Celebrate With Me — Candace J. Semien

Although National Grief Awareness Day, observed Aug. 30, was founded by activist Angie Cartwright in 2014, I have seen it mentioned much more frequently this year than in years past. Maybe it’s because so many people are feeling the heaviness of loss, whether it’s related to employment, finances, or death.

I recently came across an episode from the Lupus Foundation of America’s “The Expert Series” that focused on menopause and lupus. It reminded me of how important it is for us to talk about the changes our bodies go through, not only from lupus, but also because of…

Pain management is difficult and complicated for people living with lupus. In my experience, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and over-the-counter medications are weak, and opioid analgesics tend to fail. Even combined with home remedies, herbal teas, essential oils, heating pads, ice packs, and tinctures, lupus pain is often unmanageable. During…

There is a term used often in publishing and media to acknowledge when a community, a niche group, or a marginalized people are included within a broader context of an issue or story. When an author is inclusive of a person or a group, it is intentional “representation.” We are…

“I’m so glad you’re here and you chose yourself.” That’s how wellness educator Staci Mitchell opened a series of virtual TARDIS Talks on lupus last month. Something about that statement caused us to pause and reflect during the session, as she acknowledged and celebrated our self-focused arrival. The idea…

The world’s largest catalog of library resources, WorldCat, lists more than 290,000 books with “lupus” in the title. When you search “lupus” on Google Scholar, more than 2.2 million articles come up. Neither is comprehensive, so you can imagine how many other books and articles might exist. That…

I am willing to bet a penny to your nickel (wink) that if you often “don’t look sick,” you usually don’t tell anyone when you feel the stirrings of a lupus flare. We all have different reasons for staying quiet and waiting before declaring how severe our…

If ever you need the raw, unadulterated truth about living with lupus, you should attend diverse support group meetings. Make sure they are diverse and have a member or two with characteristics similar to yours, such as age, gender, symptoms, lifestyle, culture, and status. These lupus support group discussions…

“The body keeps the score.” Before I was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, I’d never heard that saying. Over the years, though, I’ve found it to be true. Yes, the body does keep the score, and, unfortunately, the body’s limitations dictate the day. Its disabilities and diseases alter careers,…

Living with lupus is such an individual, personal experience, something I have written about frequently. I assume the same applies to many other chronic conditions as well. Yet we share many things in common, too — the chaos, fear, labs, medicines, limitations, loneliness, altered friendships, bruises, falls, loss of…

Lupus attacked me in an entirely different way this year. How did I respond? You guessed it: I rushed to get an urgent, same-day visit with a specialist, then sprinted to the emergency room when the pain kept shifting and didn’t respond to any treatment I had at home.