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What to do when the guilt of taking a rest washes over you

Living with lupus or another chronic illness means making decisions most people never have to consider. One of the hardest choices for me was to prioritize rest, even when it meant saying no to family, friends, or opportunities. For those of us with lupus or similar diseases, saying…

The importance of advocacy in the chronic illness world

Earlier today, the speaker of a faith-based class I participated in was discussing the ancient Greek term “parakletos,” which meant “advocate.” My ears perked up, as advocacy has become such an integral part of my life. The speaker explained how the term also meant “helper, counselor, intercessor, or someone who…

Chasing reading hypnosis to better manage lupus flares

Few things are more enjoyable to me than reading and listening to great stories. Reading until I’m practically hypnotized is top-tier entertainment. In the physical process of reading, the eyes move left to right, capturing paragraphs and pages that trigger imaginative connections of sounds, emotions, and images. Our energy shifts…