Columns

Meeting My Hero: Remission Is Not What I Had Expected

Has anyone ever told you that you should never meet your hero? We often have an idea of who that person is, and then when we meet them, we’re sorely disappointed. We’d hyped them up to be a perfect person. Then we discover a flawed human. The disappointment can be…

Why I Can Only Discuss Hardship After the Fact

When I’m in the depths of struggle, only the people closest to me know about it. I need to go through the hardship and come out on the other side before I’m comfortable writing about it or sharing it on social media. I need to prove to myself I can…

Sorry, Not Sorry: Apologies Tame the Hurricane

I’m sure you realize that someone who has been dubbed a “hurricane” is pretty unapologetic. Forces of nature sweep in, do what they do, and sweep out, never looking back. I was once a hurricane. Now I jokingly say I’ve gone from being a “Hurricane in Heels” to a “Tropical…

With Lupus, You Always Need to Think About Sun Protection

My lower legs currently are covered with red spots. It has been so hot that I’ve been wearing capri pants every day. The result is that my legs have gotten more sun exposure than usual. But instead of a nice golden tan, I have red spots. With lupus, I…

Lupus Is Not an Award, but I’ll Accept It

Three years ago, I embarked on a journey of knowledge and hard work that has taken me around the world. It changed my life, and I’d like to thank the academy and accept this award … wait, wait, wait! Lupus is not an award. It’s not the result of hard…

An Instant Pot Means an (Almost) Instant Supper

I’ve been collecting kitchen gadgets for the past few years: The largest food processor available. A heavy-duty stand mixer. Pampered Chef’s Rockcrok slow cooker. So you know I jumped on the pressure cooker craze, even before the Instant Pot became a thing. Now I have two of them: a…

Could I Still Be in Denial About My Lupus Diagnosis?

I woke up this morning and had to talk myself out of bed. I prepared my laundry for pickup, but then needed to lie down to catch my breath. On some days, the mere act of sitting up has been a challenge. I remember moments of being a fitness competitor.

Hindsight Provides Lessons for My Past Self

If you had the chance to sit down with yourself just after your diagnosis, what would you want to say? If you only had an hour, what wisdom would you impart? Would you warn of the grief and hardship ahead? Would you right the mistakes in your journey? Would…