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You’ve probably heard of the book 50 Shades of Grey and you’ve more than likely figured out that it is code for “50 Shades of F’ed Up.” Interestingly enough, that phrase truly describes my being diagnosed and  having to live with lupus. Every day is a different shade of…

This year, in many ways, lupus has been the gift that just kept taking. But no matter how heartbroken I’ve felt in a single moment, I’ve put in the effort to find a silver lining to every single gray cloud that came my way. I’m not sure…

I am just gonna call out the white elephant in the room because everyone has seen the news about drug therapies and possible side effects but no one really knows who or how this affects someone with any chronic illness let alone, for me, with lupus. Let’s be honest, we…

I understand not everyone is comfortable about talking about his or her life with chronic illness, but I am, and if I make you uncomfortable I’ve achieved what I set out to do. That is my intent. If something is close to your heart and you’ve got a…

It may sound crazy to expect to be able to predict something as unpredictable as pain, so when I say “unpredictable pain” I don’t mean you should be able to set your watch by it; I mean you should have an idea of what level it will…

When you think of ultimate frustration you think of the phrase, “ripping my hair out.” However, there’s no need for me to do that because in the past few weeks it’s started to thin and fall out on its own. Earlier in the year, it felt like I…

I’ve been blessed with many supportive souls since my lupus diagnosis, a few of whom also live with chronic illness. One of them, along with her partner, has taught me a most valuable lesson, by being my constant reminder that sometimes it’s not about leaps and bounds, but…

You probably have heard the phrase “Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.” I was used to hearing it as well as I grew up in the music industry in Los Angeles, with parents heavy into the ’80s rock scene. I grew up being told I was a rock star. No matter what…

Every Thursday, I get up early – a feat in itself – and drive half an hour to meet my personal trainer for a 45-minute pain-and-sweat session. While I love these mornings, they come at a cost. If I’ve made plans with someone later in the day, it…

Veganism is a popular topic of late and, while I have opinions, its nutritional merits are not what I want to write about. Rather, as someone who lives on a medical – read: necessary and involuntary – elimination diet, I wish to kindly ask the vegan community not…