Columns

The Things We Take for Granted

Lupus is mean — good for stealing a lot of things from the people it affects. However, since it stole my main career, life has become a lot slower, primarily because lupus stole my energy. But that’s not the point of this column. The point is that when…

Do You See Me?

I am lean, but not sunken, and not emaciated-looking. Once upon a time, I was 170 pounds, now I top out at about 118. Thanks to lupus, I went on a rapid weight-loss program without having signed up. I was so ashamed when I first lost the weight…

Progress Is Made One Step at a Time

I’ve gone through countless evolutions in the past 18 months. One year ago, I felt physically overcome by weakness. Just getting up in the morning was a feat in itself, let alone tackling the day in front of me. But I made a choice, a choice that has…

The Nose Knows

I would wake up sneezing as if I had allergies. I’ve not had this happen very often, so I figured I’d brought something new home that I was having a reaction to. I had no idea that what my body was responding to was behind my walls. I’d…

Full Hindsight on Moon Face

When my treatment for lupus began, I was prescribed about 10 types of medications. Of those 10, only one made its presence known within the first month. But the thing was, it didn’t just announce itself; it screamed “PREDNISOLONE!”, so that I had no choice but to…

Creating a Pension Plan

I make no secret that after lupus stole my offline career (selling homes for almost two decades) that I had to shift and find a new way to earn. There are good and bad things about spending most of your life as an entrepreneur. Over the years, I have…

The Importance of Being Calm

Being calm doesn’t come naturally to me. With a mind that’s constantly racing, there’s rarely a moment when I’m not deep in thought about one thing or another. My life is chaotic. From a need to overfill my waking hours with the things I love most to the…

The Purpose Pusher

I believe that everything happens for a reason. Even the bad stuff has a purpose. Don’t ask me what it is, but I know that none of us are getting out of life alive and none of us are getting out unscathed. Before I got lupus, I was…