We’ve all heard it. “But you don’t look sick.” There’s also “You still look good,” “That weight looks good on you (or off you),” and “I couldn’t tell you were that sick.” For quite some time, conversations among people living with lupus, which I have, or other chronic illnesses…
Having lived with lupus for decades and having spoken to countless chronic illness warriors over the years, I’ve realized that while our varied symptoms hit us differently, we all face one unifying dilemma: toeing the line of looking sick enough that medical personnel and others take us seriously while…
Lying in bed, congested, and surrounded by a mountain of tissues and toilet paper: That’s how I spent the better part of two weeks. It’s happened enough times now that I should be able to identify patterns and see it coming, but I don’t. Every time, it creeps up on…
In the six months that followed my lupus diagnosis six years ago, only a few moments aren’t clouded by a haze. Everyone responds differently when their life is altered beyond repair, but I went into shock. If a genie had offered me a single wish, I would’ve asked…
If I’ve learned one thing about living with an invisible illness, it’s that my life exists in limbo. Though I generally tend to feel good, I live knowing that in the last two years, I’ve never once felt as healthy as I did before diagnosis. I know…
What does sick look like? I often have wondered why people think they can tell just by looking at you what you are experiencing. Then they will try to tell you what you are experiencing. How many times have you expressed not feeling well, only to have someone say,…