Author: wendyblanchard044

Author, Mental Health and Wellness Educator, Board Certified Peer Specialist in mental health and substance use disorder, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Write Pray Recover

Resilience:For Wendy and David – Love, Wendy

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I was thinking on my way home from work yesterday that living in chronic pain is so humbling…I can never take one moment for granted…

I live with Lupus and hadn’t needed regular medication in five years as I managed it holistically…until now.

Living with chronic pain makes the small things feel sacred…the details more palatable…every quiet, manageable moment becomes a gift.

Our awareness of our humility is our deepest strength.

Here are four tiny practices that honor this insight without asking for more than you can give while you’re navigating any challenging situation with your health:

  1. One-breath gratitude once tonight before sleep. Take one long, slow inhale, and on the exhale name one small yet meaningful thing from today that made you feel stronger and at peace (a warm shower, a walk on the beach, a song you liked). That single moment trains the brain to notice tiny graces and successes. It reminds us of our power.

2. A moment of kindness to the body. Put a warm hand over your injured/painful area, soften your jaw, breathe 4 inhale, 1 hold it, 6 exhale…just once, and say aloud or silently to yourself, “I did what I could today. I showed up. I honored myself. I am worthy. I am healing.”

3. A “Humility Journal” (30 seconds). When you have a spare 30 seconds, jot down one word that describes what this day taught you (humility, steadiness, courage, patience). It’s just a quiet record by you, for you, of how you keep showing up.

4. Reflection and Warm Embrace. (From my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care “Today I am grateful for…”
Offer yourself a hug, a warm cup of your favorite beverage, time listening to your favorite music, or whatever a “self embrace” feels like for you…Love yourself.

You’re allowed to see the grief and feel the frustration, and the lesson at the same time.

I am resilient. I am becoming…

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Write Pray Recover

I Am Not Invisible – Love, Wendy

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The “invisible” nature of lupus flares can make it hard for others to understand the severity of the illness, leading to misinterpretations and lack of support. 

“Lupus is a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs, including causing “Lupus Fog/Brain Fog.” It can affect any part of the body. When lupus affects the spine, the immune response attacks normal proteins, leading to joint and nerve destruction, bone loss, inflammation, and swelling. As damage occurs, your spinal discs are less able to absorb shock, which can lead to the pain associated with DDD.” (Degenerative Disc Disease).

And this is my diagnosis…Lupus (SLE), and DDD.

Due to a surgery in July, 2025, Lupus was activated, and I have been unable to recover thus far. Prior to that surgery, I was footloose and fancy free. 😊

Recently I read about a woman experiencing a flare who wrote: “For me, I may see a rash appear on my face and I know this is the beginning of a flare. Friends, family, and co-workers often can’t begin to understand that the rash is the beginning of what is taking place on the inside. You appear okay, aside from the rash, but fatigue and pain can be an overwhelming challenge.“

Recently, I went to an event and I looked like the healthiest version of wellness with my hair, nails, and makeup done flawlessly, and smiling and greeting other attendees. I was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain, and I could literally feel my legs beginning to swell, in fact, you could see my knee swelling through my pants. The burning and sharp pain shooting down my legs and in my back, in addition to my hands beginning to stiffen and swell was obvious. After about 15 minutes, a friend walked over and asked if I was okay as she noticed my demeanor had changed from when I had arrived. I told her that I really needed to go home, and I quietly made my exit, making this disease even more invisible. I always feel that I am making others uncomfortable when I am experiencing pain. I am often told by friends and family that they would have never know I was in pain because “you look so healthy.”

Lupus IS invisible. If I am not limping, one would never guess that every joint, from my arms, hands, fingers, and legs, are so swollen and in pain. I think the lupus community as a whole experiences this invisible pain.

Yesterday I arrived to work at 7:15 am, and felt confident that my Lupus was going back into remission, but by noon, after I had walked excessively, sat, stood, bent down, twisted, (all the things I was told by my doctors NOT to do), I could barely stand up. The pain was so intense, it caused me to feel sick to my stomach. When it was time to leave at 3:15pm, I was completely swollen and could only slide my left leg as I walked to my car because the swelling would not allow me to bend/step…

The great news?…

Today, I begin a new treatment…I pray that my body responds favorably.

I love my work as a Reading Specialist, a Mental Health and Wellness Educator and Coach, and love spending time with loved ones, so I am praying that the excruciating pain and profuse swelling is alleviated with this new treatment. My treatment consists of an integrative approach which is what my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journety To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care, encourages.

The marriage of holistic solutions and traditional medicine offers a variety of treatment tailored to my health and wellness goals.

And please know that Lupus flares ARE invisible. Your smile and empathy encourage me to keep going.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

For more information on Lupus, go to https://www.lupus.org

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

This Too Shall Pass:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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Today, I remind myself that it’s okay to cry when the pain overwhelms me…It’s okay to grieve the body I wish I had right now…and I will again.

But it’s also important to honor the fierce woman who has carried myself through Lupus, spinal trauma, and loss…including 13 years of sustained, successful and healthy addiction recovery through holistic practices with a strong mindset of “I can do this,” and still show up every day with love, service, and hope.

That isn’t weakness. That is courage.

I acknowledge the setback without letting it define me, and it roots me firmly in the truth of my ongoing recovery, and the life I choose.

I honor the tears, the grief, and the physical pain without diminishing my resilience or accomplishments. 

And so today…I rest and nourish my body as it reminds me that this is just a temporary setback where I simply overextended myself yesterday out of eagerness and love of my work.

