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Before every appointment with my renal specialist, I have to get blood and urine testing done. In high school, the idea of having to get an injection used to leave me feeling light-headed, now it’s just standard procedure. But even though I’ve gotten used to it, I’m so…

I am a self-professed joy junkie, so when I see too much negativity I either try to counter it or avoid it altogether. This is my mantra for the way I live my life. Even when I had a pity party for myself prior to lupus, I would…

Traveling is one of my greatest passions. From the very first moment I set foot overseas, I was hooked. I love the culture shock and being thrust into a world that’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever known. But traveling with a chronic illness is potentially dangerous on…

Weather is a trigger for lupus. When I was a kid, I would hear older people predict rain based on their arthritis. Well, lupus doesn’t allow me to predict the weather, but I can tell you it seems that when there is dampness in the air, my little…

I was a lot of things before lupus, and my diagnosis hasn’t changed. Of course, it is undeniable that my life has been altered by chronic illness, but not nearly as much as many might assume. When I think about what I’m capable of, my mind doesn’t go…

Life has been so unpredictable since my lupus diagnosis. It seems like so many of us with lupus make plans with the best intentions, and have to cancel because of the challenges the disease can pose. I am a social butterfly by nature. I used to attend a…

Some might be ashamed of their status as someone with chronic illness, however, I’m not. I wouldn’t say that I’m proud of it, but it’s also not something that I’ll ever work to hide from the world. In fact, I’ll endeavor to share it as much as…

Most women make resolutions at the start of the year to lose weight. That was not my resolution. I loved my curves, especially my legs. I’m always in a great pair of high heels. I am, after all, the Hurricane in Heels. I was on the go, and wearing…

Part of living with lupus is knowing that your body lives outside of the norm. It means accepting that, for the most part, you have no predictable sleeping pattern, and if you should be lucky enough to regulate one, it’s pretty messed up. Living with lupus means…

There is no cure for lupus. As far as I know, there is no known cause for it, either. When I was first diagnosed, people who meant well would send me articles that mentioned cures. I know better than to buy into that hype, but a lupus patient…