No Two Chronic Illness Journeys Are the Same

One thing I’ve noticed in the three years since my diagnosis is that people who don’t have ongoing health issues tend to pigeonhole those of us with chronic illnesses. But just as people’s experiences, tastes, and passions in life differ, so too do their illnesses, symptoms, medications, and side effects.

As a Lupus Patient, I Have Learned to Be Prepared

Following your lupus diagnosis, visits to doctor’s offices begin to multiply. Sometimes I’ll have consultations with three different doctors in the same week. If they order tests, it means even more appointments.  Having spent all of this time in medical clinics, I have learned that if I come…

I’m in Lupus Remission but I Feel Incomplete

The past few months have been a disaster. Despite being a bona fide joy junkie, I’ve experienced new physical symptoms that have drained me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I rarely feel very low for a long period, but recently I was having such a difficult time that my…

A Reflection on My Journey with Prednisolone

I remember the first time I was given the corticosteroid prednisolone to treat lupus. Within days, it became clear that the medication was working, but I’d already started to hate it. In retrospect, that was a foretelling sign of the long-term love-hate relationship we would share. The…