Hurricane in Heels — Kellie McRae

When I recently was admitted to the hospital, I had no idea it would be for two weeks. But after hearing the list of reasons for my admission, I understood that it would take a while. I had…

Sometimes, I forget that I have lupus. Is that weird? I have spent so much time pushing my body and telling myself that many of the things I can no longer do are because I am not trying hard…

It’s been an interesting couple of months. I have learned, endured, and accepted (I hope) a lot. I am always doing checks and balances with my mental health, working to find joy on difficult days, being grateful for another…

I was lulled into thinking that I could give American healthcare another chance. I had a 14-day stay at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where I was treated like a VIP. I heard about…

People tease about how there are no manuals for rearing kids. Well, there is no manual on how to navigate an illness like lupus, either. Everyone is simply winging it and hoping they are making the right decisions. It…

A routine visit with my primary care doctor turned into the biggest reality check of my life. It led to a two-week hospital stay followed by a move to a 24-hour rehabilitation center where my weak immune system required…

I sit here on day 11 of my first hospital stay of 2020. I’ve learned that pharmaceutical companies test how wide your esophagus will open to accommodate pills that would make a horse gag. I am doing all I…

Picture it: It’s 2016, and life was good. I had hair. And then all of this unexplained pain ascended onto my body. I remember it like it was yesterday. Once doctors declared what tortured me, I signed up for…

I don’t make resolutions. It seems that now they have been replaced with mantras and buzzwords. However, my daughter asked me on New Year’s Day if I had something that could give me life guidance this year. I told…

When we were kids, a friend said that he wanted to be a doctor. He never deviated from his goal. He joined the Navy, became a medic, and has since retired from that career. I’ve been all over the…

I live in an area with a rich history. I am up the road from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Yet I’ve never been. I live a two-hour plane ride from Mexico City, but I…

I was fast asleep in the wee hours. I went to take a breath and could not. I tried again, only to be met with a sound that I will describe as a squeaky toy. I bolted upright and…