Survive the Holidays - Chronic Illness Style!

Surviving the holidays can be a tricky task when you are chronically ill.  It can take a little more planning and preparation than it would for the general public, but it is possible to pull off the holiday you want!  Adequate resting time is one of the most crucial aspects of this process.

A Little Advice:

1. Pick a budget to stay within - chronically ill individuals pay large amounts of money for doctors, prescriptions, physiotherapy and the like, so it is perfectly acceptable to let people know that you are having money difficulties and need to stay in a certain range.
2. Write a list of who you need to buy/make presents for, and the items you are planning (brainfog can manage to steal these things away!).
3. Try to buy throughout the year, in order to take the pressure off of last minute shopping and jam-packed malls.
4. If you have the room, get the holiday decorations up a little earlier, so you don't have to worry about them last minute, and can take your sweet time :).
5. If you are the hostess of the entire holiday event, but too tired too cook extravagantly - come up with a list of extra special (but still easy) meals to make (or buy!).
6. During family gatherings, be sure to take a minute to lay down and catch a nap if it is what you need.  Make sure not to overdo anything!  People who care about you will not mind this.
7. Try to have fun and relax!  Make sure you have the proper medication with you, as well as anything else you need to get by (iPod, notebook, inhalers, etc...).
8. Make up a new tradition that works well for you with your chronic illness!  This is my favorite thing to do every year!  Last year's tradition was mass amounts of paper snowflakes!
9. Try to work on Christmas cards and letters for keeping in touch with people - it's an easy thing to do from home, without having to spend much money!
10. If you manage to have a mega flare and miss some people during the Christmas season, it's always fun to make care packages for them later when they don't expect them!

(Images from WeHeartIt)

What tips do you use to make the holiday season a breeze?

xoxo,
Annie