Hurricane in Heels — Kellie McRae

Heartburn, acid reflux, indigestion … I feel like a walking Pepto-Bismol commercial. It seems that even water has the ability to cause heartburn — and here I expected it to put that fire out. I have been a sometimes-vegetarian for years, but recently I decided to ditch anything…

I am on a journey. I’m chasing remission from lupus by using a plant-based lifestyle. I’m keeping a record of how I feel, my symptoms, and the food I eat. I have been a vegetarian for a few years. However, I’ve fallen off the wagon on occasion:…

For many of you who have followed my journey, you know that I chose to seek my healthcare outside of the U.S. I felt my experience was less than stellar, and after speaking with so many others and hearing their stories, it helped me finalize my…

I discovered the magic of vegetables by mistake. When I started exhibiting lupus symptoms, I could not stand for long periods, and just walking across a room meant I’d have to sleep the rest of the day. To avoid starving, I bought fresh fruits and veggies and would grab…

Each time I learn of a warrior’s death, I get depressed. It doesn’t matter if I only just learned of them at the time of the announcement. I feel an overwhelming loss. The deaths of young people affect me even more. I wonder if they would be happy their…

Sometimes I think people forget that on the other side of the keyboard are other people. Things we would never say to someone in real life are often typed and sent without any regard for how the other person may feel because they can’t see us. I am…

I opened my eyes this morning and knew it would be a great day to write. Why? Because with what I was feeling, I would be in bed all day. Pretty much everything hurts except my fluttering eyelids. Yep, no pain there. Battling lupus is like fighting the…

I think that because those of us battling lupus don’t look sick, people have no idea how much the disease affects every aspect of our lives. I know I’ve shared my feelings on this subject at various times in this column. Unfortunately, when your entire life is disrupted, it’s…

I have been asked what my goals are twice in the past two months. At one time, I would have told you that I was an ambitious overachiever. Now, I strive to get out of bed before 9 a.m. The first time it was on a questionnaire at the…

I returned to the United States from Southeast Asia in mid-May. I came back to visit my family, and I had another intention in mind. As much as I dislike the U.S. healthcare system, I am a veteran, and I am entitled to certain benefits. As some of…

Lupus sucks! There, I’ve said it. I have a feeling that anyone battling this disease, or anyone watching a loved one do so, will agree. If you believe in the Bible, lupus to me is the true definition of the devil. It comes to steal, kill, and destroy. In…

To experience anger is to experience stress. Stress is a lupus trigger, and while we all have stress in some form, we don’t all have to have it all the time. We can learn to limit the things that cause stress or anger. I have decreased…