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I’ve learned a lot in my 25 years of living with lupus, but one lesson my body insists on teaching me over and over again is that sleep is not optional. Apparently, my immune system has very strong opinions about bedtime. One or two nights of terrible sleep is…

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…

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’m usually pretty good at finding the bright side. My friends describe me as their “rah-rah girl,” often reminding them there is still life after a diagnosis and dreams worth chasing. That even when lupus changes the road beneath our feet, it doesn’t mean there aren’t beautiful places up…

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…

If you live with lupus, you’ve probably asked yourself the same question I’ve asked hundreds of times: “Why did these symptoms suddenly appear?” Sometimes the answer was obvious. Other times, it felt like lupus symptoms had crashed into my life without warning. What I’ve learned over the past…