He said:

Most of us don’t realize the effect the sun can have on us until we’re digging for the aloe… One day, we left the house for somewhere having a nice conversation along the way. While driving east down the interstate that late Spring morning, the conversation slowed and I looked over to see the energy draining out of her like a meter in a video game. It was like Shang Tsun reaching through the window and drawing out her life force (see what I did there?). So, now, we stay aware of what the sun and it’s nasty UV rays are up to. When Brianna found these handy dandy UV sensitive beads, she knew just the perfect use! Early warning signs? Pretty jewelry making opportunity? Uh, yeah!

She said:

When you’ve got Lupus, the sun quickly becomes your nemesis. UV rays of any sort, actually. UV light is the biggest trigger for Lupus. As I learned more and more about taming this beast, we began to stock up on tools and tricks to cope — and avoid flares as much as possible! This included getting a UV-protectant shawl, umbrella, hats, you name it. I found that I was still caught off guard too many times. I remembered back to my Girl Scout days and a project we did with UV-reactant beads. A quick Amazon search told me these were still a thing, and two days later they showed up on our doorstep. I got to work and whipped up a couple of cute bracelets that would become warning beacons to me. When I wore them, I could tell if I was still being exposed to UV rays through windows, in the shade, and overcast days. The beads are sensitive to the amount of UV they’re exposed to, as well, so the darker they get the more trouble I’m in! Simple solution, but oh-so effective.