You have lupus now relax

For my first post I am going to share one of my favorite relaxation tips.  But first I think I should tell you a little bit about how I came to find this amazing trick.  If you are reading this blog you probably have Lupus or know someone who does, and that can be scary.  Relaxation is probably not the first thing on your mind when you think of the dreaded L word.  This was the case for me anyhow. 

Two and a half years ago I was sitting in my doctors office waiting for the results of some tests he ran to determine if I had Lupus or not.  He comes in and says Brea you have Systemic Lupus and then all I heard was blah blah blah.  I need to do x-rays, run more lab tests and you need to start on these pills right away.  My stress level went from zero to sixty in five seconds flat.  My head was spinning, I didnt really even know what was happening all the blah blah the doctor said went right over my head.  So I did what any techno savvy twenty something would do, I hit the information super highway hard.  Then I was really stressed and convinced I would be dead in a week.  So I gave up and decided to take a bath and relax.  Now two and a half years later I have a handle on the facts and I am still using the bath as a relaxation trick.  However now my tub time is turbo charged!

After a lot of reading, researching and home trials I have found the best way to soothe the stiffness and pain related to my Lupus.  Now here is the part you have all been waiting for the actual tip:

Draw a bath as warm as you can tolerate
Add 1 cup of lavender scented epsome salt (available at any Walgreens, Rite Aide, Etc.)
Add 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
Soak for 30 minutes.
**** The tub will be very slippery use extreme caution when getting in and out you dont want to fall****
The lavender promotes relaxation, the salt helps soothe muscle soreness and the olive oil is actually a great anti-inflammatory and is absorbed through the skin. 

Now I am not a doctor this is not going to cure you.  If you are like me and want to live your best Lupus life give this a try.  Let me know what you think.  I have developed a ton of tricks to maximize living with Lupus and other related conditions and I want to share them to help others cope better.  Tune in for more tips and tricks and stay in the Lupus Loop!