I am a native Floridian who remembers this beautiful state when the water was clean and there was more wild area than populated areas (sigh).  I am married with 3 children and 1 wonderful husband (yep, still happily married) and 4 clever, gorgeous grandchildren.   

I work as a webmaster for a state agency and love my job.  I can work when I want to as long as I put in 40 hours a week.  I can work from home, cafes, on the road - wherever.  Totally cool!

Healthwise, the last 25 years have been challenging.  In 1985 I had bi-lateral mastectomies (with silicone implants) because of breast cancer.  It has been over 24 years with no cancer recurrance (yay!).  In the next few years I started developing my current bouquet of autoimmune disorders. 

When I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and then fibromyalgia in the late 1980's, I was told I would probably be house-bound for 6 to 8 years.  I am lucky enough to have great parents (my father is a doctor) who believe nutrition and laughter can, at least, improve any situation.  I was back on my feet in 6 months.  In the next few years we realized I also had sjogren's and reynaud's.  Not fun, but you learn to cope. In 1995, a positive ANA and various symptoms resulted in a diagnosis of lupus. 

I tell you all this, because, at 57 years old, I am still going strong.  I hold a full-time+ job that can be very stressful.  I play tennis 3 to 4 times a week, walk or run about a mile a day, play Wii Fit and snow-ski at least 7 days a year.  I'm not saying I live a pain-free, energy-filled life.  I AM saying, you get out of life what you put into it.  I do everything I can to keep myself healthy, make sure I get plenty of rest, surround myself with people I love and who love me and cultivate a positive attitude.

What I love about life is that every one of us can make someone's day better.  We can make a difference for the future if we are brave enough to face the brutal realities of life, take them on and find ways to make bad situations end up with positive results.