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It doesn’t matter who you are, you have problems. We all have problems. I always say that even babies cry. We are all works in progress, and there is not one thing perfect about any of us. Sometimes, “healthy” people look on those who are not as if they are…

Being an adult isn’t anything like I imagined it. I also never imagined being diagnosed with a chronic illness at the start of my 20s. When I was younger, the idea of being an adult was exciting. Freedom, responsibility, and control seem to be things we want until they are…

Lupus ‘brain fog’ is aptly named When I am tired or under a lot of stress, my brain gets foggy. The official name for this is cognitive dysfunction, but it’s commonly referred to as brain fog because it’s like trying to find your way in a dark, dense…

Lupus sucks. Let’s just acknowledge that from the onset. I was living an awesome life, and then it came to a screeching halt. Lupus was pretty aggressive with me. Almost immediately, I felt anxiety and confusion, and eventually, anger. These are signs of depression, but I didn’t know that at…

Everyone is entitled to a bad day. But for me, “bad” can’t seem to contain itself to just 24 hours. It usually comes in waves that last weeks or months. The defiant optimist in me likes to think that, in a way, I need bad days because they help…

If you have never experienced a migraine, you’re a lucky person. A migraine is the mother of all headaches: a throbbing, pounding pain so bad it makes you nauseated. Light hurts your eyes; even a regular bulb in a lamp will have you squinting. Sounds ricochet around in your…

I spent almost 20 years working in real estate in Florida. I loved the work, as it had me at times out measuring homes, meeting new people, and spending time in the sun. Lupus says stay out of the sun, it eats your energy, and the pain…

I’ve been overweight most of my life. In high school, I thought I was fat! Looking back at pictures from that time, I wish I was that size again. Before my lupus diagnosis, I was 20-25 pounds over my ideal weight — I thought I was huge. Today, I would…

  It’s printed on T-shirts. It’s something we teach little boys when they fall and get the first scrape that brings tears to their eyes. It’s certainly something you learn if you join the military. I’m referring to the saying, “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” Well, I…

Having lupus is hard enough, but when a full-time job is added in, it’s almost unbearable. Sleep is always an issue. It seems like we never get enough. And then taking a shower uses up what little energy we have left. We’re exhausted by the time we…