“This too shall pass.”

Reflection: “How can I honor both my eagerness to engage with life and the wisdom of my body’s limits, so that my courage and resilience continue to grow without unnecessary suffering?”

Mantra: I embrace and surrender to what my body needs to thrive.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Where Love Takes Root:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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The deepest, darkest and most vulnerable piece is what you offer…and where you begin. The right person will hold that piece close to their heart…every piece that is you.

It is a sacred exchange of trust…when you open the deepest, most fragile part of yourself, it becomes the seed of genuine connection…

And love takes root.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Living with Lupus And Thriving in Recovery – Love, Wendy

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Living with lupus requires a great deal of determination and patience and willingness to listen to what your body needs and what it’s asking for…especially when you are an otherwise active person and your body just…S-T-O-P-S…

And if that isn’t enough to embrace…when you are living in recovery from prescription drug addiction, as I am, it is even more of a mindful experience where I must choose only what will promote my wellness, as I do not accept any prescriptions that contain codeine and the like as that was my addiction…

So in the past 13 years of my “Wellness In Recovery…” I have learned many alternative solutions to soothe chronic pain and anxiety which I choose every time…and I am open to an integrative approach, as I write about in my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care.

For me, as I continue to heal from a serious Lupus flare, I am choosing non-narcotic prescription meds that my rheumatologist has prescribed including steroids, in conjunction with my holistic practices such as gentle stretching, yoga poses, gentle walking, and of late, learning a little bit about Qi-Gong. One of my mantra’s is “Mindset over Movement…Movement over Medication.”

In addition, I do a significant amount of breath work to literally breathe in, or lean into the pain rather than tense up my joints and muscles where my body is able to relax as I use my mantra, “With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

Organic foods, hydration, meditation/prayer, and surrounding myself with loved ones are just as important in promoting my own wellness.

My ongoing recovery from addiction and my desire for thriving in wellness is my most important intention and purpose. It is the foundation of my life.

Lupus is so unpredictable and this flare was triggered by a disc herniation and nerve impingement. Lupus invaded all of my joints and muscles, and halted any movement of my body…and in the moment that I realized that I could no longer move freely…I surrendered. (Read Chapter 13-“Surrender:The Peace of Knowing”) in my book.

I am moving slowly these days with purpose. Lupus is slowly subsiding…I am regaining my strength…And through the stiffness and heaviness, I choose to move. I am able to move. I set an intention to move and to be cognizant of how much my body is able to sustain…and then I rest accordingly.

I use deliberate breath work, and I listen and feel what my body has the ability to do each day…and sometimes it changes throughout the day…and I honor whatever that looks like.

For someone else, the right balance of care may look different, and I encourage you to find what resonates with you under the “umbrella” of healing, and implement it into your daily practices.

My wellness is my most important tool…through self care of healthy practices and a mindset of “With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

From my book, Chapter 4:Self Care…“Think of it as you would your bank account. You must continue to replenish your bank account as your bills come in each month, otherwise your account becomes depleted, or even bankrupt. You must think of your wellness account in the same way! We have so many demands on our time and energy each day. If we do not replenish our wellness account, and we continue to “give out” our energy to all of the demands, we will go into debt, energetically, and become physically, mentally and spiritually bankrupt.”

“We must make the time for ourselves, through healthy practices, to experience wellness.” Wellness is ALWAYS a choice. My choice is to always live each day through healthy practices that support my health and wellness goals year round so that my body remembers exactly how to heal when I experience a flare. The brain remembers the rhythm of resilience, and it signals the body to return to balance, peace, and healing.

“Self care is the actions that we take to achieve wellness, and wellness is where we stand in our power!”

“With each breath and step I take, I am healing.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

Author Bio

Wendy Blanchard, M.S., INHC is an author, speaker, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach specializing in holistic wellness and recovery. She is the author of Write Pray Recover: A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care and is currently writing her second book, Soul Notes. Wendy is passionate about guiding others to sustainable wellness through spiritual solutions, self-care, and integrative practices.

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

“You Make It Feel Like Christmas” Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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It was Christmas, and the energy between them was electrifying—two souls lighting each other on fire in love. Sparks rose into the air, melting the snow as their joy illuminated the night.

Their love shone as brightly as the snow falling beneath the fading moonlight, and twinkled as brilliantly as the star atop the tree—a beacon of universal love.

And ever since, ever more…it feels like Christmas all year through.

Love,

Wendy

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Pausing to Heal:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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It feels like darkness has descended upon the fragile frame, burning to live…yet the energy is so depleted. The mind remains sharp and powerful…a gift that can sometimes weigh heavy when the body longs for rest. The body withdraws into a state of calm, preparing for deep renewal.

And still, within the quiet, a small ember glows…reminding us that even in surrender, there is continuity, and even in depletion, the spirit endures.

True story…

Ask yourself, “When my body feels depleted and my spirit seeks rest, how can I notice and nurture the small ember of light within me that continues to glow?”

Mantra:My body bellows, ‘I need deep loving care’… and immediately, I retreat.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Love and Friendship:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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We are best friends who share the same morals and values, the same spiritual beliefs, and the same joy in life’s simple blessings. With each other, we can laugh freely, cry openly, and share our deepest truths without fear of judgment.

Our bond is more than friendship…it is a soul connection, a divine gift that both of us cherish. In every conversation, whether in laughter or in tears, I feel God’s presence between us, reminding me that true love exists in many forms, and ours is eternal.

Love,

Wendy