The Girl Who Cried Wolf — Kristi Page

I’m wary of taking advice from anyone, because people rarely understand what lupus is or how it affects my body. They merely know of someone who has the disease. Most people don’t appreciate that it’s a diverse illness with no simple solutions or easy fixes. What works for one person…

“You’re an inspiration to many.” I get it all the time. Do you want to know a secret? I never wanted to be an inspiration — not like this. The cost of being “inspirational” is going to bed every night knowing that no matter how many or how few hours…

Whenever I write about lupus, I refer to it as a separate entity. In my mind, my journey with lupus is a battle; it’s always been a “me versus the enemy” situation. However, the significance of mentally detaching myself from the disease didn’t occur to me until recently. I…

Many things about my relationship with my partner, Jordan, are unique. As two 20-somethings, each living with our own chronic illness, our experiences are a world away from those of our peers. In most “normal” relationships that involve chronic illness, there is a caregiver and a care receiver. In…

Living with lupus makes me feel a little precarious. I can’t fully enjoy the little victories in my health due to the fear that they’ll immediately be followed by a downhill slide. Last year was a doozy: For most of the year, I seemed to move endlessly from one…

Being an adult isn’t anything like I imagined it. I also never imagined being diagnosed with a chronic illness at the start of my 20s. When I was younger, the idea of being an adult was exciting. Freedom, responsibility, and control seem to be things we want until they are…

Everyone is entitled to a bad day. But for me, “bad” can’t seem to contain itself to just 24 hours. It usually comes in waves that last weeks or months. The defiant optimist in me likes to think that, in a way, I need bad days because they help…

In a previous column, I discussed how there are two polar personalities within my body. There’s the energetic, “anything is possible, never back down, and go-go-go” Kristi. Then there’s the lethargic, down-in-the-dumps version who can’t find the motivation to make herself lunch. I’m usually one or the…

Last week I caught my second cold for the year and followed it up with a sinus infection for good measure. Unfortunately, it’s only to be expected when the beautiful Australian summer finally gives way to autumn’s cool change, especially when you’ve heavily and deliberately suppressed…

Mid-conversation, I’m often asked questions that lead to me revealing information the other person isn’t ready to hear about. It involves an unsettling, controversial word. Actually, it’s not just a simple word, but a name: lupus. And then comes an all-important question I hear time and time again. What…

I’m a confessed hopeless romantic. Blame my parents! With 27 years of marriage under their belts and a grand total of 37 years together, I’ve spent my entire life watching a love story unfold. But just like any long-term relationship, their real-life fairy tale hasn’t always been smooth…

I’m an addict. Before you get the wrong idea, I should explain. My addiction isn’t to any type of illicit or prescription drug, it’s not to alcohol, and I don’t even crave caffeine. No, my vice is something else, something harder to attain. I’m addicted to control.