you to remember to take your pills is from yesterday, and you haven’t taken them today, or it’s one that you just wrote to remind you tomorrow?
- Your husband asks you to go and stir the beans in the kitchen, and finds you brushing your teeth in the bathroom instead.
- You bend over to tie your shoes and wonder, “What else can I accomplish while I’m down here?”
- You find yourself at home, wishing that you were at work, wishing you were at home!
- You call the same person three times in one day to tell them exactly what you told them the first time. –
These are just some ways in which I find laughter in my daily struggle. You can find more at: But You Don’t Look Sick
Laughing has been so beneficial for me. Laughter has such a medicinal purpose. I’m going to leave you with just a few of the benefits here.
Laughing …
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces stress hormone levels
- Fun ab workout
- Improves cardiac health
- Boosts T cells
- Triggers the release of endorphins
- Produces a general sense of well-being
Physical Health Benefits
- Boosts immunity
- Lowers stress hormones
- Decreases pain
- Relaxes your muscles
- Prevents heart disease
Mental Health Benefits
- Adds joy and zest to life
- Eases anxiety and fear
- Relieves stress
- Improves mood
- Enhances resilience
Social Benefits:
- Strengthens relationships
- Attracts others to us
- Enhances teamwork
- Helps defuse conflict
- Promotes group bonding
Thanks for laughing with me.
Catherine is a wife and mother living in Cincinnati. In 2004, she was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune diseases where your white blood cells attack your red blood cells. Your body basically looses it’s line of defense. Lupus is often known as the invisible disease because it manifests itself in ways that aren’t outright and visible. Some days it’s extreme fatigue and other’s it’s extreme pain. Through this weekly column, Catherine hopes to help the world better understand what it means to live life with lupus.
