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Could Swimming Be the Answer to My Exercise Dilemma?

I am not a natural-born exerciser. No one in my family is athletic. There were no evening walks and no one played sports. We didn’t run unless we were being chased. When I was first diagnosed with lupus, my rheumatologist told me I needed to walk half an hour…

Why I Tell People, ‘It Could Be Worse’

When someone expresses their sympathy about my life with lupus, a typical response just rolls off my tongue. “It could be worse.” It’s true. Life with lupus could be many magnitudes worse than it is for me right now. Crippling arthritis, unbearable chronic pain, migraines, brain fog, and recurring mental…

Sometimes You Have to Take a Vacation from Stress

When you have lupus, every single day brings on more stress. There are endless doctor visits and blood tests. You have to deal with brain fog. You have to remember to take your medicine at the right time. Plus, everyday tasks like getting out of bed and taking…

Would I Give Lupus Back If I Could?

Living abroad was something I always wanted to do. When you move abroad, it seems people are a bit fascinated with you, and when you move abroad with health challenges, that heightens the fascination. Getting lupus made me witness firsthand what healthcare was like in the United States, and I…

Plagued by Anxiety: The Psychological Effects of Lupus

I think that every time I’ve shared an article lately, I’ve talked about symptoms of lupus related to mental health. While I don’t particularly care for the pain, the fatigue, or the physical afflictions of lupus, the things that have caught my attention lately are more psychological. Several months ago,…

What You See of Me Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Half the time, when I tell someone that I have lupus, I’m not sure that they believe me. And when I say that I work 40 to 50 hours a week and study part-time, I can understand how my health status sounds even less credible. But living with lupus is…