Columns

2020 Was a Crazy Year, but It Brought Me Many Blessings

Historic and challenging events happened last year. There was never a dull moment, and if your coping skills were rusty, 2020 made you get out the polish.  I was admitted to the hospital just after the year started and was in a medical facility until…

The Problem With Forced Positivity

When my body started failing, I hopped on social media and asked if anyone had dealt with similar issues. As the mystery built, I coped by using comedy and positivity, as I often do. When the weight of…

A New Perspective on Living the Dream

Lupus stinks. I doubt I will ever change my mind about that. However, not everything about it stinks. I am learning to embrace things it has afforded me that I’d hoped for when I was a younger woman. I grew up poor, and when I think of the…

The Difficulty of Explaining Lupus Fatigue to Others

Learning to live with lupus fatigue for nearly five years has been one of my greatest challenges, both physically and mentally. Initially, it was like someone flipped a switch in the middle of the night. I woke up the next day and realized sleep hadn’t rejuvenated me or…

Wrapping My Head Around the Number of Meds I Take

Every morning and evening, I pull out my big bag of medications. The evenings aren’t as bad as the mornings. For the second round of the day, I take fewer meds, and I’ve had the entire day to accept that I must take them if I expect to help…

Lupus Makes Me Crave Control

A month ago, I quit my job as a barista in search of something different. I applied for nearly everything with only one qualifier: I didn’t want another job in the hospitality industry. I’m a big believer that you will never have to fight for what is “right” for you.

I Am Developing a Phobia of Commitments

I’ve always considered myself a reliable person. If I said I would do something, it would be done. If I said I would be somewhere, I’d likely be the first one to arrive. Punctuality is a sign of reliability. But over the years, lupus has given me a new phrase…

The Glory of Extraordinary Doctors

In the last four years, I have played patient to some medical professionals with no regard for me as someone who needed their care. Some were more interested in telling me what they knew instead of letting me express my worries. Some didn’t even treat me as a human being.