About Lesley
writer | yogi | rheumatoid arthritis warrior
Dia duit agus fáilte – that’s Irish for hello and welcome.
Before I talk about myself, I wanted to welcome you to my blog about rheumatoid arthritis, adventure and living abundantly; I hope you find inspiration and hope here.
I always check out the “About” page of a blog I’ve just discovered; I want to know about the who, what and why behind the site. Perhaps that’s why writing my own “About” page has proven rather challenging; I want to tell you everything about me (how terrifying and boring!) and also keep it short and sweet.
A few quick facts about me – Lesley Hobbs
- Married for 35 years.
- Four wonderful kidlets & two very cute grandchildren.
- From Dublin, Ireland.
- Avid outdoors lover – hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, camping.
- Yogi, reader, writer, poet.
- Currently living in another construction zone (since Nov ’22.)
- Thriving with rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy and depression.
What is the blog about?
My name is Lesley Hobbs and this blog about rheumatoid arthritis, health and adventure is a labor of love. One of my favorite words is “abundance” and with this blog, I am encouraging each of us to become/remain open to abundance. You may wonder what abundance means … well, my definition is likely different to yours but for what it’s worth, I believe abundance includes good health, strong loving relationships, creative living, exploration and experiences. I also like this definition.
I believe, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson that:
Open to Abundance includes articles about living with RA, travel, adventure, van life and health. I use mostly my own photos which includes lots of pictures of Maggie, the messy OES, my wonderful service animal and partner. (Update: we refocused Maggie’s training and she now partners with my husband who deals with pretty severe PTSD. Maggie and I still spend oodles of time together and she still holds vigil for me all day every day. We made this decision as I have successfully managed my seizures with the help of a fabulous doctor and medication.)
Honestly, I write about whatever fills my life with joy and love and hope you find fun, inspiration and enjoyment here.
My (quick) rheumatoid arthritis story
My story may be similar to yours and I wish that weren’t true; I wouldn’t wish RA, or any autoimmune disease, on anyone.
Before my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2016, I regularly hiked, lifted weights and practiced yoga but life quickly fell apart. Over a few short months, the pain restricted my ability to function in normal daily life, forget about the more demanding physical activities I enjoyed.
With the help of a naturopathic physician, I changed my diet and lifestyle habits, took supplements and nurtured myself with lots of self-care, I was symptom-free in six months. See this post about self-care.
Today, I am more active than ever and am passionate about sharing the tools that worked for me.
I’d love to hear from you; ask me questions, give me feedback, make suggestions … I’m listening.
You have a great blog here – it is filled with thought-provoking posts and great questions posed for the way we live our lives. I enjoyed my time here!
Thanks Sindhu, I appreciate your kind words. Looking forward to more conversation with you.
Namaste – L
I’d love some tea! 🙂
The kettle is always on at my house!! We are currently traveling and are in Florida; are you anywhere close?
Not in the least, but I’ll put on a cup now in your honor! 🙂
Wonderful 🙂
Love the family photo!
Would love to hear how long you’ve been drug free for the RA.Have you had xrays to see if your joints are damaged?
Hi b,
Sorry for the delay getting back to you. I just recently had xrays done and my joints are not showing any damage at all so I am feeling very fortunate and optimistic about the future.
Regards,
Lesley