When I think of cold feet and a warm heart, what comes to mind is a caring relationship that carries a little fear of commitment. If that is what you thought of, too, sorry to take you down a different path. This one is literally one of cold feet and a…
Like many lupus patients, my life didn’t exactly go as planned. While my friends were all settling into their lives, mine was beginning to unravel. I had just been declared in remission from a rare blood disorder known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). I was looking forward to getting…
Stress is a trigger. It is one of the first things you learn as a lupus warrior. The unfortunate thing is that life is filled with stress. No matter what you do, there is going to be something that is going to create a certain level of…
After getting two masters degrees and a PhD while dealing with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, the reality of what it means to be a chronically ill student was transformed into the reality of what it means to be a chronically ill worker. I have been in my current job since February…
As a single millennial, I live in the digital age of Tinder and unsubtle euphemisms. The phrase “Netflix and chill” can have many meanings, but for someone who lives with a chronic illness, like me, it tends to take a more literal form. Considering how significant the push…
For those of us with a chronic illness, I think it is safe to say that, initially, we had no idea how a diagnosis would impact our lives. At the age of 23, I was told lupus was the cause of my…
Compassion, empathy, and sympathy: These are all things we wish the world had more of. Understanding is also something we seem to ask for, but I humbly submit that of all the things on the list, this is the most difficult to give and to get. To truly…
I’m a very “black-and-white” kind of person, in that for the most part, I’m logical, rational, and straightforward. In my head, there are always set outcomes, and if you don’t arrive at one it can be only because you’ve landed on another instead. In many instances, this…
Six years ago, I was handed an answer of lupus along with a bag of questions that came with it. Life already was hard before my diagnosis, as a working single mother of two boys. Knowing I had lupus didn’t make it any easier. I rocked my…
Most people take for granted getting ready for each day. It takes a lot of energy to get up in the morning, shower, get dressed, do your hair, and put on makeup. Recently I have been having issues with my arms. I must assist one hand in…