Marisa is a journalist, author, and former Mrs. New York 2015. Her verticals include health, nutrition, food, recipe creation, and food photography. She is also the founder of LupusChick.com, a NY-based nonprofit and FB community that helps patients and families dealing with incurable autoimmune disease. Currently working on her second book, she enjoys traveling with her husband and rescued terrier, Bogey.
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…
Dating can be both a thrilling and nerve-wracking experience. Having a chronic condition certainly adds extra layers of complexity to the mix. I met my husband over 20 years ago, shortly after I was diagnosed with lupus. My illness was out of control at the time, so I was…
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…
Whether you’re healthy or living with a chronic illness, navigating a new friendship is always a delicate dance. For those of us with lupus (or possibly multiple autoimmune diseases), it can be difficult to explain why we’re suddenly MIA for days, or even weeks, at a time. Welcome to…
Summer always puts me on high alert, because historically, it’s the time of year when I go into a major lupus flare. Like many lupus patients, sun and heat are my top triggers. In my area of the Carolinas, daily temperatures have felt like 100 degrees or…
Summer is officially here, and while I’m trying to shield myself from the sun, practically everyone I know is talking about their travel plans. If you follow my writing, you know I’m fascinated by vacations and that I’ve learned a lot over the past 20 years about traveling with a…
It’s that time of the year again, when we “lupies,” “spoonies,” or whatever you want to call us come out waving our purple banners. May is a special month for raising awareness about the life-changing illness that is lupus. For me, it’s a time to go big, as…
Ah, the changing seasons. Spring is finally here, and for many people, it’s an exciting time of rejuvenation, of shedding winter coats and embracing the sun’s warmth. But for those of us with chronic illnesses like lupus, each seasonal change can feel like stepping into a battlefield of unpredictable…
In the past three decades of dealing with unpredictable health issues, a pain point has reared its head over and over again for me. After countless conversations with other chronic illness warriors, I know it’s an ongoing struggle for many: employment and financially caring for ourselves. The constant struggle for…
If you, like me, live with chronic illness, have you ever felt like you think about your mortality more often than your healthy friends and family members do? Since before my lupus diagnosis, when I knew something was going haywire in my body, I’ve given a lot of thought…