Learning to Live with Lupus - a Column by Darla Gay

Darla, who lives in Arkansas, was diagnosed with lupus in 2015. As she grows into her new normal, she created this column to help others with lupus know they are not alone. She writes about hunting down the root causes to her symptoms and side effects.

Three Little Words That Will Change My Life

On a recent morning, I was lying in bed checking my emails. There was one from the hospital with test results from my last visit. A few days earlier, I had tried a new medication and landed in the emergency room. It turned out to be a bad reaction to…

With Lupus, You Always Need to Think About Sun Protection

My lower legs currently are covered with red spots. It has been so hot that I’ve been wearing capri pants every day. The result is that my legs have gotten more sun exposure than usual. But instead of a nice golden tan, I have red spots. With lupus, I…

An Instant Pot Means an (Almost) Instant Supper

I’ve been collecting kitchen gadgets for the past few years: The largest food processor available. A heavy-duty stand mixer. Pampered Chef’s Rockcrok slow cooker. So you know I jumped on the pressure cooker craze, even before the Instant Pot became a thing. Now I have two of them: a…

Some Days, Exhaustion Overtakes the To-do List

I woke up this morning with a lot of things that needed to be done. By 2 p.m., only one thing had been checked off the list and I was sound asleep. The old me — the one before lupus came into my life — would never have stopped…

I Don’t Believe Your Product Will ‘Cure’ My Lupus

Sometimes when people learn that I have lupus, they tell me about someone they know who was cured by taking a “magic potion.” Multilevel marketing companies are the worst — whatever disease you happen to have, their product will cure it. We’ve all heard an anecdote about…

Could the Medicine I Take for Lupus Affect My Eyes?

I’m going to see a new doctor in a few days. This time, it’s for my eyes. I wasn’t born with good eyes, and it’s just gotten worse over the years. I got my first pair of glasses when I was 10 years old. As a teenager, my vision started…

Dealing with Questions from a New Specialty Pharmacy

My insurance company changed my Benlysta (belimumab) prescription to a new pharmacy this week. So, I had to answer all of their new patient questions. First, we worked through the important stuff such as my name, address, and how I wanted to settle my copayment. For those…

Could Swimming Be the Answer to My Exercise Dilemma?

I am not a natural-born exerciser. No one in my family is athletic. There were no evening walks and no one played sports. We didn’t run unless we were being chased. When I was first diagnosed with lupus, my rheumatologist told me I needed to walk half an hour…

Sometimes You Have to Take a Vacation from Stress

When you have lupus, every single day brings on more stress. There are endless doctor visits and blood tests. You have to deal with brain fog. You have to remember to take your medicine at the right time. Plus, everyday tasks like getting out of bed and taking…