About Life's Just Fine & Olivia
Dit is de koptekst
Hi, I'm Olivia.
Life's Just Fine came from real life.
Sometimes good, sometimes frustrating, sometimes painful — and in between, the moments of laughter, joy, and enjoying life with my two boys.
From the search for balance between chronic living and simply being a mother, a woman, a person.
I couldn't find anywhere — certainly not in one place — what I was looking for:
tools that actually worked, stories that were honest, and style that didn't sacrifice comfort.
So I decided to create it myself.
Living with rheumatoid arthritis
I was almost done with my studies when the pain started.
Months of doctors, referrals, tests — and then finally the diagnosis: rheumatoid arthritis.
"Let it sink in, read about it, and next time we'll discuss it further," said the doctor. And that was that.
My biggest fear? That I would turn into a dependent patient.
I was young, independent, lived alone, worked nights, studied during the day.
My apartment was kind of a drop-in place for girlfriends. I was always busy with something.
And now suddenly I had a chronic illness.
That was scary, but also a relief: finally a reason for the pain.
The turning point
For six years I kept running. Fall, get up, keep going.
Until I ended up with an employer who didn't believe me.
"You don't look sick," they said.
"Tired again?"
Meanwhile, I'd switched to different medication under my rheumatologist's care — pregnancy-safe meant less effective pain management.
More pain. More fatigue. And a supervisor who became more suspicious with each sick call.
I kept showing up, until I thought: why, actually?
My energy is too precious to waste on convincing others.
I wanted to use that energy for my family, my happiness, my life.
That's when it hit me: this needs to change.
And step by step, I started doing just that.
Motherhood with RA
Motherhood with RA is a lesson in letting go.
With my first son, I chose breastfeeding at the cost of my medication.
I often couldn't even lift him.
With my second, I chose medication and bottle feeding.
No guilt, just quality time. Not one second of regret.
The things women put themselves through.
My boys see that mama is in pain sometimes.
That I can't run or play along, or that I go to bed early.
They ask: "Mama, does it hurt today?"
And I answer honestly, without drama. Because this is our life. And it's good.
What RA actually means (if you don't know)
Rheumatoid arthritis is unpredictable.
Some days I feel old. Wrists that won't bend anymore.
Fatigue you can't explain to anyone.
The hardest part? How my body and energy have changed.
But I've found my tricks.
My favorites:
Wrist warmers with free fingers (a must from autumn onwards)
Wool socks (wonderfully warm)
Leggings under my pants (from October)
And humor — all year round
Even something simple like opening a bottle at the movies could bring tears.
How much help can you need? Popcorn without a drink!
Not anymore, I need that drink. So now I just ask an employee for help before I go into the theater:
"Could you open this for me?" Done. Fine.
What I miss. What I learned.
What do I miss? My old self.
The spontaneous version of me. Less worried, more energetic, more carefree.
But I also learned a lot:
I know my limits better
I've become more flexible (have to be — my body sometimes gets a say)
I feel more freedom to do what's truly important
I don't do unnecessary hassle anymore
After all the emotions — pain, frustration, sadness — I often still end up positive.
Not because I sugarcoat everything, but because that works better for me.
Waarom Life’s Just Fine bestaat
When I was officially declared unfit for work, I thought: what now?
Life's Just Fine had been floating around as an idea for years — between pregnancies, babies, moving, and getting to know myself again.
And then finally: here we are.
I wanted a place where you don't get toxic positivity, but real solutions.
Where stories say: "You're not the only one."
Where styling tips take into account bodies that don't always cooperate.
It started with tools for myself:
Lists to survive doctor visits
And I realized: I wasn't the only one who needed this.
Not perfect. Just honest.
I don't post every day, because I also live chronically.
Some weeks are quieter than others.
Not everything I share works for everyone — but everything has been tested on myself.
Life's Just Fine isn't medical advice, not a miracle solution, and certainly not perfection.
It's a collection of what I learned, tested, and use to make my days lighter.
And if it makes your days a little lighter too?
Then I'm doing it right.
Beyond RA
I'm a nerd — in the best sense.
I love music: listening, singing along, dancing.
Candy is my guilty pleasure.
Netflix (and HBO, Disney, Prime — I don't choose) is my rest point.
Writing helps me put things in perspective and process.
That's why Life's Just Fine exists too: it's my way of sharing everything I learn.