To this day, I don’t know how to braid hair. I missed this rite of passage in middle school, because while the girls in my class were doing each other’s hair in the bathroom, I was playing handball with the boys. Fast-forward to high school, where unlike many people I…
I have friends who have been married for decades, then their kids leave home, and it’s almost like they are now living with a stranger they’ve known as their spouse for years. Relationships sour and sometimes they figure, “We’re old enough now to just stay married and stay…
My life is a waiting game, and a cruel one at that. The fact that my chronic illness has no cure means that I’ll spend my entire life in fear of flares, knowing they’re inevitable and that it’s only a matter of time. It doesn’t matter how good…
I was actively involved in real estate for 17 years. I started my career as a single mom going through a divorce while earning $7.50 an hour. I grew into a person with a stellar reputation, and who earned awards and a much higher income. When the doctor told…
Today was an important day for me. Coming home from work, I found an envelope with my name on it. Inside was a letter from my university inviting me to join an honor society. Through my academic achievement, my mental capability is validated, and for the first time…
I have lupus, and I am a vegetarian … but that doesn’t mean I can heal myself. I find it quite interesting, the things people share with me. I know they are well-meaning, but it’s actually quite annoying. The articles, supplement suggestions, tea suggestions, dietary suggestions — all…
Telling you about my chronic illness was nerve-wracking. I couldn’t help but feel anxious and vulnerable revealing something so incredibly personal. It involved unveiling the very worst part of myself, hoping that somehow, despite its significance, you’d still look past it to see me for who I…
As lupus patients in the year 2018, we have incredible access to technology that can help us get through the day with this difficult and frustrating disease. One of my favorite technological advancements that helps me on a regular basis is the use of phone apps. Yes,…
I am a wreck. And I am sure that plenty of us feel this way after lupus comes to steal our energy and bodies. It either adds weight or removes it. I went from a curvy girl weighing in the 170s down to a bony girl who at…
If I’ve learned one thing about living with an invisible illness, it’s that my life exists in limbo. Though I generally tend to feel good, I live knowing that in the last two years, I’ve never once felt as healthy as I did before diagnosis. I know…