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Traveling with Lupus

It’s interesting how most of the world can just plan a trip and go. When you are battling lupus, planning a trip takes a few extra measures. There needs to be plenty of thought, even for a short trip, when you are dealing with unpredictable symptoms. The…

Convenience is What I Miss with Lupus

I miss waking up in the morning and being completely refreshed. I miss being able to work a long, busy shift on a Sunday, and then head out to drink and dance hours later, without consequence. I miss not having to swallow handfuls of pills every day. I miss…

From Santa Cruz to Savannah and Hurricane Matthew

Georgia on my mind … So much has happened in the last two weeks I have no idea of where to even start. If you’ve been following along with my many misadventures this summer, you would know that I went road tripping, island hopping, visited with friends both far…

Dating with Lupus as a Single Millennial

Dating is difficult enough as a millennial. I’ve always hated the concept of dating, but now despise it even more. Meeting even someone who I think the world of leads to the Herculean task of trying to find the right time to break the news that, no matter…

Lupus, Self-esteem and Butterfly Warriors

Lupus primarily targets women, as does the media. We are often inundated with photographs of young, thin, flawlessly airbrushed women who are the picture of what perfection is supposed to be. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of — and enough to give us low self-esteem. Many of us…

Understanding What It Means to Be a ‘Spoonie’

When I was first diagnosed with lupus, my cousin was kind enough to send me the link to Christine Miserandino’s “Spoon Theory,” to help aid me in the process of trying to explain what it’s like to live with a chronic illness. I read through it and understood…

With Lupus, Support Is Important Too

Lupus is a pretty devastating disease, and those who do not have to deal with it firsthand, day after day, don’t really get to see that. Often, those who know someone battling it tell me about how that person is living a normal life, or how they have…

Lupus, Body Shame, and Learning Self-Love

Lying in bed, scrolling though Instagram, I came across a post devoted to the promotion of self-love and healthy bodies. The caption told the story of how the girl pictured had spent a majority of her life hating her body and shaming herself into trying to match society’s…

Prednisolone: My Love-Hate Relationship with Steroids

When I pictured being in my twenties I had a few expectations. I didn’t expect to have everything figured out, but I assumed that I would have a rough idea about where I wanted to be and, more than anything, I thought that at least physically I would…

Lupus and Proper Nutrition

  It is no secret that food is one our most basic needs. It provides the building blocks for strong and healthy bodies. People with lupus have the same requirements as everyone else, except we are a little more sensitive to the effects of food. Food for a…