Columns

Two types of evil have existed throughout my life: lupus and guilt. They both have black souls and hold the power to destroy me in different ways. I regularly make deals with each of them, but nothing is ever an easy or uncomplicated choice; to make a deal…

Some days it hurts to breathe and a cough can become scary. I’ve learned that a cough is not usually a sign that I have a cold, but that my lungs have become inflamed. When this happens, a hearty laugh or a deep breath can send me…

Immunosupressants are simultaneously the very best and worst things for my health. These magic medications have played a large part in making sure lupus has been so unsuccessful in its mission to take hold of my kidneys. But they also caused me to be sick for a…

I find it interesting what some folks do to alleviate stress, to decompress and have a little fun, things sometimes I only wish I had the patience for. Adult coloring is one of those things that comes to mind. I have seen some really beautiful creations and a…

Almost daily there is a report inside one of my support groups that someone has received their butterfly wings – a term I use when someone has passed away from lupus. This happens more often than I would like to discuss. I am often bothered that their deaths are…

My later years of high school were all about goal-setting. What did I want in the next six months? What about in the long-term? As an intensely goal-driven individual, I’d become accustomed to moving from one goal to the next with ease. With lupus, goal-setting is not quite…

I made my living for almost 20 years in real estate, and the funny thing that set me apart was the ability to remember things that others could not. If you told me your name six months ago, I would remember it six months later. Lupus does…

One thing that affects my illnesses profoundly is the weather. As temperatures have started to drop, my body already is feeling it. So, I only can imagine what anyone feels like who has survived the recent onslaught of severe weather that has impacted our country — especially those with chronic…

There’s something about being diagnosed with a chronic illness at a young age that the rest of the world can’t help but see as tragic. Diagnosed with lupus at age 20, I know all about what that’s like. It’s not that someone older is any less unfortunate…

Do you have someone in your life who doesn’t understand why you are always “sick and tired?” Is it hard for them to fathom that the illness you have won’t go away after a good nap or latest diet fad? And are they confused as to why you may…