Columns

Ride Like The Wind (to the Hospital)

This may date me, but who remembers the Christopher Cross song Ride Like The Wind? “It is the night, my body’s weak, I’m on the run, no time to sleep.  I’ve got to ride, ride like the wind, to be free again.” Those lyrics describe how I feel…

Sick and Tired of a Life of Conscious Decisions

Being chronically ill is a lot of responsibility. I must make decisions consciously, as doing so may have repercussions, some of which may be serious. From going out with my friends, to eating or participating in sports, there isn’t a time I’m not solely responsible for my…

Using Lupus and Arthritis as Weather-Forecasting Superpowers

Even before my lupus diagnosis, my body has had amazing accuracy when forecasting the weather. For someone with arthritis, this becomes an unwanted superpower of sorts. Because when the rain hits, so  does the stiffness and pain in my joints. While painkillers can mask the excruciating painful limitations,…

Lupus, and How I Give Pain A Purpose

How can I help create awesome memories in a home of your own? There were years spent telling people the value of their home as an appraiser, and then years helping people find the American dream of owning their own homes. I had a blast turning…

How Lupus Taught Me to Say ‘Yes!’ to Now

We live in a society where too often the assumption is that the future is guaranteed. But it’s not. I’ve spent too much of my life holding out for that “rainy day.” However, being diagnosed with lupus has taught me that it’s crucial to make it count…

Learning to Appreciate and be Grateful for What I Can Control

I’ve never been one for what is referred to by my family as “land sports.” Translation: I’m clumsy, uncoordinated and when solid ground is beneath me I’ll most likely either trip over my own feet, or run into something. I’ve always been that way. However, in the…