Nancie Wiseman Attwater is the author of A Caregiver's Love Story.

How society forgets the invisible elderly and why their stories matter

Conditions
February 16, 2025

Age should not define a person or diminish respect from others. There is a generation of people overlooked every day, and little attention is paid to this growing problem.

As people age, they may become less visible within their communities. It can seem like people who once smiled as they walked by begin passing without a glance. Seniors may feel like unwanted outsiders in society. Sadly, many participate in their own …

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How society forgets the invisible elderly and why their stories matter

The widow’s walk: a poignant tale of loss, love, and recovery

Conditions
October 25, 2024

A widow’s walk, also known as a widow’s watch or roof walk, is a railed rooftop platform often having an inner cupola or turret, frequently found on 19th-century North American coastal houses. The name is said to come from the wives of mariners, who would watch for their spouses’ return, often in vain, as the ocean took their lives, leaving the women widows. In other coastal communities, the platforms were …

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The widow’s walk: a poignant tale of loss, love, and recovery

Strategies for living and coping with invisible illness

Conditions
August 11, 2024

I have a handicap placard. I appear healthy, and I walk a lot, but sometimes, the looks I get when I park in the designated handicap space are priceless because I am taking up a special parking spot for someone who is “sick.” “What gives?” they are thinking. “She doesn’t look sick!”

“It’s a big emotional load,” Dr. Sands says. “People are scowling at you because you took that handicapped parking …

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Strategies for living and coping with invisible illness

Understanding autoimmune flares: triggers, symptoms, and treatment options

Conditions
June 5, 2024

Just when you think your autoimmune disease(s) are calming down and you feel better, a dramatic worsening of disease signs and symptoms can happen without warning. They are unpredictable and disruptive, and can cause a disturbing influence in your every attempt to feel well.

Taking medications, following a healthy diet and exercise program, and getting enough sleep don’t seem to stop “flares.” These are the markers of autoimmune disease activity, meaning …

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Understanding autoimmune flares: triggers, symptoms, and treatment options

Crippling fatigue: a common enemy of autoimmune disease

Conditions
May 25, 2024

For many people with autoimmune disease, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom. Why autoimmune disease and fatigue go together is not entirely understood, although inflammation may be part of the reason. Other possible factors include pain, poor sleep, inactivity, and depressed mood. Fatigue is not just feeling tired. Fatigue is composed of both physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Unlike being tired, fatigue is rarely resolved with rest or sleep. Trying …

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Crippling fatigue: a common enemy of autoimmune disease

Autoimmune disease? You’re more likely to get heart disease. Here’s why.

Conditions
May 13, 2024

The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke is increased in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These are also known as IMID: immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Rheumatic IMIDs, including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, are associated with multiple cardiovascular issues with an enhanced cardiovascular risk, including premature coronary artery disease. Lupus can also increase coronary artery disease because of the elevated chronic …

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Autoimmune disease? You’re more likely to get heart disease. Here’s why.

Autoimmune disease flares: stress, grief, and management tips

Conditions
April 4, 2024

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body. More than 80 recognized autoimmune diseases exist, including alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, scleroderma, and Raynaud’s. These conditions can cause a wide range of symptoms, making management crucial for maintaining a good quality of life.

Why the immune system attacks healthy cells is a bit of a mystery in most …

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Autoimmune disease flares: stress, grief, and management tips

Loving our pets through loss: Coping with the death of a family member

Conditions
March 12, 2023

My husband passed away six months ago, and it is quite evident to me that not only do I miss him, but so does our dog Grace. She adored Bill and would scamper to find him if I directed her to “Go find dad!” I no longer use the word dad, as that sets her off on a sad but fruitless chase around the house.

Very soon after Bill died, it …

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Loving our pets through loss: Coping with the death of a family member

Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

Conditions
February 9, 2023

My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn’t mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen. There was no way to stop it, so we just had to live with it. The changes were slow in coming, and eventually, my being responsible for everything just fell …

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Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

Cream Puff Days: Coping with grief and finding comfort

Conditions
February 1, 2023

I wrote an article on letting grief make you stronger and talked about a trip to the grocery store where I was not as strong as I hoped. I walked by the Cream Puffs and broke into tears. My husband passed away almost four months ago, and he always used to ask me to get cream puffs when I went to the store. I didn’t even think about it until …

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Cream Puff Days: Coping with grief and finding comfort

The slow progression of aging: Let compassion reign

Conditions
December 7, 2022

There is one guarantee in life: you will age, no matter how hard you try not to. Some age with more grace than others, and some age so quickly it’s astonishing. Aging can come quickly or slowly, it is not necessarily determined by your age but the whole dynamics of the life you have lived and perhaps your relatives’ lives before you.

Aging isn’t just the change from dark hair to …

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The slow progression of aging: Let compassion reign