Chronic Bits 

Babes, we hope you'll get some time to relax and refresh your minds and hearts this holiday weekend. We'll be taking a couple days off here at ChronicBabe HQ, but we'll see you Tuesday! Big hugs - Editrix Jenni & the ChronicBabe Team.

Theme: Favorite tips, tricks and tools. Share your knowledge, Babes! And reach thousands of women with your ideas. Get all the details on entering here. The Blog Carnival will post on Tuesday, June 1.

Out with the tender point exam, in with addressing more common, widespread symptoms like sleep issues, fatigue and cognition problems. A switch to the proposed diagnostic approach would be a big change. Read on to see what the new system would address, and let us know what you think!

Cast your vote today and help an innovator create a new tool that helps folks with diabetes! Head to DiabetesMine today to vote; voting ends tomorrow, Thursday May 27, at 6pm PST.

Do you have a girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse or partner who is awesome in the "sexual healing" department? We're working on a piece that examines what it's like for those who love us - how they maintain intimacy and attraction, and how we all balance each others' needs. We'd like to interview a few folks about their relationships. If you're interested, email Editrix Jenni STAT! Smooches!

This is going to be controversial, we know: a CNN report says people who care for others who are sick often experience debilitating symptoms of their own. It's good for ChronicBabes to remember that those who care for us have needs, too! It's all about balance.

Lenka at My Disability Community posted a faboo podcast the other day, all about hidden disabilities. We like!

TMJ Hope has been re-launched, with tons of new features. We're digging the strong community, with hundreds of members offering support, advocacy, education and more.

We dig Get Better Health and Dr. Val's team, and they don't disappoint today, hosting a terrific Grand Rounds.

Just one more day to vote for a Women's Health Hero . Editrix Jenni was recognized in a previous class of heroes; who will be next?

We are loving this post at Accidental Thong about what it's like to have a disability and talk sex. Spicy stuff, friends!

We have a girl-crush on Jessica Floeh, who makes her insulin pump gorgeous every day. Craft magazine wrote about her. You can see her entire project at Hanky Pancreas.

Over at Instructions Not Included: some terrific European health bloggers, talking about friendship as part of the Bureaux Carnival.

ChronicPal Paula Kamen talks about the Cancer Bitch, "sick lit" and humor at Ms. Magazine. We like!

And Editrix Jenni is tweeting madly about all things fibro. If you want to learn more about fibromyalgia check out the National Fibromyalgia Association, join the ChronicBabe Forum fibromyalgia discussion, get some scoop from the Arthritis Foundation and HealthyWomen.org, check out Sharon Ostalecki's great book on the subject...and then go hug your favorite FibroBabe!

The list looks GOOD. Now, who wants to sponsor Editrix Jenni so she can go hear all the great ones?

...and we're wondering if you have anything you would like us to add? Right now we have hundreds of links but we're always happy to add more. Let us know if there's something you'd like to see at the Help Desk!

The theme this week: Minimalism. And Dr. Charles has done a kick-ass job of compiling some fantastic blog posts. Enjoy this week's Grand Rounds!

More than 100 bloggers have committed to writing about their diabetes experiences this week. Karen at Bitter-Sweet has rounded up everyone in a nice list - there are so many to choose from!

There's still time to enter! The question of the festival: What's your most laugh-out-loud illness-related experience? Send us your name as you would like it to appear, the name & url of your blog, the name & url of your post and 1-2 sentences of description. Deadline: midnight tomorrow, May 4. Long live Patients for a Moment, the blog carnival by/for/about patients!