Columns

I am on a journey. I’m chasing remission from lupus by using a plant-based lifestyle. I’m keeping a record of how I feel, my symptoms, and the food I eat. I have been a vegetarian for a few years. However, I’ve fallen off the wagon on occasion:…

Second in a series. Read part one. IV iron infusions Every few months, I go through the cycle of having blood and urine analyses completed before visiting my nephrologist. The fact that I’m so young and active plays a critical role in determining my course of…

For many of you who have followed my journey, you know that I chose to seek my healthcare outside of the U.S. I felt my experience was less than stellar, and after speaking with so many others and hearing their stories, it helped me finalize my…

First in a series. In the past two years, I’ve written nearly 150 columns for Lupus News Today. I’d guess that at least 50 are in some way related to fatigue. The reason a single topic is featured so regularly in my work is that fatigue single-handedly…

I discovered the magic of vegetables by mistake. When I started exhibiting lupus symptoms, I could not stand for long periods, and just walking across a room meant I’d have to sleep the rest of the day. To avoid starving, I bought fresh fruits and veggies and would grab…

Each time I learn of a warrior’s death, I get depressed. It doesn’t matter if I only just learned of them at the time of the announcement. I feel an overwhelming loss. The deaths of young people affect me even more. I wonder if they would be happy their…

Passion, sadness, anger, frustration, and grief are the emotions hardest to feel, but they inspire my best writing. Today, I write a little teary-eyed from a place of grief — Bionews Services family member Serena Lawrence passed away on Sept. 26. The internet can be a wonderful place.

A guy I was seeing took it upon himself to Google me. (Yes, I’m “Googleable.” Lol.) He tells me this over the phone while I’m folding clothes. It’s usually no secret that I perform. Most guys I date are very aware of that early on. He doesn’t linger…

Sometimes I think people forget that on the other side of the keyboard are other people. Things we would never say to someone in real life are often typed and sent without any regard for how the other person may feel because they can’t see us. I am…

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…