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I had never truly understood what it means to be loved until I was diagnosed with lupus. Don’t get me wrong — I had an amazing upbringing. As a child and teenager, I wanted for nothing. I couldn’t have asked for better parents…

There are times in my lupus battle when I feel karma is being delivered. Every bad thought I had about someone, every judgment I made, is heaped upon me. It’s odd to remember thinking or saying things that seemed so insignificant at the time, but perhaps had a bigger ripple…

This morning, I woke to spring sunshine streaming into my living room. After puttering around the house and watering my veggie garden, I settled in to have breakfast. And it was there, sitting at my kitchen bench, crunching on toast, that I noticed something: I feel happy. But not that…

If you want me to roll my eyes up in my head, tell me that faith will heal me. In your presence, I try to keep that visceral feeling to myself. But I have learned that my face often displays what I’m thinking against my will, so I tend to…

When I was selling homes, many first-time homebuyers wanted the world, but their budgets didn’t allow for it. I often told them that buying your first home is a series of compromises. No matter how you spin it, compromise means settling for less, giving in to things you really don’t…

In May 2016, I landed in the hospital for a week. Doctors wanted to find out how I had managed to gain 26 pounds from fluid retention in just two weeks. For 12 hours, Sunday night doctors and nurses poked, prodded, and questioned me. Then their shift changed, and…

A while back, I shared a mantra I learned in the military years ago that’s been echoed by many. I had realized that the phrase I’d been indoctrinated to believe — “pain is weakness leaving the body” — is, for lack of a better word, hooey! Another nonsense phrase…

Last January, my visit to the U.S. turned into one of my longest hospital stays since my lupus diagnosis. I associate a lot of fear with that stay. Once it was under my belt, many changes lay ahead. For the first time in over a year, I was optimistic.

It has been a long journey to get to where I am as a person, and I have experienced many transformations. I spent a significant period of my life as an introvert. I wanted to talk to people and had plenty to say,…

I research every medication I am prescribed. I have doctors explain my test results as if I am 6 years old. I ask questions and when doctors don’t answer in a way I fully understand, I rephrase and research. I weigh the benefits and risks before deciding to take…