My Mountain, My Lupus - A Column by Bridget Gardiner

My Mountain, My Lupus column
Bridget Gardiner resides in the mountains of Santa Cruz with her two loving teenage sons. She is the founder of the Facebook support community and blog “My Mountain, My Lupus” where she uses stories of her everyday adventures to bring greater support, awareness, and education to all lupus warriors throughout the world. She has been diligently compiling a collection of short essays for a novel, “Living with Lupus,” revealing not only her own personal struggle but interviews with others who live with lupus.

Using Lupus and Arthritis as Weather-Forecasting Superpowers

Even before my lupus diagnosis, my body has had amazing accuracy when forecasting the weather. For someone with arthritis, this becomes an unwanted superpower of sorts. Because when the rain hits, so  does the stiffness and pain in my joints. While painkillers can mask the excruciating painful limitations,…

Missing — Light-Brown Suede Pradas

My Prada high heels were the best thing in my closet. They had that sweet Italian leather scent that only a woman would know. Purchased at a second-hand store, they were a soft light-brown suede wedge that made my calves look runway ready. Even my five-foot-one fairy frame seemed tall and…

50 Shades of Lupus

You’ve probably heard of the book 50 Shades of Grey and you’ve more than likely figured out that it is code for “50 Shades of F’ed Up.” Interestingly enough, that phrase truly describes my being diagnosed and  having to live with lupus. Every day is a different shade of…

Weigh advantages against possible side effects

I am just gonna call out the white elephant in the room because everyone has seen the news about drug therapies and possible side effects but no one really knows who or how this affects someone with any chronic illness let alone, for me, with lupus. Let’s be honest, we…

Sex, Drugs and Rockin’ Lupus

You probably have heard the phrase “Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.” I was used to hearing it as well as I grew up in the music industry in Los Angeles, with parents heavy into the ’80s rock scene. I grew up being told I was a rock star. No matter what…

5 Tips for Lupus Patients to Maintain Healthy Skin

Lupus and a healthy skin care routine go together like Tacos and Tuesday. Well, minus the fact that one carves up images of margaritas and good times, whereas the other conjures, in my mind at least, images of dried skin, red rashes, sun sensitivity and bizarre sores…