At 18, my lupus diagnosis was still two years off, and happiness was a world of difference from what I now know it to be. Good times were a night out on the town, dancing till the wee hours of the morning, then reminiscing with friends while…
Some of you will remember the 1980s public service commercial where the man holds an egg in his hand and says, “This is your brain.” He then cracks it into a sizzling cast iron pan and says, “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” I’m not sure…
I opened my eyes this morning and knew it would be a great day to write. Why? Because with what I was feeling, I would be in bed all day. Pretty much everything hurts except my fluttering eyelids. Yep, no pain there. Battling lupus is like fighting the…
I think that because those of us battling lupus don’t look sick, people have no idea how much the disease affects every aspect of our lives. I know I’ve shared my feelings on this subject at various times in this column. Unfortunately, when your entire life is disrupted, it’s…
Death isn’t an abstract concept to me. I’m sick, and regardless of the fact that my sickness is outrageously unpredictable, my eventual descent toward passing will likely be pretty linear. I’ve learned to accept that deteriorating health will be par for the course for someone like me,…
Few couples hearing the term “in sickness and in health” at their wedding have thoughts of chronic illness enter their mind. But the reality is, with almost half of the American population dealing with some type of chronic illness, this should be something all couples consider. Relationships, while…
The word “remission” doesn’t mean what most people think it does. When most people use the word remission, they do so in relation to cancer and assume that it’s easily interchangeable with “cure.” But it’s not — in fact, it’s far from it! Remission only refers to an…
I have been asked what my goals are twice in the past two months. At one time, I would have told you that I was an ambitious overachiever. Now, I strive to get out of bed before 9 a.m. The first time it was on a questionnaire at the…
Last Friday was a good day. Actually, it was a great day. Finishing my morning shift at work, I opened my phone to find a notification that brought me a lot of happiness. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering; in fact, it would’ve been meaningless to anyone else. It was just…
I returned to the United States from Southeast Asia in mid-May. I came back to visit my family, and I had another intention in mind. As much as I dislike the U.S. healthcare system, I am a veteran, and I am entitled to certain benefits. As some of…