Columns

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,…

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…

Readers who are familiar with William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” will know that belladonna is a poison. So what does that have to do with potatoes? Everything — and nothing. Both white potatoes and belladonna are from the Solanaceae family, commonly known as nightshades. Red potatoes are also in…

Many of us are frequently told, “You don’t look sick.” We can find that comment a little off-putting. While we recognize that it’s someone’s way of saying that we look “good” or “well,” that’s not how we feel about it. Not looking sick allows us to remain camouflaged among…

I’m wary of taking advice from anyone, because people rarely understand what lupus is or how it affects my body. They merely know of someone who has the disease. Most people don’t appreciate that it’s a diverse illness with no simple solutions or easy fixes. What works for one person…

Following your lupus diagnosis, visits to doctor’s offices begin to multiply. Sometimes I’ll have consultations with three different doctors in the same week. If they order tests, it means even more appointments.  Having spent all of this time in medical clinics, I have learned that if I come…

Many of us grew up with nicknames. Later, working in the real estate industry, it was common for people to adopt nicknames that helped promote their businesses. Because I never stopped working, one day my broker called me a “Hurricane in Heels,” and from that day forward, in the office…

“You’re an inspiration to many.” I get it all the time. Do you want to know a secret? I never wanted to be an inspiration — not like this. The cost of being “inspirational” is going to bed every night knowing that no matter how many or how few hours…

I cannot deny it: I love bread. Toast with peanut butter has been my go-to breakfast for a long time. But as I am now learning, both of these foods can cause inflammation in my body.  So what’s a bread-loving girl to do? Look for substitutes that taste…

Recently, I was having a discussion about lupus. Because I’m a self-proclaimed joy junkie, I was asked why I say I am battling lupus instead of living with it. The word battle seems negative. I look at living with something as being accepting of the behavior that is exhibited…