An interesting video is circulating on social media that I’ve seen more times than I can count. While it may be just a colloquial trend used to boost a content creator’s analytics, it still offers an interesting declaration. The video opens with a pensive-looking person with cursive text above their…
At the start of each new year, I find myself awestruck by what it could bring to my life. While social media has a funny way of making us feel an overwhelming pressure for a “new year, new me,” I’d like to share with you a gentle reminder: Life with…
When was the first time you heard the words “advocate” and “advocacy”? According to Dictionary.com, to advocate means “to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.” And the Cambridge Dictionary says advocacy is the “public support for an idea, plan, or way…
We’ve all heard it. “But you don’t look sick.” There’s also “You still look good,” “That weight looks good on you (or off you),” and “I couldn’t tell you were that sick.” For quite some time, conversations among people living with lupus, which I have, or other chronic illnesses…
Chronic illness can bring a variety of challenges and limitations into our lives that are out of our control. For me, one of those was my inability to have children of my own. That was a hard pill to swallow, and it took time for me to work through it…
It’s the holiday season again, and while it’s my favorite time of year, it’s also the season that stresses me out the most. If you have lived with chronic illness for a while, as I have, you’re likely aware that it doesn’t mix well with stress. One…
Since 1986, Delta airlines has consistently served Biscoff cookies during flights. According to Simple Flying, the airline serves about 85 million cookies a year. If you’ve taken to the skies in the last decade, you’ve probably had a pack or two (or four) of these oblong, cinnamon-ginger shortbread…
If you have a chronic illness, I imagine you’ve experienced a moment of guilt at some point because you weren’t able to get out of bed due to a flare or other ongoing symptoms. I even bet you’ve felt that way more than once. I’m more accepting today…
“You know, lupus thrives in extremes,” a rheumatologist told me. His tone was bland and matter-of-fact. “No, I don’t know much about lupus besides its misery,” I responded. “For one thing, your body will see elation and stress with the same intensity, and that may trigger flares.
Picture it: You’re deep in a lupus flare and have been in bed for weeks. In the silence, you think, “What is my purpose if I’m constantly sick?” or “How do I find meaning in my everyday life?” I can’t count how many times the frustration of being…