Author Archives: Kristiana Page

The Cost of Using Immunosuppressants

I remember when catching a cold felt only irritating; when it meant a couple of days off school with Mum forcing me to down foul cherry-flavored cough syrup and maybe some chicken noodle soup. Those were the easy days of cold and flu. I wish that would still be the case.

3 Things that Changed My Life with Lupus Fatigue, Part 2

Second in a series. Read part one. IV iron infusions Every few months, I go through the cycle of having blood and urine analyses completed before visiting my nephrologist. The fact that I’m so young and active plays a critical role in determining my course of…

3 Things that Changed My Life with Lupus Fatigue, Part 1

First in a series. In the past two years, I’ve written nearly 150 columns for Lupus News Today. I’d guess that at least 50 are in some way related to fatigue. The reason a single topic is featured so regularly in my work is that fatigue single-handedly…

Virtual Friendships and Real Grief

Passion, sadness, anger, frustration, and grief are the emotions hardest to feel, but they inspire my best writing. Today, I write a little teary-eyed from a place of grief — BioNews Services family member Serena Lawrence passed away on Sept. 26. The internet can be a wonderful place.

A New Definition of Happiness

At 18, my lupus diagnosis was still two years off, and happiness was a world of difference from what I now know it to be. Good times were a night out on the town, dancing till the wee hours of the morning, then reminiscing with friends while…

My Greatest Fear Is that My Parents Will Have to Lay Me to Rest

Death isn’t an abstract concept to me. I’m sick, and regardless of the fact that my sickness is outrageously unpredictable, my eventual descent toward passing will likely be pretty linear. I’ve learned to accept that deteriorating health will be par for the course for someone like me,…

Remission Doesn’t Mean Cure — Chronic Illness Is for Life

The word “remission” doesn’t mean what most people think it does. When most people use the word remission, they do so in relation to cancer and assume that it’s easily interchangeable with “cure.” But it’s not — in fact, it’s far from it! Remission only refers to an…

A Lupus Milestone: Prednisolone and the End of a Relationship

Last Friday was a good day. Actually, it was a great day. Finishing my morning shift at work, I opened my phone to find a notification that brought me a lot of happiness. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering; in fact, it would’ve been meaningless to anyone else. It was just…

I Have Reasons for My Physical Challenges, Not Excuses

Living in this era of booming health and fitness, my Instagram and Facebook feeds are full of workout videos, fitspo selfies, and motivational posts. To me, physical exercise is just another form of medicine. When I spend money on exercise, I view it as an investment in my…