Lupus and leaving town without hiring a sitter

visiting Tucson, AZ

For the past several days I was out-of-town and visiting Tucson, Arizona for a professional legal conference, followed by some extra time off with my husband.  While I travel, I would like to be able to hire a lupus sitter, someone to take care of and feed my lupus while I am out-of-town.

If I can hire a dog sitter, a baby sitter, a plant sitter or a house sitter, why not a lupus sitter?

Well, no lupus sitter was found to take the job before we left last week, so without any other likely options, I was forced to take my lupus along with me on the trip. Some days, it seemed to be a good traveling companion, and others it was a bit pesky and annoying.

Tucson, AZ monsoon storm

When we had some stormy monsoon weather and overcast days pop up, my lupus did a lot more whining and complaining.  I told it to hush up and not ruin my time away, and it mostly complied.

The most unwelcome part of the humid muggy weather is the way it tends to trigger joint inflammation.

The good part about the inclement, monsoon weather in Arizona is how the clouds form quickly and darken the sky in the late afternoon, cooling things off a bit and opening up a couple of hours before sunset for safe low UV outdoor time.

strolling at sunset

We went for a couple of lovely (slow) strolls before sunset, with thick dark clouds on the horizon effectively blocking the remaining weak late-day rays of the sun.

On Sunday afternoon after church, we strolled through Tucson Mall, and did some relaxed shopping.  We watched through the glass sky light ceiling of the mall as a drenching monsoon rain storm descended upon the city, and dodged several splashes of water leaking through the roof.

thankful for “cell” as a flashlight

We kept shopping while waiting for the intense rain to let up.  After a couple of hours of non-stop deluge, I found myself sitting in a pitch black ladies room as the electricity to the mall and to over 13,000 homes in the surrounding areas was knocked out.

Thank goodness for cell phones that double as flashlights!

Now, back home and back to work I am feeling a little more exhausted in the mornings, and have slept in for the extra hour or two required to recover from a productive few days away.

still looking for a “lupus sitter”

Now, my lupus is acting up a little, and I think it must be slightly disgruntled from being taken along on our trip.  I am sure it will soon settle down and behave again.

Perhaps next time, I will look harder for a “lupus sitter” before leaving town!

Any volunteers?