Living with lupus has taught me that the wellness journey doesn’t just include following a rigorous treatment plan. It is a journey of finding ways to adjust and live — not just survive — a life that has been flipped sideways with chronic pain and erratic, life-threatening flares. There…
Celebrate With Me - a column by Candace Semien
Hear me clearly: The pile of clothes can wait. The dishes can sit untouched in the sink another night. Neither the refrigerator nor the cabinets need to be cleaned today. The stain on the garage floor can stay there until the weekend. In fact, each and every chore can wait.
There is a space that too many people with lupus are forced to live in, between being considered “disabled” and being expected to function as though nothing were wrong. I know that space. Many of you also know it or are caring for a family member who lives in…
Something empowering happens when you wake up with a special song looping in your mind. You know, the line or two of lyrics that gently wakes you, continues in your subconscious, then seeps into your fully awake brain until the song is looping in the background of your day. It…
Although National Grief Awareness Day, observed Aug. 30, was founded by activist Angie Cartwright in 2014, I have seen it mentioned much more frequently this year than in years past. Maybe it’s because so many people are feeling the heaviness of loss, whether it’s related to employment, finances, or death.
I recently came across an episode from the Lupus Foundation of America’s “The Expert Series” that focused on menopause and lupus. It reminded me of how important it is for us to talk about the changes our bodies go through, not only from lupus, but also because of…
Pain management is difficult and complicated for people living with lupus. In my experience, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and over-the-counter medications are weak, and opioid analgesics tend to fail. Even combined with home remedies, herbal teas, essential oils, heating pads, ice packs, and tinctures, lupus pain is often unmanageable. During…
There is a term used often in publishing and media to acknowledge when a community, a niche group, or a marginalized people are included within a broader context of an issue or story. When an author is inclusive of a person or a group, it is intentional “representation.” We are…
“I’m so glad you’re here and you chose yourself.” That’s how wellness educator Staci Mitchell opened a series of virtual TARDIS Talks on lupus last month. Something about that statement caused us to pause and reflect during the session, as she acknowledged and celebrated our self-focused arrival. The idea…
The world’s largest catalog of library resources, WorldCat, lists more than 290,000 books with “lupus” in the title. When you search “lupus” on Google Scholar, more than 2.2 million articles come up. Neither is comprehensive, so you can imagine how many other books and articles might exist. That…
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