Diaries of a Lupus Chick — Marisa Zeppieri

There’s a touchy topic in the world of chronic illness that most of us have to deal with at some point: how to navigate the workplace. I’m talking about the real-life version, not the picture-perfect, über-polished LinkedIn one. It’s the reality of sitting in your car before walking into the…

Here’s a truth I believe many of us can agree with: Dating in the modern world is a wild ride. Even if you are healthy, it takes a lot out of you. Add in a chronic illness diagnosis and whoa! Suddenly, that roller coaster has a few extra loops, a…

There’s an area of life with chronic illness that many of us rarely bring up at doctor appointments, even while it quietly reshapes our relationships: sex and intimacy. When you’re living with a chronic illness like lupus, nearly every area of life changes. Energy shifts. Priorities change. Career and…

When you live with a chronic illness like lupus, you eventually learn that energy isn’t just something you “have” or “don’t have.” It’s sacred. It’s currency. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. Unlike a phone that you can plug into the wall to charge, our bodies don’t always bounce…

Let’s start with a little story, shall we? It’s currently 142 F outside. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but not by much. I’m living through one of the most brutal heat waves my area has seen in years, hitting over 105 F daily. Like clockwork, my body has…

For many of us living with a chronic illness, there typically comes a time when we desire to share our story, help others, and dip our toe into the pool of advocacy. Having met thousands of people with lupus over the past 20 years, I’ve learned that we all…

If, like me, you have a chronic illness, have you ever sat with the thought that maybe you did something to cause it? I certainly have. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many conversations I’ve had with chronic illness friends landed on that question at some point. It’s that quiet,…

Have you ever hesitated before answering the question “How are you?” If the answer is yes, then I want to share something with you. Living with lupus (or any chronic illness) comes with unspoken rules that many of us feel pressured to follow in answering this question: Keep it…

Hey, friend, grab your tea and pull up a chair. I want to have an honest conversation about something we don’t talk about enough: grief. It’s not the kind of grief that comes with funerals and sympathy cards, but rather the quiet, sneaky kind that shows up when life doesn’t…

As we flip the page to a new year, the pull of hustle culture on social media hasn’t seemed to change. Messages urge us to do more, achieve more, and push harder. But for those of us living with lupus, this mindset isn’t just unhelpful; it can be downright…

As another year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on the milestones of the past 12 months, but also on the journey that’s brought me to this moment. When I look back at the years when I was so sick, growing up with unexplainable pain and…